Another area of training is in-production training, Jen. The number of
studios opting for XSI but unable to find experienced XSI users are opting
for the next best thing; experienced production staff with no XSI
experience. So you get the 'XSI is really crap at doing <X>, I can only do
<Y> in Maya'. You need people at studios like that to turn the statement
into 'bugger me, I didn't know you could do that. Hmm, actually XSI does <X>
and <Y> better than all the rest, and it does <Z> too'
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-xsi(at)Softimage.COM [mailto:owner-xsi(at)Softimage.COM] On
> Behalf Of Jennifer Goldfinch
> Sent: 29 August 2007 22:45
> To: XSI(at)Softimage.COM
> Subject: RE: Industry needs more xsi artists!
>
> Hi Kris et all -
>
> Recently, I was given the responsibility for working on expanding
> training material and edu programs at Softimage. At first glance, to be
> honest, it felt like a chicken & egg dilemma. The first thing we did
> was
> add in-box training material with version 6, thanks to our partners at
> Digital Tutors, to make sure that the SW at least shipped with a
> learning tool. It was also a priority to keep in contact with other DVD
> producers out there to make sure they had an updated license, to make
> sure they were on beta, etc, etc, etc.
>
> The next bigger issue that needed to be addressed was schools and
> training facilities -and as you know, many out there only teach Maya
> and
> or max. This proved to be frustrating at first, but upon digging deeper
> and having actual discussions with the schools and program leaders,
> many
> are keen on teaching XSI, they just want to make sure there are studios
> who use it. Many educators felt for years that there weren't enough XSI
> shops out there. Ok - yet we hear from clients all the time that they
> need people. (like this thread). PLUS new accounts want to use XSI, but
> are concerned about having a pool of trained users out there.
>
> So after the v 6 DVD, the next step was to build material to offer
> schools & trainers an opportunity to train their staff, as well as have
> comprehensive material for internal training programs for our new and
> existing clients who have expressed the need for this type of material
> to our sales teams.
>
> Soooo.. we have just spent the last few months working with a very
> talented XSI artist and trainer to develop professional-level XSI
> training material.
>
> Yesterday, I received a drive with 45 GIGS totaling over 37 hours of
> training, complete with scene files, scripts, mocap data, etc. A couple
> of my colleagues here who have started to dig into it here keep
> emailing
> me.. "wow, I didn't know that..."
>
> This is not curriculum, rather it is an intense set of tutorials for
> the
> professional 3D user to be able to transition to XSI and become
> familiar
> and comfortable with what the software has to offer. In addition to
> nearly 40 hours of videos, we also have written outlines to go with
> each
> module of the material. This is to help emerging markets build their
> own
> localized training material. It's a full featured "Train the Trainer /
> Train the Professional" program focused to help expand our market, your
> studios and our partners' business.
>
> We are actually taking the material on the road in Asia to train
> artists
> and schools in Seoul and Shanghai and then Mumbai, and will be looking
> at training events in key markets like NYC and Soho at a later date.
>
> Now I have to figure out the packaging and recompression of 45 GIGS.
>
> Oh - and if our trainer wants to reveal himself to the list, be my
> guest. :)
>
> The training material roll out will come very soon - its my HIGHEST
> priority following SIGGRAPH.
>
> jen
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-xsi(at)Softimage.COM [mailto:owner-xsi(at)Softimage.COM] On
> Behalf
> Of takita
> Sent: Wednesday, August 29, 2007 4:10 PM
> To: XSI(at)Softimage.COM
> Subject: Re: Industry needs more xsi artists!
>
> Kris Rivel wrote:
> > For most places...they don't want to fix what isn't broken. They may
> > or may not know that there are superior tools out there but the
> bottom
>
> > line is that they are there to make money. Their current pipeline
> > works and they won't change it unless something can significantly
> save
>
> > them money in production costs. Hopefully, with Softimage's new
> > pricing scheme and possibly Moondust, things will change. If you can
> > break it down and show just how much time and money you can save with
> > software A vs. software B, then the superiors might consider it, even
> > if it does mean re-training some of their team.
>
> Not to bring up an old dead horse but you have to figure in the student
> factor in to it, and as of late and most schools are still very heavily
> biased towards Maya. Yet the same as in the production houses, those
> are large and difficult ships to turn around.
>
> Don't forget also that the biggest expenditure for any production goes
> toward salaries, so it makes sense that management may regard the
> student pool as a potential resource to be tapped and where potential
> savings can be made.
>
> -T
>
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