AnimationMentor.com, the online animation school, is holding its second graduation concurrent with SIGGRAPH 2007. Sony Pictures Imageworksâ David Schaub (SURFâS UP, THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE) will present the inspirational address at the San Diego ceremony. Students from 17 countries will graduate from the online school, which propelled more than 60% of its first class into coveted studio animator positions.
âBy holding graduation simultaneous with the industryâs premiere event, we are saying that we are here to stay, right in the middle of things,â said Animation Mentor president/ceo, Bobby S. Beck. âWe are so excited that David will present the commencement speech, not only because he is such a versatile and important talent, but also because of his reputation for helping artists create great work.â
Since joining Sony Pictures Imageworks in 1995, Schaub has served as an animator, animation director and animation supervisor on many notable feature films, including Academy Award-nominated STUART LITTLE. He was animation supervisor on THE POLAR EXPRESS, for which he received a Visual Effects Society (VES) nomination, and was supervising animator on STUART LITTLE 2, for which he received a VES Award for Best Character Animation in an Animated Motion Picture.
Animation Mentorâs graduation ceremony will take place Monday, Aug. 6, at 2:00 pm at the San Diego Convention Center, followed by a 5:30 pm reception at the W Hotel. Students will earn a certified diploma in Advanced Studies in Character Animation from the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education.
Based in Berkeley, California, AnimationMentor.com (www.animationmentor.com) is an online animation school at which top working professionals teach character animation to students worldwide. Opened March 2005, the school offers an 18-month program built from the ground up by its founders, Bobby Beck, Shawn Kelly and Carlos Baena, whose combined credits include CARS, TRANSFORMERS and RATATOUILLE. AnimationMentor.comâs California-certified curriculum includes student mentoring; expert audio/video rich media lectures; live, realtime, interactive sessions (web classes); eCritiques; and 24/7 online creative community.
Bill Desowitz, former editor of VFXWorld, is currently the Crafts Editor of IndieWire.
