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Hello Alumni! Did you know you can find out about alumni events near you by going to the Events Calendar on the Alumni Connections website? Log onto www.alumniconnections.com/ArtInstitutes to discover alumni reunions, workshops, socials, and exhibitions near you! In this edition, look for:
Alumni Connections Editors
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Next time you’re playing a video game, pause the action and take a good look at the whole screen – at every object, every background, every wisp of smoke or faded shadow. Take a good, long look at every pixel. And then consider that someone, somewhere, had to create each and every element of the game world you’re now blazing through. Even if you’ve never noticed that reflection in the barrel of your character’s gun, or the hundreds of individual rivets in the wall behind her, somebody else knows that they’re there, because somebody else put them there. And if you’re playing any variation of the worldwide mega-hit Halo, that person is probably Frank Capezzuto (CAMM, 1996).
Capezzuto and his classmates leapt headfirst into the animation-hungry market that blossomed after the massive successes of cutting-edge computer games like Warcraft and 3D films like Toy Story. His first job was at Illinois-based Parallax Software, creators of the PC game Descent. Parallax was so impressed with Capezzuto’s wide-ranging skills, from ideation to model making, that they established a long-term relationship with The Art Institute of Pittsburgh to hire additional graduates. “Everyone we hired from AIP worked out great,” says Capezzuto, “and all of these people are doing very well in the gaming industry today. Two I can speak for are Jiovanie Velazquez (who started a game company called Blazing Lizard) and John Enricco.” After working on the first-person shooters Red Faction 1 and Red Faction 2, serving as art lead and production artist, Capezzuto applied at Bungie to work on Halo 2. He was hired, and has happily lent his talents to Halo 2, Halo 2 DLC (or “downloadable content” expansion package), Halo 3 and Halo 3 DLC. “I mainly work on building environments now,” says Capezzuto, “which is both fun and challenging at the same time. I work with the concept artists and game designers to develop sketches and ideas for the level layout. We work together with the art director to finish the idea on paper, and then I start a 'massing model' of the environment – [essentially] boxes to indicate the layout. From there, we playtest the heck out of it to make sure it's fun. Then we refine the forms to look more like the concept once the layout is finished. At that point, we make various refinement passes at the geometry to 'polish' the layout to look like a final product.” If Capezzuto’s team has done their job well, you’ll never notice the millions of polygons and pixels that comprise every frame of your in-game experience. They’ll all slide by smoothly and effortlessly, propelling you ever deeper into the world they’ve spent countless hours creating, at a job that – for Capezzuto, at least – feels less like work and more like a childhood dream come true. “I love my job so much that I don't do a lot of personal projects,” admits Capezzuto. “I’m a hardcore sci-fi fan, and Halo is so in line with my art 'style' that things work out wonderfully.”
In 2001, Sharon decided to invest her experience into her own company and started The Wright Impression, a graphic design and marketing firm that specializes in marketing collateral such as logos, brochures, packaging, ad layout, newsletters, PowerPoint presentations and eblasts. Sharon has operated her successful graphic design business from her home office in order to maximize time spent with her young son. Recently, Sharon has added a few new hats. The Wright Impression is coordinating the marketing and public relations for Mr. Grover Gouker, whose “Letters to Santa” Project was featured on the ABC program Nightline on Christmas Eve 2001. As a young Postal Service worker in Hanover, PA Mr. Gouker was heartbroken when he discovered that children’s letters to Santa were being thrown into the wastebasket. He began to answer the letters. The Wright Impression became involved when Mr. Gouker became an author of two books, I Don’t Want No Soap, The Shortest Letter Santa Ever Got!, based on an actual letter from a young boy named Scott and My Santamental Journey, an in-depth look into Mr. Gouker’s 58 year “Letters to Santa” project, which continues to this day. Sharon coordinates all aspects of design, publishing, printing, marketing, and public relations of these two inspirational books.
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“Even before I graduated from The Art Institute of Pittsburgh,” recalls Capezzuto, now an environmental artist at Halo’s parent company, Bungie, “the school had such good footing in the gaming industry that I had job offers coming in about a year early. This was not just [happening] for me, it was our whole class at the time. Pretty much everyone in my class got a job after graduation.”
