CGAcademy presents: Pipeline Essentials for 3D Game Animation

2021 as a big year for the CGA community, so let’s end it on a high note: by learning AAA game animation from the industry best.

With the promise of providing high-quality education for junior artists and everybody willing to hone their digital skills, CGAcademy content track presents an extended lecture in 3D game animation held by Nataša Vučićević, 3D Animator from Mad Head Games.

An interactive master class, Pipeline Essentials for 3D Game Animation, is scheduled for December 14, 2021 at 6 PM CET in the CGA’s virtual classroom.

The event is FREE but closed to the public with the registration required.
The link to the master class will be delivered on the day of the event.

In more than two hours, the class will take you through all the steps needed to get from the rigged static character to the game-ready animated character. Later on, Nataša will teach you to import animations to Unreal Engine and talk about the variety of things that every animator in the gaming industry should know.

Mad Head Games studio is one of the pioneers of game development in Serbia. Founded in 2011, it quickly grew into an industry leader, blazing the trail for all up-and-coming domestic game developers. The company is known for its innovative approach to casual adventure games, and after years of consecutive successes, it is expanding into new genres, developing new projects and boldly making headway into CORE and F2P markets.

CGAcademy is designed as a hub of educational content that helps students and entry-level artists work their way up in the VFX, gaming, animation, and computer graphics industry. The program is organized by Crater Training Center.

FIND MORE ON OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL

 

CGA Belgrade x KIBLIX 2021 / Tanja Vujinović: Тє¢нησ ΛVΛПƬGΛЯDΣП

On Friday, 19 November 2021, at 19:30 CET, CGA Belgrade and KIBLIX 2021 festival invite you to Тє¢нησ ΛVΛПƬGΛЯDΣП, a live event with DJ sets in the Ultramono LABS, a virtual world in the VRChat platform by an intermedia artist Tanja Vujinović.

In this unique hybrid space, the live event will connect CGA Belgrade conference taking place online and a physical space of KIBLA PORTAL in Maribor where Tanja Vujinović’s works are on view in the scope of the group exhibition KIBLIX 2020–2021: Virtual Worlds Now.

A live event in VR will follow as a closing ceremony for CGA Belgrade 2021, a two-day digital conference on computer graphics and arts scheduled for November 18/19. With this year’s theme Embracing Metaversity, the conference aims to enhance the industry knowledge about the opportunities for design and production in the metaverse and officially embrace all its possibilities.

In Maribor you are invited to join us at 18:00 CET at KIBLA PORTAL for a guided tour of the KIBLIX 2020–2021 exhibition after which we will immerse ourselves in the VR world by Tanja Vujinović. At KIBLA PORTAL you will be able to join the live DJ event either on a big screen or enter the world through a headset!
Ultramono is an art laboratory for the production of cybernetic art. Ultramono organises events dedicated to progressive, futuristic, fusion art and IDM, digital permaculture, inspiring conversations, and presents a gallery and clubbing events in retro futuristic ambients of MetaGarden Spheres.
@ VRChat, 19.11.2021, 19:30 CET / 13:30 EDT / 10:30 PDT / 03:30 JST

Lineup

Silent Antagonist, 19:30 CET / 13:30 EDT / 10:30 PDT / 03:30 JST
ju.no, 21:00 CET / 15:00 EDT / 12:00 PDT / 05:00 JST
Leem, 22:30 CET / 16:30 EDT / 13:30 PDT / 06:30 JST
Wyatt Schmidt, 24:00 CET / 18:00 EDT / 15:00 PDT / 08:00 JST
ju.no, Leem, Silent Antagonist and Wyatt Schmidt will each play their hour and a half long techno sets starting at 19:30 CET in a virtual world by Tanja Vujinovic. Event is hosted by TanjaV, ronbreian, and Levia. You are welcome to join with your computers, with or without VR equipment in the desktop mode.

How to Attend

Meet us in Ultramono LABS to listen to live DJ techno music sets, hang out, talk about art, science, technology and everything in between, and explore the world. To join the party, download VRChat for free from Steam, add hosts to friends and join them. The event will be also streamed on our website!

