CGI Training for the Entertainment Film Industry
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Computer Graphics in Entertainment
CGI Training for
the Entertainment
Film Industry Jacquelyn Ford Morie
Blue Sky|VIFX
C onsider a snapshot from 1996: A bright
young woman has just earned a degree
from a prestigious art college, majoring in computer
technology. The company’s animation division isn’t inter-
ested in computer animation and the exchange does not
work out. The graduate student—Ed Catmull—goes on
animation (a program her school started four years to found a premier computer animation company.1
ago). She is looking for her first job. An excellent stu-
dent artist, top in her class, she does not know how to A bit of history
program. She is being courted by all the major West The above scenarios illustrate actual examples of peo-
Coast studios and has retained an attorney to get her ple trying to get computer graphics jobs in the enter-
the best possible deal (among other things, a starting tainment industry. You may recognize yourself among
salary in the $60,000 range). them, depending on when you started in computer
Cut back to 1990, just six years graphics. Barely three decades old, the computer graph-
earlier: A recent graduate is trying to ics field has been through enormous changes.
As the digital film industry find a job. He studied computer Possibilities and experimentation have evolved into
graphics as an art student and creat- commonly used and widely accepted tools to create
matures, the education ed some respectable short anima- effects, images, and characters for films. The education
tions. He took a class in general needed to succeed in the digital entertainment indus-
needed to become part of it programming but not graphics pro- try has also changed. The early emphasis on technical
gramming. He is not even looking at skills, especially computer science, has broadened to
also evolves and shifts. We the big companies in Hollywood include a strong focus on art and animation skills. The
because they seek only experienced reasons for this necessitate looking at the industry and
must therefore rethink how people. Instead, he sends out education over the last twenty or so years.
resumes to and visits small “bou- While this article primarily addresses the entertain-
we educate future digital tique” production companies in the ment film industry, that industry offered few digital pro-
Southeast or Midwest—any place duction jobs before 1992. We must therefore consider
entertainment workers. that will let him get a foot in the door. the role that television commercials (and those ubiqui-
Cut back further, to 1986: A stu- tous “flying logos”) played in the development and
dent has just graduated with a Master’s degree in com- adoption of digital technology in the film industry. In
puter science. He has always been interested in art, but addition to theatrical motion pictures, the fast-growing
never thought of it as a way to make a living. He did his digital film industry now produces a wide variety of film-
graduate project work in NSF-funded simulation tech- based entertainment, from ride simulators to large-for-
niques. He attends Siggraph 1986 in Dallas, resume in mat special-venue theaters such as OmniMax and Imax.
hand. He lands a job programming for a newly formed
small production company, hoping to make it big doing Industry: 1975
computer-generated imagery (CGI) for the film industry. In 1975, computer graphics had been around little
Finally, cut back to 1975: A talented, creative computer more than a decade. Because the field was so new, it did
science student wants to explore computer graphics’ ani- take a rocket scientist to do the work required for com-
mation potential. His thesis, funded by the DOD, puter graphics. Few basic tools existed, and computer
describes a way to render images on the computer with graphics specialists invented the tools they needed from
something called a “z-buffer.” His school approaches a the technical and mathematical ground up. Only those
large animation company about an exchange program who could write the code could tell the machine what to
that brings a student to the company to learn the indus- do artistically.
try and a company animator to the school to learn new Hollywood knew little about this fledgling area. The
30 January/February 1998 0272-1716/98/$10.00 © 1998 IEEE.
biggest advances involved 2D graphics, and in the 1970s
the few movies that employed CGI used either on-screen Educator and Industry Resources
graphics (simulating what would be seen on a comput- The following publications provide useful information on how to
er terminal or screen readout in a spaceship, for exam- build a career in the digital entertainment industry.
ple) or 2D computer imagery. By 1975 CGI had been used Bay Area Multimedia Partnership and Reagan and Associates, A Labor Market
in only two major films. In 1973, Westworld featured Analysis of the Digital Media Industry: Opportunities in Multimedia, spon-
scenes that showed audiences the world viewed by the sored by the North Valley (NOVA) Private Industry Council, SkillsNet, Los
eye circuitry of a synthetic human (played by a very real Angeles, Apr. 1997.
Yul Brenner) in a future Western theme park. This effect Alliance for Motion Picture and Television Producers and the PMR Group, Inc.,
was achieved with 2D computer graphics tools mostly Making Digits Dance: Visual Effects and Animation Careers in the Entertain-
derived from image processing techniques. The 1974 ment Industry, sponsored by the City of Los Angeles Private Industry Coun-
sequel to Westworld, Futureworld, used 3D CGI. cil, SkillsNet, Los Angeles, Mar. 1997.
