Art Institutes International

[Lekku]

The so called Art Institutes are terrible. I went there, and it was like renting computers and software. There was very little teaching, and little knowledge on the part of the staff. IEveryone I meet who went to an AI school hated it, and felt ripped off. They are not at all related to the Art Institute of CHICAGO, which they never mention, and for good reason - they want to confuse people. In short, DON't go to AI. And, as far as I know, they don't actually have any schools outside America, so how are they international?

[mylkhead]

I just graduated from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh, and I actually enjoyed my time there. I mean I am sure there are many aspects that can be better. The instructors there are sometimes hit or miss. Some kids get a good education while the others are unlucky and get hit with a bad teacher. But overall, I feel that AI treated me well and I walked out of there a lot more knowledgeable than I was before. I guess it's just a matter of opinion. I don't have any other art school experience to compare it to.

[DigitalPutty]

I attend the Art Institute of Colorado and I LOVE IT! Terrific school. Sure, I have had two teachers that have done nothing for me but ... they weren't in my department (which is Media Arts and Animation). All the rest of the teachers KNOW what they are doing and are very strict when it comes to doing something. If you are being a slacker and not producing quality work ... you will know it and your grades will show it. School is what you make of it ... perhaps you and your friends were hanging out with the wrong people (not meant as a personal attack)?

Just my .02

[Gr8t100]

Current student of the Ai of Phoenix, Arizona and the school is pretty damn good in my opinion. The school itself isn't the greatest but the opportunities you are able to experience and achieve are endless. It's what you make of it, not the name or location of the school you go to.

[Lekku]

I can only relate my experiences at the Dallas campus. I'm glad the others worked out for you, but I'm jaded against Ai. I think they 've ripped off a lot of talented people. I would have rather spent my time and money at a traditional college.

I just think that there wasn't enough guidance in the program. Had I known that the majority of my education there was simply 3D max tutorials and figure drawing, I would have saved my tuition and just bought a computer and software, and taken drawing classes at community college or the local art group.

Of course, I'm sure the different cities have different things to offer, but I have nothing but ill to report for the one in Dallas. If anyone had a good experience there, please let me know - I've yet to meet anyone who will endorse it.

[pmiles]

First of all, you don't need a degree to be an artist, 3D or otherwise. You need talent and you need to hone that talent. This takes time. Lots of time. You need to practice, practice, practice. Always expect more out of yourself than everyone else does. You are your own task master. They don't have a vested interest in your success or failure, but you do. You should constantly be challenging yourself. It should never be easy. You should never find yourself with free time. If all you do is what is asked of you, you will never improve or grow. The really talented people spend all their time on this stuff. It is their life. And they never stop practicing or learning. Your education doesn't end when you are handed a diploma, it has only just begun. If AI Dallas steered you wrong, steer yourself back in the right direction. This may mean more school, or it may mean trudging along on your own. If you want it bad enough, you will make it happen.

[jetpack42]

A jaded AIS (Seattle) grad here. Its partly my own fault for not knowing entirely what I was getting into when I started, but admissions does alot of clever marketing of their own. I worked my ass off while I was there, but I feel that the school could do alot more to help the students. I mean, they pump out about 10 self proclaimed "Texture Artists" a quarter, most of whom have never painted before in thier lives? wtf?

[pmiles]

AIS will only give you a basic foundation for a variety of 3D jobs, they will not fully prepare you for any one of them. Your first job in 3D will highlight that fact immediately to you. This is true for any school that you attend. There will be those that graduate who obviously shouldn't have and those that will graduate that seem to have jobs waiting for them. Most of the graduates will fall somewhere inbetween. Be happy that you are a self-proclaimed texture artist, whether you can paint or not. If you have a job, that's all that matters.

[jetpack42]

I was told by a career advisor that the career placement for Summer 03 was somewhere around 25%? (was told about 3 months ago)

I don't have a job, and all of the people I graduated with don't have jobs. (We graduated in December)

edit: I DO have a job, working at a moving company. I didn't go to AIS to learn to move furniture.

AIS gives people a big mish-mash of "entertainment industry related skills", but none very comprehensive enough to really score most people work. Doing 3D and Doing 3D for money are 2 different things.

Also, to be fair to the school, 2 years is an extremely short time to really learn something. It can be done if you focus on something. But with the variations in curriculum and conflicting advice from instructors, the only students able to be successful straight out of AIS are the ones who were way ahead of the pack going IN to AIS.

The curriculum didn't allow students to focus on thier intrests, or take classes that would remotely help them. A main interest while I was there was 2D animation (until Disney shut down and getting work in the field was nigh impossible) and I'm required to take typography, flash, and after effects classes in addition to general education options? It's just a really lousy set-up they have there.

Rather then teach students how to be good artists, they teach them the basics of software. That is a piss-poor mentality.

Scott Martin was really trying to turn things around though, while I was there. And now that Bruce Sharp is teaching more classes...that will help a little. The overall problems are too fundamental in the way they run things though.

[pmiles]

I agree with your statements 100%.

However, you're not going to teach someone how to be an artist. That comes from within after much practice. If it were as simple as teaching calculus, we'd all be Michaelangelo's. About all they can teach you is the foundations. And that's all they really promised you... if you listened closely.

[Nero's Master]

I can only relate my experiences at the Dallas campus. I'm glad the others worked out for you, but I'm jaded against Ai. I think they 've ripped off a lot of talented people. I would have rather spent my time and money at a traditional college.


