Guerrilla, adj : independent forces used to fight a stronger foe

The GuerrillaCG Project is a free non for profit organisation that hopes to make it easier to learn high-end computer graphics.  We are building a team of volunteers to create videos, that describe in an easy and understandable manner, the fundamental concepts of computer graphics.  Because core concepts rarely change with time, these videos have the potential to teach for many years into the future and help thousands of people all over the world. With enough people, it's possible that we can create a vast library covering many of the core concepts of computer graphics.

While taking advantage of our ability to explain complex concepts clearly and quickly, we aim to network with the vast amounts of information already on the Internet. This means we have the ability to list, explain and filter existing learning resources (free and commercial products and training) that are available to students.  And so The GuerrillaCG Project hopes become the starting point for those wishing to learn computer graphics.

Guerrilla, adj : independent forces used to fight a stronger foe

So one night not too long ago I had this crazy idea to make a 3d tutorial website with high quality concept videos, and make it absolutely free to the public. It came in a bolt of inspiration and well I've been mad enough to follow that through. The result is this site, The GuerrillaCG Project. The goal is to have a self-sustaining website that focuses on the fundamentals of computer graphics. Along the way I've grappled with various business models, but there always seems to be some sort of compromise once money is involved. I've also been inspired by a little site called Wikipedia, a non profit web site run by volunteers. In its tradition I'd like The GuerrillaCG Project to be non profit too, it's sort of an ideological experiment.

Why concept videos?
When I was teaching 3d animation, I noticed how difficult it was to explain CG concepts by the spoken word. Even demonstrating concepts in a software program was difficult because the students were learning concepts and software at the same time. There was a lot of repetition too, I was teaching the same concepts in 3ds Max as I would for other programs like Maya, Lightware or XSI.

That's when I thought, what if I could teach students these concepts in super efficient short films? The videos could be put on the web so they could be watched by thousands of people all over the world. The fundamental concepts haven't dated in the last 20 years, so I figured why couldn't they continue to teach people for years to come?  Then I thought what if we could get a team of people to do the same, it's possible that we could build a large resource over time, of quality videos demonstrating CG Concepts and still maintain quality.

Aims
The Guerrilla CG Project aims to demystify the concepts of computer graphics through our "Fundamental" videos. These videos are non-software specific, they have music and sound effects and are animated in short documentary style, they are created by the Guerrilla Team. This team is something that you can be a part of.

In addition other sections of the site will allow anyone to teach their own software by recommending screen-recorded videos, mostly these will be stored elsewhere on video sites like Youtube.com or Vimeo.com. So the "fundamental" videos are those created by the Guerrilla Team but the the screen recorded "software" videos could come from anyone who has already created existing videos.

The idea is to build a resource where people from all over the world can learn to create their own computer graphic masterpieces, or share their ideas and techniques.

At first the site is focusing on 3d modelling, but the idea is to expand it to other areas as the site builds.

We're in the process of creating a team of people and sponsors who would like to help out with the site. This includes web designers, web programmers, students, computer graphic professionals and companies who are willing to donate their time or money to inspire others and who are passionate about computer graphics.

For more information about me see my presenter page, or email me at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

How The GuerrillaCG Project can help you?
The GuerrillaCG Project is here to provide you with information about learning computer graphics, it's still a work in progress, so please be patient. Here's some information to get started.

Register
Click on the green plus in the top left hand corner to for free registration, we don't spam or sell details. Once you have registered you will be able to post in the comments and forum sections of the site.  If you would like us to notify you when new Fundamental Videos are released we will be setting up a section where you can subscribe in the future too. 

Fundamental Videos
Watch the videos on the front page, these are called Fundamental Videos, they explain computer graphic (CG) concepts simply and in a short amount of time.  These videos are created by those linked in the Presenters section of the site.

Software Videos
The Software Video section is coming.  It will feature embedded videos from places like Youtube.com and Vimeo.com.  We'll try to link to them from the Fundamental Video pages so you can see how each concept is performed in actual software.  We'll also try to filter out the "best of" videos from these sites so you don't waste time searching youtube for tutorials created by inexperienced users.

Contribute
Click on the Contribute menu if you can help out the site, by donating money, creating videos, posting news or helping with web related back end of the site.

News
In the News section we will post cg education news and links from around the web.  This page will be updated regularly so it may be best to bookmark this page.  Click here if you want to find out about the latest happenings on the web.  The drop down menu gives access to different types of news.

Forum
Our forum is where you can post questions and talk with each other, at this stage we are keeping the forum to just a General Category.  If you become a contributor to the site you will gain access to the hidden forum sections where we talk about how the site is developing and share information about the principles of CG.

Resources
We are slowly building the resource section into a large collection of all thing related to learning Computer Graphics.  These include other websites and tutorials, information about software, schools and commercial products such as DVDs and books.

About
This gives information about The GuerrillaCG Project.

Restricted Area
For approved members only is the restricted area, where we post information and wip videos of content made for the site.

Would you be interested in being part of the GuerrillaCG Project?
We are on the lookout for people to be part of the GuerrillaCg Project and core team.

Fundamental Videos
Can you create a Fundamental Video like seen on the front page? You can choose your own topic. You'll own all the rights to your videos so you can display it elsewhere or remove your content for whatever reason. You'll get the opportunity to contribute to thousands of people all over the world. You'll also feature in the "Presenters" list on the site where you can promote yourself or company.

Maybe you're a freelancer with a bit of down time, or an educator who like to demonstrate a concept? Or you're a student with a few weeks up your sleeve during the holidays or while looking for work. You're welcome to make a video in a team of people too, or maybe you can make a video in your spare time? It doesn't really matter.

You'll need to have the skills to create a movie like those already on the site. That means you'll need to be able to operate some sort of animation/motion graphics program, have access to a microphone and editing software to make the movie.

We'll provide you with all the titles, music and sound effects, some 3d models or pictures where necessary, and information on the best process to make the movies. We can help you with the direction of the video, but we'd like to encourage collaboration to see what others can bring to these movies.

More Info

How else can you contribute?

• Can you create video tutorials about your chosen software? go here
• Do you have web experience in Joomla .php or .css template design? go here
• Would like to share the links you've discovered on the latest CG News and Tutorials? go here
• Can you help out with server issues such as bandwidth and dedicated servers? go here

If you cannot contribute in these areas, perhaps you'd like to make a donation.  Either way we hope you enjoy the site.

-Andrew Silke, GuerrillaCG Founder

Andrew Silke - Guerrilla CG Founder
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it