The Art Institute of California – San Francisco Announces New Scholarships for Video Game Industry Professionals

Scholarships for Game Art & Design, Visual & Game Programming Degrees Now Available for Those Looking to Expand Skills or Complete Degrees

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (PRWEB) May 7, 2004 -

– The Art Institute of California – San Francisco (http://www.aicasf.aii.edu) today announced a new scholarship program designed for video game industry professionals interested in furthering their education.

The school is now offering special scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $5,000 to individuals currently working in the game industry, or who have recently worked in the industry and are looking to expand their skills or finish their degrees. Scholarships must be applied for tuition in the school’s Game Art & Design (Bachelor of Science) or Visual & Game Programming (Bachelor of Science) degree programs.

Applicants must complete a scholarship entry form, write a short essay, and submit two letters of recommendation and a resume showing any educational background and game industry experience. There is no deadline to apply and entries will be reviewed on a quarterly basis. For the complete guidelines and an entry form, please email aisfadm@aii.edu or call 888-493-3261. More information about the school is available at http://www.aicasf.aii.edu.

“These new scholarships will give more opportunities for individuals to expand their skill set, start or finish up degrees, or explore a different aspect of game development,” said Bill Tsatsoulis, president of The Art Institute of California – San Francisco. “We regularly receive interest from local game industry professionals about our game-related programs, so we’re excited to roll out these new scholarships.”

The Game Art & Design and Visual & Game Programming programs teach skills needed for entry-level positions within game development. The school developed its programs in consultation with experts from game companies in California’s vibrant game industry.

Students in the Game Art & Design program start out by studying color theory, drawing, sculpture and other art fundamentals, then take courses in 3-D modeling, animation, texture mapping, 3-D character rigging, storytelling, motion and lighting, game prototyping and other aspects of character design and game level design. The Visual & Game Programming degree combines traditional animation skills with technical skills. After training in the foundations of art and design, students enter into the more technical areas of programming for 3-D animation, enabling them to enter the world of shading development, motion capture management and pipeline streamlining. Students learn the essential skills to effectively solve technical problems and bridge between the technical programmer and the creative artist.

The school’s location in San Francisco, a hotbed of the game industry, is a natural fit for students studying in the field. The program curricula was developed with input from industry veterans, including professionals with experience at Electronic Arts, Lucas Arts, Sega of America, Sony, Maxis, Double Fine, Konami of America, Stormfront Studios and the International Game Developers Association (IGDA). The school is an Official Partner of the San Francisco-based IGDA and regularly hosts guest speakers to further connect with the industry.

The school also works with local game industry professionals on its Program Advisory Committee to provide input on curriculum and opportunities in the field. The school’s faculty also includes professionals with direct experience in the California game development industry.

The school is currently accepting applications for entry into its programs starting Summer Quarter (July 12, 2004), and Fall Quarter (Oct. 4, 2004).

About the Art Institute of California - San Francisco

The Art Institute of California – San Francisco, located at 1170 Market Street in San Francisco’s Civic Center, attracts a diverse mix of students from throughout the Bay Area and the world. The school offers career-focused degree programs in Advertising, Graphic Design, Media Arts & Animation, Game Art & Design, Visual & Game Programming, Multimedia & Web Design, Fashion Design, Fashion Marketing, Fashion Marketing & Management, and Interior Design. For more information, visit http://www.aicasf.aii.edu or call (415) 865-0198.

The Art Institute of California – San Francisco is one of The Art Institutes (http://www.artinstitutes.edu), with 30 education institutions located throughout North America, providing an important source of design, media arts, fashion and culinary professionals. The Art Institutes also operate the following schools in California: The Art Institute of California – Los Angeles, The Art Institute of California – Orange County, The Art Institute of California – San Diego and California Design College in Los Angeles. The parent company of The Art Institutes, Education Management Corporation (http://www.edmc.com) is among the largest providers of private post-secondary education in North America, based on student enrollment and revenue. Student enrollment exceeded 58,000 as of fall 2003. EDMC has 66 primary campus locations in 24 states and two Canadian provinces. EDMC's education institutions offer a broad range of academic programs concentrated in the media arts, design, fashion, culinary arts, behavioral sciences, health sciences, education, information technology and business fields, culminating in the award of associate's through doctoral degrees. EDMC has provided career-oriented education for over 40 years, and its education institutions have more than 150,000 alumni.

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