Art Institute of Portland US
- Tuesday, 18 May 2010 08:09
- Last Updated on Monday, 16 May 2011 05:42
- Written by Marc Spess
What makes this college so appealing is the fact that Dan Ackerman teaches there. Dan has worked at Will Vinton Studios and know what makes stop motion work. This is a highly recommended place to go. Here is Dan's bio, and below that is more information about the college itself.
Dan Ackerman,
Adjunct faculty, Digital Media Production
dma381 at fac.aii.edu
BFA, Film Graphics, California Institute of the Arts
Dan Ackerman is a director of photography for commercials and films whose clients include top names such as Sony, Intel, Adidas, Skyler Animation and Will Vinton Studios. He’s known for his experimental style and for his exploration of time-lapse photography and stop-motion animation. His latest work can be seen each First Thursday at NUE (New Urban Experience) in Northwest Portland. Previously, Dan worked on the lighting and shooting of seven episodes of the television series “The PJ’s” over the course of three seasons. While in Los Angeles, he worked as a technical director of animation on the feature film “One Crazy Summer” and as visual effects coordinator for Supertramp’s music video “Brother Where You Bound.” His diverse background also includes directing English educational videos in Japan. His BFA degree was earned under the tutelage of the famed Jules Engle, where he received various awards for his experimental film “PORTAL.”
Dan Ackerman has taught courses such as Camera & Lighting at The Art Institute of Portland since the fall of 2002.
It’s hard to ignore the facts: animation is everywhere. You’ll find skilled animators working not only in the film and television industries, but also in science, education, government and healthcare sectors. Some of those skilled animators hail from the Media Arts & Animation program at The Art Institute of Portland.
In this program, you can choose to specialize in one of two tracks: Media Arts (modeling, illustration, previsualization) or Animation (2D or 3D animation). Using industry tools such as Maya, Flash, Adobe After Effects, Photoshop and Illustrator, students study pre-production methods, including scripting, storyboarding, acting, and character design, and production techniques. Through additional courses in general studies, business practices, history, portfolio development and through internships, Media Arts & Animation students have the opportunity to develop their artistic and technical skills.
Students who succeed in this program are true team players with an attention to detail. They are able to relate and communicate to a number of different people on a project. They also have a deep love of the art form, a confidence in their use of technology and an awareness of the technological developments in the industry. Media Arts & Animation students are patient people who like to tinker, tweak and play with their work frame by frame with an exacting eye for issues of timing and continuity. Great animators also are unusually good designers who have mastered the fundamentals: color, drawing, and form. Graduates from this program are prepared for entry-level positions such as animator, storyboard artist and character designer.
The Art Institute of Portland
1122 NW Davis Street
Portland, OR 97209
Phone: 503-228-6528
Toll-Free: 1-800-616-2473
Click here to go to AIPortland main web site
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