San Jose University, California came up trumps at the recent Interior Design Association of Northern California (IIDA) Student Design Awards and have their 3D visualisation toolkit to thank for their success.
How did I get a job with that reel?
We always like to showcase our wonderful ‘Escapees’ work. Adam Dewhirst is no exception. However, what I thought we would do is take a look back to Adam's early work to where he is today... It's an interesting journey…!
ZBrush giving you more..
Pixologic are at it again! Another release of ZBrush (4R3) and not disappointingly they have added another bunch of cool new features!
What makes this taste even sweeter for ZBrush customers is that again the upgrade is completely FREE! Since day one Pixologic have never charged for an upgrade, which is pretty amazing. Of course it means it now has a huge following and user base. Quite smart really!
Annecy Animation Film Festival
Every June I look forward to heading off to Annecy, not for the sight seeing (although it is a very beautiful place) but for the Film Festival of course. Sadly however, I didn’t attend this year.
Do Universities Need To Teach Basic Job Skills?
An announcement by Edge, the education charity, caught my eye this week. It said that universities should now be required to teach employment skills as part of degree courses. According to its latest study, employers now believe too many graduates are unfit for the workplace.
Back On The Road
The Escape University Tour starts up again this month after a short break for Easter. Last week, I was in Ipswich to speaking with students at the School of Arts and Humanities at University Campus Suffolk.
Looking for a Summer Internship?
Are you looking for something to do this summer? Ever heard of StudioAKA? They are a London based multi-BAFTA winning animation production company, known world-wide for their amazing innovative work. And they may want you for the Summer!
They are looking for a bright spark to work in the field of DB & pipeline development (within June to August).
Using 3D to Good Effects in Teaching
It’s not often that I see something that just makes me pause and wonder in amazement, but a few days ago, I came across a short video that did just that.
University Tour Update
The tour continued with a whirlwind week of talks. Firstly I met with a small group of the Games Development students at the University of Westminster. They have a number of interesting courses there as well as some interesting research projects - I hope we can build on this initial meeting and I'll be able to tell you more about what they are up to in the future!
Livingstone-Hope Report Launch
On Tuesday I attended the launch of the Livingtone-Hope report which was undertaken to address the skills issues facing the UK's games and visual effects. Escape Studios staff have taken part in a number of the surveys which went into building the data for this report as well as speaking directly to Hasan Bakhshi and Juan Mateos-Garcia from NESTA, who did a large amount of the work of pulling the data for the draft report together. In essence the report lays out 20 recommendations across the talent pipeline from schools through FE and HE to the industry. All these parties as well as the government and other skills and training bodies such as Skillset are called on to do their bit. All of this whilst being realistic about the funding and resources available, the recommendations had to be about the focus of existing funds not calls for large sums of new money.
Escape Studios on Tour!
Escape Studios is hitting the road this year undertaking a program of talks, presentations and master classes throughout the UK universities and colleges.
MediaCity UK - Salford Quays, Manchester
I was invited up to take a look around MediaCityUK UK last week. I didn't really know what to expect, I had heard quite a bit about the developments over the past few years but it had always been 'up North' and at the back of my mind.
Students Protest Violently Over Tuition Fees
Few of you will have missed this morning’s headlines about yesterday’s violent student protests in London. Taking to the streets is not something that comes naturally to British people – unlike the French, who view student protests almost as a right of passage. So, having 50,000 of them marching in London shows the level of discontent over the government’s recent decision to increase tuition fees.
MA Way
Last week, we launched our first academic qualification, an MA in Visual Effects Production, which we’re running with the University of Bradford. You’ll probably be wondering what we’re up to, what with everything that’s been in the news about how much university tuition is going to cost in the UK. Having collaborated on this project with some leading industry pros, however, I reckon we’re on to a winner. Here’s why:
iPad in education?
We all love gadgets, and anything from Apple generally creates interest for good or bad. Enter the iPad. Well, it has been around for a while now, but other than playing Angry Birds, does it really have other uses?
AutoCAD for the Mac
Autodesk have released AutoCAD for the Mac after its announcement back in August.
A student's little black book of contacts - the benefits of LinkedIn
I spent of lot of my time helping escapees find their first job. As part of this is, I maintain a network of contacts to help students get their foot in the door. We all know how important it is to know the right people and belong to the right network - something that not every student does enough of, but could help them land their dream job.
Graduated but still looking for a job?
The BBC recently reported on the struggle faced by graduates to find a job after leaving university. Unemployment amongst grads aged below 24, rose by 25% last year.
Do you have the right skills to land your dream job?
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.
Is gaming a sport?
An article on the Telegraph’s website caught my eye today – apparently, professional computer gamers have the reactions of fighter pilots but the bodies of 60-year-old chain smokers. Dr Dominic Micklewright, from the University of Essex, conducted a series of physical and psychological tests to determine whether playing on computers could be defined as a sport.
