Beginning September 2002, Vancouver Institute of Media Arts (VanArts) will offer a full-time, 48-week diploma program in Game Art Production. Alan Phillips, president of VanArts, explained that the new program was designed to compliment the school's existing CG program, allowing students to concentrate on CG for film and television or games development.

The Gnomon Workshop has released new titles in their training video series and cut prices on existing video titles. Video titles previously priced at US $69 are now US $59 and many of the Workshop's titles are available for purchase in discounted bundles. In addition, the Workshop is scheduled to release four new titles on April 30, 2002 in response to customer demand. "We've gotten so many requests for tapes on Character Skinning. It was time," said Alex Alvarez, director of the Gnomon Workshop, who also developed and teaches the material on the new videos.

New Riders Publishing has released a new series of books for CG professionals. The "digital" series features DIGITAL CHARACTER ANIMATION 2, VOLUME II: ADVANCED TECHNIQUES by George Maestri, a follow up to Maestri's classic, DIGITAL CHARACTER ANIMATION. The new volume is written directly for CG professionals, with more non-software-specific approaches to character animation. According to its creator, DIGITAL CHARACTER ANIMATION 2, VOLUME II is a book on how to really think like an animator.

Total Training has released WHAT'S NEW IN ADOBE AFTEREFFECTS 5, a new training series covering the new AfterEffects capabilities. Previously, Total Training had produced a complete training study program for the beginning user. In addition, the new series includes tips, techniques, hidden features and tricks. WHAT'S NEW IN ADOBE AFTEREFFECTS 5 stars Brian Maffitt, Total Training chief creative officer, AfterEffects expert and long-time AfterEffects evangelist. "My enthusiasm for AfterEffects is very well known," he said.

Macromedia has released the Macromedia Flash Jump Start Kit, a free two-CD training collection for Macromedia Flash 5. The free kit is available to users who purchase Macromedia Dreamweaver 4, Macromedia Flash 5 or any product studio containing either software. The Macromedia Flash Jump Start Kit contains: the MickeyLive!

Cambridge Animation Systems, the exclusive developer of Animo software, has signed a five-year sponsorship with the Broadcast Educators Association of Canada (BEAC) to award the best student animator and his or her college or university. The total value of the sponsorship is more than CA$100,000. Under the annual program, students will create animation clips up to 60 seconds in length using traditional or digital animation processes. A panel of experts will judge the clips.

Cornerstone Animation has signed a deal with Colorado Springs-based Focus On The Family to create the animated sequences for a 48 volume videotape series entitled, YOUR CHILD. The series will serve as a general guide to child rearing and will feature 3 minutes of animation on each fifteen-minute tape. The animation will be traditional however some manipulation will be done in Flash. "We commend Focus On The Family for utilizing the magic of animation to entertain while informing the target audience," said Cornerstone's CEO Larry D. Whitaker Jr.

Nickelodeon has created its first fellowship program designed to encourage participation from culturally and ethnically diverse new television and film writers. Under the guidance of Nickelodeon production executives, four fellows will get hands-on experience with Nickelodeon and Nick Jr.'s live-action, animated television and feature film divisions for one year. "The fellowship program gives us an opportunity to nurture the talented pool of writers in our industry whose cultural experiences have traditionally remained underrepresented in television and film.

Foundation Imaging is starting a training facility, Foundation Institute. Though pricey, about US$20,000 a year, the Institute could prove to be a worthwhile endeavor, due to Foundation's numerous production roots. Foundation Imaging created animation for Star Trek, Babylon 5, and the Starship Troopers TV shows. For more information on the school visit their Website at www.foundation-i.com.

Rocky Mountain College of Art & Design (RMCAD), located in Denver, Colorado, has added a new animation program to its bachelor degree program. Currently, the college offers five other Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees in Graphic Design and Interactive Media, Illustration, Painting, Sculpture and Interior Design. The school’s goal is to delve into the medium of animation as the only interdisciplinary visual art that merges art, writing, storytelling, drawing, design, sculpture, acting, filmmaking, art direction and film directing.