EDGE by Pearl Academy has partnered with one of the world’s leading animation schools, TRAZOS based in Spain, to launch international certification courses in animation, game design and development, visual effects, and virtual production at its state-of-the-art campus in Bengaluru. EDGE is all set to nurture the next generation of digital technology artists to fulfill a vital skill-gap in the industry at a time when India’s digital revolution is taking off. EDGE partner TRAZOS is ranked number one in Spain, amongst the top three in Europe and top seven globally. IAMAG, another EDGE partner, is the premium global master class platform for the world’s top digital artists. EDGE is also the first institute in India to offer a Master certificate course in virtual production, delivered by Unreal-Engine authorized instructors. Unreal Engine is the world’s most powerful real-time 3D creation tool, which has been used to create popular games like PUBG and the Star Wars Mandalorian series.
EDGE has launched a National Talent Hunt competition for 20 scholarships of up to 100 per cent for its first batch. Co-delivered and co-certified EDGE-TRAZOS courses are international skill-based certificate programs of nine months duration. These programs include master certificate in animation with Autodesk Maya, Master Certificate in Compositing with NukeX, master certificate in VFX with Houdini, and a master certificate in videogame production.
EDGE-IAMAG masterclasses from the world’s top digital artists from Europe and USA will provide special interactive sessions with leading animators, illustrators, concept and visual effects artists who have worked on some of the latest global blockbuster films.
EDGE also offers three-month Bootcamp courses in computer graphics, Unreal Engine, and Motion Graphics.
C B Arun Kumar, a National Award-winning Animation, Visual Effects, Gaming and Comics (AVGC) industry veteran, takes the position of Academic director at EDGE. Indian media industry leader and an award-winning journalist, social scientist, and author Dr. Nalin Mehta is the president of EDGE.
Speaking during the launch, Mehta said, “India’s AVGC industry is expanding at a phenomenal pace and is expected to touch $43.9 billion by 2024. As India becomes a new global center for digital production, the industry is looking for higher-skilled and international-quality creative artists. EDGE, with its international partners, is poised to develop some great talent who can perform extraordinarily and contribute to the growth of this industry.”
During the launch event held virtually, industry experts shared insights on the future of the AVGC industry in India. The panelists included TRAZOS director International Partnerships Pablo Bozal, IAMAG Masterclasses founder Patrice Leymarie, VOOT senior VP and business head Chanpreet Arora, A Plus Associates and Consultant with Epic Games Education founder Anumukonda Ramesh, Aristocrat Games senior director games Gautam Saluja, CEO Quidich Innovation Labs and president Drones Foundation of India Rahat Kulshreshtha, along with Global University Systems, Asia-Pacific CEO Sharad Mehra, C B Arun Kumar, and Viveck Vaswani, Pearl Academy.
Sharing his insights on the industry, TRAZOS Pablo Bozal said, “The potential of AVGC content in other sectors besides the entertainment industry is huge. There are already companies that create applications based on gaming, animation and VFX to drive processes, training programs and better assimilation of new capabilities. We are excited to partner with EDGE with courses that offer students the new cutting-edge skills of tomorrow.”
IAMAG INC CEO Patrice Leymarie added, “With the emergence of new technology such as VR, real-time production and the increasing power of graphic card, it has become easier than ever to not only produce smooth and realistic animation almost in real-time, but also to master latest tools to create and tell stories in a new way. IAMAG is proud to share its creative vision and network with EDGE and its students who will be the future champions of the entertainment industry.”