I'm trying to choose a college major related to computers to study, and so far Animation looks like the most interesting major because I don't like programming. So I would like to know good animation colleges and is there any skills required in order to join it ?
" How about the one up in Washington that all the Pixar guys went to? Crap I forgot the name. It's probably mad expensive anyways. "
Yeah, I would also like to know the differences between the expensive and cheap colleges, because from what I saw some colleges are really cheap and the other are expensive.
Animating is not easy, you at least need a good perception and to understand the 13 priniciples of motion. If your talking about cg animation, that reduces the need to be able to draw and reduces the difficulty, however you have to be observant, you can't just walk in there and expect yourself to be able to do it. You either have talent and skill or you don't.
Then again you can be a modeller, where you create characters rather than animating it. If you are less than the best of your class, don't expect to be hired easily if at all.
Animation is awesome, but there are only so many places where there is a market for them.
What I would is to make the whole cartoon by yourself. It's more impressive, can get more work, and you are your own boss and are not in danger of being laid off by a company (Disney, NBC).
I'll give you the best tip you'll ever get on this subject. Go online and buy up any training tutorials you can. FXphd is a good one. Buy a decent computer, then get the free student copies of Maya and 3DsMax. You may want to learn zbrush and mud box. Get familiar with the various (cgchannel, vfxtalk) animation websites and ask questions on the forums. Basically teach yourself as much as you can, then ask around on forums for advice. Then take the money you were going to spend on college and put it into investments. Not only will you have zero student debt, but you will probably know just as much as most of the students coming out of animation school. I see it all the time, students who just spend $100k and their demo reels are crap, pure crap. I'm not saying you shouldn't go to college, but that Animation is one of those things a person with enough knowledge and commitment can gain on their own. In the end, having a great demo reel and no degree will get you farther in the industry than a degree and a poor demo reel.
Red Cliff: Part 2. 3D studio Max, Final render. Ships generated via Thinking Particles.
" I'll give you the best tip you'll ever get on this subject. Go online and buy up any training tutorials you can. FXphd is a good one. Buy a decent computer, then get the free student copies of Maya and 3DsMax. You may want to learn zbrush and mud box. Get familiar with the various (cgchannel, vfxtalk) animation websites and ask questions on the forums. Basically teach yourself as much as you can, then ask around on forums for advice. Then take the money you were going to spend on college and put it into investments. Not only will you have zero student debt, but you will probably know just as much as most of the students coming out of animation school. I see it all the time, students who just spend $100k and their demo reels are crap, pure crap. I'm not saying you shouldn't go to college, but that Animation is one of those things a person with enough knowledge and commitment can gain on their own. In the end, having a great demo reel and no degree will get you farther in the industry than a degree and a poor demo reel.
Red Cliff: Part 2. 3D studio Max, Final render. Ships generated via Thinking Particles. "
I agree with this guy. Degree or no, what is going to get you employed in the field is your skills. And if you can teach yourself that shows you have drive and can adapt to new technologies and learn them yourself. Also, if you can't teach yourself, how is paying whatever large amount of money you will pay those professors going to get you to learn what you need to learn? Having a degree looks good on your resume, but if you don't have the skills....well you don't have the skills.
@MauveForest: Exactly. I light that armada shot above, and did the texturing. I do not have an animation degree, but I had a huge interest in CGI and animation so I self taught. I Just wish I wasn't paying for the illustration degree I never used.
Yes a demo reel is what you want to demonstrate, however you better have skills which are easier to learn by an animation school rather than show a lot of mistakes, which won't get you anywhere. Everything is about the demo reel in the animation field, a certificate for animation doesn't mean anything.
I originally wanted to do something related to games, like programming or animation. Then I found out that making games isn't fun at all. Good luck to you, though.
Yes a demo reel is what you want to demonstrate, however you better have skills which are easier to learn by an animation school rather than show a lot of mistakes, which won't get you anywhere. Everything is about the demo reel in the animation field, a certificate for animation doesn't mean anything.
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True. It really depends on the school you go to. This is why its so important to take the time to research the best schools if you really want to go down that path. The school I went to has a mediocre program (even though they acted like it was good) and the amount of terrible demo reels we get from graduated students is proof of that. I just hate seeing people waste all that time and money on a school that doesn't really give them the education they need to make it in the real world.
@super_machine: Seeing how expensive good Animation colleges are I'll probably end up doing that, but which of courses the FXphd should I buy there's so many of them ?
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