By Caresse Haaser
Inside Montgomery Hall, where the lack of windows keep out distracting sunny days, students have been hard at work. With the school’s annual Inspire and CoMotion events just around the corner, the words ‘demo reel,’ ‘resume,’ and ‘portfolio review’ have become a major part of the Monty lexicon. The paired events, which focus on motion graphics and visual effects, will take place on April 12 and 13 at the SCAD Museum of Art. But Inspire is more than just a lecture series.
“SCAD has been hosting the Inspire Conference since 2007,” said motion media professor Dominique Eliot. “Inspire strives to be a forum for the leaders of our industry to converse with and meet the future generation of creatives: our students.”
Inspire’s visiting speakers will be giving portfolio reviews to eager students in addition to delivering presentations and heading up discussion panels. Visitors include Academy Award-winning visual effects supervisor Richard Edlund, Imaginary Forces director/designer Lauren Hartstone, Joan Raspo (director of On-Air Creative and Branding at VH1/MTV Networks), and other industry professionals.
Inspire is organized by the school administration. Its complement, CoMotion, was initiated in 2010 by the students of MOME Love – the motion media department’s club – and has been run entirely by students ever since.
“With CoMotion, there is more interaction with students and companies,” said fourth-year motion media student and MOME Love president Jordan Graves.
Until the April 4 deadline, students were encouraged to upload personal reels and resumes to a special Dropbox space, where they will later be vetted by faculty and then viewed by industry professionals during CoMotion’s one-on-one portfolio reviews.
“This presents a unique opportunity for students to obtain professional internships and even permanent positions in the industry,” said Eliot.
In addition to cultivating interactive panels and interviews, CoMotion includes Student Showcase, a categorized competition for student work that is judged by a panel of faculty members. The competition is comprised of 13 categories including “Best 3D Compositing,” “Best Title Sequence,” “Kinetic Typography,” and an all-inclusive “Best in Show” award. Prizes will be presented in the form of software packages and tutorial subscriptions.
Though the deadline has passed, MOME Love, animation and visual effects students are still grinding away, organizing volunteers and making preparations for April 13.
“Companies come to Inspire and CoMotion because SCAD Alumni have shaped the reputation of the college in all the top motion design boutiques, ad agencies, and television networks in the US,” said Eliot. “It’s a true testament to the energy and talent of our students.”
Tickets for Inspire have already sold out online, but will be sold for $8 each at the entrance to SCAD Museum on April 12 and 13. The event’s web site contains a list of speakers and schedule of events. CoMotion registration is free.
