CAT holds fourth annual Industry Day

^{By: Mark Reyes, Newswriting Intern                                      communications@bloomfield.edu} 

The Division of Creative Arts & Technology (CAT) hosted its fourth annual Industry Day March 21 in the Westminster Arts Center, opening its doors to current and prospective students and a range of speakers from various disciplines to help develop valuable connections for the next generation of artists.

“Industry Day is a great opportunity for students to learn things that are not always taught in the classroom, and to grow their professional network for internships and job opportunities,” said Associate Professor of Game Development Thomas Toynton.

Featuring portfolio reviews and informational sessions with professionals from across the creative landscape, the event serves as a yearly chance for students to learn from some of the best and brightest pros while having their own work critiqued. For prospective students, the event also provided the chance to gain acceptance into Bloomfield’s award-winning CAT programs for the upcoming 2015-2016 academic year.

“Industry Day is tailor-made for CAT students,” said student Brian Shapiro. “It gives us a great opportunity to network with professionals and gain valuable insight into what it takes to succeed, and what we can expect as we enter our first jobs out of school.”

The afternoon program consisted of 11 successful speakers conducting nine lectures on a variety of topics. Speakers in attendance included Sean Scott, Senior Games Producer at Nickelodeon and Founder of GameDevMasters; Brian Brodeur, Founder/Producer, ACIEM Studios; and Jeff (Jedi) Jones, Director/Producer, World Alert Productions.

“An event like this elevates the level of networking for students,” said Nancy Bacci, chairperson of the CAT department. “Anytime you can get a mentor or anyone who likes their work to come to campus it’s great; today students have the chance to gain that through interacting with established professionals.”

After the individual lecture sessions, the 11 speakers took part in the industry panel, which was an exciting hour of perspectives and story-sharing to mark the end of a successful day.

“We get to interact with them during the panel and ask them some valuable questions,” said Shapiro. “It’s just an awesome time and so beneficial for us all as students as we prepare for life after graduation.”

To learn more about Bloomfield’s Division of Creative Arts & Technology, visit http://www.bloomfield.edu/academics/degrees-programs/creative-arts-technology.