 Thanks for the folks over at WOMEN IN ANIMATION for this morning's post.
Disneytoon Studios is seeking a Head of Story for a Theatrical CG production. In this role, the candidate will aid the Director(s) in elevating the film’s storytelling by growing sequences from the script, making them more poignant, funny, compelling and original by deepening the characters through visual details and actions. Reports to Producer and Director(s). Responsibilities
Required Qualifications
The Walt Disney Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  (Jesse Grant/Getty Images) Famed Producer and Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy has come out with an initiative to move gender equity forward in film. Re-posted from Entertainment Weekly: Star WarsPosted October 15 2015 — 1:20 PM EDT Six directors have been announced for the next five Star Warsmovies, and although they range from industry veterans like J.J. Abrams to relative newcomers like Colin Trevorrow, they all have one thing in common: They’re all male. And that’s something Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy hopes to change soon. RelatedColin Trevorrow weighs in on the lack of women directors making Hollywood blockbustersSpeaking at Fortune’s Most Powerful Women Summitthis week, Kennedy said that hiring qualified women is one of the Walt Disney Company and Lucasfilm’s biggest priorities, both on screen and off. “Six out of eight of the people in my story group are women and I’m sure there’s are a lot of people that would be surprised that we’re making Star Warsmovies and the majority of the people involved in the development of those stories are women.” Kennedy said. “It is going to happen. We are going to hire a woman who’s going to direct a Star Wars movie. I have no doubt.” Abrams, Trevorrow, and Rian Johnson are set to direct the next three Star Wars movies, with Gareth Edwards directing the anthology story Rogue One and Phil Lord and Chris Miller helming the young Han Solo movie. A few weeks ago, Trevorrow weighed inon the dearth of female directors making blockbusters, suggesting that many female directors weren’t interested in big-budget stories. Kennedy was careful to emphasize that it’s more complicated than simply anointing a female director, especially since she’s encountered more passion about the franchise from famous fanboys. “It’s not just a token job to look out and try to find a woman that we can put into a position of directing Star Wars,” she said. “And it is interesting because I have a huge number of men who call me constantly and tell me how much of a Star Wars fan they are and how much they want to get involved in anything to do with Star Wars; I don’t have a lot of women who call and have those conversations with me. … If we do want to bring a woman in to direct a Star Wars … we don’t want to talk somebody into it.” Today's jobs lens looks at media related jobs in the educational sector, at the schools I posted about yesterday. CalArts, CCA, SF Art Institute and Ex'pression College are all great California institutions looking for folks who have experience in film, animation and media, and are currently hiring. Enjoy! Go Forth! Educate!    CALARTS:
Current Openings Employees of CalArts enjoy a culturally rich, artistic, diverse work environment. The Institute offers a comprehensive benefits package, which includes full medical, dental and vision health care coverage along with very generous vacation, sick leave and paid holiday benefits. We take pride in recruiting and retaining the best and brightest candidates for a career at CalArts. Prospective candidates should review our list of job opportunities. Faculty level positions are listed as academic jobs. Staff level positions are listed as non-academic jobs. Alumni and students are invited to search our job bank for employment opportunities outside of CalArts. Thank you again for your interest. CalArts is an equal opportunity employer. PositionTypeTimeAssociate Technical Director in the School of Theater Full Time Regular Faculty School of TheaterAcademicFull Time Contemporary Art Theory Faculty Position - MA Aesthetics and Politics Program/BFA Critical Studies School of Critical StudiesAcademicFull Time ESL/ELL Faculty Position in Critical Studies School of Critical StudiesAcademicHalf Time ASSISTANT TECHNICAL DIRECTOR California Institute of the Arts Sharon Disney Lund School of DanceAcademicFull Time Full Time Faculty, Program in Experimental Animation Film/VideoAcademicFull Time Faculty - Narrative Digital Filmmaker School of Film/VideoAcademicFull Time Faculty – Digital Video Artist School of Film/VideoAcademicFull Time Faculty – Film and Digital Media Artist School of Film/VideoAcademicFull Time Performance Program Voice Instructor – Full-time School of TheaterAcademicFull Time Performance Program Speech Instructor – Full-Time School of TheaterAcademicFull Time Faculty - Graphic Design School of ArtAcademicFull Time Front End Web Developer CommunicationsNon-AcademicFull Time Customer Care Technician Information TechnologyNon-AcademicFull Time Electrics Department Supervisor TheaterNon-AcademicFull Time Digital Systems Specialist Film/VideoNon-AcademicFull Time Bookkeeper FacilitiesNon-AcademicFull Time Administrative Assistant VP/CFO & Global InitiativesNon-AcademicPart Time Community Manager, Extended Studies Global InitiativesNon-AcademicPart Time CCA FACULTYOpen faculty positions (full- and part-time) are listed below: Assistant Professor, TESOL / ELL CompositionWriting and LiteratureFull-Time Chair, Fashion Design ProgramFashion DesignFull-Time Chair, Design MBA ProgramDesignFull-Time Assistant Professor of ArchitectureArchitectureFull-Time Staff Positions:
San Francisco Art Institute work at sfaiCurrent job openings Alumni Relations Coordinator REPORTS TO: Director for Development SUPERVISES: N/A STATUS: Part– time – 20 hours/week, Exempt GENERAL DESCRIPTION: As Alumni Relations Coordinator, this individual is responsible for planning and implementing programs, events, and communications that promote alumni relationships with SFAI and with each ... Alumni Relations, Development | Part-time/Year-round | | Posted:Oct 1, 2015 Resident Director REPORTS TO : Assistant Dean of Students SUPERVISES : Housing Coordinator, Resident Advisors, Desk Attendants, Housing and Residential Life Summer Interns STATUS : Full-time; Supervisory; Exempt GENERAL DESCRIPTION: Reporting to the Assistant Dean of Students, the Resident Director oversees all aspects ... Academic Administration | Full-time/Year-round | | Posted:Sep 16, 2015 Studio Coordinator and Technician: Photography Reports to: Director of BFA Studios Supervises: Student Monitors Status: Non-Exempt, Union General Description: Oversees procedures and daily functions for the Photography facilities. Responds to the needs of both students and faculty working within this area. Working closely with the Department Chair ... Student Services, Technical | Full-time/Year-round | | Posted:Sep 11, 2015 Public Education Assistant REPORTS TO: Public Education Coordinator STATUS: Full-time, Temporary, Contract Position, September 28-March 25 HOURS: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday-Friday, with 2-3 weekend and evening shifts during the contract period. GENERAL DESCRIPTION: The Public Education Assistant will provide general administrative ... Exhibitions/Public Programs | Full-time/Year-round, Temporary | | Posted:Sep 4, 2015 Student Accounts Administrator REPORTS TO: Manager, Business Office and Student Accounts STATUS: Full-time, Non Exempt, Union GENERAL DESCRIPTION: Under the supervision and direction of the Manager, Accounts Receivable and Student Accounts, the Student Accounts Administrator serves as the primary role responsible for the daily duties ... Accounting | Full-time/Part-year | | Posted:Sep 2, 2015 Human Resources Assistant Reports to: Human Resources Director Status: FULL-TIME (35hr per week) San Francisco Art Institute is an environment where pushing boundaries is paramount to learning, thinking, and making. Our insatiable curiosity and questioning create a culture that embraces