Skyres Studios
Leading the Local Animation Revolution
Animators are skilled visual communicators whose work can be
seen in diverse fields, including entertainment, gaming, education, and
advertising. It is a fast-growing career field, offering opportunities in
graphic design, 3D modelling, art direction, film directing and editing,
and more.
In seeking to position its graduates to take advantage of these
opportunities, the iCreate Institute has joined forces with Skyres
Studios Limited, the premier animation studio in Jamaica, as its
partner in training students for a certificate course. The program
is designed to develop skills in 2D and 3D animation, drawing,
color, composition, storyboarding and design, enabling students to
produce a digital portfolio that demonstrates their practical and
technical skills.
Skyres Studios was initially called I.D.E.A.L. Studios when it
was launched in 2010. Its main focus was 3D animation, but 2D
animation, using Toon Boom software, was incorporated later that
year. Since its inception, the studio has completed commercials for
a major local telecommunications company and a clothing store, an
eight-minute pilot called Penny and Friends, geared towards
GSAT students, which it is looking to turn this into a tv series in the
near future, and has trained more than 32 animators in our
2D and 3D classes.
4
Heading
up
the
Skyres
operation is creative director
Alwayne White, who is Toon Boom
certified on a professional level. He leads
a skeleton team of six full time professional
animators, as well as a pool of students from
the training programmes. The students gain
real-world experience by working together
with the pros on each project that comes in.
Skyres Studios is committed to the
development of animation in Jamaica, and
demonstrates this not only in the top-level
training its students receive, but in engaging
the next generation of potential animators
via a high school tour and summer program.
Although that is currently on pause, it has
helped to expose teens to this vibrant,
growing field and revealed a potential career
path.