Students in Ngee Ann Polytechnic’s (NP) new Diploma in Animation & 3D Arts (A3DA) course will soon have the distinction of being the first students in Asia to work with market leading software used by world class animation studios to produce Hollywood blockbusters.
The experience is part of the studio-based learning in store for A3DA students when Ngee Ann Polytechnic sets up a new paperless digital animation production hub in the School of InfoComm Technology.
On 21 March 2011, Mr Chia Mia Chiang, the Principal of Ngee Ann Polytechnic, signed a collaboration agreement with Thomas Verriere, Director of Sales of Toon Boom Animation Inc, to make available the company’s Harmony suite of software for the students’ training. The signing ceremony was graced by His Excellency Mr David Sevigny, High Commissioner of Canada.
The paperless digital animation production hub will be part of the latest training facility to be set up in the polytechnic to facilitate studio-based learning and master classes by top Hollywood animators for the A3DA course. The training facility, which will occupy an entire floor at the School of InfoComm Technology, will also house a state-of-the-art CGI lab, and a sculpture studio. It will be ready by the October 2011 semester.
Toon Boom’s Harmony suite of software essentially integrates all the steps in animation production from conceptualization and design to compositing and rendering. Students will also be able to produce high-quality animation for different formats suitable for satellite, cable, mobile, Web and Internet TV. Another advantage of using Harmony is that it allows students to work simultaneously on the same scene to access shared media resources for their project.
Under the collaboration, Toon Boom Animation Inc will also award a scholarship of $2,500 to one final-year student of the A3DA course. Graduates of this course can also vie for a graduation medal and a book prize sponsored by the company
“We are very excited about this partnership because this is going to be the first time that Toon Boom is supplying its Harmony software for educational purposes in Asia. This industry-standard software, coupled with our studio environment, will certainly go a long way in better preparing our A3DA students for the real world. These efforts will inspire them to develop into world-class animators,” said Ms Angela Wee, the Director of Ngee Ann Polytechnic’s School of InfoComm Technology.
"Toon Boom is fully dedicated to the development of the animation industry in Singapore. As a result, our partnership with Ngee Ann Polytechnic represents a great accomplishment in combining Toon Boom’s field proven expertise with Singapore’s impressive creative talent," shared Joan Vogelesang, President and Chief Executive Officer at Toon Boom.