XSI workshops and tutorials

I have joined the Softimage XSI workshops and tutorials (known as Advanced Digital Techniques offered by Sebastian Reed and Jonathan Hunt to 2nd year BA Animation students).

I am beginning to realise that BA Animation students are very well supported throughout their programme and I'm beginning to suspect that the Skillset qualification is only for BA Animation and probably not MA Animation (Although I'm not sure about this).

Having come from a Fine Art- painting background I have a deep understanding of Art and Design, however, I should confess that my knowledge of 3d animation is somewhat poor and I am finding these workshops a bit of a challenge, but I'm improving and developing a hell of a lot.

I am planning to stick to these tutorials and workshops to not only learn the high end 3d animation software, XSI, but also to improve my terminology of animation and 3d animation as well as the theory and techniques of digital animation. So far we have had 8 sessions of 2 hour workshops and 1 hour tutorials, a total number of 24 hours of workshops and tutorials and I am prepared to continue and produce a project with BA students by 7th of January 2008. The project is a 10 second 3d animation piece and since it would fascilitate me with the technical skills I need to pursue my final animated piece, I would like to consider it as part of my exploratory project...