For the past several months the Grammy award winning band, No Doubt, has been encouraging fans to submit art to them so they could share it on their social media sites. In hearing this Natasha jumped at the chance to have her artwork featured for other fans to view and appreciate. Little did she know that the fan art submissions would later be part of a fan art contest.

She received an email one morning from No Doubt’s Social Media Manager
that was very vague in details, stating that he represented No Doubt and Gwen Stefani and that they wanted to send her something in the mail. This was, of course, very exciting news but she still had no idea what exactly they were sending. A sticker? Maybe a free t-shirt? …However, it was none of the things she thought.

Gwen Stefani and Tony Kanal of No Doubt took the time to pose for a picture with Natasha’s art before sending it to her!

What No Doubt had sent her was a copy of her portrait that they had printed on canvas with Gwen Stefani’s autograph! She had been the first person selected out of hundreds of fan art submissions to have her work printed and autographed. As an artist there can be no better acknowledgement of your talent then to have a childhood idol appreciate your work! Natasha was thrilled to have Gwen sign the portrait she had made of her. No Doubt is definitely a wonderful band for taking the time to show love to their fans in such a creative way!

The Gwen portrait created by Natasha Englehardt

Social Media has become such an important way for people to connect and share things that they love with others. Natasha’s advice to other Platt students would be to post your art anywhere you can on the internet because you never know who might see your work. She currently uses sites like deviantART, Society6 and Instagram to promote her artwork.
Natasha earned her Graphic Design Associates Degree and is now continuing with her Bachelor of Science Media Art emphasizing in 3D Animation at Platt College!! She works as the Social Media Assistant for Platt College’s very own Social Media Department. We are all very proud of Natasha’s talent and ambitious efforts! Imagine what she will create using her 3D Animation education and tools!

To view more of Natasha’s work or to purchase her Gwen Stefani portrait picked by No Doubt check out her work here:

http://society6.com/NatashaAlexandra/prints

http://nenglehardt.daportfolio.com/

http://nenglehardt.deviantart.com/

The winner of the contest was determined by the number of likes received for the photo. Platt College Web Design student Melissa Conrad was the winner of our contest with her photo posted below! She was awarded a $25 gift card to Starbucks as her prize. When asked to give a description of her submission this what Melissa had to say,

“What is life like for me as a student at Platt College? Almost everyday after two hours of inspiring lecture and tutorials, my friends and I go on break. Stretching our legs and feeling the warm San Diego sunshine, we think about what we just learned. With smiles on our faces, we always return to learn more. In this photo, I wanted to capture that essence of that absorption of knowledge, perseverance of achieving more, and the brief relief of going on “break”. — Melissa Conrad, Platt College Digital Media Designer.

Thank you to all the students and alumni that participated and congratulations Melissa on winning the contest! To participate in future contests be sure to follow Platt College San Diego on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/plattcollegesandiego

Check out the Gallery Below to view the other submissions to the contest!

Blog Written By Natasha Englehardt, Platt Social Media Assistant

Bring your friends and family to what is sure to be an inspiring evening. Don’t miss out on this excellent opportunity to see all the talent that Platt College San Diego students have to offer. Come enjoy and leave inspired!

**Update**

The reception at the Lyceum was a wonderful success! Thank you to everyone who came out to show their support for our talented students and teachers. In case you missed the event please check out the slideshow below!

Chances are if you are a student or faculty member at Platt College San Diego you may have heard of  their series called Sessions. Sessions was created by students with a love for music and the local San Diego music scene. Natasha Englehardt, Platt College’s Social Media Assist, recently had the opportunity to interview the production team who started it all: Melvin Graham, Darryl Vickers and Ethan Leonard II.

Melvin Graham, Ethan Leonard II and Darryl Vickers

Enjoy the interview and be sure to show your continued support to our talented students by following them on their social media channels found below.

The Session’s Interview:

Natasha: For those who haven’t heard of Sessions yet tell me a little about what Sessions is and what you do.

Melvin: Sessions is more than just a web series about local San Diego talent, we also bring them in for a video interview and live recording. It’s become a real movement and a cause creating a platform for local artists to share their passion.
Ethan: It’s a great way for people to learn and know more about the musical process of local musicians without limiting the audience to a specific genre of music.

