Work Based Learning: DMA Project

Field Trips

Getting to know the industry

The students of the Academy of Digital Animation have many opportunities to visit industry related events as well as successful industry animation studios. This gives the students the chance to talk with industry professionals and find out what it's like to work in the industry and to network with industry professionals establishing contacts for when they finish the academy and are interested in finding employment in the animation industry. Click on the links below to find out about the events and locations the animation students have visited.

Events	Studios
SIGGRAPH Animation Business Marketplace World Animation Festival and Animation Marathon	DreamWorks Foundation Imaging Interactive Republic

SIGGRAPH

SIGGRAPH 2001
Los Angeles, California USA
August 12 - 17, 2001

SIGGRAPH is the foremost conference and exhibition of visual effects and interactive technology. The event offers scientific papers, panels, courses, educational programs and informal presentations from researchers, artists, animators and engineers. The exhibition presents all the software, hardware and services that are hot in the computer graphics field. The computer animation festival highlights the year's best films and video artists.

The Animation students from the Summer 1999 were able to attend the SIGGRAPH in 1999 and the newest class of students will be attending this years SIGGRAPH. This is one of the largest events in the animation world with thousands of industry professionals in attendance.

Web Address: http://www.siggraph.org/s2001/

Animation Business Marketplace

Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel

Students had the opportunity to attend meet with animation companies and industry professionals at the Animation Business Marketplace. Held at the famous Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel in the outdoor cabana plaza surrounding the hotel pool. The atmosphere of the marketplace is focused on recruitment and the conveying of information. Professionals seeking employment are able to present demo reels and portfolios to companies and get feedback on their work. For well prepared animators interviews may result and employment may be gained through the initial contact made at events such as these.

The digital animation students were exposed to what it's like to promote themselves, and experience non-biased, professional feedback on their work. They were also given the chance to see the level of skill and talent of other professionals seeking employment and compare the quality of their work to industry quality work.

World Animation Festival and Animation Marathon

Paramount Studios, Hollywood, California

One of the biggest nationwide events in the animation industry each year is the World Animation Festival, which is held in Hollywood for a full week. The festival starts each year, on Memorial Day, with an animation competition called the "World Animation Marathon". This is a competition where 80-90 college and high school teams (10 animators each) from across the west coast spend one day (9am-6pm) developing and creating a 30 second traditional cel animation (hand drawn). Teams/students from as far away as Arizona and Washington attend, and all of the LA four year and private animation schools have teams there every year.

To find out more about the WAM and the Animation Festival please visit our WAM web page featuring the animations created by the Cerro Coso and Burroughs teams, and find out which team won Best Color!

Dreamworks

Dreamworks SKG was established by Steven Speilberg, Jeffrey Katzenberg and David Geffen in October 1994. Their vision was to create studio that was artist-friendly in order to develop products that would inspire audiences world-wide.

Dreamworks is a leading producer of live-action motion pictures, network, syndicated and cable television programming, home video and DVD entertainment and consumer products and very successful animated feature films. Some well known animated films created by Dreamworks are, Prince of Egypt, Chicken Run, The Road to Eldorado, Antz, Mouse Hunt, and Small Soldiers. Dreamworks also specializes in films using special effects such as Deep Impact, Galaxy Quest, The Haunting, Forces of Nature, Saving Private Ryan, and Forces of Nature.

Web Address: http://www.dreamworks.com

Foundation Imaging

Founded in 1992, by Ron Thornton and Paul Bryant, Foundation Imaging is dedicated to creating quality visual effects and animation for television. Creator of the Sci-Fi Babylon 5 series using the cutting edge technology of the time they set the standard which other computer graphics animation and visual effects houses still use today.

Foundation Imaging has worked on a variety of projects, from Babylon 5, to providing special effects for Star Trek Voyager, Star Trek DS9, and the fully CG series, Roughnecks

Web Address: http://www.foundation-i.com/foundationv3/

Interactive Republic

Interactive Republic was founded in 1999 by a team of industry veterans. The company's founders have over 40 years of combined industry experience from companies spanning the globe. Interactive Republic goal is to turn their original game concepts into published interactive game titles. Located in Costa Mesa, California just a stone's throw from the beach the company has strived to create for their team members a stimulating and creative environment.