Wednesday 25 September 2013

Tiny Island Productions is hiring!

Tiny Island Productions is hiring character animators for its current Korean / Singapore co production. G Fighter.

We will be looking for good acting and body mechanics in your showreel. If you are interested, please send your showreel and resume to hr@tinyisland.net

Singaporeans and PR only.

Dream Defenders (by Tiny Island Productions) Exclusive Screening at NLB Singapore



For our Singapore friends, are you ready for some action this weekend? Tiny Island Productions and NLB are organising exclusive screenings and talks starting from this coming Saturday. Take note of the dates and location below! There are limited seats. It is based on first come first serve with no registration. Do come early if you want to secure seats. 

28th September 2013
Bedok East Public Library
3:30pm - 4:30pm

29th September 2013
Woodlands Regional Library
11:30am - 12:30pm

5th October 2013
Toa Payoh Public Library
12:45pm to 1:45pm

6th October 2013
Jurong Regional Library
2:00pm - 3:00pm 

17th November 2013
Toa Payoh Public Library
11:30am - 12.30pm

23rd November 2013
Yishun Public Library
2:00pm - 3:00pm

24th November 2013
Serangoon Public Library
2:00pm - 3:00pm

30th November 2013
Choa Chu Kang Public Library
2:00pm - 3:00pm

Sunday 22 September 2013

Note from CG Protege CG Industry Seminar's Attandee

We are pleased to know that people had a great time and learnt something from CG Protege CG Industry Seminar Talk. One of the attendee wrote a note to share on facebook page. Here is a note from Long Junhong, one of the attandee. Thanks for sharing, Long Junhong :)



" Hey guys. I had the pleasure of attending CGProtoge's CG industry seminar on saturday, and I would like to share some notes I had taken during the talk and when I had the opportunity to chat with the speakers. Of course, take some of these info with a grain of salt and don't just follow it blindly, think about how these points may apply to you and then take them into consideration.

It's quite a long list and some things may seem like common sense, so sorry about that! Hope that it may at least be of some help to you guys. Oh and big, big kudos to the CGProtoge staff who made the event possible. A 6 hours seminar is no joke lol.

From the talk
- It's important to work well in a team.
- Communicate your ideas effectively, don't let other people guess what you are doing.
- Be able to explain your decisions with confidence.
- A passionate person will find his way to solve problems, even when by himself.
- Visit product launches, workshops and talks to meet people from the community.
- It's good to start a learning blog. Make yourself easy to find online.
- Leave your ego at the door.
- Challenge yourself, then you will make mistakes, learn from them.
- Don't be defensive or make excuses when people critique you.
- Do not limit your job search. Promote yourself. Make use of all your skills and see how they can be used together.
- Search for collaborations with other artists and designers, even across the globe.
- Don't mix professional blogs with personal blogs.
- Don't post unprofessional stuff on your Facebook or other personal social media.
- Make full use of LinkedIn. Join professional groups.
- Make people curious about you in a positive way. Be visible online and in-person.

On Portfolios for aspiring Concept Artists/Designers
- It's good to design your portfolio pieces in "sets". A good way is to think of common theme or a "story" to tie them in together. It will be more interesting that way.
- If you're looking at the video game industry, a good idea is to design "upgraded versions" of a specific character, building or prop.
- It's good to show colour scripts.
- Make sure that when designing "cute" things that they are really appealing enough to the general audience. Ask other people for opinions before settling on a design.
- Good to show background, matte painting ability. Not neccessarily photorealistic, as long as it can fit in whatever style you are working with.
- Cloudscapes are especially important in animation projects.
- Show ability to do design turnarounds.
- Show ability to think like a product designer, for example how an object moves or articulates its joints, etc.
- Storyboarding ability is very useful. Show understanding in camera shot design.
- Keep good consistency in your style and proportions in your designs. Don't put good work beside bad work in your portfolio. (it may be hard to see it yourself, seek other people's opinions)
- Think of how your designs can be marketed or used as merchandise in the future.
- Don't end up as a clone (in terms of style, design choices, etc.)
- Composition is important. Not only in illustrations but also in layouts and design sheets, especially when it's in your portfolio. Always have a strong focal point.
- For final renders/illustrations, put the details in specific areas, not everywhere.
- Other people may not find your favourite portfolio piece to be the best piece. It's good to be objective.
- Remove any portfolio piece that cannot match up with the rest of your portfolio.
- Think of something new and interesting, not somethat so generic that everyone has already seen in a hundred times.

Last important point!
- Is your portfolio really exciting to the art director? Or will he just look at it like it's one of the other 1000 portfolios he may have seen before and then move on? Always strive to create a portfolio that is absolutely mind-blowing and don't settle for a "not bad, looks nice". " - Long Junhong, one of the CG Protege CG Industry Seminar Attendee

Here is the link to the facebook page

A word from our CEO and what our graduates say about CG Protege

Recently I came across a discussion in one of the forum about ITE students getting worried about their future as they are concerned that they cannot get into the polytechnic.

