Digital-Tutors announced the Season's Savings Sale and companion gifts at Digital-Tutors. In celebration of the holiday season, Digital-Tutors is offering 20% off all training titles and free USB Flash Drives on select products purchased now and through Dec. 29, 2004. To receive the discount, enter dtseason as the discount code for all purchases.

To meet the growing requirements of the animation industry, Arena Multimedia, a division of Aptech, has introduced a diploma in Animation Engineering. The course is designed to teach students animation techniques, keeping in mind the requirements and standards of the industry.

Just in time for the holidays, The Gnomon Workshop has produced 14 more instructive DVDs for release on Dec. 15. These new Digital Library titles, from artists Kevin Hudson, Matt Hartle, Ethan Summers and Sean Mills, give you a multi-layered look at modeling, Paint Effects and mental ray.

In addition, The Gnomon Workshop introduces the industry's first ZBrush titles. Artists Meats Meier and Zack Petroc take you from the fundamentals of this powerful application, through pipeline, sculpting and workflow Maya.

Softimage Co. and the National Animation and Design Centre (NAD Centre) launched NAD Centre Internet Academy (NADIA), the first realtime, interactive learning program for SOFTIMAGE|XSI digital content creation software. NADIA allows 3D artists to access professional instruction for SOFTIMAGE|XSI software directly from a desktop PC connected to the Internet. Participants can choose from a series of 18 modular courses supplemented by an extensive library of material and scenes.

Alias has launched a complete software solution for the education market, with the release of eight new Learning Bundles designed to meet the needs and budgets of teachers and students alike. The competitively priced bundles take 3D learning and content creation to the next level, combining award-winning software with advanced self-paced learning tools resources.

The Art Institute of California - San Francisco announced it has remodeled its curriculum for interactive design in response to technology advancements and changing opportunities in the multimedia field. The school is now enrolling for its upcoming classes in the program starting January 10, 2005.

The new curriculum in "Interactive Media Design" will arm students with skills needed to enter the interactive graphics, digital marketing and Web development industries. The program is offered at both the Associate of Science and Bachelor of Science levels.

Young creators from Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania successfully completed a series of animation productions; a first in the East Africa Region, under the patronage of the UNESCO led initiative Africa Animated! The trainees followed an introduction to animation, drawing techniques, scriptwriting for animation and storyboarding.

The training started in Zanzibar International Film Festival's (ZIFF) in June 2004, followed by a four-week workshop in Nairobi at the Kenya College of Communication Technology (KCCT), where the films were produced.

NaturalMotion Ltd., a British developer of motion synthesis technology, announced that the National Centre for Computer Animation at Bournemouth University, U.K., will be using multiple licenses of endorphin across its animation and visual effects courses. endorphin, which uses AI and biomechanics techniques for realtime character motions, was chosen due to the advances it makes in computer animation and the possibilities it will offer students upon graduation.

The Disney Elementary Magnet School dedicated its new state-of-the-art computer facility on Nov. 9, 2004, reports NBC5. All of the school's 1,600 students will have the chance to make animation on the computer. Walt Disney's daughter, Diane Disney Miller, was a major sponsor of the lab, in addition to IBM.

"You know, my dad always said, 'Education should not be boring; it should be entertaining!' And that was kind of the key word to everything he did," she said.

Digital-Tutors announced the worldwide availability of INTRODUCTION TO 3D: ZBRUSH BASICS training kit -- the latest release in a series of industry leading training resources for digital artists.

Discreet has launched Discreet Design Academy (DDA), a secondary school program designed by educators and Discreet to bring new visual communications-based learning experiences and skills into the classroom.

Luxology Llc. announced the educational version of modo, its powerful new subdivision surface and polygonal modeling platform. With "Good Student" pricing starting at $99, and $149 for academic institutions, faculty members and other students, Luxology's new pricing structure makes it easy and cost effective to experience one of the fastest and most advanced 3D modeling systems currently available.

The National College of Arts (NCA) has launched six-month courses in animation and video production in collaboration with French art institution Ecole-d’ Art. TV producer Shaukat Zainul Abidin, writer Asghar Nadeem Syed, former Ptv Lahore general manager SM Anwar and UN goodwill ambassador Faryal Gauhar will serve as the faculty members. The college will also get assistance from the Ministry of Information and Technology and Telecom Division to run the courses.

The Savannah College of Art and Design revealed the addition of eight new faculty members, including a new chair of the visual effects department, to the School of Film and Digital Media.

* Shawn Bulloch joins the School of Film and Digital Media as a part-time professor of film and television. Bulloch received a master of fine arts degree in film and television from SCAD and a bachelor of science degree in mathematics from Savannah State University.

AnimationStar, a new and affordable PC-based animation workstation that will let students capture human motions and animate computer characters, will make its debut to high school educators at the National School Board's T+ L2 Conference in Denver, Oct. 27-29.

The Art Institute of Vancouver and The Art Institute of California - San Francisco have formed an international partnership and articulation agreement allowing students to complete certificate or diploma programs in Vancouver and continue their studies by earning Bachelor of Science degrees in San Francisco.

Noel Goin, a Media Arts & Animation instructor at The Art institute of California – Orange County, is one of two Americans invited to teach animation workshops to local Caribbean artists, as a part of Animae Caribe 2004, Sept. 29-Oct. 2, 2004, in Trinidad.

Digital-Tutors announced the availability of the much anticipated INTRODUCTION TO 3D: MEL BASICS training kit – the newest release in a library of helpful and award-winning training resources for Maya users. In more than two and a half hours of interactive training methods, INTRODUCTION TO 3D: MEL BASICS offers users the foundation to rapidly develop and enhance workflow with unsurpassed levels of productivity.

The Art Institute of Portland is offering a new Bachelor of Science degree program in Visual & Game Programming to help give students the skills they need to stand out in these growing fields.

Scheduled to launch on Oct. 7, 2004, at the start of fall quarter, the Visual & Game Programming curriculum begins with courses in foundation art and general studies, building in a strong foundation in mathematics and science as well as design courses. After a few quarters, students may focus on one of two tracks: technical directing or toward programming.

Gnomon School of Visual Effects and Pixologic will be hosting the first official Pixologic ZBrush User Group meeting, Sept. 30, 2004, at 6:00 pm at Gnomon (1015 N. Cahuenga Bl. Hollywood, CA 90038).

* Bay Raitt (Creature Facial Lead for Gollum and co-founder of Box Rocket) will discuss the strengths of ZBrush and its use in various production pipelines, i.e. Weta Digital, Valve Software.