Using 3D CGI extensively in films remained a dream. National Research Council, Modeling and Simulation: Linking Entertainment
Few in the movie industry believed in CGI, but acade- and Defense, National Academy Press, Washington, D.C., 1997.
mic researchers around the country sought to create
viable tools. Because no one knew what could be done Useful materials and information for educators, committee-
with CGI, it was considered extremely risky, and also sponsored projects, and links to other educational-related sites can
very expensive. Making a film was already an expensive be found at Siggraph’s Education Committee Web site at
endeavor; using budding CGI technology could signifi- http://www.siggraph.org under “Education.”
cantly increase the overall cost, even if it did manage to The SkillsNet Ultimate Entertainment and New Media Guide
get done on time and not delay the film’s release date. Web site presents information about the digital entertainment
In the meantime, television embraced the fledgling industry, including industry needs and educational programs. Go
computer graphics industry. CGI examples tended to to http://www.skillsnet.net.
be quite short because the technology was highly tech-
nical and tedious, with long rendering times needed to
get good-looking images. Short formats, however, at this time (although some schools were starting to
worked well for TV with its 30-second commercials and train well-rounded people who would play pivotal roles
program openers. Also, rendering for broadcast in the digital film industry’s future).
required considerably less resolution than film—about During this decade, the quality of images generated
one-tenth the number of pixels per frame—and there- by CGI rose substantially. In addition, people who
fore less time as well. worked on traditional effects (optical and physical)
Then as now, commercials had to grab the audience’s began working in the digital realm. As CGI infiltrated
attention before they launched the sales pitch. the film community, commercial CGI creators also
Computer graphics offered a new, glitzy way to do just learned more about the way films were made.
that, and the advertising industry had the money to Looking back, 1981 was a milestone year for digital
spend on it. The digital film industry owes a great deal film, with 3D computer graphics in two major films. In
to advertising’s need for something new to captivate Michael Crichton’s film Looker, Susan Dey’s character
audiences. Companies doing primarily TV commercial needed to obtain physical perfection as embodied by a
work proliferated in the late 1970s and early 1980s. computer program’s ideal 3D representation of her.
These companies had relatively few artists on staff, Based on their work for Futureworld, Triple-I won the
however. They needed technically versed workers to task of creating this 3D figure. Though not a box office
write new code and manipulate technology into doing success, Looker showed the new medium’s potential.
things it hadn’t done before. The commercials’ artistic Also released in 1981 (and also not a box office suc-
design generally came from the CGI company’s con- cess), Tron used 3D computer graphics extensively in
tracting agency—usually a prestigious ad agency that both concept and actuality. Although traditional opti-
could afford CGI’s high price. Most companies thus had cal effects created the characters’ look, the film used the
one or, more likely, no artists on staff. Among the few most CGI to date—it took four major CGI companies to
exceptions, Triple-I (Information International, Inc.) achieve it all. The light cycles were done by Magi, the
had three: Richard Taylor, Art Durinski, and John solar sailor ship by Triple-I, the Tron title logo and wire-
Whitney, Jr. frame world by Robert Abel and Associates, and the bit
character and Tron opener by Digital Effects.
Industry: 1986 The next landmark was The Last Starfighter (1985).
By 1986, thanks to all the work done for commercials, Digital Productions created an astounding 27 minutes of
digital technology had made inroads in the film indus- CGI for this film. Unfortunately, the film’s success did
try—but the work force hadn’t changed much. The not translate into success for the company; Digital
chances were still high that whatever was needed for a Productions closed in 1986.
particular shot had never been done and required new Besides generating original imagery, CGI began to
code. This called for programmers, not artists. If a com- make inroads into another traditional effects mainstay,
pany did hire an artist, it was typically as an art direc- optical compositing, or the layering of foreground and
tor, working alongside the programmers to help them background elements within a single scene using ana-
understand and translate an artistic vision into code. log film equipment called optical printers. Digital com-
Few people could claim to be both scientists and artists positing had its start in the early 1980s. It had been tried
IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications 31.
Computer Graphics in Entertainment
early on in the movie Flash Gordon at an optical print- sophisticated enough to know what it was looking
ing house run by Frank Vander Veers. Both the early at. Tron was a failure, not only because of a bad
Digital Scene Simulation system and the Pixar Image story, but in a contributory way because the audi-
Processing Computer (developed in 1982 by the ence was not tuned into the subject matter.