Natasha: When did you first decide to put the Sessions team together and what was your main inspiration for creating this web series?

Darryl: Melvin mentioned it would be cool to start interviewing artists, we then brought Ethan in and one idea led to another over the past 6 months.
Melvin: We first worked with Ethan on a project for the San Diego 48 Hour Film Project called Back to You. Ethan was a real go-getter.
Darryl: When we first learned of Ethan’s background in film we were impressed that for being as young as he is he knows a lot about video. He already has about 6 or 7 years experience.
Ethan: I’ve always tried to stay constantly involved in projects outside the classroom.

Natasha: Since Sessions is about the local San Diego music scene, who has been your favorite artist that you’ve featured so far?

Darryl: I don’t have a favorite, no one artist is relished more. All have been really great!
Melvin: They have all been great. But there’s a guy named Caddy and his story has inspired me. He’s from Tanzania and he talked about the genocide and wars there. He knew he wanted to make it to the U.S. to come educate himself. And he uses his music as more than just a hobby.
Ethan: There hasn’t been any bad interviews either. Buffalo Picnic was one of my favorites. Mike Infante a student at Platt has brought his band far and recently they released an EP. Buffalo Picnic is making it happen for themselves!

Natasha: You are all students at Platt College what have you learned from your education here that has helped you the most with Sessions?

Melvin: Being receptive to criticism and learning time management have helped a lot. Also encouragement to go beyond the textbooks to learn more.
Ethan: The critiques in class are also a great part of the curriculum here.
Darryl: It’s great that the teachers and faculty are excited and supportive of students collaborating together on projects.

Natasha: You’re almost done recording your first full season of Sessions. What has been your favorite part of the experience so far?

Melvin: The anticipation has been entertaining. You never know who you are going to meet next!
Darryl: Putting the footage together after filming. Then posting it online and seeing it generating a buzz is exciting.

Natasha: What has been the biggest challenge with getting Sessions started?

Melvin: Any great idea will have critics. Trying to get people to see our vision and understand the potential is tough. It should be easy and sometimes people want to add stuff to it that will make it more difficult than it needs to be.
Darryl: People don’t see the vision even though it’s so simple!
Ethan: Reliability, definitely. People hear an idea and get excited. But when it comes time to put in the work people don’t want to help anymore. Also, having to change filming locations last minute is stressful.
Melvin: Potholes and hurdles can make it tough. You need to have a thick skin in this industry.

Natasha: Is there any advice you would give others that are thinking of pursuing and creating their own web-video series?

Melvin: It takes a lot of marketing and promoting to get people to know what is Sessions. It’s very important to get your presence out there.

Natasha: What’s next for Sessions after you complete your first season?

Ethan: We definitely want to have a Season 2. But funding can be an issue. We are launching a kickstarter campaign that should help with things like equipment for filming.

Be sure to come show your support for Sessions at their Kickstarter Campaign Event, Friday March 29th from 7pm to 10pm. Location for the event is the Bamboo Lounge: 1475 University Ave., San Diego 92103

For more information on Sessions and how you can show your support for their recent kickstarter campaign check out the links below!

Sessions on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sessionsSD

Sessions on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Sessions_SD

Sessions Kickstarter Page: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/691674986/san-diego-sessions

Blog written by Natasha Englehardt

Steve Gunderson, the President & CEO of APSCU with Platt College’s Vice President Al Medro & Chairman Robert Leiker

Mr. Gunderson is a former member of the United States Congress, where he spent sixteen years
representing Wisconsin’s 3rd congressional district. During that time, he became a leader on
education, employment policy, human rights and health care issues. Now, as the President and
CEO of APSCU, his focus is on helping private sector colleges and universities stay updated
with essential information, including new legislation, that impacts them. His position also entails
him educating Congress on the types of schools that are a part of the private sector. He is the link
between Congress and the private sector, bringing them together to focus the best outcome for
the students. Fortunately, like our teachers, students and staff, Mr. Gunderson understands that
sometimes good things come in small packages and that all schools are not the same.

