It’s a wrap for the inaugural VFX and Animation Traineeship, a joint initiative of Animation Skillnet and Screen Training Ireland. To mark the end of the programme, Bruce Block will return to Dublin to deliver a course on Visual Storytelling to VFX, Animation and Games artists.
Block has produced and consulted on numerous feature films including ‘Something’s Gotta Give’, ‘As Good As It Gets’ and ‘Stuart Little’.
He is the author of “The Visual Story” and “3D Storytelling” and delivers seminars at USC, AFI, Pixar, Disney, DreamWorks, and for graphic art studios, game developers and numerous universities and colleges worldwide.
Dreamworks Animation director and writer Dean Deblois (‘How to Train Your Dragon 1 and 2) launched the inaugural VFX and Animation Traineeship in May 2015. Presentations, mentoring and work-based learning from top Irish Animation and VFX Studios including Cartoon Saloon, Brown Bag Films, JAM Media, Boulder Media and Windmill Lane VFX all formed part of the programme.
The trainees and participating studios on the first programme were:
Boulder Media - Alan Tighe
Brown Bag Films - Ken Chambers
Cartoon Saloon - Sonia Naqvi
Giant - Sean Quill
JAM Media - Marianna Farris
Kavaleer - Katie O’Meara
Kite Entertainment - Cathryn Gamble
Pink Kong - Niall Byrne
Piranha Bar - Mark Shaw
Treehouse Republic - Leigh O’Brien
Windmill Lane VFX - Daryl McMahon
Mark Shaw, Trainee with Piranha Bar said: “The traineeship programme has afforded me the chance to work with very skilled people in the industry and contribute to professional projects. I’ve learned a great deal, made contacts in the industry and built up a portfolio of work for my showreel. I feel that the traineeship has equipped me with on-the-job skills that I’ll need throughout my career.”
Animation Skillnet and Screen Training Ireland will be announcing further training initiatives for Animation, VFX and Games in the coming months. Animation Skillnet is currently seeking applicants for The Bridge, a graduate work-based learning scheme. Further training in the coming months will include the next edition of the VFX and Animation Traineeship; a new initiative to support animation studios in developing their own learning and development strategies; and an Animation Pre-Production Bootcamp – a collaboration between Ireland, Scotland and Norway which will offer six Irish graduates the opportunity gain professional mentoring and training over an intensive eight-week programme.
More details will be announced on both websites in the coming weeks.