Links:

KIBLIX

ACE KIBLA

RUK NETWORK

ULTRAMONO

TANJA VUJINOVIĆ

CGA Belgrade 2021 Programme Details

The official program of the CGA’s second online conference edition is out, and we are proud to say that all of our three program streamlines came into the spotlight.

The conference is scheduled for November 18/19, 2021, with the sessions starting at 4 PM CET each day.

CGAlliance content stream is having its premiere on the first day of the event, with four stirring sessions on innovations, including deep dives into the metaverse and lectures on studio production and growth. Its closure will happen over the weekend, on a two-day business positioning workshop organized by Serbia Film Commission with the help from the US Embassy in Serbia.

CGArts programme was originally presented in September at our hybrid event in Novi Sad, Enter the MetaClub, a combination of a mini-conference and an interactive exhibition. This time around, on the second day of the event, CGArts continues exploring the perks and possibilities of digital words but will also deliver several top-notch lectures on (game) art.

At the same time as CGArts, the other track will be running its own show on education. After numerous online sessions organized by Crater Training Center all year round, CGAcademy comes with five captivating sessions designed to boost your skillset – and maybe help you shape your career expectations.

All the sessions will be able to stream on our website on two parralel tracks, so keep your eyes on the LIVE section, which will be updated in the next few days. The live stream is based on an interactive platform that allows you to leave comments and questions for our guests in real-time on YouTube.

After the last session ends, we will officially move to the metaverse – the one created by our dear friend Tanja Vujinović, an intermedia artist who delivered a magnificent VR performance at CGA Novi Sad. Techno Avantgarden live event with DJ sets will be cohosted with our friends from Ultramono art laboratory and Kiblix art festival from Maribor, Slovenia. More details about the afterparty coming soon.
Without further ado, here’s the timeline!

Thursday, November 18

4.00 – 4.10 PM
CGA Belgrade Founders Talk
Miljana Jovović, Crater Training Center
Milica Božanić, Serbia Film Commission
Miloš Milošević, VFX Serbia

CGAlliance Content Stream

4.10 – 5.15 PM
Empowering the Artist: How AI, Metaverse and NFT’s Will Shape the Future of Art
Tye Sheridan, Wonder Dynamics
Nikola Todorović, Wonder Dynamics

5.15 – 6.15 PM
Diving Deep into the Metaverse: DELETED, Development of a hybrid feature
Zoran Krstić, Open Studio
Aleksandar Protić, Mir Media Group

6.15 – 7.00 PM
Design Thinking for Innovation
Milovan Dekić, Nordeus

7.00 – 8.00 PM
Standing Out in the Sea of Sameness
– The Real Reason Big Opportunities Are Not Finding You… and What to Do About It
Joel Pilger, RevThink
Tim Thompson, RevThink

Friday, November 19

CGArts Content Stream

4.00 – 4.30 PM
The Work of Lee Griggs
Lee Griggs, Autodesk

4.30 – 5.15 PM
Puss & Loots – Visual Development of a Slot Game
Uroš Obradović, Playstudios Europe

5.15 – 6.00 PM
Character and Assets Development
Josip Vrandečić, Mad Head Games

6.00 – 6.45 PM
NFTs: A Gateway to the Metaverse
Jovan Tišma, ALL.ART

CGAcademy Content Stream

4.00 – 4.30 PM
Customizing MetaHuman Textures
Luka Lakić, 3Lateral/Epic Games

4.30 – 5.15 PM
Machine Learning in Real-time
Florent Guinier, Unity Technologies

5.15 – 5.20 PM
CG Journeys
Sam Peereboom, Industrial Pixel

5.20 – 6.00 PM
Portfolio Reviews
Milica Mastelica, Playstudios
Nenad Nešović, Nordeus
Ivana Radović, Playrix RS

6.00 – 6.05 PM
CG Journeys
Miguel Teixeira, 3D Animator

6.05 – 6.45 PM
White Paper Talks: VR and 3D in Game Art
Katarina Kaplarski Vuković, Belgrade Metropolitan University
Vojislav Bogosavljević, University of Belgrade – School of Electrical Engineering
Igor Tartalja, University of Belgrade – School of Electrical Engineering

