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

Ton Roosendaal ton at blender.org
Wed Sep 25 10:38:51 CEST 2019


Hi,

There is a blender.today thread now too. But Pierre is wrong in his 
observation.

- this list is open for everyone to subscribe (already 15 years).
- this list has over 1500 members.

-Ton-
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Ton Roosendaal - ton at blender.org - www.blender.org
Chairman Blender Foundation, Director Blender Institute
Buikslotermeerplein 161, 1025 ET Amsterdam, the Netherlands


On 24/09/2019 14:03, Pierre Schiller wrote:
> 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 
> <mailto: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 <mailto: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 <mailto: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 <mailto: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 <mailto: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
>>                 <http://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
>>                 <http://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
>>                 <mailto:ton at blender.org> - www.blender.org
>>                 <http://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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