J.C. Cornwell has been training VFX & Animation students and professionals for the past 20 years. As Director of Training at DreamWorks Animation, he leads the training team that teaches proprietary and 3rd party software to in-house artists and studio personnel.

Prior to DreamWorks, he spent 14 years at Sony Pictures Imageworks, starting as a studio trainer and eventual department director. He teaches software used throughout the production pipeline, from storyboarding to compositing.

He also serves as adjunct faculty at Art Center College of Design, and at Biola University’s Snyder School of Cinema & Media Arts. He has also taught at Gnomon School of VFX, Games, and Animation, as well as Studio Arts Los Angeles – all located in Southern California.

Marko Lazov is a skilled 3D Character Artist with expertise in 3D modeling, sculpting, and texturing. He specializes in creating high-quality, game-ready characters and character props that meet modern gaming standards.

With experience in both character design and asset creation, Marko excels at bringing detailed and realistic characters to life for video games.

Discover expert tips and tricks for creating detailed creature designs in ZBrush. Learn how to refine forms, enhance textures, and add realistic details using brushes, masks, and surface noise. Perfect for artists looking to push their sculpting skills to the next level.

In this talk, we answer an often-asked question, “How does Respawn keep making hits with its smaller team”?

The focus is on how the art department solves this riddle. However, as with most things in game development, it is intertwined with the larger picture of the project. So we will peer behind the scenes into factors that shaped Apex Legends and what challenges they presented to the art team.

We will dive into the strategy behind the art direction and the culture that helped us launch successfully. Apex Legends is a “live service” game, something that Respawn has never done before. We shed some light on how the Apex Legends team adapts to these new challenges.

Marko Chulev has been working at Industrial Light & Magic for the past nine years. He started in Singapore, then moved to London, and has been in the Vancouver office since 2015.

Since joining Industrial Light & Magic, Marko has contributed to many features including Terminator: Dark Fate, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Kong: Skull Island, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, The Mummy, Warcraft, The Avengers, and Star Trek: Into Darkness, among others. As a Model Supervisor, he specializes in the creation of creatures and digital humans, hair grooming and textures. He oversees the daily work of the DMS team both creatively and technically.

He was nominated for a Visual Effects Society Award in 2017 for Outstanding Model in a Photoreal or Animated Project for his work on Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.

Laurens Corijn is a technical artist with a background in video games, having worked at Splash Damage (project Dirty Bomb) in London and EA Dice in Stockholm (Mirror’s Edge Catalyst).

His focus is on procedural, smart workflows, and enabling other artists to create better work in a more efficient way.

These days he mainly works on training and education for Substance by Adobe.

Nikola is a generalist 3D artist with 10 years of versatile experience. He started his higher education as an engineer but pivoted to interactive media after a couple of years.
His professional baby steps were making models, animations, and VFX for music videos and movies.
After that, he ventured into architectural and product visualization for some time but then transitioned into graphics and web design.

He was making interactive art installations in parallel, for most of the time, but he did find his happy place eventually – as a game artist.

Darko Mitev has been working in the CG industry for 12 years. He currently lives in Dublin and is the Lead Character Artist at Brown Bag Films.
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He began his career in visual effects at FX3X, a Macedonian company. Since then, he has worked on numerous projects for various companies such as V-House, Axis Animation, Alt VFX, Sehsucht, and clients including Disney, Netflix, Apple TV, Microsoft etc.
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In this presentation, Darko takes us through the entire process of creating one of his latest artworks called Oris City. He talks about the concept, modeling, texturing, lighting, rendering and compositing of the final shot, as well as how he is turning this shot into a short film.

In this presentation, Erik, a former cinematographer at Pixar Animation Studio, shares his insights on how films are constructed, and visual language is developed.

He takes us through his creative process and demonstrates how storytelling is elevated through cinematography, using examples from his favorite projects at Pixar: Incredibles 2 and Piper.

With a diverse background in art, action, cinematography, and science, Erik’s 20 years of experience at Pixar make him the perfect person to explain how he uses these skills to tell emotionally compelling stories with the laws of physics.

Mihajlo Dimitrievski, also known as The Micho, is a talented illustrator from Bitola.

He began his career as a comic book illustrator, but over time he has expanded his skills to include a variety of different disciplines.

He has worked as a lead illustrator on numerous comics, as well as creating illustrations, concept art, storyboards, and animations. In addition, he has also taught these skills to others.

An influential figure in interactive entertainment, IP, and technology, Joe Rubino brings a wealth of experience as a Cinematic Director, Creative Leader, and Storyteller.

His expertise spans from cinematography to bleeding-edge procedural systems, shaping some of the industry’s most acclaimed projects.