6.45 – 7.30 PM
Evolving Your Skills, panel discussion
moderator: Jahirul Armin, CAVE Academy
panelists:
Ben Radcliffe, Unity Technologies
Andrew Schlussel, Netflix
Amy Smith, Framestore
Jim Brown, DNEG

AfterParty / CGAfterHours

starting at 7:30 PM
Tanja Vujinović: Techno AvantGarden
CGA Belgrade x KIBLIX 2021
Afterparty in VRChat

November 20th / November 21st

CGAlliance Content Stream

6.00 – 7.30 PM
Standing Out in the Sea of Sameness: The Real Reason Big Opportunities Are Not Finding You… and What to Do About It, a two-day workshop (read more and apply here)
Joel Pilger, RevThink
Tim Thompson, RevThink

CGA Belgrade 2021 sends many thanks to our sponsors from 3Lateral/Epic Games, Nordeus, Autodesk, Mad Head Games, and Playstudios Europe, as well as our partners from Escape Studios, RevThink, CAVE Academy, and Kiblix. This year’s programme was supported by the Ministry of Culture and Information and the US Embassy in Serbia.

 

CGAlliance presents: Standing out in the Sea of Sameness, a Two-Day Workshop

We believe that investing in business skills is equally important to the creative ecosystem as the artistic vision and keeping pace with the technology.

As an extension of the presentation Standing out in the Sea of Sameness that is scheduled for November 18 as part of the CGA Belgrade online conference, revolutionary thinkers Tim Thompson and Joel Pilger will break down key steps in positioning your creative firm not only in the local but, more importantly, global market. If you dream of standing out and being respected as an expert in your creative domain, RevThink consultants will host a special workshop on November 20th and 21st. So, join in to learn how to properly and successfully position your creative business.

RevThink Workshop @CGAlliance is scheduled for November 20-21, from 6 to 8 PM both days. The program is hosted live on the RevThink Community Platform.

The Workshop is designed for aspiring change-makers with practical, helpful, and realistic approaches to assist Serbian creative businesses in computer graphics and audiovisual production to accelerate their potential. The program is made possible with the assistance of the US Embassy in Serbia.

CGAlliance program is designed to address a variety of topics important to the development of individual studios, projects, and people at the helm. This year will feature talks and workshops designed to support the positioning and design of brands and services for creative companies in VFX, game development, sound, design, and audiovisual production.

Ask for Feedback on Portfolio Reviews Live Session

On November 19, in the CGA’s virtual classroom, a team of experienced CG artists will teach you how to perfect the artist portfolio and land your dream job in the video game industry.

Whether you dream about working on major AAA titles or you’re just looking for a glimpse of how it seems like working in the fastest growing creative industry today – CGAcademy will be a place for you, with Portfolio Reviews as a fan-favorite session.

Joining us in this live session are Ivana Radovic (PlayrixRS), Milica Mastelica (Playstudios), and Nenad Nešović (Nordeus), along with Bojana Simić from Crater Training Center moderating.

Application deadline is November 14 at midnight. If our guest tutors choose your work for review, they will deliver their feedback live in-stream at the CGA Belgrade online conference.

About CGAcademy:
Portfolio Reviews premiered in summer 2021, as part of the CGAcademy educational content track. It is designed to help students and entry-level artists work their way up in the VFX, gaming, animation, and CG industry. With CGAcademy sessions, you won’t wander off the right learning path. The program is organized by Crater Training Center that offers specialized game art and VFX education, as well as software training for professionals. On CGAcademy, the CTC team steers the bite-size content together with our partner network, bridging the ever-present gap between formal education and industry.

CGA Heads off to Novi Sad to Explore the Metaverse

Dear friends, we are proud and excited to share the news of our next big adventure – CGA NOVI SAD. This international event will be held in the beautiful town of Novi Sad, soon-to-be known as the European Capital of Culture 2022.

