Digital Media Academy: Success Stories

  Success Story 1 : The Adventurous Filmmaker

  Success Story 2 : From DMA to Leading Animation Studio

  Success Story 3 : The DMA Family Win-Win-Win

From Eco-Adventurer to Environmental Filmmaker: For Video Producer, Digital Media Academy Was the Stepping Stone To A New Career

To say that Skip Armstrong has a taste for adventure is an understatement. An avid whitewater kayaker and rafter, he’s paddled more than 80 rivers in 14 countries around the world. By the time he was 25, he’d parlayed those interests into a successful business leading eco-tours in the wilds of Costa Rica. Participants could choose from a wide range of activities, including rafting, mountain biking, surfing, kayaking and canyoneering, guided by Armstrong and his partners.

That might sound like excitement enough for one lifetime, but after six years, Armstrong was eyeing a new challenge: launching a second career as a video producer. He’d gotten hooked on the craft of filmmaking when creating videos for guests on his weeklong adventure tours. “We’d film the daily activities, and at the end of the week, I’d produce a video to give to the guests,” he says. “They loved it, and so did I.”

Armstrong began to dream of a new venture that would
combine his passions for filmmaking, outdoor recreation and environmentalism. In May 2007, he took the first step: he sold his share of the travel company and began seeking advanced training in video editing with Final Cut Pro. “I’d taught myself a lot of the basics,” Armstrong says, “but I really wanted to know how the pros do it.” Obtaining Apple certification was also a top priority. “Professional credentials had been important in establishing our travel business, and I wanted to do the same this time around.”

A search of Apple-certified training programs led Armstrong to the Digital Media Academy (DMA). “I liked the course offerings, and DMA looked like a solid organization,” he says. He was also impressed with DMA’s instructors, many of them veterans of the film and TV industries. DMA’s array of course locations was another big plus, allowing Armstrong to pick a geographically convenient spot, Stanford University.

Armstrong arrived on the Stanford campus in July 2007 for a series of four Final Cut Pro courses. Things went smoothly from the get-go: “The DMA staff was extremely well-prepared,” he recalls. “They had everything I needed, the classes were well-organized and the computers and other equipment worked perfectly: they nailed it.”

And the courses, says Armstrong, were exactly what he was looking for: “I was expecting people with a lot of expertise, and that’s what I got. They had a huge amount of knowledge and an eagerness to share it. The teaching assistants were awesome, too.”

After 2 months, Armstrong had what he came for. “I really learned the technical aspects of the software, and got an excellent understanding of professional techniques and workflows,” he says. “Now, instead of a spending a day trying to figure something out, I can just do it. I’m free to follow my creativity wherever it leads.”

For Armstrong, that creativity led directly to his own small business, Ceiba Productions, based in Boise, Idaho. There, he produces documentaries with an emphasis on travel, adventure and the environment. “I want to use my camera to raise awareness, particularly of endangered rivers and habitats.” Armstrong is currently working with Idaho Rivers United, producing a promotional video for the environmental non-profit. And he’s planning a trip back to Costa Rica to film a soon-to-be protected wilderness area. In the summer of 2008, he’s headed to Quebec to kayak and film the Romaine River, with the hope of aiding preservationists fighting proposed hydroelectric dams. Armstrong says it’s exactly what he had in mind when he first conceived the business a year ago: “For me, everything has fallen into place.”

Armstrong supplements his video production income by teaching. Thanks to his DMA training, he’s one of only a handful of Apple-certified Final Cut Pro instructors in Idaho. “The certifications have opened doors for me,” he says. “So have the professional connections I made through the instructors at DMA. DMA was a great way to start. If you want to learn from the pros, it’s an amazing way to go.”

 

Thinking of Grad School? For A Growing Number of Aspiring Media Professionals, Programs Like DMA Offer Faster, More Economical Alternative

For generations of creative professionals, the road to a sought after career in fields such as video game design, filmmaking or animation has gone through university-based master’s programs. But while grad school is still a popular choice for some, an increasing number of students are taking a shorter route, building essential skill sets and portfolios through accelerated programs like Digital Media Academy (DMA). For motivated learners eager to leap into a career, DMA classes can provide many of the same benefits as graduate school in a fraction of the time and cost.

Take the case of Mariana Galindo, who went from college to a full-time job as a character effects specialist for a leading animation studio, after three months of intensive study at DMA. Galindo estimates that the decision to attend DMA instead of a graduate program saved her several years and tens of thousands of dollars.

Galindo was initially set on going to grad school to study animation and had already been accepted in several highly regarded master’s programs when she graduated from college in June, 2006. Meanwhile, her mother decided to look into speedier alternatives and discovered DMA. After learning more about DMA’s diverse training options and instructors, Galindo was convinced. “In my case, a graduate degree wasn’t the goal,” she says. “I was aiming for a career in animation and character modeling, and I wanted cover as much ground as quickly as possible.”

