Gnomon unveils Gnomon Studios
Gnomon School of Visual Effects, today revealed that it has established Gnomon Studios, where advanced Gnomon students prepare for professional careers by working on short films in a studio environment under the guidance and mentorship of production professionals. Gnomon Studios is currently working on Academy Award-nominated Director Shane Acker‘s new short film, “Plus Minus.“
“While Gnomon students participate in group projects through their lab work, those projects don‘t necessarily reflect the real-world structure and workflow of a visual effects studio,“ said Alex Alvarez, founder and director of Gnomon School of Visual Effects. “Through internships at Gnomon Studios, our students are able to collaborate with renowned directors like Shane Acker on professional projects in a realistic studio environment. These projects give students invaluable experience working in roles directly linked to their career paths, which is already resulting in outstanding job placements for our recent graduates.“
Class of 2010 Gnomon graduate John Patrick worked on Gnomon Studios projects while the facility was being established, and has just been hired by Sony Pictures Imageworks as a Pipeline Technical Director.
Reflecting on his recent job search, Patrick noted, “I think employers are looking for people who are good at finding solutions to problems, which is especially true in technical areas. A demo reel is a great way to get to an interview, but Gnomon Studios gave me the training to prove that I‘ve been in a situation where I‘ve tackled real problems and met hard deadlines. I‘d imagine that it‘s rare to find students at other schools that have had that experience when they graduate.“
Gnomon Studios is located on the Gnomon lot in the heart of Hollywood. To provide an authentic training experience, the structure of Gnomon Studios mirrors professional visual effects shops. Students work in various roles ranging from concept artists, animators, art directors and producers. Following industry production standards, the director of each project takes on the role of the external client. The director, Gnomon founder Alex Alvarez and other Gnomon instructors and staff also serve as mentors who help guide students throughout the production process.
Short films, such as Acker‘s “Plus Minus,“ will be the core production focus of Gnomon Studios. Alvarez also expects Gnomon Studios to contribute to the occasional feature project when opportunities arise, as was the case with the facility‘s recent contributions to the 2011 film “Green Lantern“ and the popular TV series, “Fringe.“
In addition to his Academy Award nomination in 2006 for his short film “9“, Shane Acker also directed the full-length film by the same title released by Focus Features and Universal studios in 2009.
“The students at Gnomon Studios are learning to work at the forefront of digital production, and making a short film is a great way to explore and test what they‘ve studied in the classroom,“ said Acker. “The Gnomon Studios interns are learning that it‘s about bending the software tools to the will of the narrative and finding creative ways to find solutions to tell the story. This practical experience and exposure to the rigors of film production is helping to prepare the interns at Gnomon Studios for the real world, giving them an advantage over other students that are coming out of school without any practical, hands-on experience.”
More information over at Gnomon School of Visual Effects.