difference and individual expression. Human Resources | Full-time/Year-round | | Posted:Sep 2, 2015 Mail Clerk Reports to: General Services Manager Status: Part-Time/Non-Exempt San Francisco Art Institute (SFAI) is a magnet for individuals who push beyond what is known to discover uncharted artistic terrain. This has been true since its doors first opened in 1871 and why we can say that San Francisco Art Institute's Mailroom | Part-time/Year-round | | Posted:Jul 22, 2015 Part-time Sculpture and Ceramics Studio Coordinator Reports to: Director of BFA Studios Supervises: Student Monitors Status: $22.99 -Non-Exempt, Union General description : SFAI’s Studio program has a dynamic history of experimentation and innovation. SFAI currently seeks a part-time Studio Coordinator to provide facility support in relation to the 3-D . Academic Administration | Part-time/Year-round | | Posted:Jun 29, 2015 Human Resources Director Are you a top-notch HR professional who can partner with Leadership and Management to develop and implement processes and programs to execute on institutional strategy? Are you client-focused, self-motivated, and do you have the ability to establish strong working relationships at all levels within the ... Human Resources | Full-time/Year-round | | Posted:May 21, 2015 Ex'pression College Careers at Ex’pression We are looking for enthusiastic people to join our team, including staff members and instructors who have solid experience in the fields of recording/sound arts, animation and visual effects, multimedia, and graphic design. Many of our teaching positions are part-time; all require a BA/BS. Ex’pression College features an accelerated style of learning, professional-grade art and sound recording studios, and faculty with significant industry experience. Ex’pression College for Digital Arts is accredited by the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC) and offers Bachelor of Applied Science Degrees in Animation & Visual Effects, Digital Filmmaking, Game Art & Design, Graphic Design & Motion, Interactive Audio, and Sound Arts. Ex’pression College for Digital Arts is an Equal Opportunity Employer. If you are interested in any of our available job openings, please contact us and include your resume, cover letter, references, and salary requirements. Please be sure to include the position you are applying for in the subject line of your email or fax. Attn: Recruiting Manager Ex’pression College for Digital Arts 6601 Shellmound Street Emeryville, CA 94608 Email: [email protected] Fax: (510) 658-3414  Special double post today. Just read about this amazing partnership between Disney and Open Bionics in the UK. Check it out below.
From SFGATE.com Disney's newest project may soon score some big smiles from fans around the world. The company's Techstars Disney Accelerator, a startup accelerator group under the Disney umbrella, offers smaller companies funding and resources to work on Disney-inspired projects that will make a positive impact in technology. Its most recent work is a renovation of prosthetic limbs for kids. OpenBionics, a Bristol, England organization that creates prosthetic limbs and hands for amputees at a more affordable cost than most options, has just released three new arm models for children based on famed Disney films. Young Marvel fans will be able to wear a red "Iron Man"-inspired bionic arm (not unlike the one Robert Downey Jr. delivered to a little boy earlier this year) complete with a vibrating light repulsor. There are other options too for non-superhero buffs. "Frozen" devotees can try an arm modeled after Elsa's twinkling blue sleeve, and "Star Wars" Jedi-in-training can wear a space-suit inspired grey arm with internal LED lights. Probably the best part of this partnership, though, is the cost of the prosthetics. Where traditional models can cost up to $20,000, those designed by OpenBionics will only set the wearer back a relatively inexpensive $3,000. They'll be up for sale soon, too. As reported by CNET, these Disney models will likely be available for purchase by the end of 2016. Although other companies have in the past built prosthetics with superhero themes (as in the above Iron Man example), this is the first company to officially work with Disney.   It's Thursday and time to talk tech like we really mean it. These days I get a lot of questions from young people wanting to enter the animation industry. From "Where can I take an animation class?" to "What's the best editing software or microphone to use?", kids everywhere are drawn (sorry for the pun) to the industry like bees to honey. In Southern California In California the top school for animation is Cal Arts / California Institute for the Arts located in Valencia, Southern California, Cal Arts offers wide arts education and has probably contributed the most animators and directors to the industry than any other single institution. Conceived by Walt Disney, and founded in the 1960's Cal Arts leads the way in comprehensive arts education across a wide variety of disciplines. https://calarts.edu/prospective In Northern California Located in Northern California, The California College of the Arts, formerly CCAC, located in Oakland, California, has a robust arts and design curriculum, and leads the way in both the fine arts and filmmaking. https://www.cca.edu/ The San Francisco Art Institute is also a fine institution, with a large focus on design and fashion. It's experimental film program is renown. http://www.sfai.edu/ Ex'pression College, located in Emeryville, CA, teaches a full curriculum for up to date education on digital animation and in particular, editing and post-production. http://www.expression.edu/about-us/contact-info-locations/ In both Northern and Southern California, great arts feeder programs flourish at LA City College, Pasadena City College, San Francisco City College and Berkeley City College. Young people who want to enter the animation field are confronted with a unique challenge. The advent of new and easy to use technologies is both a blessing and a curse. In too many cases, young people skip over the fundamental drawing skills coursework that form the base of a classical fine arts education. With easy to use software, they jump right into creating animation cycles, sometimes without an understanding of physiology, acting, emotional expression or the physics of gravity, depth and motion translation. This is the biggest single piece of advice that I have for young people entering the field today - don't skip this fundamental piece of the educational puzzle. The explosion of technological animation aids has created a situation where young people create walk cycle animations using software before they have developed their own artistic perspective. Where there is opportunity, there is also a technology trap. It's vital that young people have a solid education in the arts, drawing, figures, perspective, shading, acting, math, story-telling, music, all the things that go into a classical arts education, in addition, and ideally BEFORE using super refined and slick animation software cycles. Many students are really bummed out when they learn that their portfolio for an animation program absolutely has to contain hand rendered artwork. This can be a big shock. So today's Tech Talk Thursday post is a bit of a backwards arrow - pointing not to the latest and greatest in technology for animation, but backwards to the fundamental skills associated with great story telling - line, weight, depth, motion, music and word. Since once you enter the field and are working, you will spend the majority of your time working with computers, my advice to young people is to relish the messy arts education that comes before - unless you work in a story department, you're not going to see piles of paper, ink, charcoal hear the tinkering of the band, very often. Working in the industry can feel like descending into a computer render farm 24/7. Start with art, Start with art. How do I start - the answer is right in the question... START with stART! Below is an interview from: http://artschools.com/resources/ regarding what art programs look for in prospective students. Written by Written by Ward Allebach, ArtSchools.com 1. When selecting students for admission into your program, what factors are considered by your admissions staff? Every school has its own set of criteria for evaluating prospective students – but most of them look at the same things. So, the difference isn’t really what they consider, but how important they consider each factor. All of the leaders interviewed mentioned at least one of the following (and in some cases all four) as major considerations that successful candidates must not miss:
