January 05, 2009
Education 2010: Digital Planet
Emily Torem

The starving-artist stereotype has unfortunately maintained a decent amount of credibility, which could explain why myriad parents scoff at kids who harbor Dawson Leary-like dreams of being the next Spielberg past adolescence. Flashpoint Academy, with its combination of real-world practicality and a passion for the digital arts, is helping to dispel that notion. “Thanks to the ubiquitous nature of media, and the downscaling of technology, anyone can make a living in the arts—with the right education to get them started,” says Academic Dean Paula Froehle.

Founded in 2007, the fledgling digital-arts college in downtown Chicago offers intensive two-year programs in one of four areas: Game Development, Film & Broadcast, Recording Arts and Visual Effects & Animation.

Flashpoint differs from other four-year colleges in its cross-disciplinary, immersive approach to teaching that keeps current with the pace of the industry. “Today keeps changing to tomorrow; it’s a constantly evolving field,” says Perry Harovas, Chair of the Digital Effects and Animation Department. Timeless skills, like the ability to follow a project through from start to finish, teamwork and problem-solving skills are emphasized. “Rather than having them be button jockeys, [they] learn how to use all the tools together and have them know everything that’s going on behind the scenes.”

Flashpoint’s faculty are all strongly encouraged, if not required, to continue working professionally in their respective industries, keeping up to date with current developments and software changes. Harovas has just completed some film trailers for Liongate Entertainment. “When a new piece of technology comes out and does things better and faster, we can change the curriculum to reflect that,” says Harovas. “This flexibility keeps us attentive, alive and current for the students—a vital aspect of teaching the digital arts,” says Froehle. “As soon as it becomes outdated, you’re teaching history, not contemporary approaches.”

Flashpoint students are on a schedule that is far from typical for a college student: they are expected to be on site forty-to-sixty hours a week. Additionally, students are expected to adhere to Flashpoint Professional Standards, including accountability, collaboration and initiative, traits considered vital to succeeding as a professional in any field. Students can gain or lose FPS points based on their behavior outside the classroom. “In a lot of ways we are more like a graduate program—we expect a dedication that is at that level, and in return, we offer a student a two-year immersion in professional education,” says Froehle.

“We aren’t a place where a student can spend time ‘finding themselves’ or trying to discover what it is they want to do,” says Froehle. “A Flashpoint student must know the field they want to enter before being accepted.”

For the right student, however, Flashpoint seems to have held up its end. Froehle easily lists impressive job placements by Flashpoint’s first—and as of yet only—graduating class, freshly minted in May 2009. Film grads litter the West Coast, placed with top production companies, while others make their way in freelance gigs on reality TV crews. Still others have stayed in Chicago, working for outfits like WriteGoal, a local production company. A group of Recording Arts students work audio for area concerts, having done the Elton John/Billy Joel at Wrigley and several Broadway shows, including “The Addams Family.”

“When I see our students at graduation, and hear how well they’re doing in their new careers,” Froehle says, “I feel absolutely certain that for the right student, this approach is the best education for media artists in the twenty-first century.”

Vincent Guisetti is a Hollywood Foley artist with experience working on more than 350 films, TV shows, and cartoons including Passion of the Christ, Mr. Brooks, Hostel parts I & II, The Pursuit of Happyness, Talladega Nights, Behind Enemy Lines, and SpongeBob SquarePants. Guisetti shared stories about his experiences and some of his trade secrets to creating unique sounds behind-the-scenes.

Flashpoint Academy’s Class of 2010 experienced a behind-the-scenes look at working professionals in action during Flashpoint Academy Career Services Development Week. Students visited several high-profile companies in each of their disciplines and got an in-depth look at how the day-to-day business within each of those companies operates and were treated to one-on-one sessions with employers.

SOL DESIGN

The week kicked off to an exciting start when the Animation/VFX students visited Sol Design, a creative design and effects company that works across several categories of media including entertainment, advertising, broadcast, and interactive. An extensive tour of Sol and their parent company Cutters was led by 3-D designer Brian Bullock, who gave the students a breakdown on how each department works together to create one project.

CRC

The Recording Arts students “got an earful” at Chicago Recording Company (“CRC”), a historic recording studio in downtown Chicago where dozens of notables have recorded hits including Michael Jackson, The Smashing Pumpkins, and Britney Spears, just to name a few. Students who concentrate in sound design for film were granted a tour by studio manager, Rose Razal, of CRC’s multi-level post production studios, while those focused on music recording got valuable knowledge from studio General Manager, Chris Shepard, and a private listening session in one of CRC’s state of the art ProTools HD studios.

RAVEN

On Tuesday and Wednesday, the Game Development students took a bus trip up to Madison, WI to visit Activision/Blizzard affiliate, Raven Software, where they got the opportunity to meet with executives ranging from the game design team to the decision makers that hire the staff.

