For me, entering a male dominated industry is not intimidating or disconcerting because my technically-oriented career path prior to attending CADA enabled me to grow accustomed to working predominantly with men”, says Christine Baldelli who was a graduating student this year from the Masters Program in Digital Imaging and Design at New York University’s Center for Advanced Digital Applications,(CADA) a division of the School for Continuing and Professional Studies.
CADA’s students predominantly comes from the U.S., but also include a diverse population of students from outside the US, including; Asia, Israel, India and Africa.
For her thesis project, Baldelli designed a pilot for a youth oriented television show that she plans to pitch to television networks. The core curriculum at CADA is divided into three sections: Motion Graphics, Animation and Compositing. Of 58 graduating Thesis students this year, nearly twenty were women who had selected a 3D concentration for their career focus. Many of these students would like to stay in the United States to work professionally.
“There’s is without a doubt a need and an opportunity for more women in the industry” says JWT New York creative director Eric Weisberg, who with senior partner/creative director Gary Boyd are working on conceptual thinking with a current NYU thesis class which is graduating in January 2007. “As is clearly evident from NYU CADA, women bring a different sensibility and a refreshing point of view to their work. Most notably, they bring a softer and more elegant touch that is often missing in the cold, hard world of 3D”.
Another CADA student who graduated this month, Michal Finegold, a transplant from Israel, has lived in the United States for nearly two years during her studies. “In terms of the aesthetic that people look for in CG, I used to think it was a really masculine one, and that somehow distinctly feminine styles would not be as popular.
“But that was based on what’s out there on forums and popular websites for CG artists. When I look at what’s actually being done in the industry, I think there is an openness to all types of aesthetics, depending on the needs of the different projects. So clearly, the industry is NOT looking for just masculine design schemes and random big-breasted Poser women with guns.
Before completing her Master’s Degree, Michal was a software engineer. “I studied computer science and physics–also male-dominated fields,” so she says she is used to it.
With so many young women entering the industry, the numbers have to give and women will start making up more of the general population of 3D artists as many of the post houses and larger studios begin to employ women in the CG departments.
“I notice the male dominance more in the industry than at school. I had plenty of women in all my classes” reports Finegold.
“Yes, 3D has traditionally been a male industry. Probably has something to do with Superhero comics and in the early years boys were more likely to use computers than girls. There are exceptions of course, and that is definitely no longer the case” according to Gavin Guerra, former head of Black Logic’s CG Department and currently a top NYC area 3D and compositing freelancer, who is also an adjunct professor at CADA.
“I never sensed any discrimination toward women in the field. Women are usually accepted with open arms as a welcome change from geeky men. When I ran Black Logic’s CG dept, I used to hire mainly women. It just worked out that way.” In fact she says, “The company that I’m freelancing with now just spoke of the need for more estrogen in the office–“
“I think with the advent of programs like CADA, the tide is shifting.
Basically, talent rules, in every industry and if the women CG artists are good, they will have no problem finding work”.
Jenga Mwendo, long term modeler at Blue Sky, tucked away in White Plains, states it plainly and boldly: “It should be recognized that there ARE women in this industry!! And, I’d like to encourage other women to get into it.”
Watch out post world. Here they come.
Benita Raphan is a filmmaker and clinical assistant professor at New York University, Center for Advanced Digital Applications, and can be reached at benita.raphan@nyc.edu
By Benita Raphan
AD&Co. Launches Studio A; Davida Hall To Head New Venture As Sr. Director of Creative Content
Female-founded and led creative marketing agency AD&Co. has opened Studio A. The new venture will serve as AD&Co.’s in-house social brand content division, focused on developing and producing digital programming for advertising, social media, and influencer marketing campaigns designed to reach today’s audiences on the most popular and pivotal platforms. Davida Hall has been named to head Studio A as sr. director of creative content. She shifts over from AD&Co. where she held the same title since December 2023. Hall’s affiliations prior to AD&Co. include PopSugar and Studio71.
Amy Demas, founder and chief creative officer of AD&Co., said, “We understand content is king-—or queen—and that our clients need to engage their customer communities where they live. That inspired the logical expansion of AD&Co with Studio A, which is committed to producing only the most engaging and authentic brand stories.”
Studio A will harness both AD&Co’s and Hall’s deep expertise in the lifestyle sector, as content creators and avid consumers. Specializing in reaching audiences where they spend their time, the studio is immersed in social media, pop culture, and current trends, expertly crafting visuals, language, and storytelling to reinforce client brand identities and cut through the noise.
Studio A debuts with the “This Is Me” campaign for Love + Craft + Beauty, a brand dedicated to embracing and promoting diversity within the beauty space. “This Is Me” highlights Gen Z’s affinity for radical self-expression that allows individuals to tell their own stories, free from labels, using beauty and fashion as tools of authenticity. The campaign showcases models celebrating their unique qualities to present... Read More