I would say concentrate in your skill development. That is mostimportant and it is something no one can take away from you. If you are only chasing after a paper, eventually you will realise it is useless. I have seen people from ITE to Poly then to University chasing the paper blindly. Only ended up being jobless again.

In our industry, the candidate is paid based on skill not qualification. You can work for a few years. Gain enough experience. Then return back to your studies if you want.

Students who has taken this path actually do better in their studies and career. In Western Countries, this is common. Especially in Europe. Once you are in the industry, you know what is expected of you. And then when you go back to school, you will absorb better. Your industry experience will help you understand how to apply what you have learnt. And this is very valuable.

Learn with an objective in mind. But not blindly chasing after the paper. On top of that, due to your previous experience before going back to studies, you will not be seen as a fresh grad as compared to your peers when you graduate.





We have worked with many ITE students. After one year of focusing on improving their portfolio. They will work in the industry and be paid like any other polytechnic students. As the pay is based on their skill. Not their qualification.

Learning is a life long process. That is the mindset we need to change. It doesn't end when you leave school.

Focus on skill. And make sure your skill is relevant and always staying ahead. Always developed your niche. So that no one can easily replace you. Think global. Not local.


-David Kwok, CEO of CG Protege Animation School and Tiny Island Productions


CG Industry Seminar!

Thank you everyone for coming to support the event last Saturday! Hope the event has been useful to many. And please do bring along your friends to come and join us next time! :) 



Adeeb has been working in the video gamees industry for over 7 years. He is currently working at Ubisoft Singapore.

Jose Cua is an art director currently working at Tiny Island Productions in Singapore

Davis Vu is an American Animation Director, Story Artist, Animator and Designer.

Willy Wong is an animator with diverse experince in full-length animation feature, TV series and games animation both in Singapore and overseas.

Patrick Woo was a Effects TD at Double Negative Singapore.



Wednesday 18 September 2013

ITE VFX Alumni Nite

 Our CEO sharing his experience in the industry and giving insights of global opportunity.

Thanks to Kelvin Ho for organising such a great event where the companies and past / present VFX students / graduates gathered to share their experience. Connecting to the industry is very very important which is something lacking in most schools. Thanks to ITE for such an opportunity.

Tuesday 17 September 2013

CG Protege presents CG Industry Seminar and YOU ARE INVITED!


This coming Sat, we are working with e2i to run a CG Industry Seminar. We are lining up a series of exciting talks on Animation, Pre production, Visual Effects, IP creation, Industry outlook, Portfolio etc.
The objective is to help those who are still studying / about to graduate / those who wants to enter the industry to understand how they should prepare themselves for the industry. It is free entrance. 

Free Entrance:
Venue: e2i Blk G (141 Redhill Road - Redhill MRT) 
Map:
http://www.cgprotege.com/about-cg-protege/contact-us

Date: 21st Sept Sat
Time: 11am to 5pm
 
Interested, please send the following to admin@cgprotege.com to register now

Name, profession, email and contact number
Subject Heading: CG Industry Talk
Speaker 1: Davis Vu - Pre Production and IP Creation

Davis Vu is an American Animation Director, Story Artist, Animator, and Designer. After graduation from CalArts in 2010, Davis has worked on films and games at Warner Bros. Feature Animation (Storyboard), Imagi Animation Studios (Storyboard), Wayforward Technologies (Animator and Character Designer), and Little Lives (Creative Director). Projects that he has worked on include: "Gatchaman" (2010), "Yogi Bear" (2010), "Spongebob Squigglepants" (2010), "Blood Rayne" (2011), "Twinkle Trails" Webseries (2011), "Dream Defenders" (2012), "Squeak: the Book" (2013), and various other pilot projects in Los Angeles and Singapore. He's currently an Animation Director at Tiny Island Productions, Storyboard Lecturer at CG Protege, an illustrator for books by UBU Publications, and Part-Time Lecturer at ADM at Nanyang Technological University teaching Storyboarding, Applied Drawing, Foundation Drawing, and Drawn Animation II. His short films, "Spayeti and Meatball" and "Paper Lantern" have played at the International Festival of Cinema and Technology (Los Angeles) and CalArts Producer's Show (Hollywood) respectively.

Davis Vu's work
http://davisnvu.blogspot.sg/

Speaker 2: Patrick Woo - A journey into the VFX industry

Patrick was a Effects TD at Double Negative Singapore. He has been working with Double Negative from November 2007 to may 2012. Many occasion, Patrick was given a chance to work at the London head office. His production experience includes Costume TD work, Simulation of costume / accessories / props. Maya and Houdini, Environment work and Matchmoving work. The movies he has worked on include Hellboy2, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, The Sorcerer's Apprentice, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, Paul, Sherlock Holmes and many more. Before he joined Double Negative. He is one of the top students from our school. He graduated from Ngee Ann Polytechnic with a Diploma in Film, Sound and Video.

