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Recently Futureworks School of Art & Design has invited industry professionals to present guest lectures. Here are just a few…
Louise Andrew, Head of Art at d3T and Coconut Lizard
Louise Andrew from d3t and Coconut Lizard visited Futureworks to give a guest lecture. Accompanied by Futureworks’ Alumni, Kevin Sudtagon, they both outlined their responsibilities within d3t. Louise is the Head of Art at d3t and Coconut Lizard and Kevin is a mid-level 3D artist.
Both gave intuitive, in-depth overviews of d3t their awards, work life and past projects and a clear definition to students of the role of a ‘Co-developer’ studio within the current industry landscape. Louise and Kevin offered a wealth of advice to graduating and current students, ranging from how best to prepare for work while still studying, how to present your portfolio and CV, and even how to approach d3t and what they seek amongst prospective graduate applications.
James Butcher, Education Development Manager at Epic Games
James Butcher from Epic Games visited Futureworks to present a guest lecture on lighting in Unreal Engine 5. James is Epic Games’ Education Development Manager and his focus is on post-secondary education. Having worked for Epic Games for over six years he has a rich history working in education and training, having previously worked as a Senior Lecturer in Higher Education and an Unreal Engine Trainer.
James has worked with Unreal Engine for over 12 years and his knowledge and experience came to the fore during a lecture loaded with fascinating facts and insightful information. Delivered to Games Design and Game Art students, James’ lecture revealed the incredible, real-time raytracing power of Lumen in Unreal Engine 5.
John Griffiths, Chief Environment Artist at Cloud Imperium Games
John Griffiths, Chief Environment Artist at Cloud Imperium Games, presented a guest lecture as a component of the Heading into the Games Industry module to our Games Design and Game Art students. John lectured students on how best to approach an art test, and provided other recruitment insights delivered from an industry perspective.
Students from across the School of Art and Design learned how to break down a brief, understand what recruiters are looking for from their work and John described how to get the best out of the opportunity for students to submit their work.
Followed by a Q&A, students learned a great deal from the session, which served to support what they also learn with their tutors.
Robert Morgan, Freelance 3D Modeller and Animation Rigger
Robert visited Futureworks and delivered an awe-inspiring three-hour animation rigging masterclass to students.
Explaining how to tailor your rigs based on projects, Robert showcased a range of rigs he’d created over the course of his career. He displayed rigs that were either too complex or too simple, and exemplified the rigs that were perfectly optimised for the task at hand. Robert then worked directly with students, helping them optimise rigs on their own projects.
With many years of experience in games and animation Robert currently works freelance, having returned from a recent stint working in Japan.
We’d like to extend our thanks to all Futureworks’ guest lecturers. Their experience, knowledge and advice are always gratefully appreciated by students and inspires them further toward a rewarding and creative career.