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View Full Version : How TAD places students into the opportunities of the next decade's creative economy



Jason Manley
December 19th, 2010, 11:39 PM
If you are considering TAD, this is important to read. It will answer many questions both parents and students have about what TAD provides, and how success is set up for those who attend.

Each of the students here have their own unique vision for their careers. In this letter below, I hope to share with you what make's The Art Department stand alone and how we can help those who dare to dream, no matter where they live, work, or create.

TAD’s curriculum directs students through big picture information and hands on experience they need to do far more than just get a job at a major entertainment corporation or work for an art director. Many dream of working for incredible companies like ILM, Pixar, Blizzard, Marvel, or Hasbro. Others wish for gallery success through personal work, or getting printed on the cover of Time Magazine, and some wish to do any such things from the home towns they grew up in. Every single one of these is possible through TAD, but where we are different , we shine. TAD is setting up creators and entrepreneurs as well as those geared to inspiring life within production companies. TAD gives students knowledge of art, negotiation, business and legal. As students go through the program they are provided with every key legal document, and the knowledge of what each means, which they need to build their careers, saving them from the pitfalls of the professional world, and arming them for success as entrepreneurs, artists, art directors, directors, or independently successful creative people.

TAD sets up it’s students with many of the best in the field, as they are ready and as they learn. I am proud to announce that this year TAD career mentor students under Richmond POD Director Sterling Hundley, were printed in Rolling Stone and created illustrations for the US Postal Service. Companies like Sony. In Austin's POD, THQ, EA, id software and 40 others had professionals visiting and seeing freshman student work, two years before they complete the five semester program. TAD Online and POD student work was shared in front of pros from over 200 companies like Weta Digital, Dreamworks, Hasbro, Bioware, Sidhe, Zynga, and other renown firms in presentations at top international conferences. These events include AnimFX, New Zealand, SXSW, Kre8tif Malaysia, XMedia Lab, IGDA Microtalks, DragonCon and more. TAD students will be showcased at other events like the San Diego Comicon, SXSW Interactive, the International Art and Design Symposiums, and more. Over time, TAD student work is exposed to millions and professionals from thousands of companies who visit our partner industry portal ConceptArt.Org, where TAD is able to directly and exclusively reach them all.

With all the exposure, students must be ready for the focus of an inspiring professional life. TAD teaches the necessary skills, helps grow students minds to work as a team, and prepares them to be able to make it on their own, in groups, or as part of larger enterprises known around the world. TAD students interact with professionals from the semester they begin. They learn the truth of the business of art and are given the opportunity to personally direct their portfolios down the path they most wish to live. TAD can do this because it’s teachers have done it. Whether it be building famous international studios creating intellectual property for film, games, toys, comics or illustration, being globally printed on globally renown publications, becoming a recognized, award-winning, industry name, or museum and gallery collected Fine Artist, TAD faculty have done it all.

TAD,s Advisory Board includes members who lead the field of business, entertainment law, intellectual property development, global print publishing, video game publishing, game development, film, Fine Art, global marketing and more. TAD surrounds it’s students with the best and the brightest. When something needs to be taught, whether it be a media like Photoshop, Zbrush, graphite or oil paint, the very best in those areas cover that module of the program. The same extends to areas of business, legal, galleries, history, and anything else taught. For example, students who learn Painter get the information straight from artists like Andrew Jones, who has used that software to create universes for Nintendo or digital performances in front of 40,000 people. History of Illustration is taught by Terry Brown, who was Director the prestigious Society of Illustrators for more than two decades and holds an illustration image library beyond inspiration. 3D modeling is taught by Brett Briley, who has had success as an illustrator, can draw and paint, and has been Senior Character artist for RAGE one of the most anticipated video games from the one and only id software.

We don’t forget the traditional media at TAD, and if a student needs to learn pastels they get it from the likes of Mark English or Gary Kelley, who both have more Society of Illustrator awards in illustration than the great master Norman Rockwell. When TAD faculty need industry business knowledge they get it from professionals like David Glenn, the creative director of Café World, Jason Manley (myself and TAD President), and founder of Massive Black and ConceptArt.Org, John English founder of the Visual Literacy Program / Illustration Academy. TAD is the only art and entertainment program that provides this comprehensive creative media, digital, imaginative, industry, business, entrepreneurial, marketing, and promotion curriculum. What TAD does, cannot be found in any other art and entertainment school anywhere. TAD is a choice, students can make to succeed and parents can rest knowing their talented children are getting the best possible education.