Patrick Woo's work
http://vimeo.com/patrickwoo76/videos/page:1/sort:date

Speaker 3: Jose Cua - Zbrush for Designers

Jose is an art director currently working at Tiny Island Productions in Singapore. He has worked in Animation, Games, Illustration and Toys. Having started of as a generalist in a post production house Jose continues to use 3d as a means to express his ideas and designs . Be it in animated breakdowns of transforming props and gadgets, to fully detailed zbrush maquettes of characters that he has designed. During his off hours he holds lifedrawing classes and works on his own sculptures and designs.

This is a compilation of doodles, WIP and lunch crunch images by concept art lecturer, Jose Cua.

Jose Cua's Work
http://josecua.carbonmade.com/

Speaker 4: Willy Wong - The differences of an animator's role in a game and animation industry.

Willy Wong is an animator with diverse experience in full-length animation feature, TV series and games animation both in Singapore and overseas. He recieved his Diploma in Information Technology from Temasek Poly but his burning passion for the craft took him to Australia to pursue a Degree in Animation from Queensland University of Technology.

Willy started his career in Singapore, working in TV series and games before landing a EDB STRAT program with Polygon Pictures Inc. After two fruitful years in Japan, he return back to Singapore to join Ubisoft and later a mobile phone game startup.
His rich experience in various fields of animation granted him deep understanding on different industry production pipeline and versatility in adapting new methodologies.

His film credits includes My Friends Tigger and Pooh, Haruka and the Magic Mirror, Force Unleashed II Cinematics, Assassin Creed: Revelations and Monster Blade (an iOS action game)

Willy Wong's Work
https://vimeo.com/40236106
Speaker 5: Adeeb - My Dream of being an animator. How it all begins?

Adeeb has been working in the video games industry for over 7 years. He is currently working at Ubisoft Singapore where he just finished working on Assassin's Creed IV: Black Flag, where he was responsible for creating most of the character behavior animations for the underwater gameplay segments.

Previously he also worked for Tecmo Koei where he worked on an MMO and various titles. Specializing in behaviour animation for games, Adeeb will be talking about his experience on how he broke into the industry and what it takes to be an animator for video games.

Wednesday 11 September 2013

Little thoughts

Recently I came across a discussion in one of the forum about ITE students getting worried about their future as they are concerned that polytechnic does not have enough places for all of them.

I would say concentrate in your skill development. That is most important and it is something no one can take away from you. If you are only chasing after a paper, eventually you will realise it is useless. I have seen people from ITE to Poly then to University chasing the paper blindly. Only ended up being jobless again.

In our industry, the candidate is paid based on skill not qualification. You can work for a few years. Gain enough experience. Then return back to your studies if you want.

Students who has taken this path actually do better in their studies and career. In Western Countries, this is common. Especially in Europe. Once you are in the industry, you know what is expected of you. And then when you go back to school, you will absorb better. Your industry experience will help you understand how to apply what you have learnt. And this is very valuable.

Learn with an objective in mind. But not blindly chasing after the paper. On top of that, due to your previous experience before going back to studies, you will not be seen as a fresh grad as compared to your peers when you graduate.

We are working with many ITE students. After one year of focusing on improving their portfolio. They will work in the industry and be paid like any other polytechnic students. As the pay is based on their skill. Not their qualification.

Learning is a life long process. That is the mindset we need to change. It doesn't end when you leave school.

Focus on skill. And make sure your skill is relevant and always staying ahead. Always developed your niche. So that no one can easily replace you. Think global. Not local.


- David Kwok, CEO CG Protege Animation School -

Tuesday 3 September 2013

Demo Reel 2013

Check out 2013 batch Demo Reel

Student Portfolio Review

Another fun moment in CG Protege is the Portfolio Review time. Students gathered around giving presentation about their works and receiving feedback fresh from our CEO. We are doing this so that everyone get to learn new mistakes or new idea from one and another.

 Our CEO, David Kwok giving feedback for 3D Modeling & Texturing Class


 Students from different Specializations are all gathered in one room to learn something new from their fellow classmates. Fun exercise, don't you agree?

 One of the modeling student present his work


Monday 2 September 2013

STGCC was fun!

So last weekend was fun. We had a great time at STGCC. It was like another version of Disneyland. Favorite Cosplay characters everywhere, kids and adults left with joy in their heart. We were glad to be part of the WDA booth to promote the course there. It was just a fun experience.




Tiny Island Productions Animation Director Davis Vu and also CG Protege Storyboard Lecturer giving live demo!

 
One of our CG Protege Concept Art Student Min Lauren just graduated. Giving live demo. People loves her and mistaken her for cosplayer :p


Steven, CG Protege Alumni and also Tiny Island Production Animator as one of the Cosplay

 Our CEO David Kwok with the soldiers

Thank You