Lucasfilm Computer Division) further developed the
technology for digital compositing, and slowly the idea We could call the 1980s the startup decade for CGI in
took hold in Hollywood. Digital compositing offered film. It enhanced such commercial successes as Star Wars:
many benefits, chief among them a simplified produc- Return of the Jedi (the death star hologram), Star Trek:
tion pipeline that did not involve shooting, processing, Wrath of Khan (the Genesis effect), and Young Sherlock
and aligning many layers of filmstock. Holmes (the stained-glass man). The Abyss typified the
In the late 1980s, illusion—once the domain of high- decade’s end, offering a prime example of a major direc-
ly skilled artists creating matte paintings or constructing tor (James Cameron) taking a chance, but not too big a
miniatures, and skilled film industry specialists putting chance. Had the CGI effects for the pseudopod water face
the elements together with optical printers—became scene not worked out, it would not have affected the
the domain of physicists, mathematicians, computer sci- movie’s schedule or success. The fact that it did work con-
entists, and electrical engineers. About two-thirds of the vinced Cameron that this tool, if used well, could deliver.
key people in the digital effects industry in the 1980s
came from these disciplines. Industry: 1990
Unfortunately, the decade that saw the meteoric rise The early 1990s saw major growth for CGI in films.
of so many CGI companies also witnessed their demise. The Abyss’ success convinced Cameron that he could suc-
Within a fairly short period of time, four of the largest CGI cessfully undertake a new film that relied heavily on dig-
houses—Abel, Cranston/Csuri Productions, Omnibus, ital effects and, in fact, could not be made without them.
and Digital Productions—closed their doors. Their high The 1992 film Terminator 2 proved to be not only a box
overhead and the rapid pace of innovation made it impos- office smash but also the turning point that convinced
sible for them to survive. (Digital Productions’ Cray com- the film industry that CGI was indeed a reliable tool.
puter reportedly cost $250,000 per month in upkeep.) In his keynote address to the 1991 Society of Motion
The entertainment industry was not willing to pay exor- Picture and Television Engineers tutorial “Issues in
bitant capitalization expenses or research and develop- Advanced Motion Imaging,” James Cameron talked
ment costs. Work moved to smaller companies that could about CGI achieving respectability after many years of
operate on more traditional budgets.2 “hard work.” He also discussed his experiences with The
Despite its successes, producers and directors still did Abyss and Terminator 2. What surprised him about The
not trust CGI. A Siggraph 88 panel, “The Reality of Abyss was that each company vying for the job proposed
Computer Graphics in the Motion Picture Industry,” con- very different techniques to create the effect. Happy
sidered various directions CGI might take. Several par- with the work Industrial Light and Magic did, Cameron
ticipants urged exploring it more for its storyboarding described himself as “intoxicated” with the technology’s
capabilities than its potential for generating original possibilities, prompting him to take the big step with
images. Terminator 2. But he also said this about the practition-
In preparation for this panel, Richard Hollander, ers of the digital arts:
owner of a company that produced on-screen visuals and
video displays for the movie industry, informally sur- You (digital) effects guys know too much. You’re
veyed movie people in person and by phone on the state getting like doctors—too much knowledge and
of the industry. The good news was that everyone knew not enough bedside manner.4
what CGI was. The bad news was they repeatedly com-
mented on the great expense and that CGI had a unique CGI made significant inroads in film as awareness and
look appropriate for a limited range of film styles. The demand grew. Many films in the early 1990s used large
industry decision-makers did not see beyond CGI’s exist- amounts of CGI technology, including Batman Returns,
ing uses, and many remembered the high cost and box Alien 3, Jurassic Park, The Lawnmower Man, Death
office failures of movies that relied too heavily on CGI.3 Becomes Her, Toys, In the Line of Fire, The Mask, and
Alex Singer, a veteran Hollywood director and cur- Forrest Gump. Companies specializing in CGI were final-
rently a director on Star Trek Voyager, has followed tech- ly in demand and had to find more talent to keep up with
nology’s progress and potential for some time. In a the new and hectic pace. And, just maybe, they were
phone conversation, he remarked about this period in starting to develop some bedside manners.
