You’ve got a great idea and you’re now ready to show the rest of world – the World Wide Web, that is. Now it’s easier than ever to learn how to design a web site, and the Internet even offers web designers an amazing array of interesting, useful and free helpful development tools. These tools not only support the development process, but do some of the work for you:

1. W3C Markup Validation Service
The Markup Validator is a free tool and service that validates your markup and reports any errors or discrepancies in your code.

2. Firebug
Long before Google Chrome came along, Mozilla’s Firefox has been helping push web development forward.

Mozilla provides great web development tools; Firebug is just one of them.

Firebug integrates with Firefox to give you access to a wealth of information while you browse pages on the Web. This add-on allows you to edit, debug and monitor CSS, HTML and JavaScript. It’s a great way to find a bug in your web code without spending hours.

3. Web Developer Toolbar
Another great Firefox add-on is Firefox’s Wed Developer Toolbar. The toolbar adds a menu and as the name implies, a toolbar that serves up a variety of very helpful web dev tools.

4. Listamatic
Listamatic is an excellent site that offers tutorials on creating attractive and responsive navigation bars with CSS and one simple list.

5. Stock Exchange
Need photos for your website? Stock Exchange provides a stock photography community where artists and photographers share and exchange high-quality stock images. As a design resource, the site provides a library of high-resolution, royalty-free photographs. The images on the site are free, but remember to check the License Agreement for each image, as some artists request notification or photo credit.

If you’re ready to start designing a website, use these resources to make your job easier, you’ll be designing a web site in no time. Or learn more about courses that can teach you web design. The World Wide Web awaits!

The latest issue of the world’s best-selling and biggest Nintendo magazine has just hit the newsstands – Nintendo Power is Nintendo’s official video game magazine. The latest issue of the magazine features a cover article on Ubisoft’s Rayman Origins, video game superheroes, Metal Gear Solid: Snake Eater 3D and…Digital Media Academy. That’s right – DMA is featured in an article about getting a career in the videogame business.

Nintendo Power’s July 2011 issue features Digital Media Academy.

Digital Media Academy’s critically acclaimed summer camp program was highlighted in the July 2011 issue of Nintendo’s official magazine, Nintendo Power. The special report is titled, “So, You Want a Job Making Games?” and discusses how you can break into the video game business, and DMA ranks high on the list of options suggested to get your videogame designer career started.

Summer may be in full swing and you may be asking yourself, “Is it too late to register for summer camp?” No, it’s not – there’s still time and space to register – for a digital media summer camp at Digital Media Academy.

Check out the latest issue of Nintendo Power – on newsstands now!

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Robotics used to be a hobby reserved for that odd, brainy kid down the street – the geek who was building something in secret, from plans he found in Popular Mechanics. Today’s robots do it all: drive, walk and even clean your home. Today’s robots are smarter and more powerful than ever before – and they’re being built and programmed by people just like you!

A robotics programmer in Digital Media Academy’s Programming & Robotics course.

LEGO’s NXT Robotics Kit: Bits, Bricks & Gears
These days, robot hobbyists are creating all kinds of different robots with the acclaimed LEGO Mindstorms NXT Robotics Kit. These custom-built robots have some amazing talents – some can walk, some can drive, some robots even climb ropes. Using everything from pulleys, gears and programmable appendages, these days there’s almost nothing you can’t program a robot to do. LEGO’s Mindstorm NXT kits give builders lots of creative options. But it’s the program’s ease of use and ability to modify robots that has endeared the NXT to a whole new breed of robot-builders. LEGO estimates that the average user can create their first robot with the NXT 2.0 toolkit within a half hour.

“Take me to your leader!”: LEGO’s NXT kit lets you play mad scientist and mechanical engineer.

It’s a simple, component-based system of interchangeable parts that lets you build a variety of programmable robots and other mechanical creations. At the heart of the NXT is an intelligent microcomputer (or programmable brick), that serves as the brain of any robot an inventor might make. The brick contains a 32-bit microprocessor, a matrix display, input and output ports and a communication link that uses Bluetooth and USB technology.

The LEGO NXT brick and sensors.