Dexter Cornwell is a 17-year-old filmmaker from Los Angeles, California, who uses the art of stop motion to make comedic short films and bring LEGOS to life. He runs a YouTube channel, Shark Suit Studios, which he started in 2020. In addition, he takes on freelance editing projects and is a volunteer video editor for his school and youth group.

For this class, Dexter will share his entire process of creating a stop-motion short film, starting with just an idea, all the way to the final product. He will cover animation, lighting, rigs, editing, advanced techniques, masking, sound, voice acting, music, and more including a LIVE demonstration.

In this exclusive masterclass, Mara MacMahon, a talented character modeler at Pixar, reveals the artistic and technical processes behind creating memorable characters for animated films. Students will learn professional techniques for 3D character modeling, from concept to final render, while gaining insights into the workflows and tools used at Pixar. The course covers sculpting, anatomy, texturing, and how to give characters personality and depth.

Whether you’re an aspiring 3D artist or a seasoned modeler, this masterclass provides invaluable skills to elevate your character creation to industry standards. Join now to learn directly from a Pixar expert!

In this episode of M3DS Podcast, we sit down with Mark Flanagan, a visionary who made the leap from architecture to animation. With a career that bridges two creative worlds, Mark shares his unique journey and insights into how his architectural background has influenced his approach to animation and storytelling.

A passionate artist that lives and breathes the world of cinematic storytelling and beautiful visuals. Striving to learn and improve alongside our amazing local talents and make a difference in our animation/game industry.

In this episode of the Entrance Academy Podcast, we sit down with Mohit Kallianpur, a veteran at Walt Disney Animation Studios with nearly 30 years of experience! From starting in AI and robotics to becoming a Lighting Director on films like Tangled, Frozen, and Moana, Mohit shares his incredible career journey, industry insights, and advice for aspiring artists.

In this exclusive interview, we sit down with Ned Luke and Joe Rubino to delve into the behind-the-scenes magic of creating GTA V, one of the biggest video games of all time. Hear firsthand stories from the set, the challenges of last-minute script changes, and the innovative techniques that brought the game to life. Joe Rubino shares his experiences and the incredible collaboration that made GTA V a global phenomenon. Plus, get a glimpse of how the game’s popularity spans worldwide, from Macedonia to China and Brazil. Don’t miss this inside look at the making of a cultural icon!

Dexter Cornwell is a 17-year-old filmmaker from Los Angeles, California, who uses the art of stop motion to make comedic short films and bring LEGOS to life. He runs a YouTube channel, Shark Suit Studios, which he started in 2020. In addition, he takes on freelance editing projects and is a volunteer video editor for his school and youth group.

For this class, Dexter will share his entire process of creating a stop-motion short film, starting with just an idea, all the way to the final product. He will cover animation, lighting, rigs, editing, advanced techniques, masking, sound, voice acting, music, and more including a LIVE demonstration.

In our latest podcast, we sit down with the incredible Megan Starks, Narrative Director at Activision, and explore the highs and lows of crafting stories for the gaming world.

From her ambitions beginnings to leading narrative projects, Megan shares her journey and the determination it takes to succeed in the industry.

In this exciting episode of the M3DS Academy podcast, hosts Stefan Mitrov and Simon Zafirovski sit down with animation industry veteran JC Cornwell.

JC shares his fascinating journey from working on early animation concepts to his experiences with major studios like DreamWorks.

Portfolio Tips: How to craft a standout portfolio that aligns with leading studios like Blizzard.

Balancing Art and Tech: Strategies for blending artistic vision with technical skills to create compelling game art.

Career Insights: Advice for both aspiring and seasoned artists on maintaining passion and adaptability in the ever-changing game industry.

Exploring New Horizons: Why it’s important to consider opportunities beyond traditional game art roles.

In this episode, we sit down with @myhomie_omie, a talented character modeler at Pixar with a passion for storytelling through art. He shares his incredible journey, from his early days using Maya and Photoshop to crafting iconic characters at Pixar.

Omar dives into his creative process, the importance of iteration, and how he brings ideas to life. Don’t miss out on his insights, tips for aspiring artists, and behind-the-scenes stories from one of the best in the industry!

Want to work in animation or gaming? This episode reveals what top studios like Skydance, Disney, and Nickelodeon actually look for in artists!

Join Stefan Mitrov, founder of M3DS Academy, as he interviews Ariel Goldberg, Director of Talent Acquisition at Skydance Animation. Ariel shares his insider knowledge on what makes a winning portfolio, standout application, and successful interview for top-tier studios.

In this episode of the M3DS Academy Podcast, we sit down with Rodolfo Silva, a Maxon – ZBrush Trainer and Artist, to discuss his journey in the world of digital sculpting and 3D art. He shares valuable industry insights, tips for mastering ZBrush, and advice for aspiring artists looking to elevate their skills.