[Bf-education] Terminating the Certified Trainer program...

Tue Sep 24 14:03:26 CEST 2019

Also, for all BFCT please consider taking this thread over to blender.chat,
officially. No one is attending this mailing list, because they have to be
first: approved, then confirmed by email then finally replying to the
thread.
Please consider taking this to blender.chat on Blender Today community.
Thanks.

On Mon, Sep 23, 2019 at 3:38 PM Pierre Schiller <3dcinetv at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi Ton. Thank you for making the marvelous software Blender is today.
>
> You mention BFCT status could potentially terminate. I would like to
> present some considerations before, please:
>
> BFCT has been enormous help for me as well as other trainers. Many studios
> will not hire or consider solutions from a hobbyist or a CG artists who is
> not directly endorsed with an official profile page like Blendernetwork.org
> has done with all BFCT professionals enrolled in it. The profile hits (page
> searches) alone should give a good *healthy report* on how often *top-industry
> jobs search for specialized Blender trainers/professionals*. Terminating
> the BFCT is cutting out the possibility for an already healthy community
> growing for the next wave in the 3D industry: *realtime graphics and VR
> operative interfaces* for 3D creation. Blender has taken the right steps
> towards the future implementing -even beyond implementing- other scientific
> and robotic areas surpassing 3D vfx and animation renders.
>
> I have been invited to many organizations to do *live workshops* because
> they trust that I have done a lot of Blender presentations online and
> offline driving the edge of techniques and tools from version 2.79 onwards
> , endorsed by *being BFCT*. It required me to give *straight answer to
> deep technical problems* on studios using Blender or implementing
> solutions on their own pipelines with other proprietary software and so
> their trust is confirmed on how the certified trainers are endorsed by the
> Blender Foundation, thus bringing prestige and confidence using the
> software.
>
> I have been given the opportunity to work with such venturous software
> developers exploring creativity and seeing Blender has stand the tests,
> addons and new implementations, thus *giving these 3d
> industry-professionals confidence when they work along side a BFCT*. I
> can only speak for my cases, but I´m mostly sure many others will be in
> this position through out the world as certified trainers.
>
> Training studios has been my main goal, and BFCT helped me through these
> years to walk in those presentations and be aware to what the Blender
> Foundation was doing in progress of Blender and communicate that clearly
> with expectations met from everyone in the room.
>
> Without BFCT certification, anyone stands with under qualified users in
> many areas *not knowing what representation Blender would officially have
> to showcase as a solution* for a* studio pipeline or creatively using it
> for new break through* artistic styles for movies, games or commercial
> advertisement...
>
> Having 20+ years in the advertisement industry, terminating the BFCT would
> rather hurt the solid commitment that all BFCT pursue: *The efficient
> implementation of Blender for studio production across all platforms and
> media.*
>
> This is my line of work and I would love to know more information to
> re-apply for Blender 2.81 BFCT whenever possible.
>
> *Ultimately, there should be "specialized" training like the Blender
> Foundation was offering back in March 2018. For example: "Migrating from
> 3DsMax to Blender", "Using Particles for physics simulations", among
> others; and have those programs expand upon review from the BFCT applicant.
> This is a way to search for specialized trainer, rather than an average 3d
> generalist.*
>
> *The BFCT applicant submits his specialized trainer program and the
> Blender Foundation evaluates the trainer and his program to emit official
> certification.*
> This is my proposal.
>
> Thank you for your attention.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> David Rivera.
>
>
> On Mon, Sep 23, 2019 at 3:01 PM Carlos Santana <csantanad at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> Hello there
>>
>> I have been for many years outspoken about the fact that certifications
>> should be extremely more widely available than they are right now
>>
>> Like any other certification from CCNA to brain surgeon, the important
>> thing it to licence to institutions, not individuals, it is then the
>> institutions turn to uphold the quality of the certifiable persons
>> acumen in the field.
>>
>> Under this scheme, Blender foundation remains the sole giver of