CGA Novi Sad LIVE event is organized under the wing of the foundation’s main event, the Kaleidoscope of Culture which will be held from September 2nd to September 5th, 2021 in Novi Sad’s Creative District. There, CGA will join other brilliant art collectives including Ars Electronica from Linz, Austria and Burgtheater from Berlin, Germany, among others.

Since many members of our community, both lecturers and industry veterans, come from this town, the CGA team was looking for a way to say a big thank you for their continuing support. Therefore, building a connection with the “Novi Sad – European Capital of Culture” Foundation was a logical step forward. With that in mind, this year’s conference will focus on the CGArts content track.

CGArts: Enter the Metaclub, the main program of CGA Novi Sad, is created in synergy with the Kaleidoscope of Culture to expand our audience reach from the creative professionals to the general public interested in digital art. The goal of this partnership is to create a continuous and tightly connected community of artists, tech, and audiovisual industry in all its forms and narratives, as well as initiating/opening active communication with the general public through artistic expressions under the CGA’s and Kaleidoscope of Culture’s united flag.

The main theme of the CGArts program relates to meta worlds and digital spaces created by artists Tanja Vujinović and Andreas Wannerstedt, curated by the award-winning curator and art critic Maja Ćirić. In addition to the exhibition, CGA Novi Sad will become a meeting point for multidisciplinary artists, students, and academics by connecting them with the CGA community by conquering new spaces for digital creativity and serving as a bridge between technology, classical art, and new generations. The program, among other things, should connect the developed creative ecosystem of Novi Sad, all its current and future actors, with global industrial practices in the continuous creation of new art forms based on computer graphics.

(photo by Jelena Evanović, EPK 2022)

But that’s not all. CGA Novi Sad will feature a handful of additional content, including CGAcademy live sessions, industry panel and talks. Moreover, a big part of the CGA Novi Sad additional program will focus on Unreal Engine, an amazing tool for creating interactive digital content that we have featured in our programs throughout the year, such as Summer of Unreal.

Check Out the Timeline

The art exhibition will remain open to the public during all four days of Kaleidoscope of Culture, and is free to visit on-site in Novi Sad’s Creative District. The show will start right after the official conference program ends and will be open till midnight.
Thursday, September 2nd
20:00 Kaleidoscope of Culture Grand Opening
20:30 CGA Novi Sad: Enter the MetaClub exhibition opening

Friday, September 3rd
16:15 – 16:30 CGA Novi Sad Opening Ceremony: Founders Talk (live + online)
Speakers: Miljana Jovović (Crater Training Center), Milica Božanić (Serbia Film Commission), Miloš Milošević (VFX Serbia)
16:30 – 17:00 CGArts:The Negotiating The Phygital, keynote talk by Maja Ćirić (live)
17:00 – 17:45 CGArts: Artist Talk, moderated by Maja Ćirić (live + online)
18:00 – 18:45 CGArts: How filmmaking in Unreal Engine has set me free (live lecture)
Industry talk by Sava Živković (Axis Studios)

Saturday, September 4th
17:00 – 18:00 CGAcademy: Train the Trainers – What’s Next? (live panel)
Panel discussion with participants at the Train the Trainers specialized courseModerator: Marija Rakić Lovrić (Crater Training Center); Participants: Adam Kovač (3Lateral/Epic Games), Ratko Obradović (Faculty of Technical Sciences, Novi Sad), Ivica Milarić (Academy of Arts, Novi Sad), Neda Milić Keresteš (Faculty of Technical Sciences, Novi Sad)
18:15 – 19:15 CGAcademy: Opportunities for Animation in Unreal Engine (online panel)
Moderator: Mark Flanagen (Epic Games); Participants: Andrew Brassington (Escape Studios), Tom Box (Blue Zoo Animations), Draško Ivezić (Ceo and Animator, Adriatic Animation)
19:20 – 20:20 CGAcademy: Virtual Filmmaking (online lecture)
Industry talk by Clement Gharini (Escape Studios)

Sunday, September 5th
There will be no additional program on this day. The exhibition will remain open to the public until the end of the evening.