Immediately following graduation from the Graphic Design program at The Bradley Academy of the Visual Arts (now The Art Institute of York - Pennsylvania) in 1989, Sharon Wright Martin began working for Clipper Magazine and then went on to work in packaging design at C-P Converters and CorrFlex Display and Packaging. She built a nice career in the flexographic printing world and then decided to move into the entertainment genre as the Marketing Director for the Sellersville Theater and Washington House Restaurant.  |
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| Student Triumphs Speak to Solid Foundation
Jey Gladstone, an active student involved with student affairs and student life during his time at The Art Institute of Atlanta, graduated winter quarter 2007 with a bachelor of arts in advertising. Jey has always had an interest in public service and policy as well as advertising. Since commencement he has gone on to graduate school at The New School for Management & Urban Policy in New York. Recently Jey was invited to join the Education Management Corporation (EDMC) Foundation Board of Directors. He is not only the youngest member of the Foundation Board but also the first alumni from an EDMC school to sit on the Board.
EDMC Education Foundation is a philanthropic organization that works with all EDMC schools and other interested parties throughout the country to generate revenue for scholarships to EDMC students. The Foundation is organized and operated exclusively for charitable purposes and promotes research and study in the field of professional education and provides financial assistance through scholarships to deserving EDMC students. The Foundation began building its relationship with the EDMC system of schools in 2000. Since then, the Foundation has awarded more than $500,000 to students – benefiting approximately 53,000 students in more than 60 EDMC schools across the United States. In 2006, four named funds, each benefiting an EDMC school group, were established at the Foundation. These funds are: The Art Institutes Scholarship Fund; Argosy Scholarship Fund; Brown Mackie Scholarship Fund; and South University Scholarship Fund. All contributions made to these named funds are held by the Foundation and are used for their specified purposes. EDMC schools provide career-oriented education to a number of passionate and eager individuals, like Jey Gladstone, who are hoping to turn their interests into a career. The EDMC Education Foundation works to help those individuals take a step closer to their goal. To learn more about the good work of the EDMC Education Foundation, please visit http://www.edmcfoundation.org. If you would like to contribute to the EDMC Education Foundation, here’s how: Visit http://www.edmcfoundation.org/contribute or For others ways to contribute, contact: Ruth Summers, Executive Director Kate FitzPatrick, Communications Director
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The EDMC Education Foundation has special meaning for Jey, who received a $1,500 scholarship for excellence as a student in the Advertising Program at The Art Institute of Atlanta. Jey is just one of EDMC’s many exceptional students who are the living legacy of the schools they represent. It is through these students’ successes that our schools’ strength is measured. The primary goal of the EDMC Education Foundation is to help further students’ achievements, working closely with each of the schools to provide financial assistance to students.  |
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| A Tribute to Jack MacDonald Jack felt that the current crop of designers in our industry, those with less specific design training, lacked something essential to carrying on the torch. They lacked the specific technical training certainly, but most importantly, he knew they were missing a passion for the gracefulness and beauty unique to things upon the water. And changing that was the challenge he accepted. And a challenge it certainly was. As we, his merry band of eccentrics, bounded from one design extreme to the next, some beyond description, he kept reeling us back into some form of reality, and attempted to teach us good design from bad. This critique ranged from “Good, but maybe think about this”, to the ever popular “What IS that?”, to just laughing and walking on. But we learned. Often the hard way, but we learned. In fact, all of us learned. Jack learned from us that computers were not the scourge of real design, and we in turn, agreed that the best of design really does start with a pencil. As challenging as it was, it can be said that Jack MacDonald taught hundreds of students . . . without one single fatality. As young designers we went off into the world to join some of the top companies in the industry, and we took some of Jack with us to each one. Not just because he was a teacher, but because to so many of us, he was also a friend. Jack was a good friend, a mentor, and that curmudgeonly voice in our heads telling us to “Get on with it”. Collectively as the Yacht & Marine students, we respected Jack, in our own ways loved him, and our lives were made better for having known him. We will miss him dearly. Godspeed H.J. Jack MacDonald died on July 6th, 2008, after a battle with lung cancer.