Lekku,

I take it you met Eudy, hun? I'm currently getting ready to Graduate from there (AI Dallas). I'll agree with most of what you have said, except that I don't think that it's an entirely bad place. Although the admissions people did lie about almost everything, I think that I'm getting alot out of the 2 years that I have spent here. I may or may not try attending another art college to further my education. Depends on money and stuff. I do know that I sucked so bad before I came here, and just within a year, I saw such a dramatic difference. Currently working on finishing the demo reel in animation, I'll agree that 2 years is not nearly enough time to do much of anything. And whoever made the comment about After Effects and all that stuff, I am whole heartidly agreeing with you. I don't care. I acctually learned after effects in my stroryboarding class, rather than "motion graphics." So yeah, I wish that they wouldn't teach us the software (although Eudy swears up and down that he doesn't) but I don't think that it's a waste. I'm sorry that your expeirence was so awful. Good luck in the future though.



ps

who are? I might have met you, or even known you while you were here.

[Lekku]

Well, good luck with that, Nero's Master. I hope things work out for you.

Pmiles - Nobody said Ai would MAKE me into an artist, but if I'm dropping 30K on an art school, I expect to be taught things I should know, to be prepared for the industry I choose. If they can't teach me what I want to learn, they shouldn't lie about it. I've learned more at community college than anything they "taught" at Ai, and it was a lot cheaper. Since you don't know me, and weren't there, you don't know WHAT they promised, so don't assume to know. Just whst IS your association with AII, anyway?

[pmiles]

I can assure you that you can get both a good education and a lousy education no matter where you go, regardless of how much you spend. No college will lead you by the hand and all of them will gladly take your money. They are all businesses. All of them. Some have higher standards for getting in, but only because there is no short supply of applicants wanting in.

There is no doubt in my mind that you heard exactly what you wanted to hear when you intially applied. All new students are that way regardless of where they apply. There are plenty of students sitting in classes right now that are under some preconceived idea that they are assured a job once they complete their education. Some will get lucky, others won't. That's the world we live in today. More applicants than there are jobs.

I am attending an AI school as we speak. I would never recommend a compressed program to anyone who isn't already in a related field or highly talented before they get there. AI schools are compressed programs with the sole intention of moving bodies as quickly as possible through the door. If you are talented or are from a related field, this sort of program won't affect you nearly as much as those who aren't. You don't spend a lot of money to finish college quickly, you want to spend as much time as you can on your studies while you can. A full 4 year school is far better than any 2 year or compressed program... mainly because you have the time to really practice and study things. For you to get the same thing out of a compressed program, you would literally have to spend every waking moment practicing. Some people spend that amount of time at AI schools and their work shows it. Some only do what is assigned in class and they come away with half an education. Believe me, no school project is going to get you a job, it's what you do outside of school that is going to get you a job.

[Lekku]

It's not about how compressed the program is - It's about what I can learn. I already knew 3D programs going into Ai. Now, I'm at a much better school, that is an 18 month graduate program. I'll end up spending less time than at Ai, but I've already learned so much more about the game industry, and how to create art for games. Maybe I haven't been clear about my issues with Ai, and if it caused anyone confusion, I apologize - I don't expect the school to make me into a better artist - but I expect to learn how to apply my art in different ways, appropriate ways, for my career. Otherwise, there is no point in going to the school. Anyone who offers such things, and doesn't deliver, is not someone I would want to give money to, and I think other people should know that I, and others, have had poor dealings with them. This is something anyone thinking about attending Ai should think about when deciding on such a commitment. I don't expect my word to become Gospel, and I know that I'm just another voice in the crowd, but listen to the other voices, too. If half of the people posting in this thread were not satisfied with Ai, and even feel ripped off, then anyone thinking about going there should at least hear about our experiences. I'm not trying to discourage anyone who's at Ai now, but for anyone thinking about going, I can tell them that if I had it do do over, I never would have gone to the Art Institute.

[jetpack42]

pmiles, you're in Seattle? check it.


http://www.conceptart.org/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=55

click washington. We've got a sketch night coming up on Saturday.

[Ninjai]

I was considering taking online classes from the Art Institute http://www.artinstitute.com/ for a BA in Graphics/Web design. Anyone have experience with this? Is it good, bad?

[polygrinder]

I'll end up spending less time than at Ai, but I've already learned so much more about the game industry, and how to create art for games.

I’m curious, did you graduate from the AiDallas. If so, when did you graduate? What is your name, just so I know who I am talking to. If you went to AiDallas then you know who I am.

[efrain]

Has anyone experience with the Art Institute Online? Know anyone who's gone through the Media Arts & Animation program? Since I work full time, I was looking into an online degree with Ai Online - http://www.artinstituteonline.edu

[Icon]

Here are my two cents...not that nothing has been said but. The art institutes will probably cost you a whole lot less than one of the big shot schools. I'm not sure if this is still the case, since I have heard they raised prices.
Also each art institute is very different from the other, like for example, the one in California is said to be one of the greatest for animation, while the one where I attend, Fort Lauderdale, is really shitty for it! However our culinary section is the best out of all the Ai's. It all really depends to the one where you go. It is true that in the end, it all depends solely upon your own hard work..... But teachers can also make you or break you.

If you were lucky enough to get good teachers then try and learn more from what they have taught you...if not... then try and teach yourself. And hey, at least you have a paper that says “you know your stuff" even if it's not the case.