Gnomon School of Visual Effects' Maya Fast Track program for summer 2004 begins July 5 and runs through Sept. 10. This intensive, nine-week program is designed primarily for individuals already familiar with 3D and who want to get production-ready on Maya as quickly as possible. Consisting of nine one-week classes, the Maya Fast Track program is based on industry-approved Gnomon courses.

The Fast Track includes three hours of lab time after class, five days a week.

All nine of the classes that make up the Maya Fast Track program can be taken as individual, one-week classes.

Classes are held 9:00 am to 4:00 pm, Monday through Friday, with a one-hour break for lunch. Tuition for the Fast Track is $9,000. Tuition for one-week classes is $1,625.

The initial course, Intro to May (July 5-9), focuses on the basics of 3D computer graphics using Alias' Maya. Students are introduced to the Maya interface and philosophy and 3D modeling, texturing, lighting and rendering. Lectures will cover the application of these tools in the film, television and game industries. The first eight weeks are devoted to instruction and homework, with one-on-one help from the instructor Tao Tong. The remainder of the term is devoted to personal projects begun week five. Students complete the class with a series of stills.

The remaining Maya Fast Track schedule includes:

* Surface Modeling July 12 - 16
* Polygon Modeling July 19 - 23
* Texture Mapping July 26 - 30
* Animation and Visual Effects Aug. 2 - 6
* Lighting and Rendering Aug. - 20
* Character Kinematics Aug. 23 - 27
* Character Skinning Aug. 30 - Sept. 3
* Particles and Dynamics I Sept. 6 -10

Gnomon (www.gnomon3d.com) specializes in high-end computer graphics training for the entertainment industries. It offers education solutions for individuals seeking a career, working professionals and companies looking to make their staffs more competitive. The training choices include extension courses, a certificate program, the Maya Fast Track, online tutorials and training DVDs.