Hollywood:
Industry: 1996
Everybody was learning. The artists and pro- By 1996 CGI, by most accounts, had come of age.
grammers were learning how to create things that Moving beyond just usefulness, CGI had become an
had never been seen before. The producers and essential film industry tool for simulating dangerous or
directors were learning that this new thing was costly effects and for the final digital compositing of all
out there, even if they didn’t trust it at all. Even separate elements.
the audiences were learning—much like Citizen Besides effects and compositing, CGI’s role in enter-
Kane was not a commercial success when it came tainment also grew with the resurgence of the animated
out (for 10 years) because the audience was not feature film. While some companies tried early on to make
32 January/February 1998.
animation cheaper to produce with CGI, innovations by form of CGI did not hire off the
Disney’s Feature Animation Division in the 1980s and street; it looked to the schools
1990s enabled CGI to enrich the look of animation in ways engaged in CGI research. Among the Animated features’ new
not necessarily cheaper, but better. One involved achiev- most prominent in the 1970s were
ing an unlimited number of layers in the digital multi- the New York Institute of Technology popularity may stem in
planing technique (prohibitively expensive in its (paint and 2D animation systems),
traditional form and limited by the buildup of density of Ohio State University (animation), part from the richness
the numerous cel layers when stacked). Another involved the University of Utah (real-time
replicating single character elements, essentially animat- graphics, 3D modeling and viewing, computer graphics
ed once, into flocks, herds, and crowds. Animated features’ human animation, and frame
new popularity may stem in part from the new richness buffers), and Cornell University techniques bring to
computer graphics techniques bring to animation. (color and rendering). The enter-
In 1995, an entirely computer-animated feature film, tainment industry sometimes col- animation.
Toy Story, marked a major digital milestone. Created laborated with students and
jointly by Pixar and Walt Disney Feature Animation, this researchers to address key industry
film’s success took many by surprise. For many years the problems. An example of such col-
Pixar group had been creating cutting-edge short com- laboration was the rendering program Utah researcher
puter films such as Tin Toy and Luxo, Jr. Later they Frank Crow wrote for Triple-I.
delved into commercial work, focusing on character ani- In the 1970s, then, the CGI “jobs” in the entertain-
mation. The Pixar team, widely acknowledged as the ment industry existed mainly under the academic
world’s best CGI character animators, seemed well suit- umbrella. Most decision makers in entertainment saw
ed to step up to a feature-length film. Toy Story’s success CGI as “interesting stuff, but not for us right now.” Few
motivated more than one Hollywood company to start other than students and researchers were willing to risk
developing in-house CGI animated features. their reputations creating a whole new technology
This growth, and the entertainment industry’s confi- whose destiny they could not foresee.
dence in mature CGI, spurred intense demand for tal-
ent to fill the growing ranks of CGI companies between Academia: 1986
1994 and 1996. Top students were often pulled from By the mid-1980s, several schools had started fusion
schools before they completed their education; others programs aimed at teaching basic artistic and technical
were hired immediately upon graduation. Companies concepts. Sheridan College in Ontario, Canada, had
searched the world to find the talent they needed. In developed a successful computer animation program.
fact, the only area that grew as fast during these years The University of Illinois at Chicago’s Electronic
was the human resource departments tasked with all Visualization MFA program, started in 1980, balanced
the recruiting and hiring. technical and artistic training in a joint effort between
But it has been quite difficult to find the talent the engineering, computer science, and art and design
industry needs, even though in sheer numbers more stu- departments. Ohio State University’s computer graphics
dents are looking for work than there are jobs. While program offered perhaps the best example of how to pre-
hundreds of schools now offer CGI programs or cours- pare students for the entertainment world. In conjunc-
es, a disparity exists between a graduating student’s tion with Cranston/Csuri Productions (C/CP), this art
knowledge and what employers desire. We can further education program provided ideal training for many cur-
explore some of the many reasons for this disparity by rent entertainment industry leaders. Why did it work so
examining what was going on in the academic world in well? The answer lies in a balanced combination of art,
the same years we examined for industry. education, computer science, and production experience.
Students in the Ohio State program were mostly art
Academia: 1975 education majors working in the Computer Graphics
In the 1970s, few schools offered formal study in com- Research Group (CGRG), which had been active for
puter graphics for the entertainment industry. Those more than a decade. This group included computer sci-
that did typically offered a course or two in their com- ence, art, and education majors, all expected to under-
puter science or electrical engineering departments, stand how to program and use the custom-written
usually at a graduate level. Few art departments had software constantly being revised by group members.
funding or equipment for computer graphics classes. Most thesis work focused on ways to teach computer
Graduate students lucky enough to find funding for graphics. Not surprisingly, many of today’s best com-
computer graphics research often worked on Depart- puter graphics educators are graduates of this program.
ment of Defense computer simulation projects, the pri- C/CP, a full-fledged CGI production company
mary application for this new field. The other major cofounded by Ohio State professor Charles Csuri,
source of funding in the 1970s was the National Science offered students hands-on learning in a production envi-
Foundation. Both groups funded pure research projects ronment. This complemented classwork by allowing
and typically let students select the topic and direction them to apply CGI concepts to real-world problems. It
they wished to pursue. Since computer graphics was also gave them invaluable experience working with
such a young field, it provided many challenging prob- directors, budgets, and schedules to develop production
lems for student researchers. skills demanded by the industry but seldom if ever
The rare entertainment company wanting to use some taught in school.
IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications 33.
Computer Graphics in Entertainment
Besides attending OSU or anoth- fessional). This detailed informa-
er key “fusion” school, two basic tion proved invaluable not only to
options existed for someone wanti- By the mid-1980s, many students seeking work but also to
ng to go into CGI. Many took the teachers, and helped spark the cre-
“learn it on your own” path—beg- educators agreed on the ation of even more new academic
ging for computer time after hours computer graphics programs.
in production facilities or taking any need for
entry-level position just to be near Academia: 1990
the technology and learn. Others interdisciplinary studies By the 1990s, hundreds of
majored in either art or computer schools had some sort of computer
science, to the exclusion of the in computer graphics. graphics program, many targeting
other, hoping to get a foot in the entertainment as their students’
door with the basic degree and pick professional destination. Students
up other skills on the job. Computer especially were drawn to this glam-
science remained the best option, since most companies orous new area, having seen exciting CGI effects in pop-
still needed workers adept at handling unfriendly and ular films. Studios began to provide limited, highly
constantly changing production software. competitive internships almost certain to lead to per-
By the mid-1980s, many educators agreed on the manent jobs for students with the appropriate talent
need for interdisciplinary studies in computer graph- and personality. While most film industry jobs still
ics. At Siggraph 84, more than 200 people attended a advertised for people with three to five years of experi-
two-day course, “Interdisciplinary Issues in Art and ence, any student determined and talented enough
Design.” Vibeke Sorensen, a long-time computer graph- could hope to end up with a job somewhere in the
ics teacher and one of the course organizers, listed 31 industry eventually. Most entry-level jobs, however,
schools “leading the way” in CGI in 1984, making no were at small boutique production companies around
distinction between CS and art schools. This made the country where students could gain the experience
sense in light of the session’s goal to find ways to merge needed for Hollywood.
the art and science of computer graphics into one har- In the early 1990s, many technical and vocational
monious course of study. schools focused on bringing students up to speed quick-
This course resurfaced at Siggraph 87 as a one-day ly. Spurred by students’ demands to get into this indus-
Educators’ Workshop on “Teaching Computer Graphics: try fast, and their willingness to pay, these schools
An Interdisciplinary Approach.” For teachers trying to provided programs ranging from six months to two
establish or improve their computer graphics programs, years. High tuition permitted these places to offer
this course represented the best of CG education. It fea- newer equipment and industry-level software that
tured detailed descriptions of programs and courses, many colleges could not. However, they also empha-
syllabi and sample curricula, and lists of resources such sized training on specific commercial software. Studios
as books, magazines, and journals. It included articles buried in work sought students who had logged many
like “Why Artists Should Learn to Program” by hours on an up-to-date system. Some companies adver-
University of Oregon art professor Craig Hickman and tised for jobs such as “Wavefront Operator”—many
information on where graduates were getting work— postings listed specific hardware or software—and stu-
many at Hollywood’s main entertainment companies. dents took classes to become just that. If studios
The Siggraph Education Committee emerged in the couldn’t get what they really wanted, they could at least
1980s as well. Siggraph’s mission has always been to hire someone who knew the software.
educate, but many practitioners found themselves going In this atmosphere, university teachers had difficul-
into teaching with few resources. To bring computer ty convincing students to spend additional years learn-
graphics educators in all disciplines together and share ing subjects that did not seem pertinent. Often,
ideas and resources, Siggraph members Steve students settled for a university over a trade school only
Cunningham and Judy Brown (themselves teachers) because of the cost difference. Fueling students’ impa-
founded the Education Committee. This committee has tience was what I call the “software vendor trap”; as a
documented schools providing computer graphics train- panelist at the Siggraph 97 Education Panel put it, “If
ing for the past 13 years. A 1989 Siggraph Computer you get an outfit, you can be a cowboy too” (after a
Graphics special issue on careers in computer graphics5 humorous Smothers Brothers song). Some students
listed 145 schools teaching computer concepts and sys- felt that knowing one software package made them
tems (most in computer science departments) and 154 ready for work, without understanding that they pos-
teaching computer graphics in arts, architecture, design, sessed only a small part of the knowledge and skills
or communications programs. This doubled the num- required. A student in my program at Ringling School
ber of schools listed in a 1984 committee study. of Art and Design was convinced by a software sales-
This special issue also included job profiles, two of man (from a company no longer in business) to take
the 13 in entertainment: technical director and director his next year’s tuition and buy their system—it was all
of special projects for a CGI house. This fairly repre- he needed to start his own business. The student did
sented the percentage of entertainment jobs within CG so but was back at the school’s door within the year,
in 1989 (other listings ranged from independent con- having learned the hard way that he did not have the
sultant to aerospace scientist to system software pro- training he needed.
