Groundbreaking Catholic Animation Camp

The Colorado Catholic Herald is proud to be a sponsor of what we consider a groundbreaking idea... a camp that aims to teach folks the basic tools of computer animation so that he/she can produce Catholic-themed art. The inaugural Catholic Animation Camp will take place June 23-27 at John Paul II Center in Denver. The teacher is Steve Baker, who teaches animation at the University of Colorado in Denver and is the founder of Holy Solies Media.

The ambitious schedule for the camp includes participants creating elements that will be combined at the end of the camp to make a Catholic music video. Participants will get to dabble in character construction and motion capture. The $600 camp cost includes a software license for Softimage XSI, which is used by top animators in Hollywood for films and games.

There are only a dozen spots open, and several spots are already taken. This year is, in part, about getting the word out about this great idea. We recommend interested folks get involved now, as the uniqueness of this camp is likely to cause a waiting list for future camps. This camp is being promoted nationally and the hope is that interested people can fly in for future camps and that a community can be created for participants to share ideas and support each other.

Another dream for the camp is that, as word gets out, a scholarship can be created in memory of Mark Golden, a good friend of Baker who died in a hiking accident in 2004. Golden was a composer both for story ideas and music in past projects, including their first video "The Kings of Christmas."