Bringing art to life

Deirdre Newman

In the digital arts computer lab at Corona del Mar High School, senior

Andrew Norman stared intently at his computer screen as he tried to make

a three-dimensional image of a person contort his body in various

directions.

Andrew’s efforts at character animation were in preparation for an

animated logo assignment as part of the 3-D media design class, an

advanced class for students with a penchant for digital arts.

The class, taught by Teri Brudnak, enables students to gain real-world

experience in a low-stress environment.

“I’m trying to train them in the manner of working in 3-D without too

much anxiety,” Brudnak said. “It’s a very marketable skill right now and

will probably get more popular.”

Brudnak started the lab in 1996, and the first class was offered three

years later. The classes are part of Coastline’s Regional Occupation

Program and are open to students and adults throughout the district,

although they fill up quickly with Corona del Mar students, Brudnak said.

G-4 Apple computers line the desks, and multicolored images on the

wall reflect the diverse projects students have worked on -- various

manifestations of the Mona Lisa, images of insects, and designs of art

galleries and crime scenes.

The most recent project involved creating scenes from Middle Earth

from “The Lord of the Rings” movie, replete with castles, hobbit houses

and goblins. Some of Brudnak’s former students had enough experience to

start their own digital arts company right out of high school, she said.

To take the 3-D class, students first must master an introductory

digital arts class, where they become familiar with software programs

such as Photoshop and Illustrator. The 3-D class uses more advanced

programs, such as Cinema 4-D, which is used by Fox TV, Brudnak said.

“Our advisors tell us if they [the students] learn this program, they

are trainable in the basic concepts [of 3-D],” Brudnak said, explaining

that Pixar and many other companies use their own proprietary software.

Senior Matthew Rose, 18, who was working on an animated “Austin

Powers” logo, said he appreciates the opportunity to turn a personal

interest into a future career.

“I’ve always liked computers,” Rose said. “When I took the first

[digital arts] class, I liked it. When I took the second class, I loved

it. I want to do 3-D animation, and this has given me a head start.”

Junior Melissa Vega, 17, who comes to Corona del Mar from Newport

Harbor High School to take the 3-D class, said it gives her the

opportunity to hone her animation and Web design skills.

“It’s going to help me when I go to an art institute for college,”

Melissa said.

Brudnak said she hopes to offer more animation and video production

classes in the future.

* IN THE CLASSROOM is a weekly feature in which Daily Pilot education

writer Deirdre Newman visits a campus in the Newport-Mesa area and writes

about her experience.