34 January/February 1998.
Academia: 1996 ■ entry-level positions such as I/O positions, scanning,
By 1996, anyone with talent and some software skills data wranglers, and output
could get hired somewhere, with exceptionally talented
graduates often the target of bidding wars. Some com- As an example, let’s consider what today’s ideal entry-
panies, recognizing the schools that consistently turned level digital artist—say, an animator—would look like.
out well-trained students, started recruiting them well He or she would possess a range of skills and qualities;
before graduation, sometimes hiring students who still I’ve listed the most important, distilled from studio
had two years to finish. Some students thus started look- recruitment brochures, personal experience, and indus-
ing for work as soon as they had something on their try publications. Desired artistic skills include
demo reels. Many, reading about animators’ incredible
salaries, hired attorneys to negotiate the best deal, even ■ a solid foundation of art training
seeking signing bonuses. ■ excellent draftsman/illustration skills
All this has prompted even more schools to jump on ■ intuitive understanding of movement and emotional
the bandwagon in the last two years and start programs nuances
focusing on computer graphics for entertainment. In ■ understanding of animation principles
California, hit hard by the lack of talent to fuel the indus-
try’s rapid expansion, nearly a dozen new programs Desired technical skills include
have sprung up this past year alone. The State of
California encourages schools and studios trying to gen- ■ demonstrable experience with major software pack-
erate workers for the industry by initiating discussions, ages (preferably more than one)
meetings, and funding programs. ■ good working knowledge of Unix
■ thorough grounding in CGI concepts
Today ■ ability to write scripts
The picture has changed dramatically over just the ■ mathematical skills and ability to write mathemati-
last year. Studios have reached the expansion targets cal expressions
they set in the last few years. The hiring has, with few
exceptions, slowed to a trickle; companies are laying off Underlying these technical and artistic skills are social
workers and even closing their doors. Graduating stu- and success skills critical for all jobs in the digital film
dents are amazed to find no jobs when they go looking. industry’s team-based production structure, such as
While a studio may still hire a graduate whose work
shows real star quality, this often comes at the expense ■ excellent written and verbal communication skills
of someone hired in the last several years who is not ■ teamwork
making the grade (remember those kids who only knew ■ ability to take direction and criticism
one software package?). We are seeing a shakedown in ■ understanding of the production process and how this
the industry both in the quality of digital artists a stu- job fits within it
dio wants to keep and in the number of CGI facilities ■ keen critical thinking and aesthetic skills
able to stay in business. ■ flexibility, adaptability, and a desire to learn and grow
Where does this put us in terms of the education need-
ed to work in this ever-changing but essentially mature The rise of studio training programs
industry? We must examine current job categories and It would be great if graduating students actually
requisite skills, how studios work with entry-level artists, matched the description above, but few do. Not only do
and how education and industry can better prepare the the studios recognize this, students themselves often
next generation of digital film workers. find out as soon as they start interviewing.
An article written by two recent graduates for the
Types of jobs available Siggraph Educators’ Newsletter in 1992 (“What Do You
CGI jobs in the late 1990s tend toward increasing spe- Do When You Are Done?”), discussed the lack of stan-
cialization, with many different job titles. These jobs do dardization among CGI programs. They stated, “This
still require some cross-over, however, and students lack of standardization makes many
would benefit from a thorough understanding of the graduates feel that everything they
whole production process. A survey of job titles and cat- never had is all they need.”
egories from major studios’ recent recruiting brochures Traditionally, studio training for new
yields the following examples: hires occurred on the job. New CGI jobs in the late
employees were typically given a
■ technical directors for motion, modeling, and lighting basic orientation and then, if they 1990s tend toward
■ effects and character animators were lucky, put under the tutelage of
■ digital artists such as 3D texture painters, concept a more experienced worker. Far increasing
artists, compositors, and rotoscope, matte, and inferno more often, new hires had to find
artists things out on their own, befriending specialization, with
■ software developers for 2D and 3D production tools a sympathetic colleague (or two or
and software to maintain studio infrastructure three) who could guide them many different job titles.
■ systems workers including networking specialists and through the company’s working pro-
system administrators cedures. However, as the ratio of
IEEE Computer Graphics and Applications 35.
