TOP-NOTCH POP CULTURE CREATORS HEADLINE

GNOMON'S ONLINE MASTER CLASSES 2011 LINEUP


Renowned Artists From All Aspects of the Entertainment Industry

Share Their Expertise in Specialized Courses Accessible Worldwide



HOLLYWOOD, CA - Feb. 2, 2010 - Gnomon School of Visual Effects - the leading training facility in digital and entertainment arts - will digitally connect artists with esteemed professionals from the entertainment and visual effects industries with its Master Classes 2011. From February 11-25, in a private online community, participants will interact with and learn from some of the VFX leaders behind blockbuster projects including "Avatar," "District 9" and "Transformers 2" in a comprehensive instruction block that covers nearly every aspect in the digital arts production pipeline.



Including more than 30 hours of lectures, community interaction across private forums and direct contact with the creative leads from legendary production houses like Dreamworks and conceptual design hubs like the Weta Workshop, Gnomon's Master Classes 2011 will provide highly-specialized and in-depth education in the industry's most critical realms. Whether getting feedback from "Avatar" art director and motion graphics supervisor Neil Huxley or drawing on the endless expertise of Gnomon's founder Alex Alvarez, students will learn precisely how to apply their newly learned skills to the growing and lucrative industry of entertainment arts.



"Whether it's experienced in a museum, blockbuster film or an immersive game, imaginative, inspiring art conveys and strengthens stories in ways that no other medium can achieve," said Alex Alvarez, founder and CEO of the Gnomon School of Visual Effects. "Simply put, the instructors we've brought together for this year's online Master Classes are the best in the industry at that-creating art that fascinates and inspires like nothing else can."



Master Classes 2011 ticket holders will be able access twelve specialized sets of instruction covering everything from motion graphics and lifelike character-design to prop fabrication and environment lighting. Focused software instruction will cover essential VFX tools like Maya, ZBrush and Photoshop, and explore their professional applications. Artists of all levels-from aspiring young artists to seasoned VFX professionals-will receive detailed feedback from instructors coupled with high definition, on-demand courses accessible at any time during the two-week period.



"Ever a faithful resource for those looking to further their careers, hone their artistic eye, or stay on top of the latest software toolsets, the Master Classes put artists in a convenient digital environment where they can learn from the best so they can achieve their best," mentioned Alvarez.



Users can purchase digital tickets to the entire suite of 12 classes for $295 and get more information at http://www.gnomonschool.com/master/2011/. The complete course offerings are listed below.



Course listings include:



3D Design for Production

Instructor: Vitaly Bulgarov, 3D Cinematic Artist



Motion Graphics for Feature Film

Instructor: Neil Huxley, Motion Graphics Director for "Avatar"



A Pungent Character: Getting Grit into Imaginary Faces

Instructor: David Meng, Lead Creature Designer for "District 9"



Digital Character Physiology

Instructor: Rick Grandy, Digital Character and Pipeline Supervisor



Independent Dystopia

Instructor: Grzegorz Jonkajtys, Director of "The 3rd Letter" and "ARK"



The Making of 'Dirge'

Instructor: Alex Alvarez, CEO and Founder of Gnomon School of Visual Effects



Three Hour 3D Figure Study

Instructor: Jeremy Engleman, 3D Painter at Dreamworks Animation



Creating Realistic Skin with Mari

Instructor: Gareth Jensen, Texture Artist at Double Negative



ZBrush to Photoshop - Character Design Tutorial

Instructor: Scott Spencer, Digital Sculptor at Weta Workshop



Character Design for Illustration

Instructor: Paul Tobin, Concept Designer at Weta Workshop



Film and Prop Fabrication

Instructor: Rick Hilgner, Concept Designer at Creative Concepts Enterprises



Environment Lighting & Progressive Rendering

Instructor: Alex Sandri, Freelance 3D Artist



For more information or to schedule an interview with Eric Miller, Managing Director of the Gnomon Workshop at the Gnomon School of Visual Effects, please call Nick Parker at 310-694-3138.



About Gnomon School of Visual Effects

Located in Hollywood, Gnomon School of Visual Effects is an innovative training facility that stresses the importance of creativity in digital entertainment production. The school believes that while technology offers new tools to create impressive computer-generated characters and worlds, it is not the technology that drives results, but the artist. Gnomon instructors are industry professionals that bring their experience and connections into the classroom to give the next generation of production artists an outstanding start to their careers. The results speak for themselves, as the flagship Digital Entertainment Production program boasts a 90% job placement rate. Many graduates go on to work on blockbuster movies and games.



About Gnomon Workshop

Since 2000, The Gnomon Workshop has provided artists and students with the educational resources they need to succeed as artists in the entertainment industries. Whether they're interested in design, modeling, effects, animation, storytelling or matte painting, these DVDs provide a valuable educational resource for students around the world. The Gnomon Workshop is the sister company of the Gnomon School of Visual Effects, which provides professional caliber visual effects instruction to students and professionals in Los Angeles, California.