Posts Tagged education
Posted on February 12, 2010 by Tahlent Team
With James Cameron’s film Avatar breaking box-office records the world over, the 3D animation industry has received a big boost. While 3D animation has been around for two decades, the success of films like Finding Nemo and the Shrek series are proof that the best is only yet to come.
According to NASSCOM, India’s gaming industry (specifically, computer games and mobile games) is expected to generate $424 million by the end of 2010. Not surprisingly, many graphic artists and digital technology buffs alike are turning to 3D animation as a career option.
However, does 3D animation offer avenues for just about anyone? How can one carve a rewarding and exciting career in this field?
To answer these questions, it is important to get a good idea of what 3D animation is all about. Simply put, 3D animation involves creating three-dimensional images for the purpose of entertainment, information or interactive experiences.
While it may sound glamorous, learning and perfecting animation techniques takes hours of hard work, dedication and perseverance. To start off, you must have good artistic skills, excellent visual communication skills and competent general knowledge.
Although 3D rendering tools are extremely advanced today, animation is much more than a mechanical skill. It is an art that relies heavily on the imagination. But then again, artistic skills are not sufficient. To be a competitive 3D animator, you must have a good eye for detail, structure and movement. Some 3D artists are specialists in creating environments and textures, while others are lighting experts.
Within the field of 3D animation, there are a variety of specialized roles and functions. On a 3D film project, for instance, you may work as a modeler, layout artist, clean-up artist, scanner operator, digital ink and paint artist, compositor, key-frame animator or a background artist. However, besides its most obvious applications in the business of movies and television, animation offers employment opportunities in advertising, education, electronic publishing and web design, gaming, architecture and interior design, as well as defense (virtual reality).
In India, a number of animation schools offer diplomas and bachelor’s degrees in animation to candidates who have secured a minimum of 45% marks in Class XII. Some noteworthy institutes are Animaster, Maya Academy of Advanced Cinematics, Arena Multimedia and Zee Institute of Creative Arts.
Premier institutes like Industrial Design Center (IDC), the Indian Institutes of Technology (IIT) and National Institute of Design (NID) offer postgraduate programs in animation, but these have strict eligibility criteria and admit only graduates of architecture, technology and engineering and fine arts.
With the economy just out of recession, the animation industry is opening up with new jobs. If you think you’re cut out for a career in 3D animation, make up your mind and choose the best course now.
Tags: 3-D animation, 3D artist, 3D movies, 3D rendering, 3D software, advertising, animation courses, animation resources, animation software, animation tutorials, architecture, background artist, Careers, clean-up artist, compositor, defense, designing career, digital ink and paint artist, education, electronic publishing, employment, entertainment, films, gaming, graphic design, interior design, Jobs, key-frame animator, layout artist, media, modeler, scanner operator, skills, Talent, video game design, virtual reality, visual communication, web design
Posted on December 11, 2009 by Tahlent Team
We have all read success stories of bright young people who came up the hard way, studying under street lamps or tutoring the neighbor’s kids in their spare time to pay for their education. In the digital age, they could tap into something more interesting and infinitely more rewarding.
Meet the homework specialist, the latest player to benefit from outsourcing.
The economic downturn has made many American families rethink the monthly budget and where they put their money. A solid foundation in school, many Americans believe, will secure their future in a competitive global economy. Education, therefore, has taken top priority in many households.
Cashing in on the opportunity, a number of Indian companies have started to offer remote tutoring services to American students with websites offering online tests and quizzes. What better way for American schoolchildren to get higher grades by outsourcing their homework to qualified and competent teachers in India? And what better way for Indian teachers to make some extra income?
However, entrepreneur Krishnan Ganesh, CEO and founder of the Bangalore-based TutorVista, has taken the business to the next level. TutorVista puts American students in touch with teachers in India. Both parties can sit in the comfort of their homes and conduct their business.
According to GlobalPost, for $99 a month, American customers of TutorVista get unlimited coaching in English, math or science from tutors based in India. Note that similar personalized services in the United States can cost up to $40 an hour. On an average day, the site serves about 3,500 students.
For teachers, it is a great work-from-home model. Ganesh says that TutorVista has added 1,500 teachers to its rolls over the last month. These include fresh graduates, retired professionals and stay-at-home mothers. The service also attracts qualified professionals based in smaller towns and cities and gives them access to job opportunities that are unavailable locally.
Tags: education, education sector, employment, employment opportunities, fresh graduates, India, Jobs, market, Outsourcing, retired professionals, small towns, students, teaching, tier 2 cities, tuition, tutors, work from home
Posted on November 29, 2009 by Tahlent Team
Have you often looked at designs or illustrations in magazines or on websites and thought you could have done them better? It’s time to explore if you have a yen for graphic design.
Graphic design is actually a very broad discipline and includes typography, illustration, product design and web design among others. There is a demand for graphic designers in all streams of business – from advertising, web development, publishing, product design and retail to information technology.
Fundamentally, a graphic artist or designer has one clear-cut task: to communicate visually with clarity, creativity, aesthetics and insight. To become a graphic design, you need to have an aptitude for design, art or drawing. If you were good at art back in school, you have a good reason to test if your creative juices will flow with a little encouragement.
Graphic design is fun and challenging, but it is hard work. To get started, it helps to learn the fundamentals of graphic design from an institute or through self-study. If you want to be formally trained and take up a serious career in design, look up your local university or art school for courses in graphic design. If you want to do a part-time or after-work course, there are several institutes offering short-term or long-term courses that will help you learn the fundamentals within a short time. Many of these courses also let you work on dummy projects or even live projects once you are a little more experienced.
If you do not have the budget to invest in education, turn to the Web. A simple search will lead you to countless free tutorials that teach you everything from basic principles to full-fledged complex techniques for print, audio-visual and online media.
If you have access to a computer, you may want to consider investing in software to aid your learning. Most graphic design is done digitally these days, and software is available to make anything from line drawings and sketches to full-fledged movies and 3-D presentations. Depending on your budget, you may choose to purchase licensed software such as the Adobe suite (including the latest versions of PhotoShop and Illustrator) or simply turn to the Internet to download freeware and shareware.
Make sure you save copies of your work on CD. Even better, once you are ready you can create a profile on Tahlent and showcase your portfolio.
Once you learn the ropes, get on the Internet and seek out discussion forums where you can interact and collaborate with designers of all stripes. Within a short time, with enough dedication and persistence, you will be ready to enter the world of graphic design as a budding professional.
Resources:
1. Graphic Design 101
2. Free tutorials and instructional sites
3. Graphic design principles
4. Licensed graphic design software: PhotoShop and Illustrator from Adobe
5. Open-source design software resources: Free Art Software and SourceForge
6. Excellent open source and free alternatives to Photoshop
7. 10 Principles of effective web design
8. Web 2.0 design style guide
Note: Tahlent does not accept responsibility for the content of the third-party resources mentioned above.
Tags: Career advice, college courses, education, employment, forums, graphic design, graphic designer, online courses, photoshop, resources, Tahlent, Talent Network, tools, web design
