Gamasutra just posted an article by Mike Stout, a veteran video game industry designer. He’s worked on a slew of AAA titles, including the PS3 launch title Resistance: Fall of Man and all of the PlayStation 2 Ratchet and Clank titles. He currently works in the Central Design department at Activision Blizzard, providing design expertise and assistance to their first-party development studios.
Here’s what he had to say about what the Legend of Zelda taught him about video game level design.
Cogswell College has amazing faculty who bring a wealth of experience and talent to the classroom but students are also an important source of learning and feedback. The majority of our faculty conducts critiquing sessions throughout the term.
Here’s a peek inside a critiquing session in our Illustration I class.
Under faculty member, Thomas Applegate, the Illustration class teaches students how to apply advanced color theory, rendering (the development of graphic work from concept to finished state), composition and narrative through the design and stylization of the work. Students also explore the goals of the project they are working so they learn to tell the appropriate story.
In our Digital Art and Animation bachelor degree program, Illustration is a core class for Entertainment Design majors and an elective for Animation and 3D Modeling majors.
Current students in our Illustration classes are using their skills to create book covers for an interactive publishing company, comics and the visual design for game and animation projects of other students.
The first half of the class deals with color theory. Students are expected to complete a constant series of color exercises to develop skills in interpreting concepts through the use of color. 
The second half of the class consists of one or two week project pieces that focus on narrative development.
The projects being critiqued in the photo was a two week project. The goal of this exercise was to advance a narrative idea within the project using character and setting while also making a color statement.
Quotes from students and faculty:
Won Ho: “You get to see everyone’s final product, what they thought about their work and why they made the decisions they did as they developed the piece.”
Faculty, Thomas Applegate: “You can’t get away with saying, ‘it was nice.’ Students have to say why it was nice and what they liked and didn’t like about the way the painter interpreted the goal.”
Rosalie Wynne: “I like to see the artwork from other people’s point of view.
Davain Martinez: “You get clear and unbiased feedback. Students don’t hold back when it comes to art and will tell you exactly what they think.”
Aston Majors: “It’s helpful to find out what other people think your strong and weak points are so you can keep improving.”
Eric Tran, one of Cogswell’s Entrepreneurship bachelor degree students, was just notified that he is a semi-finalist in the Student Startup Madness Tournament, an exciting nationwide tournament-style competition for college student digital media startups.
Out of 64 teams, 32 teams have advanced to compete at the regional level. Two teams will emerge from each of the four regional competitions and form the ‘Entrepreneurial Eight’ who will then be invited to pitch their businesses at the national finals in Austin, Texas on March 11, 2013 in conjunction with South by Southwest Interactive.
Tran’s company, Parallel Players LLC, makes games that help people adopt healthy behaviors through meaningful game incentives. The player’s avatar becomes more powerful each time the player chooses healthy activities. The game’s primary audience is diabetics whose self-care is critical in order to reduce their risk of serious health issues like kidney disease or blindness.
This is the same company that Tran pitched at the National Elevator Pitch Competition as a finalist in Chicago in early November. You can see his elevator pitch entry here.
Each round of this nationwide tournament is designed to build momentum, awareness and social media buzz, drawing attention to colleges and universities as sources for innovation, entrepreneurship and talent while showcasing innovative university entrepreneurship programs and encouraging college students to start businesses.
The major sponsors for this year’s competition are Turner Broadcasting’s Media Camp, Foursquare and Rain Media.
Cogswell College is pleased to announce that our new Entrepreneurship Master degree program for creative professionals was just given a shout out by The Entrepreneurship Educator Newsletter in its November/December 2012 issue.
Debby Hindus, Executive Director of Cogswell’s Entrepreneurship programs, has spoken to Dr. Jeff Cornwall, the article’s author at entrepreneur conferences but had no idea he planned to write about our educational approach and unique understanding of the needs of creative entrepreneurs.
Dr. Cornwall says in his opening remarks, “In this issue we feature two innovative graduate programs. One has a focus on social enterprise, while the second is a graduate entrepreneurship program for creative professionals.”
Cogswell College is honored to have been singled out and recognized as an innovator.
The following is an interview with Cogswell College alumnus, Pat Gillette (2006), who earned a BA in Digital Art & Animation and is currently an Animator for 343 Industries (a division of Microsoft)
Q. Company name, your job title, a brief description of your job responsibilities and how long you have worked there.
A. I started at 343 Industries in March, 2011 as a gameplay animator. I’m responsible for creating in-game character animations and vignette’s utilizing key frame and motion capture pipelines. In other words, make stuff look good any way I can.