However, to illustrate the difference among the top art schools, consider the approach of California Institute of the Arts, where only one of the aforementioned criteria appears to be applied. Kenneth Young, Director of Admissions, said that “admission is based totally on talent. We need to see a portfolio of recent work. Test scores, GPA and class rank are not considered.” Ed Schoenberg, Vice President for Enrollment Management at the Otis College of Art and Design in California probably has the most memorable approach: “We look at the four P’s; Passion, Preparation, Portfolio, and Potential before making an admissions decision.” You can read more in this article, which Mr. Schoenberg contributed to ArtSchools.com. The Big Lesson: One size does not fit all. Find out early what’s important to the art school to which you apply. Then, make what’s important to them, important to you. 2. What do you look for in a prospective student’s portfolio?“ Your portfolio represents you to a college as a potential student and young artist,” wrote Kavin Buck, UCLA, Director of Recruitment & Outreach, School of the Arts and Architecture in an article which he contributed to ArtSchools.com. “Preparing your portfolio should be an exciting and thoughtful process that you engage in both in art classes in school and on your own at home.” Indeed, the portfolio was the most-often mentioned criteria for admission to the top art schools, listed as an important consideration in all interviews. So, exactly what are they looking for when they examine your portfolio? The most-often cited factors that make a great portfolio were:
…to the specific: Carmina Cianciulli, Assistant Dean for Admissions at Temple University’s Tyler School of Artsaid “We look for 15-20 pieces of original work executed within the last year, which must include strong examples of drawing from direct observation. We look for a variety of media and scale, sketchbooks, and good technical skills.” Again, there was some overlap in the responses, but each school has its own idea of what’s important to see in a prospective student’s portfolio. As Mr. Young (CIA) said: “Most art schools are VERY specific regarding what they want to see, and each school is different. If you are in doubt, call and ask.” It is advisable to read very carefully Mr. Buck’s article, titled on “How to Prepare your Portfolio for College Admissions”. Also, Ms. McKenzie’s response to this question about CCAC’s portfolio review was quite detailed and informative, so it is definitely worth a good, long look at her full interview transcript (click here). 3. What are you looking for in an interview with a prospective student? Some of the top schools we interviewed do not conduct interviews – two of our interviewees said they don’t; and at another two they aren’t required (although they’re recommended). The ones that do, though, want their students to be passionate about their art. Some of the most-often mentioned qualities that they’re looking for:
Carole Schaffer, Associate Dean at Parsons School of Design in New York said that she looks for “discipline, drive and seriousness about the hard-work involved in becoming a designer.” Katharine E. Willman, Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid / Registrar at the Cranbrook Academy of Art said: “The student should demonstrate powerful commitment to development as an artist; openness to new ideas and the intense critique environment of the Cranbrook program.” Mr. Lightfoot (RIT) appeared to agree that serious candidates for his program must be willing to explore new ideas: “Art often takes us in unpredictable directions; therefore having an open mind is also critical.” Clearly, the best art schools are looking for the very best students, and when you interview with them, you can’t hold back – you need to tell them with confidence that you’re the one they want, and show them in every way possible that you’re serious, committed and passionate about making your art into your career. 4. What three things can most likely DECREASE a student’s chances of getting accepted? In most cases, the answer was simply the opposite of the good qualities we’ve already discussed. However, it’s worth reiterating, and a few new factors were brought to light. Here are some of the things that are most certain to hurt your chances of admission:
Mr. Young (CIA) said that a student whose work “tells us nothing about the personality of the artist” may not be a good fit for their program, either. Craig Vogel, Associate Dean of the College of Fine Arts at Carnegie Mellon University said that the following are the worst things that an applying student can do: “Just send slides of your work. Not fully research the school before you apply. Bring too much work for a portfolio review. Fail to know enough about the field to tell someone in an interview why you feel this is the career for you.” 5. How selective are art schools in general? The real answer to this question was almost unanimous: It varies too greatly from one school to the next to answer, even among the best art schools in America. “There is no ‘in general,'” said Ms. Dignan (Michigan). “Schools vary greatly and look for different types of students.” Ms. Willman said (Cranbrook): “All reputable schools wish to be highly selective in order to have the very best students enroll. The reality, however, lies in the applicant pool in relation to the possible openings, and enrollment/recruitment policy of an institution. Where there is great administrative pressure for full enrollment, the ‘selectivity’ criteria can become soft. “In my opinion,” she concluded, “art schools are indeed fairly selective, and most wish they could be more so.” Lydia Thompson, Assistant Dean of Undergraduate Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University, School of the Arts added this:”On a scale from 1 to 10, we are about a 7, in terms of being above average regarding selectivity. However, what’s interesting is how a student with an average profile (SATS, GPA and skill level) can be highly successful if placed in a supportive and vibrant environment.” But, more often than not, it seems, with the number of applicants rising, and the number of positions available remaining relatively constant, selectivity is a necessity. Said Judith Aaron, Vice-President for Enrollment, Office of Admissions and Financial Aid at Pratt Institute in New York: “With an increase of 300 applications each year, acceptance rates have dropped each year for the last nine years.” 6. What advice can you provide to students who are trying to get accepted into America’s best art schools? Here’s where everyone reading this article should perk up and pay attention: This kind of advice, coming from these kinds of people should mean something! There were three important responses that came up again and again:
