Graphiti School of Animation
RAM MOHAN’S VISION : GRAPHITI SCHOOL OF ANIMATION
After years of training artists to become animation professionals in the studio environment, Mr. Ram Mohan or Sirjee as he is lovingly known, had a vision about how animation should be taught. Graphiti School of Animation (GSA) was set up to implement this vision- to cultivate the unique qualities of each student through an interesting curriculum in an inspiring environment, under the guidance of committed trainers and industry experts.
“The school has successfully completed one year and the first batch of students has graduated in July 2007, all of them having been placed with various leading studios.”
FACULTY
The faculty comprises of a group of professionals with passion for teaching, experience in animation training and exposure to working in a studio environment. They have re-oriented themselves to the training model set up by the institute and developed detailed class-room deliverables, before getting into the training activity at GSA.
The faculty does a substantial amount of experimentation for concepts, techniques and new tools. Each assignment taken by student teams is tried out by the faculty beforehand. They constantly innovate in their approach to impart their knowledge to their students, within the framework of the courseware. At the foundation level, faculty is rotated among the different batches. This is an advantage for students as it exposes them to different styles of teaching and the faculty is able to compare their own observations.
The faculty profiles students on the basis of their strengths, interests and leanings which helps in the continuous counseling process of the students.
At the specialization level, each faculty member’s core specialization is defined by his or her prior experience as primary and/or support faculty. The trainers do not just teach, they also provide support in the management activities of the school. This helps them understand student issues and participate in solving them with a common perspective.
COURSE
The courseware is designed in such a way so as to standardize the faculty-student interaction at session level. Individual faculty members have the flexibility to innovate within this framework in each session to ensure learning by the entire class. The learning objectives are defined at every level and provide the benchmark for the pace and the detailing needs. The individual faculty member discusses these issues with other faculty and arrives at specific plans for the class.
COURSE DETAILS
G-CAT: Graphiti Certificate in Animation Technology
The courses are spread across various time periods starting from a short term course of 2 months to an Advance course of 2 to 3 years. These courses cater to different learning needs of people from students, hobbyists and freelancers, to those wanting to become industry ready professionals.
There are 4 course options:
G - CAT Primer
G - CAT Swift
G - CAT Expert
G - CAT Pro
G - CAT Primer: A two month compact animation course to introduce students to the art of making animation and help them gain sufficient skills to make simple animation shots.
Eligibility: 14 yrs and above. For those who want to learn the basics of animation.
Duration: 2 Months (6 days a week, 2 hrs class)
G - CAT Swift: A six month animation course to train students on the complete tools of animation and take them through the life cycle of animation production. At the end of the course, the graduate will be a ‘generalist’ who can work in any animation production house at an entry level.
Eligibility: 18 years and above. For those who want to get a break in the animation industry as trainees.
Duration: 6 Months (6 days a week, 2 hrs class)
Placement: Industry will be invited for Campus Placements
G - CAT Expert: A six month course to acquire expert level of training, to enhance the core skills of any practicing animation professional. Emphasis on one animation production specialization – ‘Modeling’, ‘Texturing’, ‘Rigging’, ‘Animation’ and ‘Lighting & Compositing’.
Duration: 6 Months (4m specialization + 2m production) (6 days a week, 3 hrs class – 3 hr lab).
Eligibility: 18 years and above. Anyone who has prior animation experience or has trained in animation institutes.
Entry Test: Portfolio & Personal Interview
Placement: Industry will be invited for Campus Placements
G - CAT Pro: A twelve month course which includes Foundation, Specialization as well as Production. At the end of this course, the certificate holders will be ready to work directly in their chosen area of specialization.
FACILITIES
Students have access to the lab for practice, to complete individual projects and team assignments. They plan their needs, coordinate among themselves and use resources optimally. All work has to be completed within the school premises, within budgeted time deadlines. Each student has access to individual machines and password controlled individual work space, along with access to common work areas where files can be shared over a network. On an average, a student spends about 6-8 hours per day in the premises. Along the way, they gain exposure to working under pressure due to deadlines, unanticipated needs etc.
STUDENT PROFILING
Profiling of the students is done from the time the application is accepted. It is continuous and process driven. At every stage, each individual student is observed for progress vis-a-vis the specific learning goals. Where required, individual feedback and counseling is given to ensure that the student is in sync with the training process.
At the Foundation stage, the emphasis is on natural orientation e.g. leadership, artistic experience, communication skills etc. Towards the close of Foundation, the profiling captures both knowledge levels and other traits that the students were exposed to, for example- working in teams, effect of acting and drawing workshops on work etc. During Specialization, the emphasis shifts to skill development and perseverance. Senior industry specialists interact with the students in each specialization and review their work, simulating interaction with the head of a production studio.
Students receive 360 degree feedback from the faculty, the experts interacting with them and their own peer group.
CONTACT
Graphiti School of Animation
404, Udyog Mandir No. 2, Mogul Lane, Mahim (West), Mumbai - 400016
Email: training@graphiti.net
Telephone: +91 22 24440107 / +91 22 32448544
