Singapore: a Global Hub for Education?

How does Singapore fare as an education hub?

Singapore’s focus on its education system makes sense when you think of its meritocratic branding, and its reliance on its people as a resource, given its lack of natural resources. Given the result-oriented nature of Singapore, it’s education system has since emerged as one of the toughest—drawing as much flak for its survival-of-the-fittest stance, as it has praise. The challenge and prestige of their education system (amongst the best in Asia), has seen a steady increase of international students flocking to their shores.

However, it is not just the students who are flocking. Lecturers, and even foreign institutions and universities are making their way to the island’s sunny shores, showing that everyone wants a piece of the pie. However, some foreign universities have found a way to co-exist with local institutions. The University of London is one good example. Instead of erecting an offshore campus, it has integr\pated its courses into local institutions. Locally renowned institutions like SIM University, Kaplan University and MAGES Institute of Excellence all offer one of Universityof London’s various international programmes.

While University of London’s International Programmes have always had a tradition of being global, other foreign universities have also established themselves locally, with universities such as Curtin even going so far as to set up a Singapore campus.

The creative education sectors especially, has seen an increase of foreign students and academies in the last decade. Visual effects courses in particular, are doing really well—blockbuster hits such as Godzilla and Pacific Rim have all outsourced their work to Singapore, due to the increased quality of infrastructure, support and talent pool.

While foreign universities have made their mark in Singapore, locally founded institutions have also stepped up their game. One good example would be MAGES Institute of Excellence, set-up in 2010, the school has seen a rise in prominence in the last 4 years. Recognizing job market needs, the school has set up itself to specialize in tertiary education and professional training for members of the creative technology industry. With courses ranging from visual effects courses specialization to video game design and development, the institute has been rewarded with its quality education and foresight by gaining recognition from the Council of Private Education (CPE) with its Edutrust branding.

It is institutions like MAGES that helps Singapore maintain its competitive standing as an education hub. While not yet at the level of elite destinations such as America (Harvard, Yale) and England (Oxford, Cambridge), it is clearly the leading destination in its region, and one of the top destinations in Asia.

 

Studying in Singapore- A look into Diploma Courses in Animation

Despite being a state of scholars, Singapore has in truth, long been a nation of skill-based individuals. Singapura as it was once known, had its roots as a bustling port for trade. This continued to be a trend up until the time of its colonialism by the British.

However, after the British left and Singapore became independent in 1965, the nation’s manufacturing industry blossomed under the guidance of its leaders. Since then, Singapore has always levied on its skilled manpower in order to make up for its lack of resources. The rapid development of media and technology has not escaped the country’s leaders, and the past two decades have seen the country develop its infrastructure accordingly.

In the past decade especially, the animation industry in Singapore has made extraordinary breakthroughs, in terms of influence, presence in the international industry, infrastructure and government support. Singapore is now the envy of its region having been involved in blockbuster hits such as Godzilla, Pacific Rim, Clone Wars: The Animated Series and more.

Education for Animation, has evolved accordingly with the industry, and several government and private institutions have shown their presence in recent years by producing alumni that have graced these very blockbuster productions that have put Singapore on the map in terms of Animation.

One such institution is MAGES Institute of Excellence. With a strong focus on game design, as well as animation courses, their modules range from the basics such as Character Game Design, to more complicated programming and art modules.Learn diploma courses in animation & give shape to your imagination.Create  your own animation video.Check this funny animation video......

Its Diploma courses in Animation even has a progression into an Advanced Diploma programme that allows you to choose one of three specialities involving, Visual Effects, 3D Character Modelling where you will upgrade your character design skills, as well as Character Animation.

Such specialized schools who are closely tied to the industry and its practitioners, place a high emphasis on ensuring that its students and its curriculum meet the dynamic needs of the industry. As a bonus, the school not only offers long courses, but professional short courses for practicing professionals to add-on or to refresh themselves in their respective field.

If you have ever considered picking up a tertiary course in animation, or wish to improve on existing skills such as character design for games and film, take a look-see at institutions and colleges in Singapore before you consider pricier options in traditional animation powerhouses such as in the United States.

International Spot Admissions-Take up Visual Effects Courses in Singapore by MAGES Institute

MAGES Institute of Excellence will be conducting spot admissions for its Visual Effects Courses in Singapore, namely the Visual Effects specialization track for its Advanced Diploma in Animation. Starting with India, the institute will be sending representatives to Coimbatore, Bangalore and Chennai from the 7^th of August to the 9^th of August. Following that, there will be trips to the Myanmmar (16^th of August), as well to Indonesia within the same month.

This represents the perfect opportunity for those in the area seeking to receive free personal advice regarding Animation and Visual Effects. However, there’s an even bigger reason why you should visit if you have the chance. MAGESInstitute of Excellence, is offering a 30% scholarship for selected students.

