THE ART INSTITUTE OF CALIFORNIA - SAN FRANCISCO ANNOUNCES NEW SCHOLARSHIPS FOR GAME INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS
Scholarships Now Available for Those Looking to Complete Degrees or Expand Skills through School's Game Art & Design and Visual & Game Programming Programs
SAN FRANCISCO (May 6, 2004) - The Art Institute of California - San Francisco today announced a new scholarship program designed for video game industry professionals interested in furthering their education. The school is now offering special scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 to individuals currently working in the game industry, or who have recently worked in the industry and are looking to expand their skills or finish their degrees. Scholarships must be applied for tuition in the school's Game Art & Design (Bachelor of Science) or Visual & Game Programming (Bachelor of Science) degree programs.
Applicants must complete a scholarship entry form, write a short essay, and submit two letters of recommendation and a resume showing any educational background and game industry experience. There is no deadline to apply and entries will be reviewed on a quarterly basis. For the complete guidelines and an entry form, please email aisfadm@aii.edu or call 888-493-3261. More information about the school is available at http://www.aicasf.aii.edu.
"These new scholarships will give more opportunities for individuals to expand their skill set, start or finish up degrees, or explore a different aspect of game development," said Bill Tsatsoulis, president of The Art Institute of California - San Francisco. "We regularly receive interest from local game industry professionals about our game-related programs, so we're excited to roll out these new scholarships."
The Game Art & Design and Visual & Game Programming programs teach skills needed for entry-level positions within game development. The school developed its programs in consultation with experts from game companies in California's vibrant game industry.
Students in the Game Art & Design program start out by studying color theory, drawing, sculpture and other art fundamentals, then take courses in 3-D modeling, animation, texture mapping, 3-D character rigging, storytelling, motion and lighting, game prototyping and other aspects of character design and game level design. The Visual & Game programming degree combines traditional animation skills with technical skills. After training in the foundations of art and design, students enter into the more technical areas of programming for 3-D animation, enabling them to enter the world of shading development, motion capture management and pipeline streamlining. Students learn the essential skills to effectively solve technical problems and bridge between the technical programmer and the creative artist.
The school's location in San Francisco, a hotbed of the game industry, is a natural fit for students studying in the field. The program curricula was developed with input from industry veterans, including professionals with experience at Electronic Arts, Lucas Arts, Sega of America, Sony, Maxis, Double Fine, Konami of America, Stormfront Studios and the International Game Developers Association (IGDA). The school is an Official Partner of the San Francisco-based IGDA and regularly hosts guest speakers to further connect with the industry.
The school also works with local game industry professionals on its Program Advisory Committee to provide input on curriculum and opportunities in the field. The school's faculty also includes professionals with direct experience in the California game development industry.
The school is currently accepting applications for entry into its programs starting Summer Quarter (July 12, 2004), and Fall Quarter (Oct. 4, 2004). To learn more about the school's game-related programs or see course listings, visit http://www.aicasf.aii.edu/programs.asp.
