Screen Training Ireland and Animation Skillnet will launch the next round of the VFX and Animation Graduate Traineeship Programme with a two day symposium packed full of exciting talks and masterclasses in the area of animation and VFX!

The symposium will take place in Dublin on Friday 20th and Saturday 21st of October at the Morrison Hotel and will feature presentations from top Irish and international animation and VFX practitioners, including our own Angela's Christmas Director Damien O'Connor and CG Supervisor Fred Burdy, alongside:

- Eamonn Butler, Head of Cinesite Animation Division (Independence Day: Resurgance, Captain America: Civil War, Edge of Tomorrow)

- Brian Coldrick, Illustrator & Concept Artist (Doctor Who, Red Dwarf, Zapped)

- Scott Pritchard, Compositing Supervisor (Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Avengers: Age of Ultron, Inception)

- Sanna Myllykangas, Story Artist, Rovio & Aardman Animations

Day two of the symposium will include an exciting range of masterclasses including:

- Previs Fundamentals with Elaina Scott (Avengers: Age of Ultron, The Hunger Games, Hugo)

- Animal Anatomy and Mechanics with Annie-award nominated and Eisner-award nominated graphic novelist Sydney Padua (The Lion King, The Jungle Book, The Iron Giant)

- Gesture, Figure Drawing & Design Language for Animation with Richard Smitheman, Visual Development Artist (Rock Dog, Enchanted, The prince of Egypt)

To see the full schedule, please visit: schedule-vfx-animation-symposium-2017

The Graduate Traineeship Programme 2017/18 will take place over a six month period and is targeted at developing skills and talent in the Irish animation and VFX sector.  The programme will involve a mix of on-the-job training/mentoring as well as additional specialist training/mentoring delivered through Animation Skillnet and Screen Training Ireland.

In addition, Screen Training Ireland and Animation Skillnet will be revealing details of an international mentoring fund designed to offer animation and VFX practitioners at all levels access to local and international talent in order to build customised, structured mentoring supports in the industry.

Gareth Lee, Manager of Animation Skillnet, said: “It’s great to be launching the third iteration of the highly successful VFX and Animation Graduate Traineeship Programme with a Symposium featuring outstanding International and Irish speakers from the world of Animation and VFX. The Traineeship Programme has played a significant role in addressing skills gaps in Ireland over the last few years, while the Symposium gives local talent the opportunity to learn from and network with high-level global talent.”

The VFX and Animation Symposium is supported by Screen Training Ireland, Animation Skillnet, the Irish Film Board, the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, and the Industrial Development Authority.

For more information, please visit: animation-and-vfx-graduate-traineeship-and-symposium-2017