Computer Graphics in Entertainment
new to seasoned people increased, the physics and math behind effects and natural phe-
this system could not absorb the new nomena. For example, a technical director writing
Academic programs workers as fast as needed. Renderman shaders also needs to comprehend the
ILM’s Barry Armour explains one artistry of lighting, that is, how lights work within a
need to produce better main reason companies had to start scene to achieve the desired effect, and how to specify
in-house training, even for experi- colors in a precise yet aesthetically pleasing way.
trained students. This enced people: “The variation in
work environment from company to Getting that first job
requires committed company means that there is no Not everyone can get into the limited access studio
such thing as a new employee who training programs. But most young hopefuls seeking a
cooperation between doesn’t need a good deal of training job still do not have all the skills they need. What can
or a lot of time to familiarize them- they do?
academia and industry. selves with the tools to be produc- Commercial training facilities might provide part of
tive.”6 He suggests a one- to the answer. Once established to help production artists
six-month ramp-up period is fairly gain and update skills, these companies now must
common. choose whether to become “finishing schools” for grad-
However, long ramp-up times have their own prob- uating students who need more information to be
lems. A company must keep a new employee around hirable. Many are establishing concept-based classes in
long enough to recoup their sizable investment. This has response to studios’ concerns about the lack of basic con-
impacted the traditional film model of studios hiring ceptual knowledge. Students may not recognize that
freelancers when work is heavy and laying them off they need this and pay money for it until they have spent
when it slows—CGI people are brought in to stay, for some time unsuccessfully searching for jobs.
the most part. Beyond the differences in production soft- Some students can, and should, go on to graduate
ware and procedures, most companies have discovered school; many more students are hired out of graduate
that new hires (and even some experienced ones) just programs than undergraduates. Young artists can also
do not know all they should. Because senior people often look at successful undergraduate programs, see what
must explain basic concepts to team members, most CGI classes they might not have had, and try to enroll in
companies have instituted substantial internal training them. In addition, especially in California, some uni-
programs to bring people up to speed. versities offer digital film-specific extension classes.
Disney, one of the first to develop such in-house train- Professional society memberships are extremely impor-
ing, started an animation internship in the 1980s. In this tant and provide valuable knowledge and resources
program, about as long as a typical semester, Disney often not available in formal academic programs.
trained young art students in traditional animation. Finally, industry hopefuls must realize that they may
There was no guarantee of a job at the end, but top need to start at the bottom, much like the kids who took
interns might be offered entry-level openings. In 1994, work as janitors in the 1980s.
when Disney realized it must find a way to hire good
computer animators and technical directors, it hired me For the future
to create an intensive three-month training program. Of course, in the long run, academic programs need
This program differed from the traditional internship to produce better trained students. This requires more
in that the trainees, as they were called, were actually committed cooperation between academia and indus-
under contract—the demand for good students was try—some schools have consistently produced better
high. Also, in addition to learning computer techniques, trained individuals because of successful relationships
trainees undertook a traditional animation regimen with industry.
including weekly life drawing classes. Each trainee had Part of this relationship has involved curricular
a CGI mentor who was an established artist in the advice. Not all schools can pick up the phone and have
trainee’s discipline. One or two traditional animation a major studio answer all their questions, but they do
mentors were also assigned to the group, as very few need advice on relevant curricula. Available resources
schools provided traditional animation training in their include trainers at production houses and training facil-
computer programs. ities, many of whom started out as educators in the aca-
Other studios have followed suit, setting up entry- demic world. In 1996, these trainers, managers, and
level training programs. These not only teach software directors of training formed a loose organization, the
and specific production techniques but also provide reg- Alliance of Digital Effects Production Trainers (ADEPT),
ular or specially scheduled “enrichment” classes such that meets regularly to share ideas, problems, and
as life drawing, acting and movement classes, sculpture resources. This group plans to serve as an information
classes, and lectures or workshops. clearing house and help with curricula, lectures, or stu-
Lectures and special classes help address what I see dent placement—it can help match students with
as a lack of related competencies needed to fully under- internships and serve as teachers’ primary contact with-
stand CGI and its role in the film industry. These include in industry. ADEPT will also work on educational issues
basic computer graphics concepts, from modeling meth- within governmental agencies, working with the
ods to rendering techniques; few people come in with Siggraph Education Committee through its new
the whole CGI picture. Other competencies include Entertainment Liaison representative (me).
knowledge of film, lighting, and color concepts, and of For educational programs to improve, the digital film
36 January/February 1998.
companies must become more involved with and sup- of learning is the greatest gift a teacher can provide.