Q. Can you give an example of what you might do on a ‘typical’ day?
A. During production on Halo 4, I’d start my day between 8 and 9, do the usual email checking and try to remember what I was working on the day before. Then I’d get to start animating any number of characters doing any number of things, although most of those things are violent. I was also the ‘character owner’ for a number of characters and so I’d usually spend some part of the day reviewing other people’s work and giving feedback. The goal was to improve the overall animation but also to maintain a consistent look and feel for the characters across multiple animators. Throw in a lunch/workout break, some bug fixing, problem solving, goofing off, writing tutorials, playtesting, occasional meetings and more animating and you have a ‘typical’ day that ends somewhere between 5 and midnight.
Q. Can you give an example of something that surprised you about your job when you first started?
You mean besides the fact that people pay me to do this job? I think it’s surprising how much you learn day to day on the job – and that’s also one of the most exciting parts!
Q. What projects have you worked on in the past?
A. The list starts pretty sad, but it gets better so hang in there. Drumroll Please!
Leapfrog’s ClickStart Educational Software
Leapfrog’s My First PC
Disney Pixar’s Finding Nemo: Sea of Keys
Create and Learn
Disney Pixar’s Toy Story
Godzilla Unleashed Double Smash (Nintendo DS)
Spiderman Vs. the Masked Menace (TV Plug and Play)
Tomb Raider: Underworld (Nintendo DS)
Red Faction: Beast (Wii, Cancelled)
Tales of Monkey Island: Chapters 1,2,3. (Wii, PC)
Halo: Reach (XBox 360}
Penguins of Madagascar: Dr. Blowhole Returns Again (Wii, PS3, XBox 360 Kinect)
Halo 4 (XBox 360)
Q. What do you find most rewarding about your job?
A. Seeing people get excited about the work you’re doing is pretty great. We often get to display our work on a big screen in front of the whole company and when you get a studio-wide reaction to an animation you’ve worked on it’s a pretty wonderful feeling. Combine that with the millions of people who willingly pay money to play something you helped create is amazing.
Q. What advice would you give students preparing for a career like yours?
A. Work really, really hard. Ask lots of questions and REALLY listen to the answers. Teachers tend to know some stuff that might be good to pick up. Be nice to people. College is equal parts learning and networking, so take advantage of both while you are there.
Q. What qualities does someone need to have to be successful in this field?
A. You need to be intrinsically motivated to keep getting better. It’s not that hard to get too comfortable with your abilities or your job and soon you’ll find yourself at the same quality level you were when you left college, and guess what, other people are working harder than you to get better, and they’ll succeed if you don’t do something about it. Unfortunately, most jobs would like you to get better but they don’t really help you do it, so it’s up to you to do it on your own time.
It also helps to be a people person, or at least be nice. You want people to like you, so that when job opportunities come up, your old co-workers remember you fondly, would want to work with you again and recommend you for positions at their company. I can proudly say I have never started a job where I didn’t know someone there before me who gave me a strong recommendation. This ‘learning and networking’ thing is a recurring theme.
Q. How did Cogswell helped prepare you for this career?
A. Cogswell gave me the opportunity to develop the foundational skills and the connections to start my career in animation.
Many companies want their customers to step into their world – that’s where a good animator comes in. Your skills give people the chance to explore, experience and learn more about a company. Animation is used in many different industries beyond entertainment and getting a great education from Cogswell College can teach you the skills you need.
Are you curious by nature or been known to take things apart just to see if you can put it back together? Then you might have a knack for mechanical animation. Mechanical animation can be found in almost any industry – from the auto industry creating auto simulations to the small appliance industry providing a demo on how a product works. Creating these things digitally gives consumers life-like simulations and lets them truly experience a product.
Are you more interested in visually wandering through a landscape during the planning and designing phase? Then landscape or architectural animation may be a better fit for you. It used to be that landscaping and architecture renderings were all hand drawn, static images before bringing the project to life. But in recent years with the advances in technology, it makes much more sense to have digital, interactive animations of the environment. Architecture, landscaping and interior design are very different from how people expect to use their animation skills but are still very rewarding careers that you might find far more suited to your tastes. The base skill sets aren’t much different; it’s how you apply them that drives the career.
Cogswell’s Digital Arts and Animation degree program can prepare you for a career in animation and will teach you the skills needed to take your career in any number of different directions. The “craft” of animation plays a major role in our education program and will help you succeed no matter what career path you wish to take.
Find out if a degree in animation from Cogswell is right for you!
According to the LA Times, Board Games are making a comeback. At Cogswell College you would never know there had been a decline. Students play games during downtime between classes, argue the merits of one strategy or game over another, are played right alongside video games during game night events and are a mainstay teaching tool.
Every year for more than a decade Cogswell faculty, Steve Librande, has used the principles behind board game design to give students the tools they need to create everything from card games to video games in his Game Design I class. Creating board games not only gives students a strong foundation in the development thought process for any game but also teach valuable life lessons about perseverance, risk-taking and belief in your abilities.