>> certifications, but it does so to accredited institutes and universities,
>> not individuals.
>>
>> I have already gone all the way to Amsterdam and talked with a few of the
>> people involved in the main teachers effort, and have already laid out a
>> plan of action to implement such a scheme in the light of the actual
>> CG-FX-Studio interest in the talent Blender attracts.
>>
>> I could turn this into a solid certification path that is direly required
>> in order to keep lowering barrier for the large scale adoption of blender
>> in the other visual fields not related to the entertainment industry.
>>
>> In turn the entertainment industry sure wold love it if we gave them some
>> tools to remove the guesswork out of hiring Blender bound talent.
>>
>> There is an alternative, are there people willing to accept it has been
>> my question in the last 7 or so years
>>
>> Regards,
>> Carlos
>>
>>
>>
>> On Mon, Sep 23, 2019 at 1:07 PM Chris Mcfall <chris at unitedfilmdom.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> Personally i always found the blender certification gave clients,
>>> particularly universities confidence in hiring me.
>>>
>>>  In  a community like blenders where there are far more beginner level
>>> users than experienced professionals (particularly ones capable of
>>> imparting training in a digestible manner) a certification needs to exist,
>>> or institutions looking for training are going to wind up disillusioned
>>> hiring under-experienced users who misrepresent blenders capability’s and
>>> this may negatively impact the uptake of institutions and pro studios.   As
>>> someone who has taught blender at a number of prestigious universities,
>>> schools, and professional institutions.  I believe a tier of quality
>>> trainers for blender is invaluable. Perhaps charging for the certification
>>> again and using that fee to manage pay for the infrastructure would be
>>> worth while.
>>>
>>> On Mon, 23 Sep 2019 at 18:32, Gossett, Evalyn J <egossett at iun.edu>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Hello everyone
>>>>
>>>> Thank you for the update.
>>>> I need training maybe not certification.
>>>>
>>>> Thank you
>>>>
>>>> Evalyn J. Gossett
>>>> DNP, RN
>>>>
>>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>>>
>>>> On Sep 23, 2019, at 12:04 PM, Ton Roosendaal <ton at blender.org> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Hi everyone,
>>>>
>>>> The certified trainer program is dwindling and doesn't get much
>>>> attention nor enthusiasm from trainers really.
>>>> This email is to open the discussion on stopping with the certification
>>>> program, and to provide an alternative.
>>>>
>>>> https://www.blender.org/certification/
>>>> We installed the certification program in 2007 on popular request,
>>>> provided that:
>>>>
>>>> - there would be a clear process in place to validate trainers
>>>> - it would be managed well, preferably by trainers themselves.
>>>> I always had mixed feelings about providing official certification. A
>>>> certificate's value is fully determined by the quality of the validation
>>>> procedure and to have a decent examination process. The process we had in
>>>> place for validating trainers was very minimal.
>>>>
>>>> Yet we accepted to do this, because in 2007 many trainers said it would
>>>> help them to get in business. Their clients or universities demanded that.
>>>> Unfortunately that has been true for very few people only.
>>>>
>>>> Currently there are only 12 active certifications.
>>>>
>>>> I propose to stop with certification now. Not only because of lack of
>>>> interest, lack of quality in the program, but especially because it does
>>>> not support the Blender Foundation's goal - which is about supporting
>>>> projects on blender.org related to making Blender.
>>>>
>>>> What I then rather do instead is to re-activate this mailing list, and
>>>> discuss with educators what Blender Foundation can do to help everyone here
>>>> better. For example with a section on blender.org where educators and
>>>> trainers can meet and exchange useful information and share or download
>>>> training material. The Blender Foundation could add also add staff efforts
>>>> to coordinate this.
>>>> I know this mailing list hasn't been very active. Hope the mail
>>>> arrives, and I'm curious to read your reactions.
>>>>
>>>> Thanks,
>>>> -Ton-
>>>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>>>> Ton Roosendaal - ton at blender.org - www.blender.org
>>>> Chairman Blender Foundation, Director Blender Institute
>>>> Buikslotermeerplein 161, 1025 ET Amsterdam, the Netherlands
>>>> <https://www.google.com/maps/search/Buikslotermeerplein+161,+1025+ET+Amsterdam,+the+Netherlands?entry=gmail&source=g>
>>>>
>>>>
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