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At a time in life where most are content to put down the burden, take time for themselves, and reflect upon past glories, Jack chose to take up the mantle of educator. He chose to pass his lifetime of experience and learning onto the new generation of designers and boat builders. This entailed not only teaching, but being forced to create from scratch the program in which he taught. This being the Bachelor of Science program in Yacht & Marine Design at The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale.  |
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| SIGGRAPH 2008 Over 275 Art Institute alumni and students engaged with Career Services staff members during the three-day convention to share employment updates, reconnect with old classmates, share industry job leads, and enjoy memories of their time at The Art Institute. Ten talented alumni working in the computer graphics and animation industry gave 47 portfolio critiques to Art Institute students, totaling over 23 volunteer hours of time. This was a great opportunity for students to receive honest feedback from alumni industry professionals about their demo reels, artwork and portfolios. Thank you to the following Art Institute alumni who lent their expertise:
Visitors to The Art Institutes booth viewed presentations by prominent employers and industry leaders such as Adobe, B&H Photo, Digital Domain, and Area 51 Studios. The Art Institutes presented their “Best of Class” animation DVD on Thursday, which showcases some of the best student work from Media Arts & Animation students throughout The Art Institutes education system.
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Anthony Cortez |
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| Come join us at our first Sherry Wine Tasting Event at The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of California – Los Angeles on Tuesday, September 23, 2008, at 6:30 PM. The Sherry Council of America, along with the Alumni Association of The Art Institute of California – Los Angeles invite you to experience an evening of sherry wine tasting and to reconnect with the alumni community. Learn about the unique geographic characteristics, rich cultural traditions, and generations of winemaking expertise that are central to creating the distinctive range of flavors found in sherry wines! Plus enter to win some great sherry wines! The event will be held at Bistro 31 at The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of California – Los Angeles. For more information and to RSVP, please contact Tanya Essien, Alumni Coordinator, at tessien@aii.edu or 310.314.6068. RSVP by September 17, 2008. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Come and join us for the next Alumni Mixer for The Art Institute of Phoenix at Mickey's Hangover on August 28th, 2008 from 6pm - 10pm. The cost is FREE and the first 25 alumni to show up will receive a free AMC Theater gift card! Raffle prizes will begin at 7pm which include gift cards for gas, restaurants, and shopping. RSVP to Melissa Domblisky at 602.331.7548 or email her at mdomblisky@aii.edu. For more information you can view our invite at http://www.aipxalumni.com/invite/ ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ On Wednesday, September 11th, from 4:00 – 7:00pm at Bistro 31 at The Art Institute of California – Los Angeles, alumni will have an opportunity to share your “real world” experience with current culinary students of The International Culinary School at The Art Institute of California – Los Angeles. Also, topics related to careers in culinary and tips on how to succeed in this competitive world will be discussed. Food will be provided for alumni volunteers! Please contact Tanya Essien to be a guest speaker or to RSVP by Friday, August 29, 2008 at tessien@aii.edu or call 310.314.6068. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ The Art Institute of Portland invites you to celebrate our 10-year anniversary party! Rock the Block 10th anniversary party is occurring on Saturday, August 30th. from 3pm-8pm with a private party from 3pm-5pm for students, alumni, faculty and staff of the institute. Surround yourself with the freshest art, music, film, & fashion at the coolest party in town. Celebrate a decade of inspiring design, creativity, and style Saturday, August 30th, from 3 to 8pm. A special Art Institute of Portland community celebration and BBQ is from 3-5pm. Live music featuring DJ Royale, the Verbtones, DJ Manifest & Gustav from 94.7 Alternative Portland plus interactive art, prizes, refreshments and more! ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Art Institute of Pittsburgh Annual Alumni Show 2008 Call for Entries is now accessible at: www.artinstitutes.edu/Pittsburgh/ Click on Alumni Show Call for Entries on the homepage for details and forms and photos from last year’s reception. Mark your calendar for the reception on Friday evening, November 14, 2008. For more information, contact Alumni Coordinator, Dave DiBella, at ddibella@aii.edu or 412.291.6261. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~* Join The Art Institute of New York City Alumni & Faculty
for an evening reception Thursday, October 2, 2008 The Watering Hole Bar & Restaurant Drink Specials ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~* Alumni Reunion at The Art Institute of Philadelphia Friday, October 24 For more information, contact Alumni Coordinator, Elona Lakuriqi at elakuriqi@aii.edu or 215.405.6333 ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~**~*~*~*
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Vo spent a year traveling the world to promote her film. Stops at The Pink Apple Festival in Switzerland, The New York International Independent Film & Video Festival, the Seattle Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, and many others, helped generate enthusiasm for the project, until Ironrod Productions from Canada stepped in with an offer to distribute the film internationally.
Thomas Bailey, 2007 Web Design and Interactive Media alumnus from The Art Institute of California-San Diego, is Owner of We Are Synapse.