bloaty
February 3rd, 2007, 02:58 AM
So as I've been browsing these forums, it seems like the vast majority of people here have some kind of connection to Art Center in Pasadena, be it being a student, an alumni, or an admirer.
Currently I'm a Character Animation student at Calarts, and there seems to be a big rivalry between Art Center and Calarts. I recently visited Art Center for the first time, and was quite impressed. The design of the school was awesome, the work ethic was strong, and the quality of student work was professional. As happy as I am at Calarts, it made me a little regretful that I didn't at least apply to AC (just a little... you guys have a much better student store. Stupid Valencia.). In fact, I'm considering taking classes there as supplemental education to what I can't get at Calarts.
What I'm curious about is how people feel about either or both schools, since both schools have some amazing graduates who become leaders in the respective industries they enter?
I'll give my perspective first. While I'm pretty satisfied with Calarts' artsy side, I wish there would be more rigor in the design aspect. It's all about story, character, and animation, but surprisingly little emphasis is put on the design as a whole. In addition, there is barely any technical knowledge taught, which is rather frustrating to people who aren't at least relatively familiar with how certain digital art making programs work (me included here). At art center, do you feel this is opposite? Also, the student quality at Calarts is excellent, considering the acceptance rate is so low, but there still tends to be a bit of slacking which is frustrating for the older or harder working students.
Thoughts? It's something I've been thinking a lot about since last year, and I'm curious what others think. It would also be interesting to hear what people have to say about Art Center versus other schools like RISD, Academy of Art, or Ringling.
-bloaty
Currently I'm a Character Animation student at Calarts, and there seems to be a big rivalry between Art Center and Calarts. I recently visited Art Center for the first time, and was quite impressed. The design of the school was awesome, the work ethic was strong, and the quality of student work was professional. As happy as I am at Calarts, it made me a little regretful that I didn't at least apply to AC (just a little... you guys have a much better student store. Stupid Valencia.). In fact, I'm considering taking classes there as supplemental education to what I can't get at Calarts.
What I'm curious about is how people feel about either or both schools, since both schools have some amazing graduates who become leaders in the respective industries they enter?
I'll give my perspective first. While I'm pretty satisfied with Calarts' artsy side, I wish there would be more rigor in the design aspect. It's all about story, character, and animation, but surprisingly little emphasis is put on the design as a whole. In addition, there is barely any technical knowledge taught, which is rather frustrating to people who aren't at least relatively familiar with how certain digital art making programs work (me included here). At art center, do you feel this is opposite? Also, the student quality at Calarts is excellent, considering the acceptance rate is so low, but there still tends to be a bit of slacking which is frustrating for the older or harder working students.
Thoughts? It's something I've been thinking a lot about since last year, and I'm curious what others think. It would also be interesting to hear what people have to say about Art Center versus other schools like RISD, Academy of Art, or Ringling.
-bloaty