Discreet, a division of Autodesk, Inc., is offering one-day workshops for professional animators to check out the animation, modeling, texturing, character animation and rendering techniques of 3ds max and receive a free 30-day trail of the 3D software. Classes are being offered throughout North America for $99. Advance registration is required. To register, get locations and times in your area and other information call (800) 869-3504, e-mail events@discreet.com or go to www.discreet.com/events/shiftgears.

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Ex’pression Center for New Media has named one of its state-of-the-art digital media labs in honor of late animation legend Chuck Jones. The Chuck Jones Lab in Emeryville, California will be used by Ex’pression Digital Visual Media students to create 3D animation and modeling using Maya, After Effects, Flash, Vicon Workstation and Kaydara FiLMBOX software, plus Dell precision workstations with 2.2GHz processors and Trinitron monitors.

Lost Pencil Animation Studios Inc. presents a new training series: the 3D Apprenticeship Training Series for Maya. This video training series includes more than 15 hours of video training on 9 CDs covering modeling, UV mapping, texturing, rigging, weight mapping, lighting and animating a realistic elephant. The training material is aimed at the novice and intermediate 3D user.

The training material is available in four individual sets:
1. Modeling (3 CDs)
2. UV Mapping and Texturing (2 CDs)
3. Rigging and Weight Mapping (2 CDs)

Anzovin Studio, a leading publisher of training materials for Hash's Animation:Master 3D animation software, has released a new instructional CD-ROM, SECRETS OF ANIMATION:MASTER 2003. Anzovin's Raf Anzovin and Bill Young take viewers step by step through some of the newest and least understood features of A:M 2003 (version 10/10.5). It features more than two hours of pristine, 800 x 600 QuickTime video and all associated project files, models and rotoscopes.

It's finally here! Another AWN exclusive -- AWN's 2003 Global Animation School Directory is your complete, indispensable reference guide to over 550 animation-related schools and educational programs, from 40 countries. This year, we've added more schools, more countries and more program types. A must have resource for anyone considering a future in animation! Over 50,000 people downloaded our previous edition.

In what may be a first of its kind, this April VanArts (Vancouver Institute of Media Arts) will launch a series of online lessons and lectures featuring the late Academy-Award winning animator Lee Mishkin. This rare and recently edited collection, THE LEE MISHKIN LECTURE SERIES, features talks and instruction by the founding director of VanArts’ Classical Animation Program. The lectures cover a wide range of fundamental animation principles for 2D or 3D professionals.

Pixar animator Andrew Gordon and award-winning commercial director Mike Wellins will teach a one-day Animation Masters Seminar at Oregon3D Inc., The Center for Visualization Technologies, from 9 am to 5 pm on March 22, 2003 in Portland, Oregon. The one-day class will offer animation fundamentals, directing, performance staging, blocking and storytelling, editing for emotion, classic character animation and a look at animation as a career today. Gordon was lead animator on Mike in MONSTERS, INC. at Pixar where he is finishing up on FINDING NEMO and preparing to work on THE INCREDIBLES.