NBC

Back in Chicago, several of the film/broadcast students got an up close and personal look at what goes on behind the scenes and in front of the camera to produce a successful syndicated television series at NBC Studios with two tapings of the Judge Jeanine Pirro Show. Afterwards, the film/broadcast students got an exclusive Q&A with Emmy-Award winning director Joey Ford.

PIXEL BROTHER & KARTEMQUIN FILMS

Both Pixel Brothers (post-production facility) and Kartemquin Films (documentary filmmakers best known for “Hoop Dreams”) hosted field trips at their facilities where students watched sample demo reels and participated in a Q&A to analyze the quality of the work.

PIXEL

KARTEMQUIN

Overall, the Flashpoint Academy Career Services Development Week presented our students a golden opportunity to network and experience a “day-in-the-life” of working professionals in their respective industries.

Dear Flashpoint Parents & Family,

Welcome back to the Core Studies update. My name is Francine Sanders and I am the Director of Core Studies at Flashpoint Academy. Each month, you will hear from me and my colleagues regarding curriculum, activities, and upcoming events.

October was another exciting and fulfilling month in our corner, and we have plenty to look forward to in upcoming months.

Here’s what’s going on for both first year and second year students:

First year students in Oral Communication: Part A continued their journeys toward becoming effective public speakers and gaining confidence as communicators. Last month, students presented their first narrative speeches, which focused on execution & delivery, as well as their storytelling skills. The speeches were taped, and students will review them—and their progress—at upcoming midterm conferences with their instructors.

JumpStart, a speaker series in which industry professionals share their stories and tools for success with Flashpoint students–and is part of the training for students enrolled in Oral Communication–kicked off with Flashpoint’s President & CEO Howard Tullman. Howard presented “The Perspiration Principles: You Get What You Work For, Not What You Wish For.” Students prepped for the talk by conducting research & preparing questions, and followed up by writing a reflective report.

Oral Communication: Part B, which focuses on developing job interviewing and pitching skills, began last month for many Year Two students. This week, students will hear from guest speakers who will share their interviewing expertise and strategies for successful job interviews. Upcoming in-class mock interviews will be taped and analyzed in a future class session. The capstone of the course is FLASHPITCH, a pitch event where students pitch their projects to a panel of industry professionals from recording arts, film/broadcast, animation/VFX and game development.

A separate JumpStart Series of presentations is also lined up for Year Two students, who continue to hone their public speaking and presentation skills in the second-year component of the course. Last month, this series kicked off with Rich Moskal, director of the Chicago Film Office, who shared his career journey and life lessons with Year Two students. Check out the guest post on the FPA blog from Game Development student Andrew Prete, who reflected upon his experience at the JumpStart session with Rich.

Basic Math continues for both Year One and Year Two students. Both courses are focused on integrating math skills with professional, real-world problem-solving related to their field.

Outside of the classroom, we just released the 5th edition (Summer/Fall) of Scratch Paper, the online student magazine for student writing and graphic art. Please take a moment and check out the published work of present and past students by clicking here.

Michael Santucci, RA Chair John Murray, and AES Students

Michael Santucci, President and owner of Sensaphonics, Inc. lectured to all first-year students of the Recording Arts Department at Flashpoint Academy this past Thursday October 22.

The event not only served as an excellent supplement to the foundational courses RA students are currently taking in the department, but also acted as a kick-off for the guest lecture series hosted by the newly formed Audio Engineering Society Student Chapter at the school. Michael spoke on hearing conservation, in-ear monitors, and the need for an overall awareness of living in an culture that more and more includes “personal listening devices” played back at dangerously loud sound pressure levels. During the demonstration portion of his lecture, Michael took ear canal impressions of Academic Dean Paula Froehle, which will become custom-molded ear plugs.

Kudos to all the officers of the AES Student Chapter for hosting a great first event.

An announcement from Simeon Peebler, chair of Flashpoint Academy’s Game Design Department.

I am thrilled to share that two students from the Game Development program at Flashpoint are featured as winners in a recent Game Design Challenge held by one of the industry’s most important websites. First year student Emily Greenquist won as Best Entry, and Terumi Tamaki won an honorable mention. Follow the links to check out the full details!

From the article: “Results from Game Design Challenge: Literary Inspirations”
We have hundreds, even thousands, of years of literature to draw from — yet so little of it has been used for source material for games. Early next year, Electronic Arts will release Dante’s Inferno, a very loose adaptation of part of Dante Alighieri’s epic poem The Divine Comedy, written in the 14th century.

What follows are the best and most original entries we received. Here are our top picks.

Best Entries:

Emily Greenquist, Student, Flashpoint Academy (Year One Student)
“The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it.”
- Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray

Greenquist takes a complex story and weaves it into a solid game concept. The Picture of Dorian Gray, as a horror-themed RPG, puts players in the role of an amoral protagonist who must eventually face the consequences of his actions. Though the experience would be a largely passive one for the player, the depth in narrative promises a rich payoff.

Honorable Mention:

Terumi Tamaki, Romeo and Juliet: Happily Ever After (Year Two Student)

Congratulations to both of these outstanding students on their accomplishment!

