About

FaiSTRADA is the live training and consulting brand of VFX Wizard srl, a wholly owned, privately held company founded in 2002 with an entirely deposited capital of Euro 20,000.00 and registered with the Chamber of Commerce of Rome, Italy, with tax id #IT06977431003.

FaiSTRADA's mission is to provide quick, efficient training with a non-scholastic approach that focuses on techniques and not tools. Most traditional trainings are focused on a single software application rather than on the techniques needed to obtain results. This leads to a narrow field of expertise that simply does not fit in the fluid market of digital post production studios work.

Despite providing consulting and custom software development for specific softwares and platforms, the main focus is on the scientific and technical background that digital arts such as compositing, visual effects and 3D animation require.

In 2008 FaiSTRADA has introduced an online learning branch, with instructor led classes that provide both progress feedback and continuated assistance. Lessons are presented in writing and as narrated video inside a custom eLearning framework developed over three years. Adobe Flash technology is extensively used both to provide videolesson and to receive student's assignments, however the platform is entirely XHTML compliant and based on latest Ajax technology.

FaiSTRADA's appeals mostly to people already working in a studio or freelance setting, or willing to apply for a long term knowledge transfer program that covers most aspects of digital post production, from digital compositing with After Effects, Shake and even Commotion, to 3D Animation with Lightwave, Maya, Vue, Modo, Poser, Sketchup and ZBrush. Extensive care is given to texturing with Photoshop and third party helpers such as ImageSynth. Audio post production is focused on orchestral music composition, with Cubase, Logic and for smaller productions Sequel. A great deal of care is put on realistic virtual instruments setup, using EastWest complete composer collection, Steinberg's Halion and for smaller productions MOTU Symphonic Instruments.

FaiSTRADA's studio is located in a modern, fascinating building in one of the most elegant business areas of Rome. Apart from the permanent business offices, this modern structure provides a large conference room that doubles as production studio, a private natural park as well as swimming pools and tennis fields interconnected with a network of cyclable roads.