CAREER ADVANCEMENT SEMINAR HIGHLIGHTS

3DTi and FIT hosted a Free 3D Animation Career Advancement Seminar: on Friday Jan 13th, 2006 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm at John E. Reeves Great Hall (FIT).

The 3DTi Career Advancement Seminar turned out to be a great success, with approximately 200 aspiring animators in attendance to meet and gain animation career advice from our panel of industry experts which consisted of animation company owners and savvy industry recruiters who shared their insights on how to launch a 3D Animation career in today’s market.

The panelists included Chryssa Cooke (independent recruiter for animation companies, formerly with Orphanage and PDI), Scott Sindorf (Co-Founder/Executive Creative Director of UVPHACTORY), Lucien Harriot (CEO of New York-based Mechanism Digital, Inc). The panel covered topics which featured some of the latest trends in the animation industry, a discussion on the growing industry demand for skilled animators, the basics of the hiring process and tremendous importance of a quality demo reel. In addition, they critiqued three demo reels, chosen in advance from submissions. A Question and Answer session followed with the evening ending in a raffle of attractive prizes for some of the lucky participants.

(Panelists: from right to left Chryssa Cooke, Scott Sindorf, Lucien Harriot )

To see the Panelists Introductions, click here

TOPICS COVERED

Watch Audio/Video Excerpts:

Click on the questions below to watch the videos:

(Windows media player required to watch the videos, MAC users click here)

1.) What are the major milestones to propel 3D technology into a popular medium?

2.) Where do you see the industry going 10 years from now?

3.) Which software will become the dominant force in the future of this industry?

4.) What kind of jobs are available with 3D?

5.) Freelance vs. Full-time

6.) What is the average salary in the field?

7.) What is the software is recommended to learn?

8.) Recommendations for interns?

9.) Is it realistic to find a job in 3D right after graduating from a 3D program?

Meet the Panelists:

Chryssa Cooke: Chryssa Cooke has recruited animation talent for such prestigious animation companies as The Orphanage, Inc, (San Francisco), and PDI/DreamWorks (Redwood City). Starting her career in professional theater, Ms Cooke loves the challenge of “finding new talent and then watching them blossom.” At PDI, she worked in the Commercial and Feature Effects Division of Production subsequently moving over to work with the Producer and Production Manager on “Shrek 4D” and “Madagascar.” In 2003, Ms. Cooke took a position at The Orphanage, where she was responsible for the hiring, orientation and training of all employees, sometimes recruiting as many as 75 employees on an average of three recruiting pushes per year.

The Orphanage, founded in 1999 by three ILM visual effects veterans, specializes in motion picture and broadcast production, high-end vfx and animation services, as well as digital filmmaking technology development. Projects include commercials for BMW/Sprint, Dr. Pepper and Nike; film work includes “Sin City,” “Hero,” “Hellboy” and “The Day After Tomorrow.”

Scott Sindorf: Scott Sindorf is Principal/Co-Founder/Executive Creative Director of UVPHACTORY (UVPH), the Manhattan-based design and production studio. The six-year-old motion design company offers a complete range of creative services for broadcast, commercial, film, and music video clients.

UVPHACTORY is currently completing a total network redesign for BET; the design of the soon-to-be-launched Al Jezeera International network; filming a spot with Alicia Keyes for BET; a current SCI FI movie campaign, and have just completed the design of the new AT&T logo. Since its formation, the company has attracted a diverse client base including AOL, AT&T, BET, Bravo, Cartoon Network, CBS, Cinemax, Cingular, Coca-Cola, Comedy Central, ESPN, FOX Sports, General Electric, HBO, IBM, IFC, Miramax, MTV, NBC, Scripps Networks, SCI FI Network, Showtime, USA, US Cellular, VH1, and VOOM HD Network, among many others.

Lucien Harriot: Lucien Harriot is founder and CEO of NYC-based, Mechanism Digital, Inc, a New York City-based digital production, animation, and visual effects boutique. An animator, programmer and artist, and Vice-Chair of the New York City chapter of ACM SIGGRAPH, Mr. Harriot began his career in post production in 1989 as an animator for commercials. Since then, he has amassed a wide spectrum of credits including Coca-Cola, Hasbro, MTV, Nissan, AT&T and HBO, as well as providing computer animation for film and television clients.

As Animation Director for NBC “Dateline’s” airplane specials, including “Flight 232” and “Wing and a Prayer,” Mr. Harriot’s company has researched and re-enacted several airplane tragedies utilizing a range of effects from simple text overlays to 3D animation. Immediately following 9/11, as Visualization Director on a World Trade Center Project, he was called upon to re-create a 3D real time model of the WTC, pre- and post 9/11 to aid in rescue and recovery efforts. “We spent many days above and many hours under the rubble of the collapsed towers, taking measurements, photographs and collecting important information to help the determine the safest points of access to try and reduce the number of accidents caused by continuing fires and future cave-ins,” says Mr. Harriot, also one of the founders of Brainstorm Technologies, whose mission is to advance software and hardware capabilities in the large-scale laser scanning industry.

Sponsors:

Event sponsors:

3D TRAINING INSTITUTE (3DTi)

FASHION INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (FIT)

3DMIRAGE

Raffle Sponsors :

AUTODESK

ALIAS

STASH MEDIA

3D TRAINING INSTITUTE

Other Sponsors :

POST MAGAZINE

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“The collective knowledge of this panel will help attendees get a real bearing on how to advance in this complex and competitive yet expanding animation industry,” says Mr. Klass, one of the directors of 3DMIRAGE.

“We partner with 3DTI to offer 3D business and fashion applications to our students,” says Christine Helm, program manager at the Enterprise Center. “We are pleased to join them in offering this opportunity to students seeking a career in animation.”

For press information, please contact Roberta Lawrence Media @ (212) 627-0297, email: rolawr@aol.com.