[spectre] Media Training Workshops in Prague

[Denisa Kera]

TransISTor 2
http://transistor.ciant.cz/

TransISTor is an ongoing training project (started in 2005) with a main 
objective to increase competence of audiovisual professionals as well as 
educators working with interactive media. The training sessions which 
combine personalized hands-on practising with conceptual and technological 
introductions address producers, developers, programmers as well as 
teachers, artists, and designers.

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In 2006 TransISTor offers 3 intensive training sessions with renowned 
lecturers and professionals from Europe, USA and Japan.


Session 1:     3D virtual environments, game creation and storytelling

13. 06. - 16. 06. 2006, Prague
400 (freelancer) / ? 800 (corporate)
The price includes training, didactic materials and subsistence.


Session 2:    Motion capture techniques for 3D games and film

03. 07. - 06. 07. 2006, Karlovy Vary during the International Film Festival
400 (freelancer) / ? 800 (corporate)
The price includes training, didactic materials and subsistence.


Session 3:     Simulation in 3D spaces and games (Physics, AI and AL)

07. 07. - 10. 07. 2006, Prague
400 (freelancer) / ? 800 (corporate)
The price includes training, didactic materials and subsistence.


Application deadline: 1st of May 2006

Scholarships are available through the organiser and the MEDIA desk offices 
in the participants` home country. In case you need further assistance with 
the funding, please contact us. We strongly encourage applications from 
women and members of minority groups.

Partner of the project:
FAMU - Film and TV Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague

TransISTor is a training initiative organised by CIANT - International 
Centre for Art and New Technologies with a support of the MEDIA Training 
programme of the European Union.

Training sessions are aimed to offer transdisciplinary insights into some of 
the advanced multimedia techniques which underpin contemporary audiovisual 
productions. TransISTor focuses on the emerging, specifically computer games 
related technologies while opening up their creative potential also for 
non-gaming storytelling domains, including cinema, TV, educational 
applications and cross-media productions.

3D virtual environments, game creation and storytelling

In this project-based workshop participants will be introduced to the 
fundamentals of game design and programming and will present a final group 
project at the end of the week. Lectures and exercises will give an overview 
of the tools and techniques used for game creation from 3D modelling (3Ds 
Max, Maya, SoftImage XSI) to customizing and expanding the games: creating 
levels and "modding" game engines. Through analysis of case studies the 
participants will explore the strengths and weaknesses of different game 
technologies in respect to interactivity, immersion and storytelling. 
Through group-work they will put the analytical concepts into practice and 
experiment with the basics of how to model characters and environments or 
how to create a modified game. The goal of the workshop is to explore the 
future development of games in respect to issues of cross-media, innovative 
story-based content creation and pervasive multi-user applications and 
interfaces.


Motion capture techniques for 3D games and film

The emphasis of this creative cross-disciplinary workshop is on the motion 
capture technology and its different employment in biomechanics' research, 
robotics, cinema and animation in games. During the intensive 4-day workshop 
participants will examine the potential and limitations of the motion 
capture technology and form a team that will develop and carry out a 
collaborative project. The workshop will examine different systems for 
capturing motion data (optical and magnetic systems), explain the process 
(setting sensors, recording session, computer post-processing, issues of 
exporting animation data and their association with a 3D model and 
manipulation of motion data in 3D software) and further outline related 
technologies such as facial motion capture and performance capture. The main 
goal of the workshop is to explain how to create a realistic animation with 
a motion capture system and how it is used in Virtual Reality and Augmented 
Reality projects.


Simulation in 3D spaces and games (Physics, AI and AL)

In this workshop participants will gain knowledge of different game engines, 
specially developed "social" engines and other simulation tools that will 
help them create their final project. Such engines and tools are used to 
simulate physics of different environments, social processes and behaviours 
of autonomous intelligent agents and even evolution in the case of 
artificial life. The participants will work in teams and explore the 
knowledge from different disciplines (computer and natural science, 
communication, informatics, bioinformatics etc.) in order to create 
audiovisual projects using alternative physics, artificial intelligence of 
artificial life. Case studies will help them understand the future 
development of digital games for entertainment as well as non-entertainment 
purposes that are used in the field of education and audiovisual 
productions.


Contact:

CIANT - International Centre for Art and New Technologies
Kubelíkova 27
130 00 Prague
Czech Republic
Tel.: +42 (0) 296 330 965
Fax: +42 (0) 296 330 964
e-mail: transistor at ciant.cz
URL: http://transistor.ciant.cz
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Denisa Kera
denisa.kera at ciant.cz
Project manager for TransISTor