Schools
 

Hello all,

The past nine months I've been working with Maya trying to build my skills so that I could do high quality work in Maya. I know I'm knowhere near ready to do this professionally but I have been leaning towards getting my work to that Calibre.

I want to do this professionally but I need help. So in that regard I was thinking of staying in school another three or four years and get a degree in Graphics work. I'm hoping it would take me another three years after I get the current degree I'm working on and by that time I would have upwards of 4-5 years of experience in graphics.

The big question that lies ahead of me is if I do this I need to get into the right school that will teach me what I need to know. Can some of you guys in the U.S. give me recommendations?

Thanks!

I didn't want to start a new thread about this since I just saw yours, so if I may I'd like to add a question to this.

In regards to schooling, is a degree, like a Bachelor's, what really counts, or is it experience that counts? I'm in a somewhat similar position that you are Gatekeeper in that I am already in school working towards a degree (though mine is just a general Associates Degree) and am looking to go to a 3d school after this.

The reason I brought this up was because Nem brought up The Rennaissance Center. The education you get there is supposed to be excellent, but you do not get a "real" degree, like a Bachelor's. So is the education (and the demo reel you can get out of it) more important, or is a degree better?

Hope I didn't crap up your thread here. If so please just tell me and I'll start a new thread.

if you have a degree, yet do crap work, you're still not going to get a job. Having a degree tells a lot about you as a person, that you thought highly enough about this line of work to go to school for it, but if you don't have the talent/ability, it's not going to help you any.

LordPhobos: I think your question is a valid one don't think you're "crapping up" this thread any. :)

What I'm looking for is time to develope my skills with a little professional guidance. I figure with a lot of time and a lot of help from SM I can make it. I think this is the most important thing. If I can get an honest to god degree out of it that leaves me better in the long run then this is the way I want to go. I'd really like to invest 2-3 years to get myself above doing 'basic/crappy work.'

Lets just say that I want to get Brian E. good one day sometime far down the road! ;)

I know what you mean! I'm working on a model with him now and everything he does amazes me. If his knowledge is a product of his schooling I want to go wherever he goes.

Most companies will look at the show reel first, then if they like it they'll look at the resume. So if Brian E. [for example] were to apply for a modelling job he'll proberly get it just with his reel alone whether or not he has any qualifications.

who's Brian E ??

Brian Ellebracht
www.digitaldejavu.com

ahh that Brian - right! *crawls back under his rock*

Does anyone have any other school recommendations? Collins seems nice but I'm not sure they're what I'm looking for. 3dUniversity is supposed to be great, but they don't offer a Bachelor's degree. Any suggestions on schools that you might have even heard are nice would be appreciated. I'm getting desperate for ideas at this point. :(

Here is a list I'm currently working through. This was given to me by an architecture prof.

Academy of Art College
Art Institute of Chicago
New York University
Parsons School of Design
Pratt Institute
Ringling School of Art and Design
Rhode Island School of Design
Rochester Institute of Technology
San Francisco State University
Savannah College of Art and Design
School of Communication Arts
School of Visual Arts
Sheridan College
UCLA
University of Southern California
Vancouver Film School
Vancouver Institute of Media Arts


These are all colleges that offer some sort of degree related to computer graphics/animation. (This comming from the prof I havent looked into all of them yet.) But this should give you a few more options.
Hope this helps... :)

i am loooking into Academy of Art College... anyone gone there? ive got my app all filled out and i was just sitting here about to type in my payment method when i figured id see what you all though of it... its nice to see its top on your list -

i think im going to start there and just get on of their online certificates, then if i want the whole certificate transfers into their bach or ass. - which you can get online or on campus - it just kills me though b/c i have 5/8 of my bach done and all but one class of my music minor done - but i dont feel im learing anything more graphics/3d wise at my school - ahhhh im so confused -

has anyone gone to, known someone who has, worked with, anything @ Academy of Art College ... esp the online program - i worry it might not be as effective as the on campus program - but its $400 a class cheaper too - so i guess if i dont like the online i can apply the first few classes that make up one certificate to the on campus program - but cali is a long way from indy.... then again so are the jobs :)

anyone know of the dave school in orlando? i was intrested in that too b/c i have family in orlando - ive heard that ucf has a good 3d prgram but when i talked to them their focus is on 3d for the sake of art - (gallerie type shit i guess) not - heres a mocap lab, a bluescreen, and chara rigging ect....

i really want to move to orlando anyway - so i guess im gonna goto Academy of Art College online from orlando or find a school there ... any other suggestions besides fool sale

I've looked at the Academy of Art College website and I couldn't find any details about their program although it does look like a good place to go. I was also looking into getting into Texas A&M's architecture masters program for visual commmunication. It seems right up my alley.