portive of them. In addition to providing more intern- We also need to make sure students understand the
ships for students, they could also provide several faculty cyclic nature of the film industry and businesses in gen-
sabbaticals per year. Few teachers have had working eral. We need to instill in students that a craft will take
experience in a production company, and a sabbatical a long time to master—that learning software alone, or
at a studio could make them more informed and better just what they need for today, is never enough. We need
educators. to encourage breadth, love of learning, and problem-
Industry could also sponsor more collaborative solving and critical thinking skills—all the things that a
research and dialog with graduate schools. There are liberal arts education should do. And finally, we need to
really two types of “entertainment” talent essential for encourage students to permit themselves the time to
today’s industry, and only one ends up directly in travel down those unfamiliar paths that just may lead
Hollywood. The other does the applied research at aca- to that next significant breakthrough—personal, tech-
demic labs around the world, thus creating the indus- nical, or artistic. ■
try’s new tools. Increased dialog will mutually benefit
both groups.
Interdisciplinary: More than a word References
The digital film industry needs more fusion artists— 1. R. Rivlin, The Algorithmic Image: Graphic Visions of the Com-
those who combine artistic and technical skills in equal puter Age, Microsoft Press, Redmond, Wash., 1986, p. 78.
amounts. The 1980s to the 1990s saw a shift from hiring 2. Future Visions: New Technologies of the Screen, P. Hayward
programmers to hiring artists in an attempt to bring and T. Wollen, eds., British Film Institute, London, 1993,
more artistry to digital effects. But this did not solve all p. 37.
the problems. Even with constant software advances, 3. “The Reality of Computer Graphics in the Motion Picture
artists find they are called upon to create scripts or write Industry,” Siggraph 88 Panels Proc., ACM Press, New York,
expressions, use unfriendly in-house software tools, or 1988, p. 6.
rely on a technical director to do things for them. 4. James Cameron, “Technology and Magic,” Cinefex, No. 51,
Programmers, on the other hand, find they need to real- pp. 5-7.
ly understand the art behind what they are coding. 5. Computer Graphics: Special Issue on Careers in Computer
But today’s educational systems will never produce Graphics, Vol. 23, No. 1, Feb. 1989.
enough fusion artists unless interdisciplinary becomes 6. B. Armour, “A Different Kind of Artist,” Computer Graphics,
more than a word. The separated disciplines cannot Vol. 31, No. 1, Feb. 1997, pp. 23-25.
viably train students for real-world expectations. Fewer 7. G.P. Garvey, “Retrofitting Fine Art and Design Education
than a dozen truly interdisciplinary programs current- in the Age of Computer Technology,” Computer Graphics
ly train for the entertainment market. Most mentioned (Proc. Siggraph 97), Vol. 31, No. 3, Aug. 1997, pp. 29-32.
earlier still produce good graduates, and some interest-
ing new ones, such as the BS program at Concordia
University in Montreal, requires equal credits in com-
puter science and art classes.7
The introduction of the interrelationships among dis- Jacquelyn Ford Morie is man-
ciplines needs to start in the early grades and continue ager of training and development at
through high school and on into higher education. Many Blue Sky|VIFX. She developed com-
groups, including Siggraph, have been attacking this prehensive technology training pro-
problem for some years now with limited success. A key grams at Walt Disney Feature
factor in bringing about this change may be to stop Animation and served as advisor to
“preaching to the choir” (the students and teachers) and Disney’s recruitment schools and ini-
start working on the administrators, principals, college tial reviewer for all job applicant reels. She created a com-
presidents, and governments, where the decisions and puter animation program at the University of Central
funding come from. Fundamental shifts such as this Florida in Orlando and helped start the computer anima-
could achieve success more quickly with this top-level tion program at the Ringling School of Art and Design in
support. The digital film industry’s economic impor- Sarasota, Florida. She has worked with the Siggraph Edu-
tance can be the motivating rationale for these decision- cation Committee since 1988 and is a founding member
makers to become involved. of the Alliance of Digital Effects Production Trainers
But part of this change also involves how we teach. (ADEPT). She holds an MS in computer science and an
Teachers must be mentors. They need to recognize that MFA from the University of Florida.
they cannot do it all or know it all—the rapid advances
in technology preclude this. A new kind of partnering
between students and teachers will provide a better Contact Morie at Blue Sky|VIFX, 5333 McConnell Ave.,
model for future training, not only in entertainment but Los Angeles, CA 90066, e-mail jacki@bluesky-vifx.com.
in many industries. Teachers should also teach students
basic, unchanging concepts. And because students will
be doing it all their lives, teachers must help students
learn how to continually learn, and enjoy doing it. A love
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