Thanks to everyone that responded to our graduate survey a few weeks ago. It uncovered some interesting thoughts on the industry and challenges you face getting into CG.
US VFX industry in strife?
I don’t know how many of you caught this, but there was an interesting article on the Time Magazine's website last week looking at the state of the VFX industry in the US.
Satisfaction Survey: what it's really like working in the CG industry?
A couple of month's back we conducted a Satisfaction Survey which asked people what it's really like working in the CG industry. The top prize for three lucky people was having a CG Master Class with Maya master Lee Danskin. The guy's found it hugely helpful as Lee shared lots of top tips on how to make the most of Maya, dipelling some myths along the way!
Games industry salaries on the up
Good news for all those in the games industry. A new survey out this week showed that salaries are on the rise, going up 2%-3% over the last year, with those of you working on the technical development and programming side of things earning the most.
Playing the Game
I came across a report from NESTA at the weekend which suggested strategies to help the UK remain at the top of global video games development. It makes for interesting reading in light of last week’s announcement on tax relief for the industry.
We’re in the money
As you probably saw, the Chancellor has awarded the games industry its much deserved tax break. Following Wednesday’s budget, game developers that create profitable games will be able to use the relief to pay less tax on profits, while unsuccessful games will be awarded a cash tax credit to reduce losses – which must be a nice surprise for all you developers out there.
The Growth of Social Gaming
How many of you play social games? I knew it was popular but I caught some figures on CNN’s website last week that really brought it home just how big it’s become. The FarmVille Facebook game is apparently being played by a staggering 27 million social gamers ever day, adding up to more monthly active users than the population of France.
Birds Eye View Training Course
Are you a woman trying to break into the film industry? If so, this training course could be just what you’re looking for.
Videogames violence
I’ve seen in the news this week that Scottish MP Joe Fitzpatrick has been defending Dundee’s videogames industry after the Scottish Parliament was urged to recognise the fact violent games are easily obtainable for children.
Videogames more popular than films?
As I’m sure some of you would have seen, last week figures were released showing that revenues from UK videogames hit £1.73 billion last year – a whopping 44% higher than what was generated from UK films during the same time. If you consider some of the huge cinema releases we saw last year, it’s no mean feat that it was only UK television that made more money than the video games industry. Impressive stuff, but is it really a surprise? I’ve said before that playing videogames is becoming a family past time – games consoles are now found in the family living room rather than banished to a “geeky” teenager’s bedroom. Gaming has a far reaching appeal, and I doubt that the growth of the gaming industry will cease any time soon. Interest in our games course, particularly since Sony veteran Simon Fenton came on board, has continued to grow. It’s great to see this exciting industry gaining rightful recognition – not just in terms of increased sales, but in the demand for creative talent which boosts the development of video gaming in the UK. Would you rather spend two hours playing Modern Warfare 2 or watching Blackhawk Down?
Survey - Graduates find a long term home in CG industry
You might have read that we recently surveyed people working in the industry for their thoughts about their jobs and the world they work in. We’ve now taken this one step further by asking graduates about their expectations of a career in this field.
Announcing The Winners of the CG Whiz Competition...
Congratulations to all the finalists of our CG Whiz competition. We had a great time at the Reveal Event last night, meeting the future stars of the CG industry. As we’ve said before, we were overwhelmed by the sheer number and quality of the entries we’ve received.
Survey - State of the CG industry
You might have read a couple of weeks ago about the winners of a prize draw we held for those who completed our survey. We wanted to see what people in and around the CG industry thought about their jobs and the world in which they work. We had a fantastic response, with over 2,800 professionals, hobbyists and students answering questions for us, and the results make for interesting reading.
Survey prize draw winners announced
A few weeks ago we ran a survey to find out what people thought of the CG industry, with a prize draw and some fantastic prizes for a lucky few. We’re please to say we can now announce the winners of the prize draw.
20 animated submissions for upcoming Oscars
Not sure how many of you have been following this story, but a whopping 20 feature films have been submitted for the Animated Feature film category for the upcoming Oscars. This is great news for the industry as it means we’re well on track to getting five nominees qualifying for the category at the awards next February (we normally only have 3!).
Hollywood producer, Charlotte Huggins to discuss 3D breakthroughs in film and TV.
For those in the film industry, this may be an interesting event for your December diary. The Institution of Engineering and Technology is holding the inaugural John Logie Baird event on the 8th December entitled ‘3D – Back to the future’.
Back to the future of 3D cinema
I’ve mentioned 3D movies before on the blog, but this week another article on the topic caught my eye. Pixar has said that it’s hoping 3D films will encourage people to watch movies at the cinema – rather than pirate copies or illegal downloads at home.
Give us a break
I’ve been reading a lot about tax breaks in the past couple of months. First there was the anticipation and ultimate disappointment of Digital Britain, when we hoped that the games industry might get the tax breaks it needed. A missed opportunity, many said.
Skillset funding back for second year
We have a dozen places available on our new Skillset VFX course. Funded by Skillset UK’s Film Fund, the places are free for wannabe graphic designers who apply before 21st August.