Ms. McKenzie (CCAC) suggested that serious candidates should “take as many high school art classes as possible, supplement these classes with summer art programs, community art programs, etc.” The practical advice, which might escape the excitement of being considered by a top art school, was offered byMr. Buck (UCLA): “Each school is unique. Visit the campuses and ask a lot of questions.” Ms. Cianciulli (Tyler) went as far as to suggest that students should “arrange to sit in on a freshman class. Take the school for a ‘test drive.'” Beverly Johnson, Coordinator of Student Services at Alfred University in New York, said that prospective students must “pay attention to admission criteria. Each institution may be looking for something just a little bit different.” Ms. Schaffer (Parsons) echoed this response: “Do not rely solely on high school guidance counselors or art teachers for advice. Read all college materials carefully and do research on the various art and design disciplines and the careers they lead to.” Ms. Aaron (Pratt) suggested that applicants “establish a relationship with an admissions counselor who can fight for you if necessary. Make sure the school knows it is your first choice.” And if you first do not succeed… she added: “Go somewhere else and apply again as a transfer student, but make sure the school accepts transfer students in the major you want first. Many schools have very small transfer classes and some majors are not open to transfers at all.” 7. What percentage of applicants do you accept? Again, the responses varied greatly, as you’d expect from school to school. The low percentage was 7% or 8%, and the high was 75% – but most responses were qualified as varying greatly from year to year and from discipline to discipline – some were even contingent upon passing a “pre-screening.” Here’s the full run-down:
8. Explain the differences between being accepted into your graduate vs. undergraduate program. Ms. Dane (SAIC): “There are more differences than similarities,” said Ms. Dane (SAIC). “…The portfolio requirements for the MFA in Studio are very different. MFA applicants must demonstrate technical skills in the area (department) to which they are applying, and they must also present a cohesive, focused body of work that evidences strong conceptual investigation. (Another) major difference is that the staff members of the Admissions Office are not voting members of the review committee for the graduate programs. Only the full-time faculty teaching in the areas of study make decisions on interviewing or admitting candidates.” Ms. Aaron (Pratt): “The requirements for admission are similar in terms of the documents submitted; the standards for the fine arts master’s are obviously much higher since it is expected that the student has had four years of undergraduate preparation in art. Some of our graduate programs are open to career changers and look for strong academic ability and evidence of potential rather than outright evidence of skill. These programs (communications design, industrial design, interior design) offer developmental courses for students who are not yet ready for the graduate level program. These programs are ideal for the student who comes to the realization later in life that he/she wants to work in these fields.” Ms. Schaffer (Parsons): “Graduate programs and Parsons are not replications of the undergraduate subjects. The admissions review process is handled directly by the departments (as opposed to the Admissions office). Applicants to graduate programs should become very familiar with the particular programs and focus their applications on addressing how they fit that program.” Ms. Johnson (Alfred): “The application process is quite similar in that both levels require a 20 pc. portfolio. Undergraduate applicants undergo a two-part process. Portfolios are reviewed by a committee made up of Art & Design faculty from a variety of mediums. Academic credentials (grades, SAT’s, etc.) are reviewed by the Alfred University Admissions office.” 9. Do you have ANY other helpful comments, advice and/or statistics that prospective art students can use? Here are a few closing words of wisdom: Ms. Cianciulli (Tyler): “In the year 2001, there will be more than a quarter of a million jobs available for visual artists. It’s important to remember that everything that is made by hand or manufactured by machine has to be touched at some point by the hand or the mind of an artist. Do what you love, and the money will follow. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has a very interesting website that confirms this.” Mr. Young (CIA): “Many of the applicants we turn down contact us to find out why. For some of them we are the wrong school and they need to look somewhere else. But many of them find out why they got denied and what to do about it. Usually more life drawing. For these applicants, who reapply the following year after working on making a stronger portfolio, 90% get accepted.” Ms. Willman (Cranbrook): “At least half of the students in our MFA program aspire to teach at the college level. This is a highly competitive field, and your diversity will become important. Look ahead to various directions your art career may take. If you think you may be teaching, be sure to have a solid background in art history, color theory, and humanities. Keep aware of the explosion in technical media and be open to using such tools if they interest you. If it is possible to extend your practice to gallery or museum environments, or in industry, take classes that will help you be more marketable there. For example, curatorial studies, marketing, art criticism, critical writing, and education courses may be helpful. Be sure you can handle public speaking. Make time to make work – be prolific. Always remember the old adage that the well-formed question is more important than the well-formed answer.” Ms. Dane (SAIC): “Use the application process as a way to better understand who you are as an artist and to locate the school that best suits your educational needs. This process allows you to better discover your artistic interests, inspirations and educational and career expectations. It also allows you to locate areas that you might need to work on prior to admission to that particular school. Be open to criticism during this time period.” Ms. Thompson (Virginia): “Research your high school art curriculum to build your skills. Participate in summer art programs. If your school does not teach figure drawing, enroll in art class at your local community college. Attend National Portfolio Days to get feedback regarding the quality of your portfolio. Ms. Johnson (Alfred): “Ask how selective the school is in accepting applicants. What percentage of students are placed in jobs, graduate schools following graduation? Is there assistance with such placement? What are the credentials/reputations of faculty teaching studio courses?” Ms. Aaron (Pratt): “The most important advice is to visit the schools in which you are interested and try to find the one that feels right to you. Sit in on classes; talk to students; talk to the admissions counselor; visit the website and talk to students.” Wrap-up As you can see, there’s a lot of work to be done if you’re aiming to be admitted to one of America’s top art schools. Hopefully, this article will help you gain the confidence to take the necessary steps to make it into one of these schools, or any of the other top art schools. Remember the biggest lesson, though: Every school is different. Mr. Young’s comment backs this up: “A school can be great for one student and terrible for another. If you can’t visit before you apply, you must visit before making a decision to attend. The personality of the school is very, VERY important. Talk with the students. Ask them if they are happy or if they wished they had gone somewhere else.” Although this article may provide a good framework for doing the right things, you have to do most of the leg-work yourself. Call the schools you want to get into; ask them some of these same important questions, and pay close attention to the answers. Then, work hard and believe in yourself. You can do it! Full Responses from Interviews with Top Art School LeadersFor this article, we interviewed admissions leaders and academic leaders from what many consider to be some of the top art schools in America. For a full transcript of their responses to our questions, click on the individuals below:
   The car windows are open and hot air is blowing across the back seat in waves coming off the brown hills of the Central Valley. Laptops are closed, the radio is off. Little brown heads lean forward on the long drive from San Francisco to LA, "Tell us a story! Tell us a story!" the girls beg over and over again.
