On February 23, 2003, digital media training center Future Media Concepts (FMC), in cooperation with Apple, will kick off its 15-city "FCP to the Max!" tour to bring professional-level Final Cut Pro training seminars to editors across the U.S. and South America. For US$199, the intensive daylong seminars are taught by FMC's team of Apple Certified Instructors, and address the full capabilities of Final Cut Pro for professional production.

The College for Creative Studies (CCS) is hosting an evening with Dan Philips, 3d-CG veteran and friend of animation, who has worked on such animated features as THE ROAD TO EL DORADO and JONAH – A VEGGIETALES MOVIE. On Monday, January 27, 2003, Philips will present a series of selected still and animated 2D/3D images from his collection of work from 1987 to 2002.

High school seniors and international students interested in an animation education are invited to apply for scholarships for The Art Institute of California -- San Francisco's bachelor degree program in Media Arts & Animation. Scholarship awards are based on the quality of projects submitted by high school seniors who demonstrate ability and commitment in one of the school's programs of study. Students may qualify for part- or full-tuition scholarships.

The NFTS Finishing School, the digital compositing and 3D animation training arm of the U.K.'s National Film and Television School, is running an EU funded 12-week "Masters in Visual Effects" compositing course in Madrid, Spain. Hosted at the Spanish film school ECAM (Escuela de Cinematografia y del Audiovisual de la Comunidad de Madrid), in partnership with Spanish post-production house EnEfecto, the pan-European program was created to help students come up to speed in the booming visual effects business.

The National Film Board’s Animation Studio is reaching out to emerging animators across Canada with its new "Animation Hothouse" program. Six young filmmakers have been selected to participate in the intensive program, directing an animated work ranging from ten seconds to thirty seconds. The selected students will spend 12 weeks with the NFB’s community of filmmakers in Montreal, where they’ll be provided with tools, resources, support and mentoring.

ILM animation director Tom Bertino and senior VP Patty Blau head a roster of presenters at Ex’pression Center for New Media's "Insider Day," January 10, 2003. Ex'pression hosts ten Insider Days a year and each includes workshops and seminars featuring technology movers and shakers, famous producers and engineers, musical and digital artists, and other resources to keep students on the new media front lines. The Insider Day experience provides a valuable networking arsenal for students after graduation.

Anzovin Studio, a leading publisher of training materials for Hash's Animation:Master 3D animation software, has released a new instructional CD-ROM entitled MODEL A FACE WITH BILL YOUNG. Anzovin Studio's lead modeler and technical director, Bill Young, takes students step by step through the detailed process of modeling an anatomically accurate human face. Young's emphasis is on crafting efficient Hash splinage that doesn't just look good in stills but animates well, too.

The Art Institutes International Minnesota (Ai Minnesota), located in downtown Minneapolis, is now offering a bachelor's degree program in Visual Effects & Motion Graphics. To accommodate the new program, Ai Minnesota has expanded its facilities to include a green room, a professional-level sound recording studio, several digital video cameras and lighting kits. The Visual Effects & Motion Graphics program utilizes software applications such as Combustion, Shake, Maya, Final Cut Pro and Adobe After Effects.

The Gnomon Workshop has released three new training DVDs on deformers in Alias|Wavefront's Maya. This series specifically covers clusters, blendshape, sculpt, lattice, wrap, wire and jiggle deformers. Each title has 120 minutes of instruction, lecture notes, scene files, resource spotlights and bonus materials. DVDs are priced at $79 each and may be purchased at www.thegnomonworkshop.com.

Discreet has announced an expanded partnership with The Art Institutes, which has purchased 2,500 copies of Discreet's 3ds max 5 for use in its design and art schools throughout North America. Various Art Institutes across North America have recently launched a new Game Art & Design degree to capitalize on the ever-growing game development market. "Enormous industry acceptance and demand by our employers has led The Art Institutes to implement 3ds max 5 as the natural and optimal choice for our curriculum needs.