The best school for Computer Animation? help for a friend

[MANTICROSS]

I went to Full Sail, My friend wants to know his options. What do you think is considered the best CA school out there?

[mindwurm]

I like what I see in the Full Sail brochure...I hear REALLY good things about Savannah College of Art and Design. SCAD is a truely creative community, so you get to feed off that.

Hope that helps.

[Jason Manley]

ringling is the best.

period.


j

[wassermelone]

Every time I see that... it warms my heart.

I can't wait to get to Ringling =)

[MANTICROSS]

I hated Full Sail. I never knew of Ringling. I didnt even realize it was close by.

[Doc]

Keep in mind that if more than half the facuilty graduated from the same school they teach at then most of the same ideas that they are teaching are just being recycled. It is better not to go to these schools.

-Doc

[Boudou]

A good way to gauge which school to attend is to check out what the graduates are doing; call studios and ask where they recruit, (if you have ambitions at Pixar, ILM, Dreamworks, find out which school the industry respects!) Siggraph is also a good barometer since it's the annual forum for computer animation. In the hardest to get in venue, Electronic Theater, at Siggraph this year Ringling had 4 pieces accepted, and a French school Soupinfocom, one. No other school made it in. Rhythm and Hughes has just awarded their scholarship money. (Of the three scholarships available Ringling got four...they added one more for a great student.) Of the ten best student films of the year, (Animation Magazine) Ringling got four. Before spending a boodle of money do your research and treat your education like an investment (in your future.)

[AndyKun]

John Lasseter sent his son to Academy of Art College in San Francisco and Pixar staff are teaching some classes there.

[bupaje]

I'm hoping to take some classes at California State University Long Beach.

http://www.uces.csulb.edu/main/default.aspx

They offer some of those professional development classes -many universities do. They are aimed at professionals and what I like is they are fast paced and short. For example the Maya class has a beginner, intermediate and advanced module. Each one runs two weekends 8 hours a day. The Maya classes are taught by Michael Seghal of Dreamworks Pia Maffei teaches 3DSMax and they have many LightWave courses. The only downside for starving wannabees like me is these professional development courses don't offer any finanical aid so I just keep going to the open houses and am trying to save some money, but I am going.... at 44 I am changing careers and this fast pace and short time appeals to me as opposed to 6 years of part-time night study while living in a box on the sidewalk.

[hoku]

check out www.fullsailsucks.com I was considering going there but nah.

[HordePrime]

Originally posted by Jason Manley
ringling is the best.

period.


j


I'll have to agree.

Right now I am a junior computer animator at the Ringling School of Art and Design, and I only have GOOD things to say about the curriculum here. Not only are we taught the basics of CA (modeling, texturing, rigging, lighting, etc.), we are also taught the basics of good storytelling, directing, and film editing. All of the CA faculty has worked professionally in the field (One of our instructors was an animator trainer at Disney) and their instruction is top-notch. The faculty are all VERY dedicated to their students, something invaluable for a major such as CA...

I could continue for awhile, but I could sum up by saying that Ringling will give you the best art education for your money.