The brick works with three interactive servo motors which can be attached to arms or legs; these robotic appendages carry out the motion programmed into the brick. The 2.0 toolkit gives builders 612 individual pieces of LEGO robotics hardware, and the kit features different types of sensors that can guide a robots actions according to sound, touch, and color information received by the brick.

This Means (Robot) War!
Robots are more popular than ever, so where is all this robo-mania headed? Why, straight to the fighting arena, of course! And we’re not talking about Real Steal, the new sci-fi action flick starring Hugh Jackman as a robot-fight trainer in the future:

Hugh Jackman trains and programs rock-em’, sock-em’ robots.

No, this battle is for real. It’s a battle of robot-maker against robot-maker. Where tricked-out fighting robots declare war on each other, and go head to head in a battle royal. At Digital Media Academy, students in the Programming & Robotics course compete to build the perfect battle robot (or Sumo-bot), and end their week-long session by waging a robotic sumo competition to see whose techno-creation can kick the most robot butt.

As hobbies go, building robots is one pastime that could not only challenge your brain, but help provide a future career. If you want to learn mechanical engineering, building robots is a great way to get started.

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The morning chill was broken by the excitement of check-in, at Digital Media Academy’s computer summer camps at Harvard, UCLA and The University of Chicago today. After DMA staff worked to prepare the locations over a four-day setup, DMA instructors and campers finally got down to the business of summer camp.

Part of DMA’s Harvard Staff prepares to meet campers.

During the weeks ahead, student campers will be learning how to design video games…how to create professionally produced movies…how to build amazing web sites…how to make an app for iPhone or Android…how to shoot digital photos like a pro…how to program a robot or computer…or music production or image editing (using iPhoto and Photoshop). They’re not only having fun; they’re creating the future! And they’re doing at while experiencing campus life at some of the best universities in the nation.

Harvard & Its History
Harvard – arguably the most prestigious university in the world. Here, DMA’s Residential Campers arrived over the weekend, eager to begin receiving hands-on professional instruction in emerging technologies – like digital filmmaking, 3D video game design, programming & robotics, 3D modeling & digital art, and music and post production.

One of DMA’s Harvard studios/classrooms…ready to greet future video game designers.

Harvard’s not only America’s finest institution of learning; it was also the nation’s first, founded way back in 1636. Most people don’t realize that Harvardwas also the first corporation ever chartered in the U.S. Harvard has the largest financial endowment of any academic institution in the world (in 2010, it exceeded $27 billion) and claims the largest academic library in the nation, with more than 16 million books. Harvard represents the biggest and the best in American higher education.

Teens enrolled in the Digital Filmmaking and Digital Photography courses wait to start their first day at UCLA.

Harvard alumni’s include eight U. S. presidents – from John Adams to John F. Kennedy and including President Barack Obama, who attended Harvard Law School – and some 75 people affiliated with the school (either as a student, faculty or staff member) have won the Nobel Prize.

Future 2D and 3D animators.

Among Harvard’s living alumni are more than 60 billionaires, including Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and Microsoft’s Bill Gates. Funnyman Conan O’Brien went there, too, as well as loads of Oscar-winning actors and actresses, such as Matt Damon, Natalie Portman, Jack Lemmon, Ashley Judd and Tommy Lee Jones – who inhabited the same residence suite as fellow grad and U.S. vice president, Al Gore.

Teens at UCLA look forward to Photography, Digital Filmmaking and Video Game Creation.

And this summer (running from this week through the week ending August 12), DMA students will experience the rich heritage of Harvard University as they explore their creative passion in a variety of areas and get personalized training in different digital arts.

Adventurers at UCLA! Suited up and ready to start the day!

UCLA, in the Heart of Screenland
Located in Westwood, the movie premiere capital of Los Angeles, the UCLA Bruins are ranked by High Impact Universities as one of only two universities (the other being Harvard) which have all their faculty ranked within the top 10. The UCLA campus is diverse and offers a great atmosphere for both residential campers and commuting day campers.

At UCLA, DMA’s student campers and their parents line up to get signed in and meet the DMA staff.