Cogswell students – Zachary Irwin, Andrew Traxler and Aaron Weingarten – have all taken his class and sat down to share their experiences and the lasting impact the class has had on each of them. In fact, they felt the class was so valuable that they all still had their notes from the class and referred to them often.
“I pull out my notes from Steve’s class every time I start a new project,” said Irwin a Game and Entrepreneurship major.
“The class provided a lot of good basic information that I continue to use no matter what type of game I am making,” added Weingarten a Digital Arts Engineering major.
The students first learn about the 8 kinds of fun that games satisfy. Traxler, a Game and Entrepreneurship major, pulled up his class notes on his computer and read them off: Sensation (involves the senses), Fantasy (make-believe), Narrative (creates a story), Challenge (players face obstacles), Fellowship (played for social value), Discovery (exploring the unknown), Expression (opportunity to state your views) and Submission (a mindless pastime).
Each class delved more deeply into one of the concepts. They were given a new game using one of the concepts and then had to figure out what to do with it – maybe make new rules, set a new objective or decide if it’s more fun as a game of luck or strategy. Once they’d experimented for about 40 minutes, then the class talked about what worked and what didn’t and what they might try next time.
“Lots of times the game we were given was broken and didn’t achieve its goal,” said Weingarten, “and we had to figure out why it didn’t work and what we needed to do to fix it.”
After students feel more comfortable with the game-play concepts, they begin tackling issues like replay value – what makes players want to return to a game they have played once; why do people purchase the things they do and the impact that box art has on their decisions and what makes a game fun.
“One of the most important lessons we learn during the class is iteration and prototyping,” said Weingarten. “Whether the game is 2D or 3D, you need to see what it looks and how it might work.”
“For me,” said Irwin, “it was the idea that anyone can be a game designer as long as they are willing to iterate and not give up on their idea.”
“I learned that these principles are not just for designing games but are part of a bigger picture – design is a part of all aspects of our lives,” said Traxler. “It’s understanding what you, and other people, want in whatever is being designed for them.”
Learn more about Cogswell’s Game Design Program.
This year’s Audio Engineering Society (AES) Conference, held at San Francisco’s Moscone Center, was graced by a lively Cogswell DAT booth and behind-the-scenes activity that began long before this year’s event. The AES conferences are the largest gathering of audio professionals in the world, held each year in the US and Europe.
The Cogswell booth demonstrated how sound effects and scoring enhanced the animated student film, “Worlds Apart,” featured our Genre Electronica class tracks on an iTunes playlist and an electric guitar in the busy show aisle with a student-built guitar amplifier. Students and conference attendees were happy to sit for a few moments and show their chops on the amplified instrument.
Beyond the booth, Cogswell DAT professor, Timothy Duncan; Systems Administrator, Evan Peebles and alumnus, Michael McConnell have all served as Volunteer Co-Chairs. Professor Duncan and Peebles in 2008, Peebles and McConnell in 2010 and this year’s 2012 event. Additionally, McConnell was the 2012 Facilities Chair for AES. What does a Volunteer Co-Chair do?
As Volunteers Co-Chairs, Peebles and McConnell worked with the Convention Committee to help plan for the convention. This involved finding, organizing, overseeing and deploying volunteers with the goal of making a convention with tens of thousands of attendees going to hundreds of events run smoothly. This year they sought out and received nominations from nearly 30 college advisors from around the world in order to find 160 of the best volunteers.
Volunteers give up a day to help the convention in trade for a full program badge. Recognizable in bright orange tee-shirts, Cogswell College had over 18 students volunteering at this year’s convention.
By offering this chance to students, AES helps introduce those starting out in the industry to the benefits of professional organizations. This opportunity allows them to play an important role, giving them the chance to not only meet, but work with some of the heads of the audio industry. This also gives students who couldn’t otherwise afford the full program pass, the option of accessing the educational sessions.
Auditions for this new class were held in mid-September and the house was rocked. Now, nine amazing talents are busy rehearsing for their debut gig at Cogswell College’s October 27 Open House. The band will perform in the Dragon’s Den around noon.
Faculty member, Bob Megantz, teaches the class. Megantz plays electric and acoustic guitar in a variety of styles, including jazz, latin, funk, rock and blues. He developed a unique style of finger-picked jazz guitar that allows him to play bass lines, harmony and chord-style solos simultaneously. This style evolved from his studies of Brazilian samba and bossa nova music. He currently performs in the Bay Area with Grooveline (latin rock), the Ron Gariffo Orchestra (jazz) and with his two sons, the Family Band (funk, rock, bossa nova, and jazz).
