KEY POINTS:
Qualification: Diploma of 3D Computer (Level 6).
Where: Media Design School, Level 10, 242 Queen St, Auckland.
Course dates: Forty-week course with intakes on February 9, April 6, June 8 and August 31 next year.
Contact: Email bernadette@mediadesign.school.nz, phone (09) 303 0402, website mediadesign.school.nz.
Course cost: $9590.
Course numbers: Maximum 20 students.
Prerequisites: Minimum age 17. Background in illustration, design, multimedia or art and an intermediate level of computing knowledge in graphic software (such as Photoshop). Experience with 3D software is advantageous. Entry is based on portfolio of relevant visual work and digital imagery, rather than NCEA passes.
Courses: Monday to Friday, 8.30am-12.30am or 1.30pm-5.30pm.
Starting salary: $30k-$40k entry level, but some graduates have been offered six-figure salaries, depending on skills and experience.
Career prospects: Entertainment, film, TV, architecture, 3D visualisation, games industry, research and development.
New Zealand is respected for punching above its weight internationally in the 3D animation field.
Auckland's Media Design School's Diploma of 3D Computer Animation teaches students to channel creativity using tools of the trade to produce visually compelling bodies of work grounded in contemporary industry techniques and production processes.
As well as film, television, advertising, games and the internet, 3D animation is becoming a powerful tool for visualisation and conceptual "walk-throughs" in architecture and landscape architecture, engineering, medical imaging and aerospace.
Core skills developed during the diploma include specialist knowledge of the industry-standard software application Autodesk Maya, the dynamics of production and post-production and life drawing.
Study time is made up of a mixture of tutor-driven high-end tutorials and practical projects.
The diploma culminates with a 14-week individual project in the form of a 3D show reel highlighting students' areas of specialisation developed during the course - eg lighting, texturing, modelling or animation.
This can be shown to potential employers.
THE GRADUATE
Matt Forsyth, age 36.
NZ lead artist with Mere Mortals NZ.
Graduated September 2008, but started work July 2008.
I have always been interested in art and illustration, but found fields like graphic art limiting.
While living in Canada I discovered the games industry, which always needs artists for a wide variety of roles - such as concept art (to design environments and characters, artwork to help guide team for look and mood of game etc), 3D modelling (creating the 3D characters and environments, much like sculpting), texturing (colouring in the 3D world, making things look like skin, metal, bricks, wood), lighting (setting up the lighting in the 3D world) and animation (moving everything around).
They rarely hire people who are just good artists; they need to be able to contribute in the 3D process as well.
I enrolled in the course hoping it would give me the skills to be employed as a full-time artist.
Mere Mortals approached the school looking for 3D artists. After a bit of research I decided the company would be a great place to begin my career.
It is well-established in the UK and has made a number of internationally acclaimed games and has worked with some of the major game publishers in the world. With my project management experience from working in National Bank's head office, and with my 3D skills, I was offered the position of project lead.
I work with the art director based in the UK and ensure our New Zealand team produces work that matches the art director's vision. I hand out the tasks to the team, ensure we are all on the same page in terms of look and style and help them manage their time.
The course basically packed a three-year course into nine months. It got us up to speed quickly and gave me the skills I needed to get my foot in the door. The gaming industry is definitely a global career with good opportunities.
The other attractive thing about the course is that it is six months of teaching and then three months of working on your own project. So you also come out of the course with a quality demo reel.
Mine can be found at www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lcss-I83938 if anyone wants to see what students produce after nine months.
THE EMPLOYER
David Jeffries, co-founder of Mere Mortals.
Mere Mortals has 40-odd people working in the UK and we set up here in New Zealand early this year. My dream was to have a 24-hour production shop which means we can work through their night and they can work through ours.
We went to the design school, started interviewing and took on five students. Generally you find people are good at the interview and their artwork is crap, or people are good with artwork and their interview is crap. Matt was one of these people who was good at both.
He was in management with the bank and I thought: "You're the man for me." I need a project manager who can take care of the staff internally but also understands the art, understands the software, understands what we actually do; as opposed to just being a people manager. He's got creativity, knowledge and maturity.
