This is an incredibly depressing statistic, but one that I wish had been accompanied by more background information and context. I read it in a BBC article entitled “National Literacy Trust highlights book-free millions” published last week. According to the BBC, a new report by the National Literacy Trust indicates that the proportion of children without books is increasing, and now stands at one in three, compared to one in ten in 2005.
News Round-Up: Monday 12th Dec 2011
Here is my usual Weekly Round-Up of News, with stories that I have picked up over the past week. If you have suggestions for stories I missed, just drop me a line or post a comment.
The Votes Have Been Cast And The Results Are In…
The judging is done, and the votes are in – the winners for CG Whiz 2011 have been decided upon, but you’ll have to wait until the 14th December to find out who the winner are. I know, it's a bit cruel, but we like to make a big deal of our Reveal Event. It's only fair considering how much work all our entrants have put in to their reels.
A New Pricing Structure for Photoshop...
I have just seen an article entitled "Adobe Will Only Offer Photoshop CS6 Upgrade Price to CS5 Owners" in CGTalk (CG Society) about a dramatic change in pricing policy from Adobe regarding CS6.
What’s in Your TV 'Must Watch List' This Xmas?
It’s about this time of year when I actually start getting quite excited about watching TV. I know it sounds quite sad, but I don’t get that much spare time to watch the box normally. Xmas is THE time when I indulge my secret passion for children’s tales and magical stories. The child in me is reawakened every year during that time, when I barely move out of the house – or off the sofa!
The Future of University Applications Looks Confused
There were a whole raft of announcements and news stories about university applications last week - sadly they didn't get much air time as TV and radio stations remained firmly focused on the state of the Euro. Still, the BBC did publish a few stories which are worthy of further discussion.
Dreamworks Animation Fills Their Boots
As Puss in Boots sets Box Office records in the US, we were very keen to watch a special preview screened by Paramount Pictures at the BFI Southbank on Sunday afternoon, to judge if the film lives up to the surrounding hype, and we weren’t disappointed.
Xmas Gift Ideas for CG Geeks
We all know that the geeks will one day inherit the earth, but what do they want for Christmas?... The 'Season of Goodwill' is here, so I thought I would kick it off in style by sharing with you a bunch of sites where you might find the ideal gift for your favourite CG Geek.
News Round-Up: Monday 5th Dec 2011
Here is my usual Weekly Round-Up of News, with stories that I have picked up over the past week. If you have suggestions for stories I missed, just drop me a line or post a comment.
There's Mo Escape Gallery
Yesterday was the last day of Movember, and we took this opportunity to take one last set of photos of team 'There's Mo Escape'. I am sure you will agree with me that we look like mighty fine with our moustaches!
New Additional VFX Course Dates for January!
Due to the unprecedented demand for our 12 Week Visual Effects Production courses we have just opened up another VFX classroom for January! Having filled the two existing January dates so quickly, and while we are still receiving enquires for these courses, we wanted to give as many people as possible the opportunity to start with us in January.
BallAHolic: How to Make an Innovative 3D iPhone Game
I stumbled across a very cool iPhone game and loved how it felt, played and looked. I did some research and managed to get one of the team to write this blog post! Here is what Christian Buettner, from A Local Chaos Project, had to say about their creation:
MARI 1.4 Has Launched!
MARI has already gained a reputation for being a powerful compositing tool, but the team at The Foundry continue developing this software to make MARI an even faster, more flexible tool.
CG Whiz 2011 Shortlist is Announced!
The entries for CG Whiz 2011 are in and the judges are now hard at work reviewing this year’s crop of talent. We’ve had over 200 showreels entries, making 2011 the biggest CG Whiz yet!
Resonance Screening a Resounding Success
Last week we welcomed Simon Jones from SR Partners to Escape Studios London HQ to show our students his recent collaborative work entitled - Resonance.
Esri CityEngine; A New World of Possibility
I wonder how many of you have heard or Esri? Before I go on to explain why I am writting about them today, here is a quick introduction to this very interesting company.
News Round-Up: Monday 28th Nov 2011
Here is my usual Weekly Round-Up of News, with stories that I have picked up over the past week. If you have suggestions for stories I missed, just drop me a line or post a comment.
A Successful UGM for Softimage
On 16th November 2011, Escape Studios and Autodesk joined forces to organise a Softimage user group meeting. The event was held at the Autodesk London office on Broadwick Street, where product manager Jason Brynford ‘Chinny’ Jones presented updates as well as a preview on the Softimage roadmap. An over subscribed event, the UGM attracted an obvious attendance from users within Soho but also users from as far as Sweden, France, Bulgaria, and Germany.
Book A HIERO Demonstration with Escape Studios
The news is travelling fast that The Foundry have a new product in development. This product is called HIERO and is thought to be the 'missing link' in shot management system for VFX pipelines. Designed specifically to help increase output and manage multiple jobs, this tool is said to be a game changer for the post production community.
Those Marvellous Movember Men
As the month of November draws to a close the marvellous Movember men can look forward to taking the razor to the top lip and shaving their new found hairy appendage, but before that liberating moment comes, there are still five days of important fundraising to go.