eyeon Software Inc., maker of the award-winning Fusion compositing application , announced its new SWAT certification program to ensure that new and established eyeon artists receive the training and support they need to realize their full creative potential. With the 'SoftWare Artist Training' program, the company has expanded an international network of trainers, colleges, online resources, and in-house product support personnel to ensure that every eyeon artist is up-to-speed on the latest versions of Fusion, Vision and Rotation. eyeon launched the new program at NAB, April, 2009, in Las Vegas.

"Artists who are trained rise to the top of their fields," said Fusion artist, Aurore de Blois, who won an Emmy for her work on the popular Battlestar Galactica television series. "eyeon's new SWAT team approach to training people worldwide is exactly what visual effects artists need."

As a key component of SWAT, eyeon will send trainers anywhere in the world to assist new customers and ensure that their artists are able to transition seamlessly to the new software. In addition, the SWAT program consolidates all of the available training options for eyeon applications through eyeon's VFXPedia resource web site. Training partners include FXGuide's FXPhD, Class-on-Demand, Digital Tutors, CMI VFX, Sphere VFX, NYU, Sheridan College and Seneca College in Toronto, and others.

"It is not easy to get a good understanding of a new software package in such a short time but I came away from the course with a real insight into Fusion and its capabilities," said Mark Beardall, a Flame/VFX artist who recently received eyeon training in London. "We covered a wide range of real world tasks allowing me to see the software's creative possibilities. It also answered all questions that I had regarding feature comparisons of Fusion with Flame."

"The new frontier is knowledge," said Joanne Dicaire, Director of Marketing and Business Development at eyeon Software. "Innovation is no longer just about the technology; it's about the knowledge of the tools. Seasoned veterans don't want to feel like newbies when they move to Fusion. Shake artists, for example, have done some of the best VFX work in the world, and when they start out on Fusion, we want them to be able to produce work that reflects their true abilities right away.”