DMA also opened its location at the University of Chicago. In the next few weeks, Digital Media Academy computer camps across the U.S. and Canada will begin classes at the Univ. of British Columbia in Vancouver (July 4^th), the Univ. of Texas at Austin (July 11^th), George Washington University (July 11^th), the Univ. of California San Diego (July 11^th), and Swarthmore College (July 25^th). Classes began last week at DMA’s flagship program at Stanford University (in Palo Alto, CA) and Philadelphia’s Drexel University.

DMA courses are offered for all ages of kids and teens and are geared to individual skill levels. Both one-week camps and two-week academies are available, and there is still time to reserve a spot for computer camp during Summer 2011.

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Courses: Graphic Design, Beginning & Advanced Photoshop, 2D & 3D Video Game Creation

DMA Instructor: Marcus Duvoisin

Education: San Francisco State University; San Francisco, CA (Marketing Major, focus on New Media Design)

Professional Portrait: Web designer. Marcus started early – learning web design while still in middle school. By the time he was in high school, he already had a huge slate of professional clients Marcus owns his own web design firm, Genuine Web Design and provides design services for a variety of different companies, including www.extremenewzealand.net. A skilled and in-demand instructor, he teaches Adobe Dreamweaver, Flash, Photoshop, HTML and CSS.

DMA Campus: Stanford University

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Spinning Webs Since Childhood
Every artist has a favorite medium for their style and talent. For DMA Instructor Marcus Duvoisin, his canvas is a web page. He’s been building his own web sites since he was fourteen years old. Marcus and his friends designed web sites related to their hobbies and interests at the time, which included skateboarding, music and video games. Back then, programming and designing software were less intuitive than today. And there were no computer camps to guide budding web designers.

“We coded in HTML/CSS and used applications like Adobe Dreamweaver, Photoshop and Flash,” he remembers. “It was hard to learn on our own and we spent a lot of long nights troubleshooting. Having a teacher by our side would have definitely helped! But technology camps like Digital Media Academy didn’t really exist back then…so we had to spend the extra hours trying to figure out solutions on our own.”

At that time, creative teens with an interest in web design often had to make their own way. Luckily, Marcus didn’t have to look any further than his own father, a technologically advanced dad who had mastered the fundamentals of online design around the same time. “My dad taught me web design basics and with constant practice, I have developed a strong base of skills.” Marcus has also developed his professional skills by working side-by-side with professional experienced designers.

Kids love Marcus’ energy and excitement.

Marcus continued learning and building sites. By the time he was in high school, a local start-up company asked him to design a simple company web site.

Taking it to The Next Level
“I remember being really nervous about whether or not I could accomplish the task,” he says, “It turned out it wasn’t all that different than designing web sites with my friends.” The site he designed was a huge hit with the company and the client then recommended Marcus to other businesses. Soon he was designing enough web sites to pay his way through college, and he credits the experience for opening up career opportunities.

Now Marcus is running his own company – Genuine Web Design, which includes a roster of great clients that count on his expertise to establish their online presence. Marcus also maintains those web sites, refreshes the content and provide periodic redesign. In 2010 Marcus was selected to work with Google to help improve Google rankings for his client Demandforce. “This experience provided me with many tools and techniques for expanding my knowledge about Internet marketing.”

In addition to his successful career in web design, Marcus also teaches for Digital Media Academy during the summer at DMA’s Stanford University campus location. This year he’ll be teaching Graphic Design & Arts, as well as 2D & 3D Video Game Creation.

“DMA’s hands-on training provides the building blocks for a career in technology.”

“I enjoy everything about DMA’s summer camp experience: the kids, the fun, the cafeteria cuisine, and (especially) teaching kids design skills that they show their parents at the end of the program. If I could make DMA summer camp my full-time job for the rest of my life, I would.”

Marcus also teaches 2D & 3D Video Game Creation. Like all DMA instructors Marcus’s has professional credentials and real-world experience. To learn more about DMA’s programs and instructors visit Digital Media Academy.