The following is a guest post from Game Development student Andrew Prete reflecting upon his experience at Flashpoint Academy’s Jumpstart session with Rich Moskal, director of the Chicago Film Office.

Rich Moskal

My name is Andrew Prete. I attend Flashpoint Academy and I am “a gamer.” I am studying to become the greatest game producer that ever lived. Everything I do revolves around games, from seeing who can eat a giant piece of pizza (with pepperoni) the fastest, to driving down Lake Shore Drive weaving in and out of traffic because I can, or playing head games with my friends. Now, you might be asking yourself, how is this guy a film fanatic? Well, I will tell you.

When I am watching a movie I am emotionally vested from the very beginning. I experience what the character experiences. I laugh, cry and get scared. I am there in the thick of it every step of the way — even when the movie is not so great. I accept their reality and run with it. These things called “motion pictures” give me an escape I could have never imagined. They are my biggest muse and hold much power over me. I don’t criticize or look down upon them; I simply enjoy them like a baby discovers his or her own fingers: with wonderment and awe.

I recently had the pleasure to hear Rich Moskal talk at Flashpoint and give us his point of view of the film industry. Rich Moskal has served as the director of the Chicago Film Office for thirteen years, but before that he was a kid and a student — a student trying to find his way in the world not knowing what to do, say, or think. He attended Loyola for a short time and studied some form of medical mumbo jumbo. Trust me when I say he has done a ton of jobs both in and out of the film industry.

What I connected to most was the kindness and generosity Rich seemed to have. When he works, he does so not only for himself but for those around him. He wants to be the best he can be. Not the best producer or editor or actor. Not the best location scout or writer or camera operator. Not even the best director of the Chicago Film Office. He wants to be the best person he can be — a person who wants not only to see himself succeed but also wants those around him to succeed as well. All the stories he told and the things he accomplished boil down to just one thing: that this person came to Flashpoint, talked with the students, and answered our questions because he wants to see us have the success that we want.

I am thirty-two years old, newly married and have started my life over by coming to Flashpoint. I hope to have the same success that Rich has had but in the game industry.

Director Michael Noens.

On Monday night, October 12th, Flashpoint Academy welcomed back Director and Flashpoint Alumnus Michael Noens for a cast and crew screening of his latest feature film, Coasting.

A touching story of two young people struggling to find passion and meaning in their adult lives, Coasting is both funny and touching, and shows the remarkable heart, skill and dedication of all those who made it.

For The Independent Critic’s review of Coasting, please click here.

(Photos by Lorelei Cummins. Courtesy of CNGM Pictures.)

John Murray, chair of the Flashpoint Academy Recording Arts Department, reflects on the 127th Audio Engineering Society Convention.

The students were terrific!

Elena Rubin, Bob Stephen, Austin Lutter, and Chase Francowiak ran the Education Fair like seasoned pros, made a number of incredible connections, received roaring applause in the Student Delegate Assembly acknowledging the establishment of a “very healthy” Flashpoint Academy Student Chapter, and experienced the entirety of the industry up close and personal. And even though he didn’t work the booth with us, first-year Brandon Jackson also attended the convention. Truly, both Bernie [Mack, (faculty, recording arts)] and I were so impressed with how they handled themselves in an overwhelming environment.

Here are some highlights:

FOURTH ANNUAL CENTRAL REGION STUDENT SUMMIT AT WEBSTER UNIVERSITY [ST LOUIS]

Elena and I spent a considerable amount of time talking with students, alums, and faculty of the Webster University Audio Program about their Student Summit in March 2010. The event is rapidly becoming a mini-AES attracting 400+ students in similar programs from all over the Midwest, 100+ industry professionals, and hundreds more in high school or those thinking about careers in audio. Guest speakers scheduled for next March include George Massenburg, Elliot Scheiner, Phil Ramone, and Frank Filipetti just to name a few. Unlike the National Convention, which equally includes exhibitors and vendors of pro audio equipment, the Central Region Student Summit focuses on workshops, tutorials, and career-oriented forums designed to help students transition into their professional lives.

ALEX CASE

Alex is an educator, author, engineer, and lecturer internationally known for his wonderful book Sound FX: Unlocking the Creative Potential of Recording Studio Effects. He is also this year’s Chair of the AES Tutorials and Workshops Committee. We had a long conversation and he was very impressed with how many students we have been able to attract to become AES members. His book is the main text for our year-two capstone course Signal Processing. In talking about lecturing around the country and his busy schedule, Alex mentioned that he is due to be in Chicago in November for unrelated reasons and would love to come to Flashpoint to lecture. This is a wonderful opportunity to tie-in concepts and methodologies they are learning in class from our instructors with the author of their text.

JOHN HARDY

John is the designer and manufacturer of professional microphone preamplifiers. We have one of his M1 two-channel devices installed in Music Control. World headquarters are in Evanston, IL. Bernie spent some time with him at the convention and he would like to come to Flashpoint and lecture to all of our Recording Arts students.