Stan Winston family and Gnomon join forces to establish The Stan Winston School of Character Arts.

The Gnomon School of Visual Effects, has revealed that it is partnering with the family of the late character creator and effects visionary, Stan Winston, to establish the Stan Winston School of Character Arts. 

A true pioneer, Winston helped build the foundation for many of the creature effects techniques that fill today's blockbuster films. As a character development lead on films including "Terminator," "Aliens," "Predator," "Jurassic Park," "Iron Man," and "Avatar," Winston created cinematic icons that terrify, entertain and inspire, earning him four Academy Awards in a career spanning four decades.

Determined to realize Winston's vision for future generations of artists, his many protégés - themselves film industry leaders - will instruct students in the magic behind their legendary work. The first Stan Winston School lessons will be available January 2011, in both DVD and online streaming formats, in association with Gnomon School of Visual Effects. The Stan Winston School also plans to offer hands-on workshops with world-renowned character effects studios in conjunction with the training DVDs and online content.

"Thanks to the expertise of our partners at Gnomon School of Visual Effects, the Stan Winston School will be at the vanguard of visual arts education. Our lessons will cover the entire spectrum of character creation techniques, from practical to digital," said Matt Winston, son of the late Stan Winston, "Never before have my father's incredibly talented peers allowed such comprehensive access to the creative process, insights and methods they developed together. From day one, students will be transported to the alien, dinosaur, robot, and monster-filled worlds these master artists create."

At San Diego Comic Con 2010, creature and VFX luminaries will discuss Stan Winston's impact on the art of character creation on Saturday, July 24 from 5:30 - 6:30 p.m. in room 7AB. Featuring many of the film industry's leading character and creature artists, including Gnomon founder Alex Alvarez, The Winston Effect panel will also include messages about the Stan Winston School of Character Arts from James Cameron and Tim Burton.

"From 'Aliens' to 'Avatar,' few artists have shaped the film industry as Stan Winston has," noted Alvarez. "We're honored to partner with the Winston family to ensure his legacy can inspire another generation of artists to realize the incredible accomplishment of seeing the creatures born in your imagination take shape and become characters in a feature film."

The first set of training DVDs to launch January 2011 will include the following titles from leaders in the character creation industry: 

    •    Practical/Digital Hybrid Characters with Stan Winston life-long collaborator and co-owner of Legacy Effects, John Rosengrant.

    •    Script Breakdown for Character Creators with Academy Award Nominee and co-owner of Legacy Effects, Shane Mahan.

    •    Directing Creature Characters with Academy Award Nominee and co-owner of Amalgamated Dynamics, Inc., Alec Gillis.

    •    Creature Performance with Academy Award Winner and co-owner of Amalgamated Dynamics, Inc., Tom Woodruff, Jr.

    •    Prosthetic Makeup with Academy Award Winner and co-owner of KNB EFX, Howard Berger.


Related links:
The Stan Winston School of Character Arts
The Gnomon School of Visual Effects