Mr. Gunderson showed us his true acceptance of our type of school, a small, specialty, private
sector college that focuses on teaching the skills of the Digital Media Design industry, by visiting
us on January 25, 2013. While visiting our school, he was able to discover first hand who we
are. Spending time with our Chairman, Robert Leiker and Vice President, Al Medro, gave Mr.
Gunderson an opportunity to learn about our goals as a specialized college and the political
legislation that we feel impacts our school. Mr. Gunderson also had the opportunity to meet
with students and tour our campus. Filled with student work, it was easy to see that our school
is proud of the students we serve and the work they do. We may not be a traditional college,
our students may not fit the typical college student stereotypes, but our goal is the same as our
public sector counterparts: educate and prepare our students for the workforce and create good
hardworking citizens.

According to the Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities, each year four million
students attend private sector colleges and universities and in 2009-10, the private sector colleges
and universities in California educated 397,868 students, ten percent of the college population
in the state. Our students are diverse and dedicated. They may be recent high school graduates,
single parents or former military service members. No matter what their backgrounds are, we
want to help them see their full potential. We believe that our school gives our students a choice.
We are specialized, we focus on teaching our students the fundamentals of the Media Arts
industry with particular focus on 3D Animation, Digital Video Production, Visual Effects and
Compositing and Graphic and Web Design. Our focus is quality over quantity, we may teach
fewer subjects, but we work diligently to teach them extremely well. With that being said, we
feel the same way about our students. We do not strive to have a large population of students,
just dedicated ones, who feel like we can provide them with the stepping stones they need for
a career in the Digital Media Design industry. To serve them we have morning, afternoon and
evening classes, so that every one of our students has the opportunity to attend classes when it is
convenient for them. We realize that all of our students are not the same, so it is crucial that we
understand their needs and work to accommodate them.

Nelson Mandela said, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change
the world,” and we agree. Mr. Gunderson could have easily skipped over our small school, but
he didn’t. He didn’t because he sees us as a valuable resource in our community and country.
He understands that although private sector colleges and universities often do not receive the
compliments they deserve, they are incredibly significant. He knows that the work done at
these schools are just as important as the work being done at the public universities and that
just because a student takes a different path for the education they desire, it does not make
that student or the path they take wrong. It makes them an individual and we are proud of the
individuals we serve at Platt College San Diego.

Fun Fact: Why did Mr. Gunderson visit Platt College San Diego?

Interestingly enough, Platt’s Vice President, Al Medro was encouraged to read one of Mr. Gunderson
speech delivered at the Hill Day Conference since it spoke about the benefits of bipartisan, partnerships
with private/public education sectors and moving forward toward the same goal of educating our
students. After reading his speech, Mr. Medro wrote a simple email thanking him for the motivational
speech. This simple gesture of gratitude was received and replied with a curiosity to come and see who
we are! Platt College San Diego was proud to host Mr. Gunderson for an afternoon and honored that he
will be representing the private sector college and universities (PSCUs).

Platt digital designers were introduced to a Platt graduate, Andre Padilla. He graduated from Platt College San Diego’s Multimedia Design program in the mid 1990’s. Andre is now the lead visual effects and compositing artist for all of Sony Online’s commercials and video marketing. Andre was excited to learn that the tour group consisted of Platt students and provided great insights about how he got his foot in the door at Sony. In addition to touring the Sony labs, students were also treated to viewing some of their current in-progress commercials.

Visiting behind the scenes at one of the gaming industry’s largest companies, was an exciting adventure for Platt’s future animators! Students were lead through the QA department, where testing out games before they are released to the public occurs daily. Sony’s epic employee lounge was a place of inspiration as well as recreation. Sony’s employees have access to ping pong tables, comfy chairs and, of course, PS3’s for breaktime entertainment. Like any good secret ingredient to a delicious recipe, there were parts of Sony’s tour that we are not able to discuss or reveal due the the company’s sensitive information. However, it is safe to say that Sony Online Entertainment produces some of the most popular massively multiplayer online role-playing games which are enjoyed by many from the gaming industry.