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The latest version of Apple’s mobile operating system has been released, and while the OS is still in beta, the update is exciting both app developers and consumers with a host of new features. Do you have an Apple Developer’s Account? If so, you can download iOS 5 for free. We do, so we took the new iOS for a test drive:

iOS 5 includes much-requested bug fixes – and wireless synching to iTunes!

Wireless Synch
The first thing we noticed about the new OS were the updated Lockscreen notifications – the look is now less templated and more organic. Another major improvement? Wireless synching for the Mac. iTunes 10.5 beta 2 and OS X 10.6.8 or Lion are required but the option will come in very handy. To enable wireless synching, connect your iDevice to iTunes with the USB cable. (WARNING: If you’re a developer, we suggest you perform and initial synch using a cable after restoring the device.) There are still bugs to work out on this feature but in testing, for the most part, it worked great.

Getting to the Cloud
iCloud is a huge initiative for Apple and is integrated into iOS 5. iCloud works like other cloud services, allowing you to store and backup your data.

Apple, it seems, covered everything from Airplay to redeye correction. For more information on all the features and fixes, visit our friends at 9 to 5 mac, who cover all the updates and fixes.

Right about now we’re very glad we’re paying $99 a year for the developer’s account and have a chance to take a sneak peek at tomorrow’s iOS today. If you’re interested in developing for any iDevice – iPad, iPhone, iTouch, why not explore a career in app development? Apple’s iOS is awaiting you – learn how to program for it, get certification and get college credit for sumer camp. Who knows? You could soon be developing a blockbuster game on the iOS 5. Learn about it now with hands-on training from Digitial Media Academy.

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The wait is finally over! Summer has started and that means Digital Media Academy summer camp is in full-swing at two of DMA’s prestigious campus locations. Campers attending DMA’s summer camp at Stanford University arrived in Palo Alto, CA over the weekend. While over on the East Coast, DMA campers started the computer and digital arts camp in Philadelphia, at Drexel University.

Campers at Stanford in the Digital Filmmaking program get personalized instruction.

Creating The Future
Digital Media Academy’s professionally taught programs are in full swing – and that means an explosion of creativity is happening right now. Student campers are learning how to design video games…how to create professionally produced movies…build amazing web sites…how to make an app for iPhone or Android…how to shoot digital photos like a pro…to program a robot or computer, and become skilled at music production or image editing, using Photoshop. These campers are not only having fun, they’re creating the future!

DMA has computer and digital media camps, and academies summer camp locations in the United States and Canada. Locations like Harvard University, UCLA and the University of Chicago. In coming weeks, DMA Summer 2011 programs will also start summer programs at the University of British Columbia (starting July 4^th), UC San Diego (July 11^th), George Washington University (July 11^th), University of Texas at Austin (July 11^th), and Swarthmore College (July 25^th).

It’s not summer camp without a break to go outside and enjoy some time making friends.

No matter where you’re coming from, with campuses across the United States (in California; Massachusetts; Pennsylvania; Texas; Illinois; Washington, D.C.) and in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Digital Media Academy has the perfect location to and program to accommodate everyone.

With world-class instructors and hands-on training with the latest equipment and software, a DMA summer camp experience is like no other! You not only learn while at camp, but also grow personally and professionally. Making friendships that can last a lifetime are just the icing on the cake! It’s no wonder that Digital Media Academy is the first and only choice of summer camp students and their parents.

From film editing to gaming, DMA covers it all! Here an instructor shows a student one of Final Cut Pro’s great features.

It’s Not Too Late to Register
Camp may have already started but there are still openings for great courses and training sessions.Visit Digital Media Academy for more information about registering. And make your summer count!

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If you’re a filmmaker (or someone aspiring to become one), then you’ve probably heard of Final Cut Pro. Apple’s film & video editing software is already regarded as the industry standard in powerful editing tools. But now Final Cut is even richer, with a load of fantastic editing features, thanks to a new edition: Final Cut Pro X, which Apple released and is now available through the App Store.

Final Cut Pro X adds new features to an already-powerful video editing software tool.

Final Cut Pro X builds on the software’s existing strength with enhanced ways to organize footage, which helps prevent the possibility of being overwhelmed by having too many production elements and no way to keep everything separated and handy, until clips are needed for editing. 