Mom is squinting into the setting sun over the Grapevine while she adjusts the rear view mirror, having just taken over driving. Dad turns a bit in his seat so the girls can hear him better, and starts on a long 3 hour rambling tale of a little cook and his traveling stove, pushing his cook cart up and down the hills of San Francisco making cookies, pastries, curry, pancakes and candy for the kids who hear the tinkling of his cart bells. His twin brother, also a cook with competing cook cart works in the East Bay. Thus began the story of the Cook Cook brothers, competing mobile cooks whose fame spread far and wide, starting in the hills of San Francisco, spreading to the White House, Paris, London and beyond. The story of the brothers, their escapades, cooking disasters, arguments and collaboration started in 2001 and lasted well into 2008. Whenever the kids were tired or bored, the Cook Cook brothers would jump into service and we would pick up their story at some newly imagined location, serving up a frothy dish of fantasy that never failed to entertain. The art of story telling can seem daunting when push comes to shove and a toddler is demanding fresh material in order to not go to bed or fall asleep. The power of story telling to delay bedtime is powerful! The stories we hear as children frame our experiences, victim, victor, compassionate friend, evil wizard...characters fly in and out of our minds pulling us into their motives, their troubles and their achievements. As a story telling professional, tasked with either managing or supervising creative teams, it's vital to have a strong understanding of both story structure and the ways and methods that new stories are created. One of the best places to gain a deep understanding of story is through the Robert McKee story seminars. I attended about three of these multi-day seminars back in the day, and remain connected to this community of story tellers and educators. For film and media professionals, writers and directors, managers and new hires, The Robert McKee story seminars remain the most potent source of story telling education for the film community available in Los Angeles. Attendees comes from all over the world and they are a great place to network and re-energize your story telling chops and understanding of story in general. http://mckeestory.com/ From his website: THE ARISTOTLE OF OUR TIME Robert McKee, A Fulbright Scholar, is the most sought after screenwriting lecturer around the globe. He has dedicated the last 30 years to educating and mentoring screenwriters, novelists, playwrights, poets, documentary makers, producers, and directors internationally. Those who have learned from McKee have called him “the Aristotle of our time” because of his insight into the substance, structure, style, and principles of the grand art of story. Peter Jackson (writer/director THE LORD OF THE RINGS Trilogy, THE HOBBIT) has lauded him as “The Guru of Gurus.” For the writers of Pixar (creators of TOY STORY 1, 2, & 3, FINDING NEMO), McKee’s STORY Seminar is a rite of passage. Emmy Award-Winner Brian Cox also portrayed McKee in the Oscar-nominated film ADAPTATION. McKee’s former students include over 60 Academy Award Winners, 200 Academy Award Nominees, 200 Emmy Award Winners, 1000 Emmy Award Nominees, 100 WGA (Writers Guild of America) Award Winners, 250 WGA Award Nominees, and 50 DGA (Directors Guild of America) Award Winners, 100 DGA Award Nominees. A winner and nominee of BAFTA for his popular Channel Four series REEL SECRETS, McKee also wrote and hosted 12 episodes of BBC’s FILMWORKS series.He was profiled by Bob Simon of 60 Minutes for CBS news. McKee’s articles on Story have also appeared in hundreds of newspapers and magazines around the world including Harvard Business Review, The Wall Street Journal, Vanity Fair, The New Yorker Magazine, Swiss Business Magazine, Sueddeutsche Zeitung, CBS Morning News, BBC, Channel 4 in UK, RAI (Italy), CBN Weekly News & Morning Glory (China), MBC TV, KBS & Arirang TV, Korea Times (South Korea), Kiev Weekly, Kultura Moscow, all major TV, Radio and/or newspapers of Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Germany, France, India, Israel, Mexico, New Zealand, Portugal, Russia, Turkey, Singapore, South Africa, Sweden, and Switzerland and given seminars in all of the above countries. Since 1984, more than 100,000 students have taken McKee’s courses at various cities around the world: Los Angeles, New York, London, Paris, Sydney, Toronto, Boston, San Francisco, Helsinki, Oslo, Munich, Tel Aviv, Auckland, Singapore, Madrid, Beijing, Shanghai, Barcelona, Lisbon, Malaga, Hamburg, Berlin, Johannesburg, Rome, Stockholm, São Paulo, Santiago, Buenos Aires, Bogota, Beijing, Brussels, Rio de Janeiro, Moscow, Seoul, Istanbul, Hyderabad, Mexico City and many cities regularly. Some notable writers, directors, and actors such as Peter Jackson, Jane Campion, Andrew Stanton, Geoffrey Rush, Paul Haggis, Akiva Goldsman, William Goldman, Joan Rivers, Meg Ryan, Rob Row, David Bowie, Kirk Douglas, John Cleese, Steve Pressfield, Russell Brand, and the writers of Pixar to name a few, have taken his seminar. McKee continues to be a project consultant to major film and television production companies such as 20th Century Fox, Disney, Paramount, & MTV. In addition, Pixar, ABC, BBC, Disney, Miramax, PBS, Nickelodeon, Paramount, GLOBOSAT, MNET and other international TV and Film companies regularly send their entire creative and writing staffs to his lectures. Later this year we will be interviewing Jay Golden, a story telling master located in the San Francisco Bay Area. Jay will be discussing the power of story, personal narrative and corporate perspectives. I'm really looking forward to speaking with Jay and hearing his story!  On Tuesdays we look for new initiatives in animation and film, related to kids' education and or entertainment. Sometimes we will be talking about large corporate endeavors like last week, but today we are looking across the pond to a smaller project from Ireland, focused on DESIGN and opening the eyes of kids to new possibilities.