WATCH THE SESSIONS HERE

Join the Europe-wide Free Course in Unreal Engine

Summer of Unreal 2021 is a free, four-week boot camp where artists learn practical real-time skills from industry vets. The course is created in collaboration with Epic Games and Escape Studios and backed by five amazing European partners, including our very own Crater Training Center from Belgrade, Serbia.

This is not only the most ambitious free program to date but the largest Unreal Engine training ever attempted. It is designed to bring together 1000 professionals across Europe.

During the course, you will:
Receive 20 days of training—most of it in the morning
Gain insights from European studios
Learn what makes a project successful
Earn exclusive digital badges
Work with artists from across Europe
Learn from industry seniors who can show you how to maximize the way you use Unreal Engine.

Who can apply:
Industry professionals with at least two years of experience working in animation studios or animation projects in any artist role (including Rigging, Layout, Previsualization, Concept Art, Animation, Lighting, and Rendering).
VFX and motion graphics artists, producers, and directors eager to introduce Unreal Engine into their workflows.
Anybody working in the animation industry who is familiar with 3D content creation tools. (Note: Although you need basic knowledge of 3D software, you can be a rookie in Unreal)

Joining Epic Games and Escape Studios in this summer adventure are ArtFX school of animation from France, The Animation Workshop (VIA) from Denmark, La Salle Campus Barcelona from Spain, and Screen Skills Ireland. Finally, Crater Training Center, from Serbia, is responsible for managing the region of Southeast Europe.

For more info, click the button bellow.

Crater Training Center

CGAcademy Know-How Session: Portfolio Reviews, June 23rd, 6PM CET

Our first session in the Know-How series is designed for young artists and people entering the industry to see how the hiring process looks behind the scenes.

Joining us in this session are senior artists from two established gaming companies in Serbia: Vladimir Janković, Art Lead from Nordeus and Vladimir Kuzevski, Character Artist from 3Lateral. They will both provide feedback on five portfolios submitted by young artists still in the quest to find their role in the industry.

Portfolio Reviews pilot episode was streamed live last month, during the Emerging Talents online event. After getting overwhelmingly positive feedback for this session, we decided to make it the continuing series.

Join us on June 23rd, 6 PM CET to stream this session live on CGA Belgrade. Also, make sure to write down all the questions for two Vladimirs because Q&A is coming right after the official part. The registration to the event is free but required (to do it click “Register” at the top right corner).
The session will be streaming live on our website.

CGAcademy is designed as a hub of educational content that helps students and entry-level artists work their way up in the VFX, gaming, animation, and computer graphics industry. The program is organized by Crater Training Center and supported by Epic Games I 3Lateral, Nordeus Hub and Serbian Games Association.
CGAcademy content track will cover a wide range of industry-related topics within the Creative Software, Career Path and Know-How session series.

FOR MORE VISIR OUT YOUTUBE CHANNEL

CGAcademy: My Job as Texture Artist, June 8th, 6 PM CET

Our second session in the Career Path series will shed some light on the profession of the Texture Artist in the gaming industry.

Your guide in this journey will be Dusica Calic from Mad Head Games. Dusica is an experienced 3D artist specialized in creating realistic, procedural materials and PBR textures. In the upcoming session, she will share her insights into the industry and her own career path as a professional woman in gaming. She will make sure to provide you with some technical tips and tricks, but will also pinpoint valuable soft skills necessary to thrive in this competitive industry.

Join us on June 8th, 6 PM CET to stream this session live on CGA Belgrade. Also, make sure to write down all the questions for Dusica because Q&A is coming right after the official part. The registration to the event is free but required via this form.
The session will be streaming live on our website.

CGAcademy is designed as a hub of educational content that helps students and entry-level artists work their way up in the VFX, gaming, animation, and computer graphics industry. The program is organized by Crater Training Center and supported by Epic Games I 3Lateral, Nordeus Hub and Serbian Games Association.

CGAcademy content track will cover a wide range of industry-related topics within the Creative Software, Career Path and Know-How session series.

WATCH THE SESSION ON OUR CHANNEL