As TAD students move from foundations to entertainment development, they learn to create intellectual property for global markets using the same processes that are best practices in the industry right now. They learn to take art direction, they learn to develop their personal point of view, which makes them unique and marketable, and they learn to think to solve problems. Research in knowledge, exposure to culture, literature, and personal life experience, help students refine their vision and style. TAD is not just creating wrists. TAD students have the individual tools to succeed but do not leave here as only a “screwdriver or hammer” for the industry or ability to create for their regional markets. Entertainment students leave here with the capability to work in a full spectrum of fields and even to build their own studios in any city they choose to do so. TAD faculty does it, and so will our students as they are ready and choose to do so.

Never before in history has it been so easy for creative people to work in small teams, on short duration, low investment products and create entertainment worlds they own, can license, or see independent artistic achievement. Success may be through social games, web apps, web comics, viral video, downloadable games, browser entertainment, children’s books, comics, urban vinyl toys, film, or other low cost productions. Such things can be done for existing companies, but if that product can be created independently it is the long term investment that students need to succeed in the case of tragic lay-offs or veteran melancholy from a decade’s grind in the industry.

TAD Fine Art and Illustration students get the same level of professional and artistic support. TAD POD students have already held gallery shows, street portraiture events, participated in fashion shows, industry conferences, staged live painting, and seen their work printed internationally. Top professionals from these fields are on hand to cover it all, and help each student individually, whether they are online or on site learning at their convenience.

TAD shows students how to use their problem solving skills to succeed in life and as a person. Social responsibility is encouraged and performed during the course of this program. Exciting creative exploration happens in cities around the world as part of the ConceptArt.Org workshops, the 3 week TAD semester incubator, online and within the PODs. With a great portfolio, international exposure, direct connections, problem solving skills, marketing, promotional, and business knowledge in hand, TAD students are prepared for opportunity. With the unprecedented industry reach of TAD’s faculty and ConceptArt.Org, opportunity for TAD students is provided from the moment a TAD student is ready to complete the work great careers require. TAD’s faculty list below speaks far louder than any of my words, take a look at TAD and see for yourself.

I believe in TAD, I believe in our faculty's ability to teach and have witnessed success as some were even my own teachers years ago. TAD is an alternative to the schools available that provides professional education and truly up to date knowledge and experience. As I witness this program first hand, I believe in our student body and the limitless talent within it. TAD offers the reality of the world of art. It is up to the incredible students to see their dreams within it or create their very own.

I look forward to the coming semester,


Jason Manley
Founder
The Art Department/Massive Black/ConceptArt.Org


The TAD Faculty Esteemed Client List (and not even all of them)