The finale of the tour was the opportunity for the students to talk with three of the lead animators and modelers for Sony Online’s game Free Realms. They shared step-by-step accounts of their creative process while creating the game. Each phase was clearly explained, from the initial models to the rigging and animation of the characters from the game. For Platt’s future animation students, desiring a career in the animation industry, the information Sony’s animators and modelers presented was very helpful. Platt College students left the trip feeling inspired and ready to tackle their next projects with their new found knowledge thanks to all the talented people at Sony Online Entertainment!

Sony Online Entertainment (SOE) is a game development and game publishing division of Sony that is best known for creating massively multiplayer online games, including EverQuest, EverQuest II, The Matrix Online, PlanetSide, Star Wars Galaxies, Free Realms, and Vanguard: Saga of Heroes, DC Universe Online and other smaller games in development.
In 2008 Sony Online Entertainment’s game Everquest was honored (along with Neverwinter Nights and World of Warcraft) at the 59th Annual Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards for advancing the art form of MMORPG games.
-Source: Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sony_Online_Entertainment

Blog Written by Natasha Englehardt

From the Avengers to the X-men, Marvel is responsible for some of the greatest and most iconic comic book superheroes. The night of the event it was very apparent that the students at Platt were able to find inspiration to create their own personal tribute to Marvel. Although Platt is a Digital Media Design College, there were many different artistic mediums represented throughout the packed exhibit, showcasing the varied talents of Platt students. From sculptures to digital paintings it was a visual treat for all!

This was Platt’s second year coordinating an exhibit of this magnitude, it is safe to say it was a huge success! The year before Platt did a tribute to the Legend of Zelda for it’s 25th Anniversary which was equally successful. Platt College San Diego has surely set the standard for future exhibits in the years to come.

https://vimeo.com/56124262 Video by Platt Graduate, Anel Aguilar and Donald Farmer. Shot with Canon T3i and Go Pro Hero 2

Blog Written by Natasha Englehardt

Join us this Friday for the Platt College San Diego Sixth Annual Winter Art Festivities! There will be live music performed by local bands and talented Platt College San Diego singers. Come browse our inspirational art exhibits showcasing a wide variety of digital media designs and creations from Platt’s talented digital media designers. Every year Platt also hosts a raffle for fun-filled baskets overflowing with goodies provided by local businesses. While guests explore the festively decorated campus they will be sure to find something to entertain them throughout their visit.

Don’t miss your chance to bring joy to hospital patients this year and earn a FREE One-Month Premium deviantART membership!! Our goal is to have 60 Holiday cards created by Dec. 15th and you can help. Look for the “Holiday Card Project” table set up during the Winter Art Festival, create your own holiday card and do your part to bring some Joy! Use your creativity for a good cause! DeviantART distributes cards to patients in the hospital during the holiday season.

Refreshments and treats are provided to all who join us for a lovely festive evening. We hope you will join us for a wonderful night here at Platt College San Diego Digital Media Design! Don’t forget to check back for photos from the event and make sure to follow us on Facebook.

For inquiries regarding the Holiday Card Project:
Contact the Platt College San Diego Social Media Department:
Natasha Englehardt and Kimberly Harbert
Platt College San Diego: 619.265.0107 or 866.752.8826

Growing up we all had heroes that we wished we would become one day. While some heroes entertained us, some inspired us when we were at a loss, motivated us when we needed that extra push, and a few, just a few, sparked the everlasting imagination that makes us all kids!

Come and join us on November 16th (Friday), 2012 as Platt College San Diego pays tribute to the Marvel Universe. This exclusive ONE NIGHT event will once again harness the talents of Platt College San Diego students/alumni, local art
ists, and industry professionals within the San Diego community to celebrate their favorites from the Marvel Universe.

Everyone is invited to attend the opening reception at 7:30PM on November 16th! Platt is currently accepting artwork for this event (see details below). Please check back soon for a list of contributing artists.

VENUE:
TBA

Gallery Dates and Hours:
Friday, November 16th, 2012.
Reception: 7:30PM
Gallery Hours: 7:45PM – 10:30PM

This is a FREE event to attend and participate!

All are welcome to participate in this illustrious event by submitting your own art piece. Here are the guidelines:

Theme:
Create an art piece that shows a Marvel character’s “Defining Moment”: meaning the art piece should have an iconic feel towards it. All Marvel universe characters are allowed, doesn’t matter how famous or obscure. As long as fans can understand what you’re trying to portray, your job is done. The art piece can be of any style such as Art Deco, Contemporary, Vintage, etc.

