DWARF LABS LAUNCHES DWARF ACADEMY WITH EX-PIXAR ARTIST AT HELM
Skwigly
In September, Dwarf Labs will establish Dwarf Academy with Minhyung Lee, ex-Pixar and PDI/DreamWorks, as Head of Training. The goal is to keep the studio’s professionals on their toes, and to develop the next generation of recruits.
DWARF ACADEMY: AN INNOVATIVE TRAINING DEPARTMENT
At Dwarf Labs, our strongest assets are at once our proprietary lighting and rendering solutions, and the skill of the teams creating and using them. The world’s best sports clubs invest heavily into their training strategies and we’re launching the Academy for the same reasons – to hone skills and develop fresh talent in a long-term investment into the growth of the studio.
Dwarf Academy specializes in a curriculum geared towards high-end computer graphics careers in the entertainment industry. This training department is unique thanks to its intimate links to Dwarf Labs, a busy and successful studio. Each student will be mentored by a professional from Dwarf, ready to show them how it’s done using real-world, deadline-driven examples.
This innovative concept of integrating study into the working conditions of an active production and R&D laboratory informs multiple aspects of the course; even the pipeline that the students use is based on that used at Dwarf Labs. This benefits not only the students but also Dwarf, as the best artists and technicians will be asked to join the studio.
Our training sessions are on a human scale, using state-of-the-art hardware and our unique in-house software technologies, where the student benefits from courses tailor-made to impart effectively the knowledge and skills they need to build the strongest career foundations possible. The staff are experienced and well-regarded professionals in their fields, and come from the world’s most respected studios such as Pixar, PDI/DreamWorks, Sony Pictures Imageworks and Weta Digital.
HEAD OF TRAINING AT DWARF ACADEMY, MINHYUNG LEE, EX-PIXAR & PDI/DREAMWORKS
Minhyung is leaving Pixar to head the Academy at Dwarf CEO Olivier Pinol’s request. He states:
Dwarf Academy is such a unique place. Its program is very similar to the training courses at Pixar and PDI. It is organized to show the big picture of team play in a production, but also is very clear in letting you know how you as an individual artist or technician will be expected to contribute.
We have designed a course where artistic and technical skills development are balanced, and one that focuses not only on the fundamentals of visual concepts and theory, but complements them with master classes by leading professionals in their discipline, and practical exercises that are absolutely essential for the student to be able to hit the ground running as soon as they graduate.
I’m so excited to share my professional industry experience and all the knowledge I’ve gained from the Oscar-winning studios I’ve worked at. I will bring the spirit of Hollywood to Dwarf! Olivier and I have shared the vision of training the next global leaders of artists and engineers since we met at PDI so when he asked me to join Dwarf, I answered ‘Of course!’ without hesitation.
WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR
Artists and technicians with a thirst for learning and a passion for their craft, with a deep interest in the moving image, in particular animated film, visual effects and/or games, and who are ambitious, relishing the challenge of studying at the training department of Dwarf Labs.
DWARF LABS
Dwarf Labs is poised to become one of the leading animation studios of the 21st century. Its artists and technicians are inspired to create the most exquisite moving images in expression of the director’s vision, as seen in the three recent ads for Réseau Ferré de France and ‘Winter Tale’ for Cartier.