Maya Academy of Advanced Cinematics, a leading animation training institute in India and part of the internationally acclaimed Maya Entertainment Ltd., hosted a seminar on “Career Opportunities in the Animation Industry” at the Music Academy in Chennai recently, reports CHENNAI ONLINE.

Maya 7 Personal Learning Edition (PLE) and MotionBuilder 7 Personal Learning Edition are now available for download at www.alias.com/mayaple and www.alias.com/motionbuilderple, respectively. Maya 7 PLE and MotionBuilder 7 PLE are special versions of Maya Complete and Alias MotionBuilder Standard that provide free access to the software for non-commercial use.

Design Studios, a training, production, and research-based animation studio, is in negotiations with the state government in Hyderabad to open a National School of Animation (NSA), according to CYBER INDIA ONLINE. If approved, the academy would be one of the largest animation houses in Asia. Besides the government, Design Studios is in talks with big companies to help fund the academy.

Pixologic has announced the release of the learning edition of ZBrush 2 and the ZBrush Learning Kit. Experience ZBrush 2’s innovative modeling and texturing tools. With its realtime sculpting and texturing of multi-million poly models, ZBrush will carry your digital art to that next level of realism and artistry.

Maya Academy of Advanced Cinematics today (Sept. 14, 2005) that it will be conducting a seminar on careers in the animation industry on Sept. 17, at the Music Academy in Chennai, India, it was reported in India Infoline News.

Jesh Krishna Murthy, who is a renowned Hollywood animator, conduct the seminar. The Computer Graphic department of Maya Entertainment will also be showcasing MAAC involvement in visual and special effects, used in Ketan Mehta’s latest film, ‘The Rising.

REBELLION OF THE CANES is an animated short documentary, which was recently produced by 25 Minya children in Egypt with the financial add of UNICEF, reports EGYPTTODAY. The children spent five days making a series of short animation films on topics relating to children’s rights. The resulting film screened at the Lebanon International Film Festival.

Digital-Tutors released INTRODUCTION TO PAINT EFFECTS training kit, the newest release in a growing library of popular training resources for emerging digital artists. INTRODUCTION TO PAINT EFFECTS provides more than four hours of project-driven training and guides users step-by-step through Maya’s powerful brushed-based technology, Paint Effects.

Animazoo supported students at Dubai Men’s College through an intense seven-day production with Gypsy motion capture systems.

Using Gypsy as their core technology, the students managed the MoCap pipeline for a popular animated mascot nicknamed Mobda conceived to improve relations between children and the Dubai police force.

Avid Technology Inc. announced its support for the Atlanta chapter of the Urban Video Game Academy (UVGA), a program created to enable high school students to enhance their math, science and art skills by learning the principles of game development and design. Students enrolled in the program will use SOFTIMAGE|XSI v.5.0 to create 3D art for videogames, and Avid Xpress Pro Academic for editing cut scenes and game trailers. An open house is being held today to launch the Atlanta chapter at the American Intercontinental University in Atlanta, Georgia.

Registration for the Fall term 2005 at the Gnomon School of Visual Effects (Oct. 3 - Dec. 11) began Aug. 22. In addition, Side Effects Houdini joins the curriculum as the latest tools package.

New Courses:

* Artists interested in adding high-end effects capabilities may be interested in Introduction to Houdini Visual Effects in which instructor Garman Herigstad, production consultant at Side Effects Software, will introduce Houdini’s procedural approach to 3D.

Digital-Tutors announced the availability of PARTICLES AND FORCES IN XSI training kit, a comprehensive training resource for SOFTIMAGE|XSI and the latest release in a growing library of popular training resources for emerging digital artists. A free trial of SOFTIMAGE|XSI v.4.2 Foundation is included with training kits.

PARTICLES AND FORCES IN XSI provides more than 3.5 hours of project-driven training and guides users through the intuitive particle system within XSI v.4.2.

Ex’pression College for Digital Arts announced that several students in its Digital Visual Media program helped create a three-minute trailer showing highlights of a proposed interactive visual game for NASA targeted for use in schools at K-12 level, titled the Miranda Project.

Escape Studios, Skillset and six major U.K. post houses are still looking for entries to the Visual Effects Production Grade. Starting in October 2005, the VFX PG combines five months full time training and a two-month work placement in the post-production industry. Throughout this time not only will the training be free, but students will also be paid.

To be eligible you must be an experienced Maya user and an EU National.

Digital-Tutors announced the availability of INTRODUCTION TO XSI training kit, a comprehensive training resource for SOFTIMAGE|XSI. A free trial of SOFTIMAGE|XSI v.4.2 Foundation is included with "Introduction to XSI" training kits, allowing users immediate access to explore the software and expand their skills.

Children's digital media and publishing company FableVision Inc. extends its educational products offerings with the acquisition of the award-winning GET A CLUE software program from the Core Learning Group Llc as well as the release of its new ESSAY EXPRESS software product.

Renowned digital modeler Zack Petroc (SKY CAPTAIN AND THE WORLD OF TOMORROW) will teach a five-week course in Digital Sculpting of the Human Form at Gnomon Workshop. This course will run on Mondays from 7:00 to 10:00 pm, beginning Aug. 8 and running through Sept. 5. Those interested can register online, in person, via fax or postal service. For more information call 323/466-6663.

The Gnomon Workshop, in conjunction with Design Studio Press, has introduced three new instructional DVDs from artist Bob Kato, who shows the artist how to draw and paint the adult male head.

CG training facility Escape Studios offered new details about the new “VFX|Production Grade” initiative previously announced last spring. Launching in October 2005, this new course, which is funded by the Skillset Film Skills Fund, offers the most intensive and focused production training available for the aspiring CG artist. The free program consists of five months of full-time training at Escape Studios working on production projects followed by a two-month work placement at a top U.K. post-house.

Pixel Corps, the global learning guild for aspiring and professional digital craftsman, has launched a new open enrollment policy. For a nominal monthly fee, Pixel Corps now offers its members unrestricted access to advanced digital media software (valued at more than $20,000), a comprehensive global learning community and extensive online training on a variety of products ranging from Adobe Photoshop and Apple Shake to Luxology modo and SOFTIMAGE|XSI.

The Gnomon Workshop, in conjunction with Design Studio Press, has introduced three new titles from matte painting artist Dylan Cole.

Dylan Cole brings to The Gnomon Workshop years of experience working as a matte painter and concept artist for film, television and video games. He has worked on such films as RETURN OF THE KING, THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK, I, ROBOT, VAN HELSING, SKY CAPTAIN AND THE WORLD OF TOMORROW, and THE AVIATOR.