Those attending will be required to bring their portfolios, resume, as well as any educational transcripts in their possession. Of course, the course consultants attending the events will also be suited to advice students who are interested in developing other areas of their skillset, such as Game Development with Unity 3d.

In fact, if you’re in the area there isn’t a good reason to NOT attend the spot admissions. For one, it’s free advice from career professionals who can give aspiring animators and visual effects artists an insight into the booming amount of opportunities in Singapore.

Speaking about visual effects and animation alone, Singapore has been responsible (at least in part) of the production of blockbuster hits such as Pacific Rim, Godzilla and Man of Steel due to the presence of multinational companies such as Lucasfilm and Double Negative in Singapore.

It certainly seems like exciting times for the Creative Technology Industry in Singapore, and what better way to jump into the bandwagon and start your journey by dropping by for the international spot admissions?

MAGES has set up their registration for the India spot admissions and interested students can register their names at: http://www.mages.edu.sg/index.php/registration-page-bangalore-chennai-coimbatore

5 Reasons to Make the Jump to Unity 3D

For those of you in the know, MAGES Institute of Excellence remains the only Unity certified institute in Singapore. That in itself is not so much an achievement, but an endorsement and an acknowledgment by the school of Unity 3D’s impact as an editing tool and game engine. MAGES’ Game Design courses does have core programming modules, and the use of other engines such as Cocos 2D is also taught but there is no denying the increasing importance of Unity. So, what is the big deal about Unity? Here are five reasons why MAGES made the jump to Unity 3D, and why you should consider doing so as well.

1. It is simple to use. There are no distracting menus and keyboard commands to memorize, it is accompanied by a graphic representation of the functions that you enter and you can observe in real time if you are achieving your desired result. In short, the user experience is fantastic.

2. It simplifies development to a point where almost no programming skills are needed at all, allowing for everyone in the development team to be able to have direct input into the game, shortening the development time as there is less reliance on the programmers. In fact, 3D Development with Unity 3D has never been easier.

3. It is great for end users who simply need to install the Unity 3D plugin and insert the product URL onto their browsers. It is because of this accessibility that MNCs such as Electronic Arts, Ubisoft, Warner Brothers, Disney, Microsoft and NASA have made the jump. So why shouldn’t we follow suit?

4. It is cheap. Relatively anyways. A flat fee of USD 1500 will get you a Pro licesnse—none of that Annual Fees to worry about. The best part, an unlimited number of users can access your environment, so long as your website servers can handle the load.

5. Assets, assets and more assets! The Unity Asset store is filled with both free and paid assets that you can use to create your own game/environment. Developers can use the free assets as placeholders, or buy paid environments and change the texture to make it their very own. Schools or organizations like MAGES can use the available assets for say, Game Level Design Courses, instead of making the school or the students create the assets themselves. This advantage is not only for Game Level Design Courses, but all non-art related courses who can use the time saved to better achieve lesson objectives.

So, ready to make the jump to Unity? Tell us what you think!

Also, do look out for our upcoming announcements. MAGES Institute of Excellence is planning on stopping by several countries to provide free student counselling as well as spot admissions for our diploma in animation, advanced diploma in animation and other related courses.

3 Reasons to Take Up Diploma Courses in Animation

A Short Guide for Prospective Creative Students in Singapore

You’re fresh out of secondary education, and it seems to you that the academic route isn’t really your calling. As a kid, you’ve always been drawn to the Sunday morning cartoons in a different way. While everyone else around you stared transfixed at the screen, you wondered with curiosity on the inner workings behind such light-hearted magic. In school, you enjoyed art classes because it stimulated you, allowed you to create. I know, because I’ve been there.

Choosing to walk a non-traditional path is scary, after all we’d been brought up to believe that it’s important for us to study hard; to be good at Mathematics and the Sciences if you ever wanted to amount to anything. Art? That’s just a past-time. It’s been drilled into our heads over and over again, so much so that we start to believe that it’s true. I took the leap, got frightened, and turned my back on my dreams, only to find myself being drawn back to it, but that’s a story for another time. It did teach me a lesson though, and the first reason why you should take up Diploma Courses in Animation….

Because You Want To. The most important reason, and the simplest. I don’t mean to proceed with reckless abandon, but if being an Animator appeals more to you than say, being a Biochemist, why force yourself? Don’t let future income be a deciding factor in your journey, because to be honest, there are way too many variables in the future that could add or damage your earning power anyway. Do what you love, be good at what you do, and success will follow.

Times are also not what they used to be. The creative industry in Singapore has grown so much over the past 10 years, thanks to the efforts of the government and those within the industry. The growth in the Animation industry in fact, has been rather apparent. The arrival of industry giants, Lucasfilm Animation Singapore (LAS) in 2004 has also paved the way for smaller studios to flourish and boom. I guess what I’m saying is… Strike While the Iron is Hot. Granted, job stability is still something that could be worked in such a dynamic environment, but the industry has not looked as good in a long time, and seems like it is only to be getting healthier.

