While Big Picture Lab & Hawk Eye Academy (Co-CEOs Kim Jae-ho and Lee Wan-gu) have been working on all aspects of 3D, including matchmoving and modeling, FX, and Unreal Engine, and participating in various film CG projects in Korea and abroad, including OTT, their focus in the first half of 2024 has been on thriving CG education content.  In particular, Kim and Lee contributed that they would further strengthen employment support activities for trainees who aspire to become CG artists in line with the current trend of abundant video media content, and received great acclaim for their on-the-job training that provides intensive care not only for employment but also after employment. The foundation of its popularity has been its existing comprehensive CG training platform, CG Station, and more than 100 VFX professionals it has trained, and with the launch of Hawk Eye Academy, CG training has become even more robust.

From beginner to advanced

Teaching students to grow in stages

The educational advantage of Hawk Eye Academy, which opened its 3D General Group extracurricular curriculum early in the first half of the year, is that it offers both lectures and a community that covers a wide range of CG disciplines. The goal was to ensure that aspiring CG artists could not only go through the curriculum, but also acquire the necessary skills and knowledge in the field, and lay the foundation for successful employment. This is in addition to the Unreal Engine class, which was offered as a specialty course last summer, as well as Animation, AI+After Effects, Assets, Houdini, and 2D Compositing. Hawk Eye Academy’s layered approach to student development is also impressive, with beginner courses covering 2D and 3D fundamentals, intermediate courses teaching VFX and game engine skills, and advanced courses providing in-depth coverage of the latest technologies and tools. Lectures on different game engines were also well received. “Game engines like Unreal Engine and Unity are among the most popular in the CG field. The lectures on these engines focused on helping trainees acquire the skills and knowledge they need to develop games, and while we stick to a curriculum that starts from the basics and moves up slowly for fast growth, the special summer vacation course focused on solidifying the basics so that it is easy to understand even for first-time learners” said the Academy. 

Delivering essential know-how to hit the ground running

Hawk Eye Academy’s strengths in collaboration and cooperation are well utilized in education, as it has its own 2D team as well as 3D team. The centerpiece of this is its YouTube channel, CG Man, which serves as a communication hub. In addition to the ongoing special lectures, the YouTube channel CGman provides the latest information on new CG technologies and trends, encouraging students to keep up with industry trends and improve their skills outside of class. With Asset Basics, Unreal Engine Cinematics, Animation Basics, Houdini Vex, and After Effects classes currently underway, Hawk Eye Academy has made it clear that it will continue to stay on top of industry trends and strive to help students gain more professional skills and experience. 

CG practitioners should be more interactive

The mentoring seminars offered at Hawk Eye Academy are also not to be missed. One of Big Picture Lab’s key initiatives was to provide opportunities for up-and-coming CG artist-oriented students to gain hands-on experience through regular mentoring seminars. Kim said “Information sharing in the CG industry is very important. In the current situation where the technology in the domestic CG field is being evaluated by the outside world as being inferior to Hollywood, the skills of domestic CG artists such as Disney and Sony Pictures in 3D modeling and photorealistic compositing have reached a global level. This is why we are organizing direct mentoring seminars to facilitate communication between current CG practitioners and students.” This year, Hawk Eye Academy invited V-Ranger artist Kim Hyung-woo to speak at the Big Picture Lab seminar, and CG artist Kim G-run, who is working overseas, met with students and gave a lecture on the topic of “AI and Humans.” Lee said “Overseas, the CG community is very well developed. Information sharing is also very active. We hope to create a CG culture in Korea where people can learn from each other, discuss, and study together, and we plan to continue to actively organize mentoring seminars.”

The focus is on hands-on training

Get early access to a Netflix-quality camera with a real-world computer

As a benefit of the portfolio class, students are provided with a dedicated computer and the opportunity to work on projects such as Netflix, TV, music videos, and commercials. At Hawk Eye Academy, students are mentored in the planning of their portfolios and are encouraged to work on their own projects to create a teamwork portfolio of 2D, 3D, and FX work, as well as internships at other VFX companies. The portfolio class is also unique in that it has the same attendance and study time checks as a real company, which is very helpful for students who are preparing to work in CG companies, and you can also experience Netflix-grade cameras in advance. Lee said “The main point is that students can get hands-on experience at each of the VFX companies that we have pre-arranged through Portfolio Class, which is something that hasn’t existed before in the industry.” There are plenty of examples of students already in the field. Recently, one Hawk Eye Academy 3D Generalist student joined 75mmStudio’s Matchmove team, which worked on Netflix’s Parasite and Kyungsung Creature, one Hawk Eye Academy 3D Generalist student joined the Calibus Unreal team, and one Hawk Eye Academy 3D Generalist student joined the Big Fish Visual Lab art team. Their previous experience with Hawk Eye Academy’s hands-on training made it easy for them to adapt in the field. lans for next year were also previewed via CG Man. Kim said “We’ll start with a four-month Animation Advance class at the beginning of the year, followed by four 3D General and three 2D Comp classes in the first half of the year, and two short classes in the second half of the year.”  Hawk Eye Studio & Big Picture Lab, which has been working on various film CG projects in Korea and abroad, including OTT content, as well as music video CG for major entertainment companies, has a unique approach to CG education. This is possible because the Academy provides all of the content in a way that makes it easy for practitioners in the field to teach, mentor, and have fun while learning about CG. It’s a great opportunity for anyone with aspirations of becoming a professional CG artist to get a taste of what it’s like. The current Hawk Eye Academy class roadmap and requirements for the in-person portfolio class can be found on their YouTube channel, CGMan.