We are talking about MAKESHAPECHANGE from Dublin Ireland. This innovative group created a film last year that helps young people think about shapes and how to change those shapes into functional designs forms to improve our world. Animation plays a huge role in this of course, as it is one of the fundamental creative forces that allows people to see their world from a new and unlimited perspective. "MAKESHAPECHANGE IS A PROJECT TO GET YOUNG PEOPLE THINKING ABOUT HOW THE WORLD IS MADE AROUND THEM AND WHERE DESIGN FITS IN. AT ITS HEART IS A SHORT FILM THAT SHOWS CHANGES HAPPENING BEFORE OUR EYES THAT WE MIGHT NOT NORMALLY NOTICE, AND HOW THESE AFFECT US.THE PROJECT WAS COMMISSIONED BY PIVOT DUBLIN TO PROMOTE WIDER ACCEPTANCE AND USE OF DESIGN AS A TOOL FOR POSITIVE CHANGE." http://www.makeshapechange.com/about In the words of the creators... "A cave worked as somewhere to live many, many years ago. Then someone saw the possibility in stretching animal hides over branches to make a more mobile home. Eventually someone realised they could stack stones together to build walls, and so get the strength of a cave but built where you wanted it. Zip forward a few thousand years and a man is launched into space in a sort of house made from metal, propelled by a rocket. Design is a simple thing that we can all use. Creative thinking for a practical purpose. Being able to imagine a stone as a spearhead, a cave as a house or a rock as part of a wall. It's a bridge between what something is and what it could be. Between the things we make and how we use them. It's not the whole story of the world we make around us, but it's an important part. It's always been there, helping us progress, and making things work better." Check out their trailer here: https://vimeo.com/90208216 In a world that demands new solutions to new problems daily, it's vital that young people think outside the box, stretch the box to include new realities and generally see beyond form and function and imagine new ways to live, breathe, share and love our world. Enjoy!  It’s Monday, October 12, 2015, for some a school holiday, for others a regular work day and for some, another day to move gender equity and opportunity forward globally. On Mondays we focus our attention on women and girls in media, gender equity and opportunity in the larger social landscape, animation and film. Not only in the LA basin, but globally as well. We will be talking about women as employers and employees, media aimed at girls and women, the road to creative and technical leadership, and how women function and thrive in work groups across the globe. We will be posting interviews with girls and women who are in the process of making new road maps to success, who have risen to the top and who are in a position to lift, educate and mentor.
Today we’re highlighting the UN Commission on the Status of Women in order to bring attention to the need for education and access to a wide variety of places, places where technology companies are focusing their efforts to build internet infrastructure, provide smart phone connectivity, and eventually create a consumer base to purchase and consume media & technology, and through that, tell international stories that impact populations and change the course of a life. Story telling is one of the most powerful forms of culture change. Eventually most rural and domestic workers may have a smart phone in their hand. Since many of those workers are women, the economic realities of women and girls should be in the minds and hearts of the folks distributing and selling those devices. Smart devices represent a revolutionary tool for education, empowerment and opportunity if the leaders of industry take advantage of their unique vantage point when creating new infrastructure in new markets. Education, mentoring and work opportunity ladders are key to the success of girls entering the animation and media industry. Also key is the understanding of cultural norms, education and access to training in local and global communities. To frame this discussion we start globally and will then narrow the lens to look at national and then local communities, where basins of opportunity and education are thriving, leading to economic opportunity and gender status improvement. Our friends over at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women are tasked with reporting on the current economic and social well being of women and girls. The UNCOSW observes and reports on the larger global situation, work being done, and remaining to do, to provide safety and economic opportunity for women and girls across the globe. Medical, educational and technology inroads provide the first point of contact for eventual global media consumption and through doing so, provide visibility into the status of women and girls, citizens of their nations. As one thinks about global media consumption, it’s important to approach technology inroads mindful of the value sets, needs and realities of the local culture, not only from the point of view of creating new consumer demand but also from the point of view of what can be quickly seen and understood about the realities for women and girls in communities where Google or NOKIA are providing connectivity and cell towers. The role and status of women and girls is often overlooked, except from the consumption viewpoint. I stay tuned to the work the Commission is doing because it has its eyes open regarding the economic, social and family pressures that keep women in girls in situations where they cannot thrive, locations on the globe where technology is moving in, providing game changing opportunities for consumers and new paradigms for culture making and culture sharing. Below is an overview of the work of the commission, with a special highlight on a regional program below. 2015 is winding to a close and the focus for 2016 is development. Technology and even yes, animation, has a role to play here. A link to the Commission's economic empowerment agenda is below. 