As far as the editing process itself goes, Final Cut Pro X’s Magnetic Timeline helps prevent gaps – which could otherwise show up in the final edit as black frames, and create a less-than-professional look for the production.

Final Cut Pro X’s Magnetic Timeline keeps your video edits tight and perfectly aligned.

Final Cut Pro X is now available in the App Store for $299, which is a pretty smart way to purchase the software. When Apple updates the program, the App Store will automatically update the software.

Professional Production with FCPX
Noted filmmakers such as the Coen brothers (True Grit) and Francis Ford Coppola have embraced Final Cut for its flexibility and ease of use. This summer, learn Final Cut Pro in film & video production courses. Digital Media Academy tech summer camps are held at prestigious university campuses across the United States and Canada. If you’re seriously interested in pursuing a career in film production, hit the ground running with expert instruction and hands-on training with the most current equipment and software. The next generation of filmmakers are learning and using Final Cut Pro X.

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You’ve seen the effect before in movies and television – someone is talking in the background, then as their conversation finishes, the scene quickly transitions to the foreground, and all the cameraman did was adjust the camera’s lens focus. It’s a quick and almost seamless transition, and you can achieve the same effect too, using just your DSLR camera.

Using an inexpensive kit called Follow Focus, you can now adjust your shots with professional perfection. The kit, which is sold for $59, is easy to use and replicates the same photograph technique it’s named after, follow focus.

The kit includes a Velcro strap and metal focus markers that are actually used as stop points to set the proper focus. Having the two points allows you to switch back and forth between the multiple focus points with the accuracy and precision of a professional photographer or filmmaker. If you don’t want to spend the $59 dollars, you can build a kit without much difficulty, using metal clips, velcro and steel wiring, but we thought the Follow Focus kit was well worth the money considering the professional results you get.

Created by DSLR Solutions, the Follow Focus kit allows follow and rack focusing without a rail or other accessories.

Getting Photography in Focus
Are you serious about photography? Then learn how to use a DSLR camera. You can get professional results with just a few expert tips, and improve your picture-taking skills. Take a summer course, or attend a summer camp at Digital Media Academy and you’ll truly get the most out of your DSLR.

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There’s a lot that goes into making a movie, especially when you’re creating a computer-animated film. Every movie starts with a story but a film concept evolves into a vision during pre-production meetings. In the pre-production process, storyboards are created to help people see the movie’s “vision.” Storyboarding is incredibly important part of filmmaking. For Disney/Pixar’s Cars 2, computer animators rendered all the scenes as traditional 2D storyboards and computer-generated animatics:

Storyboarding: Establishing the Action
Storyboarding helps a director share his vision with the production team, and helps the team understand what the director wants to see in the frame. Artists use simple line drawings (and their imagination) to create what will wind up on the big screen.

The action for Cars 2 starts with storyboarding. Before a film goes in front of the camera, a story is developed and then, storyboards are produced to help the entire production team understand what the final frame of film will look like, where characters will be positioned, and to establish scene locations. Actors may also see storyboards to help them develop their characters. The Tokyo race sequence for took more than 1,400 storyboards to portray the action involved.

Layout: Pre-visualizing the Scene
Everything is “laid out” before the first full computer rendering of a scene. Animators pre-visualize, or lay out the shot. Characters are roughly developed and placed within the environment, but don’t yet have a polished or finished look. This gives the director or scene supervisor a chance to make changes before resources are spent creating something that may not remain in the final scene.

In the pre-visualization phase, the cars are in position and have basic facial expressions.

The Final Render: Keyframe
In this keyframe, character and texture artists finish the characters and world. Only then, when the frame is approved by the director, are the computer models finalized.

The final frame is completely rendered with surface textures and reflections. (Notice the neon lights shining off Lightning McQueen.) Pixar uses crowd software to add cars in the background.

Creating 3D Characters
Pixar uses proprietary computer graphics software, while the majority of the movie and video game industry use Maya to create 3D characters. To create storyboards, you should have a background in creating comics or cartoons. Both skills can help you get a job working on a computer-animated movie like Cars 2.

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