Accepted Media:
digital . sketches . photography . sculpture . prints . paintings . drawings

Deadline For Submissions:
Nov 14th, 2012 (If you require more time, please contact hchang@platt.edu)

Bring all submissions to the Career Services Dept. at Platt College San Diego campus:

Platt College
6250 El Cajon Blvd
San Diego, CA 92115

If you can’t drop off your artwork, please contact hchang@platt.edu to make further arrangements.

Platt is looking forward to seeing everyone at the event and the creativity that all the students have to offer. Let’s make this year an even bigger success than the last! For those interested in more information on last year’s Zelda Exhibit check out the link below!

Platt Presents the Legend of Zelda Art Exhibit

The last few years Platt College has participated in the sandcastle competition taking home a 2nd place trophy each year! So of course everyone at Platt was devastated to hear that this year there would no longer be a sandcastle competition. That’s when Platt graduate Krystiana Brzuza-Hardisty came to the rescue! Having participated in the competitions in the past she wasn’t going to let the official competition’s cancellation prevent Platt students from a fun day with fellow classmates, friends and family at the beach. This year she took on the daunting task of arranging the first ever Platt exclusive sand sculpture competition and her hard work to put everything together turned out wonderfully! Everyone had such a fun time and bystanders from all over the beach gathered around the different sculptures that Platt students created. Platt’s Dean, Marketa Hancova, announced at the end of the day that she would call it the First Annual Platt College Sand Sculpture Competition due to the huge success of the event.

Team #1 with their Sphinx sand sculpture!

The theme of this year’s competition was Platt College and all subjects or areas of study that the school has to offer. The sculptures were judged on design, details, space, neatness, and completion. And as with any Platt event awards were given for the top 2 designs and everyone who participated was given a free ticket to the movies! The competition began at 7:30 in the morning and judging commenced at 3:30 pm. So it was a long day of sculpting but Platt students kept working hard to finish their beautiful designs. People from all over the beach gathered to find out if their favorite sculpture had won!

When the creative minds at Platt join together to create something one can’t help but notice the talent the students possess not just in the world of Digital Media Design but also in other challenging mediums such as sand. The teamwork involved in sand sculpting is just as important as the idea itself. Before any actual sculpting can start to take shape each team has to lug large buckets filled with ocean water to their sectioned off plot of sand. This alone is tiring work which can take up to an hour to get the plot of sand prepared. But once sculpting can begin it doesn’t stop there! At that point the teams have to keep continually dumping water on their sculpture to make sure that it doesn’t crumble after construction.

The talented group of designers had a variety of different sculptures when all was said and done. Several of the Associates and Bachelors degree students who participated included, Brittany Lindsay, Cassaundra Smyth, Ethan Leonard II, Brian Bridwell, Matt Lambert, Christian Saldarriaga, Dave Downes, Natasha Englehardt, and Krystiana Brzuza-Hardisty.
Team #1 sculpted a large Sphinx as well as a pyramid. Team #2 was the winner of the competition with an intricate sand sculpted representation of a vintage postcard of the state of California. Careful detail was added to the sculpture from the trees on Mt. Shasta to a miniature version of Platt College! Team #3 sculpted a beautiful mermaid on the coast of San Diego with the rolling hills in the background with PLATT carved into the side reminiscent of the Hollywood sign. Team #4 created a giant dragon sand sculpture. It was so huge it took up the entire plot of sand! Team #5 were the runners up with a creative concept of a digital mouse that was reminiscent of paintings from Salvador Dali. With a mouse face, a digital mouse body and a usb tail as well!

The two winning teams were awarded with medals as well as gift certificates for a job well done. And everyone who participated was honored on campus during Platt’s Freedom Celebration, with a free movie ticket and a beautiful certificate with their name. The sand sculpture competition was a huge success thanks to Krystiana’s wonderful planning and dedication. This hard work from the students shows that whatever the challenge may be Platt Digital Media Design students always rise to the occasion with smiles on their faces.

Blog & Photography by Natasha Englehardt