2016: Priority theme: Women’s empowerment and the link to sustainable development. Review theme: The elimination and prevention of all forms of violence against women and girls. - See more at: http://www.unwomen.org/en/csw#multiyear http://www.unwomen.org/en/csw Commission on the Status of Women The Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is the principal global intergovernmental body exclusively dedicated to the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of women. A functional commission of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), it was established by Council resolution 11(II) of 21 June 1946. The CSW is instrumental in promoting women’s rights, documenting the reality of women’s lives throughout the world, and shaping global standards on gender equality and the empowerment of women. In 1996, ECOSOC in resolution 1996/6 expanded the Commission’s mandate and decided that it should take a leading role in monitoring and reviewing progress and problems in the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, and in mainstreaming a gender perspective in UN activities. During the Commission’s annual two-week session, representatives of UN Member States, civil society organizations and UN entities gather at UN headquarters in New York. They discuss progress and gaps in the implementation of the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, the key global policy document on gender equality, and the 23rd special session of the General Assembly held in 2000 (Beijing+5), as well as emerging issues that affect gender equality and the empowerment of women. Member States agree on further actions to accelerate progress and promote women’s enjoyment of their rights in political, economic and social fields. The outcomes and recommendations of each session are forwarded to ECOSOC for follow-up. UN Women supports all aspects of the Commission’s work. We also facilitate the participation of civil society representatives. Methods of Work The Commission adopts multi-year work programmes to appraise progress and make further recommendations to accelerate the implementation of the Platform for Action. These recommendations take the form of negotiated agreed conclusions on a priority theme. Under its current methods of work, established by ECOSOC resolutions 2006/9, 2009/15 and 2013/18, at each session the Commission:
Multi-Year Programme of Work The Commission elaborated a multi-year programme of work for the first time in 1987, containing priority themes for discussion and action at its annual sessions, per ECOSOC resolution 1987/24. Subsequently, multi-year programmes of work were adopted in 1996 in ECOSOC resolution 1996/6, in 2001 in ECOSOC resolution 2001/4, in 2006 in ECOSOC resolution 2006/9, in 2009 in ECOSOC resolution 2009/15, and in 2013 in ECOSOC resolution 2013/18. Since 2006, the Commission has added an annual review theme, to evaluate the implementation of agreed conclusions from a previous session. Themes for 2010–2016 are:
http://www.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/economic-empowerment Economic empowerment Investing in women’s economic empowerment sets a direct path towards gender equality, poverty eradication and inclusive economic growth. Women make enormous contributions to economies, whether in businesses, on farms, as entrepreneurs or employees, or by doing unpaid care work at home. But they also remain disproportionately affected by poverty, discrimination and exploitation. Gender discrimination means women often end up in insecure, low-wage jobs, and constitute a small minority of those in senior positions. It curtails access to economic assets such as land and loans. It limits participation in shaping economic and social policies. And, because women perform the bulk of household work, they often have little time left to pursue economic opportunities. Our solutionsMany international commitments support women’s economic empowerment, including the Beijing Platform for Action, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women and a series of International Labour Organization conventions on gender equality. UN Women supports women’s economic empowerment in line with these, and with the growing body of evidence that shows that gender equality significantly contributes to advancing economies and sustainable development. Working with a variety of partners, our programmes promote women’s ability to secure decent jobs, accumulate assets, and influence institutions and public policies determining growth and development. One critical area of focus involves advocacy to measure women’s unpaid care work, and to take actions so women and men can more readily combine it with paid employment. In all our economic empowerment programmes, UN Women reaches out to women most in need, often by engaging with grass-roots and civil society organizations. Particularly marginalized groups include rural women, domestic workers, some migrants and low-skilled women. Our aims are higher incomes, better access to and control over resources, and greater security, including protection from violence. Download a two-page thematic brief on UN Women's work on economic empowerment. - See more at: http://www.unwomen.org/en/what-we-do/economic-empowerment#sthash.fQlvZ2sd.dpuf  Ending the week with jobs, jobs, and more jobs.
First let's head on over to Hulu to see what's going on over there in the digital streaming space. Next Friday we'll post open animation positions @ Disney and Warner Brothers. Last week I met with Mark Forbes, Director of Partner Relations and Content Management and received a long behind the scenes tour of this great company, located in beautiful Santa Monica. While at Viz Media I worked closely with Mark and his employee Jill Collymore, to launch Viz Media's Neon Alley Anime channel, launching hundreds of episodes at once. Hulu looks like a great place to work. Great location, fabulous employee culture and while there I missed running into Julie Andrews by only 5 minutes. Original content, forward thinking IT group and exploding brand. My meeting was between Mark and another colleague, Carlo DiCianti of BTI Studios, responsible for global subtitling and captioning. Hulu is helping to redefine culture through providing streaming commercial free and ad supported videos to your computer. Let's take a look at their hiring site! There are 91 job(s) Team & PositionLocation Advertising Sales & Operations Campaign CoordinatorSanta Monica, CA Campaign CoordinatorNew York City, NY Campaign ManagerSanta Monica, CA Campaign ManagerNew York City, NY Digital Inventory Analyst IISanta Monica, CA Sales PlannerSan Francisco, CA Sales PlannerSanta Monica, CA Content Senior Content Acquisition ManagerSanta Monica, CA Customer Support Community ModeratorLos Angeles, CA Customer Support Content Creator- Bilingual SpanishLos Angeles, CA Customer Support LeadLos Angeles, CA Customer Support Manager, OperationsLos Angeles, CA Escalation EngineerLos Angeles, CA Vice President, Customer SupportLos Angeles, CA Workforce Management AnalystLos Angeles, CA Design & Production Director, UX DesignSanta Monica, CA Senior UX Designer - Mobile & WebSanta Monica, CA Distribution & Partnerships Business Development & Partnerships ManagerSanta Monica, CA Manager, Distribution Partnerships - DevicesSanta Monica, CA Executive Vice President, Corporate CommunicationsSanta Monica, CA Finance & Accounting Accounts Payable Staff Accountant ISanta Monica, CA Advertising Revenue & Accounts Receivable Accountant ISanta Monica, CA Associate Manager, Corporate StrategySanta Monica, CA Director, Financial Planning & Analysis - Ad SalesSanta Monica, CA Manager, ProcurementSanta Monica, CA Senior Accountant, SubscriptionSanta Monica, CA Senior Analyst, Content Planning & AnalysisSanta Monica, CA Senior Financial Analyst - Ad SalesSanta Monica, CA Senior Financial Analyst - Budget & ForecastSanta Monica, CA Vice President, Financial Planning & AnalysisSanta Monica, CA International Associate Researcher - 2016 Campus GraduatesBeijing Associate Researcher - Video CodingBeijing IT Support EngineerBeijing Research Intern - Video CodingBeijing Senior Researcher - Data ScienceBeijing Senior Software Developer - SiteBeijing Software Developer - 2016 Campus GraduateBeijing Software Developer - Ad IntelligenceBeijing Software Developer - Device/MobileBeijing Software Developer - Recommendation/PersonalizationBeijing Software Development Lead - Data ScienceBeijing Software Development Lead - DeviceBeijing Software Development Lead- Hadoop/Audience PlatformBeijing Technical Program ManagerBeijing Legal Executive Assistant – General CounselSanta Monica, CA Marketing & Advertising Transactional AttorneySanta Monica, CA ParalegalSanta Monica, CA Patent Litigation AttorneySanta Monica, CA Technology and Product AttorneySanta Monica, CA Marketing & PR Associate Content Marketing ManagerSanta Monica, CA Associate Mobile Media ManagerSanta Monica, CA E-Mail Marketing AssociateSanta Monica, CA Manager, Brand MarketingSanta Monica, CA Manager, E-mail MarketingSanta Monica, CA Manager, Marketing AnalyticsSanta Monica, CA Senior Content Scheduling ManagerSanta Monica, CA Senior DesignerSanta Monica, CA Sr. Manager, EditorialSanta Monica, CA Product Management Executive Assistant - ExperienceSanta Monica, CA Product Manager - Personalization and Content DiscoverySanta Monica, CA Senior Manager - Product ResearchSanta Monica, CA Senior Product Manager - Billing & PaymentsSanta Monica, CA Senior Product Manager - Customer Acquisition & Account ManagementSanta Monica, CA Senior Product Manager - Mobile ExperienceSanta Monica, CA Senior Product Manager - Playback ExperienceSanta Monica, CA Technology Application Security EngineerSanta Monica, CA Data EngineerSanta Monica, CA Data ScientistSanta Monica, CA Information Security Compliance AnalystSanta Monica, CA Senior Enterprise Systems EngineerSanta Monica, CA Senior Manager, Technical Program Manager - Data & MetricsSanta Monica, CA Senior Quality Assurance Lead - Site & MobileSanta Monica, CA Senior Software DeveloperSeattle, WA Senior Software Developer – Advertising ToolsSanta Monica, CA Senior Software Developer - AndroidSanta Monica, CA Senior Software Developer Lead - Living RoomSeattle, WA Senior Technical Program Manager - DevOps Tools & PlatformSanta Monica, CA Senior Technical Program Manager - Payments & Billing PlatformSanta Monica, CA Software Developer - Core ServicesSanta Monica, CA Software Developer - Living RoomSeattle, WA Software Developer- Ad PlatformSanta Monica, CA Software Developer- DevOpsSanta Monica, CA Software Developer- Video EncodingSanta Monica, CA Software Development Lead- Advertising ToolsSanta Monica, CA Software Development Lead– Content PlatformSanta Monica, CA Software Development Lead- Video EncodingSanta Monica, CA Software Test Engineer- Ad PlatformSanta Monica, CA Software Test Engineer- Payments CoreSanta Monica, CA Systems EngineerSanta Monica, CA University Intern Software DeveloperSanta Monica, CA Software DeveloperSanta Monica, CA Each Thursday we will be talking about what's going on in film, animation and culture in terms of new endeavors, new companies, partnerships and opportunities, particularly in the kids' media space and technology.
There are so many exciting opportunities, so much positive and productive creativity afoot, jobs galore, if you just know where to look to find them. We'll swing back and forth between coasts, North and South and jump across continents to China and yes, Africa as well. Today I'm meeting with the esteemed Dave Van Hoy of Advanced Systems Group. Dave has built out the post production and mix stages for most of the major studios and most recently is responsible for the explosion of creativity and technical know-how happening in YouTube Spaces LA and around the globe. Dave and I go way back to American Zoetrope days, whoa - that's almost 30 years! I'm super excited to meet him in a few hours to chat about what he's up to. His technical and post teams are the behind the scenes gurus making new media happen at SPACES, LA in Santa Monica. Can't wait to share what we chat about on the tech side. He's already on his plane down here so I have to skeedaddle as well. Did I just say skeedaddle. Ugh. This an exciting time of culture and media making.... For new business development, let's see what's happening in LA this week at Universal - oh cool.... here's a new initiative for kids! Re-posted from Animation World Network http://www.awn.com/news/universal-launches-kids-production-unit Universal Launches Kids Production UnitFormer Nickelodeon executive Teri Weiss to lead production of kid and family-focused original content for all platforms leveraging the studio’s existing portfolio of IP. By Jennifer Wolfe | Monday, October 5, 2015 at 7:09pm In Business, Digital Media, Films, Games, Licensing, People, Television | ANIMATIONWorld, Headline News | Geographic Region: North AmericaTeri Weiss Universal Pictures created the Universal Kids Productions group and tapped former Nickelodeon executive Teri Weiss to lead it, according to a report by The Hollywood Reporter. The move is part of the studio’s efforts to expand its current output of content for kids and families. Weiss will serve as senior vice president and head of kids/family development and production within the new group, reporting to Universal brand development president Vince Klaseus. Universal Kids Productions will be focused on developing content for families and children, adding to current projects such as the Daytime Emmy Award-winning Curious George animated series. The division will leverage the studio’s existing portfolio of intellectual property, as well as develop original content for all platforms, both on its own and through assorted partnerships. NBCUniversal will license its owned properties through its dedicated brand management and consumer products business, which also reports to Klaseus. Weiss is a 16-year veteran of Nickelodeon, most recently serving as EVP Original Programming for the Preschool Division since 2010. While at Nickelodeon, she launched a series of hits including Blaze and the Monster Machines, Dora and Friends, Paw Patrol and Wallykazam!. As senior vice president of production and development, Weiss solidified Nick Jr.’s position with series such as Bubble Guppies, Team Umizoomi and The Fresh Beat Band. She began at the company as executive in charge of production at Nick Jr., overseeing the groundbreaking series Dora the Explorer. Prior to joining Nickelodeon, from 1993 to 1999, Weiss was a producer on Sesame Street. Jennifer Wolfe(link sends e-mail) is Director of News & Content at Animation World Network. |
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