“We’re still working on the Rock Band’s repertoire; in fact, this is an important part of the learning experience,” said Megantz. “During the class we’re listening to a wide variety of music and studying theory and transcription so we can learn the songs together. We did this at our first rehearsal with “Sunday Morning,” by Maroon 5. Other songs currently in the repertoire are: “Watermelon Man” (jazz/funk), “Messin’ with the Kid” (blues), “The Thrill is Gone” (blues), “Rockin’ in the Free World” (rock), “Ma Cherie Amour” (Stevie Wonder), “At Last” (ballad), and “Give Me One Reason” (blues/pop). New songs are auditioned and added each week.”
Meet the Band:
Richard Lucas Ash has been playing guitar for 13 years, added harmonica about 3 years ago and started singing a year ago. The audition gave him the chance to display his rhythm guitar and solo guitar chops as well as sing two original songs – one that he made up on the spot. “In addition to being active in Cogswell activities, I’m motivated to be part of a ‘great’ musical group and to learn new performance techniques.”
Dylan Bruce plays the drums. While he hasn’t had any formal training, 11 years of practicing seems to have paid off. During auditions he was asked to jam along with a guitar and bass to varying styles of rock. “I want the chance to play the drums and not disturb the people who live in my apartment building.”
Jason Bursese has been playing drums and percussion for the past 17 years. During the audition he was asked to keep simple beats and jam with a bass player. His audition didn’t showcase all of his talents but he looks forward to doing more. “I love to play and I love playing with other musicians and performing.”
Kyle Johnson has been playing bass for 8 years. His audition gave him the chance to just play music. “I am looking forward to playing music while representing the school.”
Davain Martinez wants to focus on vocals which he has been working on for the past 7 years. The audition process gave him the chance to sing any song he wanted but was also asked to sing new material to show his ability to stay on key. “I want to see how a team of musicians of different backgrounds can come together.”
Sirena Mesa is a vocalist who has been singing since she was three. With no formal training, she hopes to develop skills in various genres of musical expression. “I think it will be a lot of fun and will give me a lot of practice time. I also like to meet new people and gain, with them, experience.”
Joslyn Morris is a vocalist but has also played violin, guitar, cello, viola, piano and xylophone. During the audition she sang a number of songs the judges asked for and part of the goal was to show she could follow by ear. “I love music and while I haven’t played the instruments since high school, I haven’t ever stopped singing, dancing and writing lyrics.”
Kiefer Stolte has been playing bass for 10 years. For his audition he performed “Messin’,” “Thrill is Gone,” “At Last” and “Billie Jean.” “I want to play shows.”
Jalajhn Wheeler has been playing trombone for 8 years. Her audition consisted of a prepared piece and then an improvisation. “I wanted a reason to be behind the horn again.”
Cogswell College today announced the launch of its new Master of Entrepreneurship & Innovation (MEI) program. This comprehensive one-year graduate program for creative professionals teaches entrepreneurial skills vital to both startups and established organizations being impacted by the extraordinary pace of change across creative industries.
The program is taught in eight-week intensive semesters, with the first session beginning October 22, 2012. Applications for the MEI program are now being accepted.
“Our unique program provides experiential learning for creative entrepreneurs taught by creative entrepreneurs,” said Debby Hindus, Executive Director of the Entrepreneurship Programs at Cogswell College. “Our program takes creative ventures seriously as businesses.”
Cogswell College’s MEI program is a faculty comprised largely of serial entrepreneurs who have launched and successfully managed their own creative ventures. In addition to providing students with fundamentals for operating a business, the Cogswell faculty will use students’ own projects as teaching opportunities, helping them fast-track their business idea or company project through implementation.
Another advantage of Cogswell College’s MEI program is its location in the heart of Silicon Valley, providing students access to professional resources and the entrepreneurial eco-system that has nurtured some of the world’s most influential companies.
“Whether you’re a film director, aspiring studio head, audio engineer, animator or involved in any number of creative pursuits, knowing how to take a creative concept from inception to success requires broad skills,” said Michael Huber, Cogswell’s award-winning Project X Director and Distinguished Lecturer in Animation. “This program provides business expertise along with the hands-on experience needed to succeed in a creative venture.”
Details About the MEI Program
Cogswell’s MEI program is specifically designed for “Black Collar” entrepreneurs – creative professionals seeking to combine their artistic and creative talents with essential business skills to create or grow new ventures or be creative leaders in larger organizations. Students can choose from one of five areas of specialization:
• Technology: specialized coursework in Technology Venture Finance and Management and Technology Product Development.
• Animation: specialized coursework in Animation Film Marketing and Animation and Visual Effects Production Management.
• Audio: specialized coursework in Audio Production and Audio Engineering.
• Games: specialized coursework in Game Development: Concept to Green light and Game Development: Preproduction to Proof-of-Concept is offered.
• Interactive Marketing: specialized coursework in Engagement Analytics/Brands and Conversations as well as Engagement Campaigns.
For more information about Cogswell College’s MEI program, contact grad_info@cogsell.edu or visit http://www.cogswell.edu/masters/masters.php