UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Online learners Ben Jacob and Andrea Barolo both want to pursue careers in the digital arts.
When Jacob saw the movie “Jurassic Park” as a kid, he said, he was instantly fascinated about how dinosaurs and other creatures are brought to life on the big screen.
Barolo, a chef and baker, said he wants to create art in many mediums, but the busy schedule of working in the culinary industry cuts into his family time.
Both Jacob and Barolo enrolled in the online bachelor’s in digital multimedia design through Penn State World Campus so they could learn the art of digital design to pursue careers in this field. The two enrolled in a 3D animation course online and had the chance to take their learning experience even further, by attending the leading international conference for computer graphics.
Recently, Jacob and Barolo were the first Penn State online learners to serve as student volunteers at meetings of SIGGRAPH, one of the largest and most prestigious computer graphics conferences in the world. The students volunteered at SIGGRAPH North America in Denver, Colorado, and at SIGGRAPH Asia 2024 in Tokyo, where they immersed themselves in the latest technology and trends in the field. They also received financial support from the Penn State College of Arts and Architecture to make the trips possible.
Opportunities to learn outside of course work
The Bachelor of Design in Digital Multimedia Design program is led online by the Penn State College of Arts and Architecture through Penn State World Campus. The degree program integrates course work in the visual arts, design, information sciences and technology, and communications.
SIGGRAPH is an annual conference with meetings in North America and Asia. The conference features an exhibition on computer graphics and interactive techniques, including production, animation, gaming, arts and design, and showcases emerging technologies. It attracts academics, scholars and innovators, expanding the field of knowledge in research and fine arts. The 2024 events were held in Denver, Colorado; and Tokyo, Japan.
Both Barolo and the now-graduate Jacob attended both SIGGRAPH conferences as student volunteers. The volunteer positions are very competitive, with less than 60 slots for the conference in Tokyo.
Digital multimedia design program founding faculty, and associate teaching professor in the Penn State School of Visual Arts, Michael Collins encourages students to apply each year, as he knows the value to attendees. He volunteered at the conference when he was a student, and he chairs the early career development subcommittee of SIGGRAPH.
“It’s hard to describe what being a student volunteer at SIGGRAPH is like to those who haven’t been in the program. It is a tremendously energizing experience,” Collins said. “Attending the conference is fantastic, but having the chance to build life-long relationships with other students from around the world just doesn’t happen anywhere else. It’s particularly impactful for World Campus students who might not have the same opportunities to network that on-campus students might have.”
Barolo and Jacob received financial support for the trip from the Penn State School of Visual Arts, which was matched with funds from the College of Arts and Architecture Opportunity Fund. The School of the Visual Arts funds supporting the trip were the Gregory Telthorster Memorial Program Fund for the Arts and the Stefan J.S. Levine Endowment.
Vagner Mendonça Whitehead, director of the School of Visual Arts, emphasized the importance of real-life experiences for students.
"As an art school within an R-1 environment, the School of Visual Arts aims to also provide real-life experiences for our students within an academic context, such as the convening of an international conference that does not solely focus on industrial standards and practices. By engaging with researchers and artists at SIGGRAPH, these students are able to see their future selves as contributors and scholars in the field," Mendonça Whitehead said. "This is especially important for World Campus students, and we hope to continue to support World Campus students who wish to have similar experiences in the coming years to expand the impact and scope of possibilities for their futures."
Student volunteers provide operational support at the conference and have opportunities to attend sessions and network with other students and professionals in the field.
“There’s all sorts of different opportunities for volunteers to learn,” Jacob said.
At the Denver conference, Jacob attended a production session where a film studio sculpting artist explained how its artists created the graphics in the most recent “Planet of the Apes” movie.
“They talked about their process of going to different zoos and what aspect of each ape they took from these zoos to implement into each character,” Jacob said.
Preparing for the future
The student volunteer role also includes time for portfolio reviews by industry recruiters and professionals. Representatives from large entertainment companies like DreamWorks, Disney and Warner Brothers attend.
Jacob said he hopes to work as a creature effects artist for Wētā FX, a New Zealand-based digital visual effects and computer animation company. He was able to connect with a recruiter from the company who reviewed his portfolio during the conference.
“I was able to sit down with recruiters at Wētā FX, and we were able to come up with a game plan for me to work on my portfolio,” Jacob said.
The recruiter showed him what examples to keep, remove, and what he should add. They also said if he implemented the changes and kept working in the field, he would be a top applicant in three years, according to Jacob.
“That was the highlight for me to sit down with people I revere and have this one-on-one conversation,” Jacob said.