Galindo spent 3 months in 2006 immersed in DMA coursework. She took 11 week-long courses in a wide range of subjects: Introductory Filmmaking and Storytelling; Editing with Final Cut Pro; Compositing and 2D Animation with After Effects; and 3D work with Maya software, including modeling, surfacing, character development, animation and effects.

The ambitious class load suited Galindo. “It was 40 hours a week of soaking up as much knowledge as possible,” she says. “Each week, I’d go from the early stages of being overwhelmed by a new task, to having a sense of control and an ability to problem-solve on my own. The instructors were really good, really receptive to the way I learn. I’m very visual and hands-on. And their expertise was really inspiring.”

The emphasis on practical learning fit Galindo to a tee. “We did a lot exercises and small projects,” she says, “which let me apply what I was learning.” In three months, Galindo was able to get a thorough grounding in character modeling and animation, along with storytelling and film editing. She even created an entire live-action short film, a dark comedy about a girl trying to justify her career choices in the face of skepticism. “DMA not only gave me the skills, but also the confidence to use them successfully,” she recalls.

That confidence was crucial when, not long after completing her DMA studies, Galindo landed a job in the Digital Training department at PDI/DreamWorks studios in Redwood City, California, where she’d done an internship the previous year. A few months later, she moved to the Character Effects department, where she works today, doing procedural modeling, hair, cloth, prop animation and rigging. In many ways, the position is a dream come true for Galindo: “I really love my job. The people are great, and I’m learning something new every single day.”

Galindo says her time at DMA has served her well in her work: “DMA gave me a solid foundation in all these different tools and techniques. It really helps when dealing with the various departments here at PDI/DreamWorks, and I still refer back to my DMA course materials and notes when solving technical challenges. I’d recommend it to anyone serious about achieving their goals. You can learn an incredible amount.”

 

For Mother and Two Teen Children, DMA Summer Program is A Win-Win-Win

Searching for the ideal teen summer camp is a lot more complicated than it used to be. Today’s parents and teens are choosier, and the choices have multiplied--from tech camps to sports camps to theme camps--making it harder than ever to find just the right option. “It’s tough for parents to figure out which programs will be worthwhile,” says Robyn Tepper, “especially when you want something that will engage your kids, be fun and educational at the same time.”

Tepper faced that challenge herself when looking for a summer program for her daughter Raelyn, 16 at the time, and son Dylan, 13. To add to the complexity, Tepper wanted a program that would mix indoor with outdoor activity and that would appeal equally to both her teen children. “My kids are 3 yrs apart, with different interests, so what were the chances I’d find something that would work for both of them?”

The chances, it turned out, were excellent--once Tepper learned about the Digital Media Academy’s Extreme Sports Video Production class. The class gives teens a chance to shoot their own videos at extreme sports events, and teaches them to edit their footage into films using Final Cut Pro software. By the end of the course each student produces a full-fledged extreme sports movie.

That sounded like a winning combination for both Raelyn Tepper, a gymnast with a budding interest in filmmaking, and her brother Dylan, who enjoys skateboarding, snowboarding and technology. Not only was the subject matter a perfect fit for the two teens, but the course also fulfilled a technology requirement at their high school. The fact that the course was offered on the Stanford University campus was an additional plus.

The class exceeded expectations on all fronts. Says Raelyn, “I learned so much--all about camera techniques for extreme sports, which can be really challenging, and how to use Final Cut Pro.” She was equally enthusiastic about the instructor: “Not only was he an amazing teacher, but he also had a degree in filmmaking with years of professional experience. I had a lot of questions, and he was always willing to help.” Raelyn got so much out of that first Digital Media Academy (DMA) course that she decided to return the following summer for two more: Extreme Sports Video Production II and Final Cut Pro II–Advanced Editing Techniques.

Those experiences contributed to Raelyn’s eventual decision to pursue a career in film. After graduating high school, she applied to the prestigious film and media arts program at Chapman University in Los Angeles--and was accepted partly on the strength of a film she produced at DMA. “It was about extreme athletes and how they overcome fear,” she says.

For Dylan, too, his time at DMA was memorable. “My favorite experience was the day when we got to go out and film guys doing back flips on BMX bikes. I loved learning how to shoot the action and create actual films.” It’s a talent that Dylan has continued to develop as a hobby and in high school projects. “His filmmaking abilities have made him popular in group assignments,” laughs Robyn Tepper. “All the kids want to be in his group. Those skills have been real source of motivation and a confidence-builder, which is great for a teen.”

Overall, the family could hardly be more pleased with DMA. “It was really fun, I learned a ton and I’m using all those skills in my studies at film school,” says Raelyn. “It was a wonderful experience.” Dylan agrees: “I’ve recommended it to friends and would tell anyone interested in filmmaking or other digital media topics that it’s a great thing to do.” Says Robyn Tepper, “It’s a great way to open up a new world to your kids, to open their eyes to possibilities. If I had more kids, we’d do even more classes.”