Entertainment
2K Games
2k Marin
3rd Degree Games
Acony
Andr0meda Publishing
Acquire
Activision
ArenaNet
Arkane
Atari
Atomic
Ayzenberg Group
Backbone
Bethesda
Big American Films
Big Fish
Big Huge Games
Bioware
Bizarre Creations
Black Hole
Black Isle Studios
Black Rock Studios
Blizzard
BreakAway
Buck TV
Bungie
Capcom
Catalyst
CCP
CD Projekt
Cheyenne Mountain
Chorion
Factor 5
C-Mar
Codemasters
The Collective
ConceptArt.Org
Critterpix
Cryptic
Darkworks
Deadline Games
Deep Silver
Disney
Disney Interactive
Disney HSM
Dot Matrix
Double Helix
DVWorks
EA Blackbox
EA: DICE
EA
EA Redwood
EA Vancouver
Eclipse
Eidos
Edge of Reality
Emotiv
Ensemble
Epic
Escalation Studios
Flagship
Fox Sports
GameLoft
GearBox
Guerrilla
Hangout
Hasbro
High Impact
HCA Associates
Hornet
id software
Ignite Studios
Impulse
Incgnito
InXile
Intel
Irrational
Jet Set
Junction Pint
Kitchen
Koch Media
Kongregate
LA TIMES
Lightbox
Liquid Ent.
LucasArts
Maxis
Microsoft
Midway
Monolith
Move
MTV
Namco
NCSoft
Nerjyzed
Nestle
NetDevil
Neversoft
Nike
Nintendo
Novalgic
Obsidian Ent.
OddWorld
Pandemic
Passion Pictures
Planet Moon
Production Road
Project 51
Pseudo Interactive
Pyro
Radical
Rainbow
Recoil
Rebellion
RED 5
Red Octane
Red Tribe
Ritual
Rocksteady
Sega of Japan
Sega of America
Sega R&D
Sega: Secret Level
Schell Games
Seismics
Sibilant
Slipgate Ironwrks
SnwBlind
SA
Sony: SCEA
Sony: SCEE
Sony: Online
Sony: R&D
Space Time
Spark Unlimited
Splash Damage
Stormfront
SuckerPunch
Timegate
Tippett
Toys for Bob
Trainit
Trion
Triumph
Ubisoft Montreal
Ubisoft Newcastle
Ubisoft Rmania
UDA
Upper Deck
Vicious Cycle
Vivendi
Volatile
Volition
Vurdalak
Y&R
Zenimax
Illustration
3-M Corporation
64 Magazine
7-UP
Allen Spiegel Fine Arts
American Airlines
American Century Investors
American Express
Apple Computer
Arena Stage
Arnika Design
AT&T & The Olympics
Atlantic Monthly Magazine
Atlantic Records
Avon Books
Bantam Books
Barnes & Noble / Murals
Berkeley Books
Boeing
Boy's Life
Bungie
Carnation Foods, Inc.
Chrysler Corporation
Columbia Studios
Communication Design, Inc.
Contadina Products
Cook's Illustrated Magazine
Corrunna, Spain
Cousteau Society
Crossroads Press
Crown Royal
Dark Horse
DC Comics
Dell Publishing
Der Spiegel Magazine
Dimassimo Goldstein
Eddie Bauer
EDS Corporation
Entertainment Weekly Magazine
Esquire Magazine
Federal Reserve Bank, USA
Five Brothers Pasta/Bertolli
Franklin Mint
Geffen Playhouse
Geffen Records
General Electric
Glenat
Good Housekeeping
GQ Magazine
Hallmark Hall of Fame
Harcourt Brace
Harper Collins
Harris Publications
Hartford Stage
Heavy Metal
Henry Holt
Hitachi
Honeywell
IDW
Indy 500
Kentucky Derby
Knoll Furniture Group
Ladies' Home Journal
Lee Jeans Company
Lipton Foods, Inc.
Los Angeles Times
MacMillan Publishers
Mad Magazine
Major League Baseball
Marvel Comics
McCall's
MGM / United Artists
Miller Beer
Mojo Press
Money Magazine
My Generation Magazine
NASA
Nation Basketball Association
Nation Parks Service
National Football League
NCAA
New Yorker Magazine
Newsweek Magazine
Paper Jack Books
Penguin Books
Phillips Petroleum
Playboy Magazine
Pratt Institute
Private Bank / USA-Switzerland
Putnam Publishers
Random House Publishing
Reader's Digest
Red Bull
Redbook
Remington Arms Company
Richmond Magazine
Rolling Stone Magazine
Savannah College of Art and Design
Saveur Magazine
School of Visual Arts
Science Magazine
Scratch Magazine
Simon and Schuster
Smithsonian Institute
Smolhaus Design
Soleil Publications
Sony Music Company
Sports Illustrated
Sprint Corporation
The Boston Globe
The Franklin Mint
The Grammys
The Kennedy Center
The Los Angeles Times
The New York Times
The New Yorker Magazine
The Progressive Magazine
The Raphael Hotel Group
The Santa Fe Opera
The Saturday Evening Post
The Village Voice
The Washington Post
Time / Warner
Time Magazine
Time/Life Books
Topps
Tracy Locke Advertising
Tundra Publishing
TV Guide
U. S. Pentagon
U.S. Federal Reserve
U.S. News and World Report
U.S. Postal Service
University of Syracuse
UPS
Utne Reader Magazine
Vanity Fair Magazine
Vibe Magazine
Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Living Magazine
Fine Art Galleries
111 Minna Gallery, San Francisco, CA
American Legacy Gallery, Kansas City, MO
Eleanor Ettinger Gallery, New York, NY
Eva Reynolds Fine Arts, Leawood, KS
Fast Gallery, Springfield, MO
Fifty24SF Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Galleries Maurice Sternberg, Chicago, IL
Ghost Print Gallery, Richmond, VA
Henry W. Myrtle Gallery, Cedar Falls, Iowa
John Pence Gallery, San Francisco, CA
Jones-Terwilliger Galleries, Carmel, CA
Lanning Gallery, Sedona, AZ
Perlow-Stevens Gallery, Columbia, MO
The Shooting Gallery, San Francisco, CA
The Telluride Gallery, Telluride, CO
Thomas Deans Fine Art, Atlanta, GA


Event photo by Anand Gurnani of me giving my keynote at Kre8tif Malaysia / XMediaLab 2010 Kulua Lumpur who's audience included the President of Hasbro, numerous media, games and film studios and talented people from around the world.

Mr.Pryminista
December 20th, 2010, 01:56 AM
Thank you

Heavens
December 26th, 2010, 02:12 AM
Thank you for this awesome post, Mr. Manley, I think your hardwork, dedication and the batch of amazing faculty members is what made TAD what it is today. I am very honored to be part of this institution and really have no worries about the future of my career.
I also think the tremendous success of conceptart.org, which is every artist's favorite website and has helped us learn so much more about the infinite facets of art reflects the success of TAD.