What guidelines do video game artists need to follow to succeed? Volition manager Self-Ballard draws from his experience to suggest three key traits of the best game art creators.3. You can only grow so much through school and work. The best artists hone their skills outside of school and outside of work. They keep creating even when they’re not “on the clock.”

Game Artists: The Three Cardinal Rules »

The second teaser trailer for the newest feature film from Pixar is available at Apple. It’s gorgeous of course, and also quite funny.

Pixar’s new film Trailer: Up »

New and astonishing artwork is submitted to our instructors every week by our extremely talented students. We thought it was time to update the gallery!

DArTT Student Gallery Updated »

Game Career Guide just sent me this amazing news:

For the first time ever, Game Developer’s annual Game Career Guide, a special edition magazine devoted to helping aspiring video game creators, is being given away for free! This issue includes a salary report for entry-level jobs in video game development, as well as numerous articles with tips on breaking into the industry.

I’ve read this issue and trust me, it is jammed with info. There’s a definition of each discipline within the games industry (including artists), the results of the game-school student survey I mentioned a while back, and an enormous directory of game schools. Visit and download!

Game Career Guide Digital Edition – Now Free! »

The Nicktoons Network Animation Festival is on the hunt for a selection of original short films created in any style of animation that do not exceed 10 minutes in length. Submitted shorts will be chosen by a pre-selection jury and will be showcased on-air, online and during the network’s exclusive live event in October. Prizes will be allotted for five awards: Grand Jury Award; Student Award; Producer’s Choice, Viewer’s Choice Award; and the festival’s Grand Prize, the Nick Development Award.

The winner of the Nick Development Award will receive $30,000 towards the development of a show bible, pilot script and storyboard along with the guidance of the Nick development team. Additionally, Nicktoons Network has partnered with mtvU, MTV’s college network reaching over 750 campuses nationwide, to tap into their acclaimed Best Film On Campus student filmmaker community. The festival will be featured on Bestfilmoncampus.com throughout the summer, and the winner of the Student Award will also have the opportunity to see their work featured nationally as the “mtvU Film of the Week.”

Nicktoons Animated Shorts Festival »

Rube Goldberg Animation by 3D Graduate Shawn Crowle

A very beautiful sepia-toned animation that is poignant as well as wonderfully animated and textured. The site itself is in Spanish (I think?) but you don’t need to understand the language to comprehend a short like this.

Tango Animation in 3D » [via NotCot ]

The editors of Game Developer magazine, Gamasutra.com, and GameCareerGuide.com are inviting current and prospective students in University game programs to take part in the first-ever Game Developer Career Guide Student Survey.

Game Developer Career Guide Calls for Student Feedback »

An interesting short done by some animation students over 2-3 years.

PACO: An Animated Short »

My high-school French is really rusty, but my eyes are open wide when enjoying this set of 3D-generated images by Zamak, whose real name (if my gmail detective skills are in order) is Olivier Bucheron. He’s got some amazing character designs and does a lot of texture and render experiments that are simply breathtaking.

Rendering by Zamak –>