 

The truth is, if you’re still reading this, it means that you’ve considered this career path to some extent but might still be undecided. There is nothing much else for me to say to convince you though, except that Animation is one heck of a fulfilling industry. What you create is tangible, and the satisfaction of seeing your works being displayed… I met someone from Lucasfilms once, and he told me about how amazing it was to have taken part in the production of the movie, Pacific Rim, and watching it onscreen for the first time, was simply mind-blowing.

With how varied Animation is, you can even choose a specialization. Visual Effects, Character Animation and 3D Modeling Courses are available here at MAGES Institute of Excellence, for those who wish to further refine their skillsets into something more specialized. For example, specializing in 3D Modeling Courses will of course open up more markets for you. Besides the traditional roles of in films and gaming, 3d Modelers are also needed in interior design, architecture, the medical industry and for stage/set design. Of course, this is just the tip of the iceberg. Want to find out more? Leave a question in the comments or drop us a mail-enquiry@mages.edu.sg

Game Development Insights- What to Look Out For in a Game Development Education: Part II

Hey all,

Last month, I wrote a little about Game Development Education and would like to continue where I left off. After having talked about education in Singapore, as well as the local job market, I’d like to go a little bit more in depth into certain specific courses that I’ve looked into, available in MAGES institute of Excellence, Singapore.

Game Development with Unity 3D

The Unity Engine has been increasingly popular with Game Developers. Most of this has to do with Unity enabling both designers and artists to have direct input into the development of the game. Of course there are cons that come with simplifying a process. Programmers who are already proficient with the computer languages have to learn how Unity function. In the bigger picture however, the Unity Engine has been known to shave off development timing by months—thus explaining why current studios are adopting it, and why educational institutes are integrating Game Development with Unity 3D into their modules and courses.

Visual Effects Courses

I’d also like to speak a little about game animation and specialization into disciplines of animation, in particular, the visual effects courses as I got the chance to learn a little about these courses.

Visual Effects, is in essence, the manipulation of imagery outside the context of a live shot. While it is not usually associated with video games, more and more triple A studios are utilizing this particular discipline of Animation. Institutions such as MAGES Institute of Excellence, who specialize in Animation, as well as in Videogame Development are well poised to provide guidance to students.

Examples of modules usually taught in visual effects courses are visual effects theory and practices, environment look development, particle effects & dynamics, motion graphics, digital composing and lighting and rigging.

Of course, as with any animation related discipline, it is important that there is an emphasis on developing your demo-reel, which is in essence your portfolio. Having someone to groom and polish your portfolio allows you to put your best foot forward when it comes to future employment.

That is what institutions like MAGES Institute of Excellence can offer you. Imagine having established industry professionals themselves tell you what it is that you need to show prospective employers to land yourself a job in the industry. It is beyond just a simple education, but a transfer of decades of industry experience… but then again why take my word for it. If you’re interested in an education for game Design or animation, come down, have a look at the campus and meet the faculty. You’ll understand what I’m talking about. Once again, if you have any questions, do leave them in the comments below!

Cheers!

Animation Insights: What to Look Out For in an Animation Education

Hello again!

Today I’d like to share a little bit about 3D Animation Courses in Singapore, and hopefully manage to shed some light when first starting off in the industry.

When we mention an education in animation, there are several things to look out for. First off, are you looking for a generalised education? Or are you looking at specialising into a field such as Character Game Design and Animation? The danger of picking up general 2D and 3DAnimation Courses in Singapore is that Animation in itself is largely wide scope. A general education is best fitted as an introduction for anyone looking into entering the world of Animation and is requiring a base.

The Diploma in Animation from MAGES is one such course, and its modules provide a solid foundation for aspiring animators to find their niche. However, it is up to them to go further and develop their chosen specialty in order to avoid the trappings of being known as a generalist. Some may opt to develop these skills on their own, which is fine, but for those who prefer a guiding hand to boost their future portfolio and career while they seek out specialisation, the Advanced Diploma in Animation at MAGES is a good bet. It offers specialisation into Visual Effects, 3D Modeling and character game design and animation.

However I’d like to emphasise that for an animator, or any skill-based industry for that matter, what matters is not the level of certificate that you have. Your transcripts provide a glimpse into the training you have received, but at the end of the day, what tells your story is your portfolio. It is what future employers will ask for, when they are seriously considering you for a position. As such, it is good when looking out for schools and institutions that understand the focus on employability after education. Look out for modules in their courses that focus on portfolio development.

Well, that is all the time that I have for today. If you do have any questions however, feel free to leave a message on the blog. Cheers everyone, and thanks for reading!