Video Game Animation May Be Quite a Draw
Sep. 12–VALENCIA — Video game fans have a chance to channel some of their creativity into a fast-growing career field through a new certificate program in video game animation offered at College of the Canyons.
A curriculum formulated by advisers in the video, feature film and television industry has begun this year, intended to groom students for entry-level positions at video game production firms.
“We have programs in animation production and computer animation, but this is a whole different direction,” animation department chairwoman Sheila Sofian said. “There is a lot of interest on the part of the industry in getting qualified designers.”
Students will be taught two popular commercial systems, 3D Studio MAX and Maya, with the addition of two new courses: Texture Mapping, which instructs students on creating three-dimensional models with elements such as skin and hair, and Real Time Narrative, which uses machinima (literally, “machine cinema”) techniques to construct the video game in real time.
“The interesting thing is that the demand for the class didn’t come from the kids — it came from the industry,” Sofian said. “There are jobs in video game animation at a time when traditional two-dimensional animation is dying down.”
Sofian said that even though computer animation is the wave of the future, all animation students must learn drawn animation as a prerequisite.
“You can teach an artist a software program, but you can’t always teach a computer whiz how to draw,” she said.
William Lebeda, creative director of Picture Mill, is part of Sofian’s advisory committee.
“What we’re seeing are movies being made out of video games as well as video games being made into movies,” he said. “I think that’s where much of the innovation is happening.”
“There are a lot of opportunities for young enthusiastic and intelligent people to make a lot of money. We’ve seen the world of two-dimensional art change a lot recently; there are more 3-D features, such as ‘Shrek’ and ‘The Incredibles,” which have replaced the ‘Lion Kings’ of the world. Along with that, because video games are becoming more interactive, 3-D works better. It’s all about creating a reality that is fully fleshed out.”
Voldi Way, president of WayForward Technologies who also serves on the advisory panel, said he was excited about the new program.
“Most of our artists came from (California Institute of the Arts), and our programmers from College of the Canyons,” he said. “We always have to train the artists in the specifics of games and the programmers in design. Now that they’re combining them, that will be fantastic.”
The certificate program is a two-year course of study that will provide students with the skills needed in traditional animation and training in modern technology.
Students new to the program will start by learning the principles of animation, laws of motion, timing and the analysis and production of a short animated video. Along with their certificates, students completing the course work will have also prepared a professional portfolio of their work.
For information, call (661) 362-5039.
Way said that the video game industry had grown twice as fast as the feature film industry in the last year, with some games having better opening weekends than movies.
“‘Halo 2′ made $125 million when it was introduced,” he said.
Way said his company’s biggest problem is recruiting.
“We had to turn down $2 million in business last week because we couldn’t do it. I guess that’s better than the opposite, but this program should really help.”
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