All eyes are on Hollywood this weekend for the Academy Awards. But the eyes of many Utah kids are on Hollywood for future careers. Those with animation skills are in high demand and some teachers are going the distance to make sure digital arts are taught in every Utah high school.
What if you could learn to create a movie like Disney Pixar’s “Monster's Inc” or Dreamwork’s “Shrek” in high school? It’s not make-believe at one Utah school - East Hollywood High.
“Our high school students here have the animation capabilities of most colleges,” states Digital Arts instructor Kelly Jones.
Kids come from all over the state just for the digital arts program at East Hollywood High.
Senior Rebecca Jane Gourley believes the school is giving her a leg up on the competition, “Yes it definitely does. I'm working on demo reels and things like that to get accepted into colleges.” It’s only Rebecca’s first year at East Hollywood and she's already in advanced animation.
Jones' goal is to get the same digital arts program in every high school. “I know a couple of schools that their 3-D program is on paper. There's no computer involved. Are you kidding me? You can’t do a 3-D program on paper!” exclaims Jones.
Legislation to get digital arts in all California high school curriculums is in the works and is actually Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's pet project.
“How it translates to Utah is California is just the beginning step, once we get California down, then we can start branching out,” explains Leighton Allred who is a software designer helping to push the digital arts program legislation through.
The training isn't just useful in Hollywood; it has thousands of other applications, like web design and gaming.
“I really want to aspire to be more or a graphic designer. This really helps in terms of drawing and designing,” says another East Hollywood High student.
Jones adds, “I've got two students that are actually working in the industry as we speak. They graduated and they went to work with web companies. The rest of my students are all in college.”
Jones spent years working in Hollywood. He now teaches digital arts to students and other instructors all over the country.
No legislation has been drafted in Utah yet, but there could be a bill in the next couple of years.
If you would like more information on the digital arts, go to: www.imaginationexchange.com, www.towerofyouth.com and www.3Dexchange.com.
