2D Animation Schools

[Stephen M. Levinson]

Hello everyone...

I'm a Jr. in High school and am looking more into colleges... My first choice is Cal Arts but I need others.. I was looking at Art Institute and Art Academy but they seem to focus much more on 3d animation rather than 2D like Cal Arts... Does anyone know of schools that focus on 2D animation? Preferably schools without academics because I want to focus 100% on what skills I need to develop, for this industry.

Best,
Steve

[Patrick Mallek]

Hey Steve! Don't discount academics. A well rounded education makes you more valuable in the real world. I prefer my interns to at least have an Associates Degree. A college level understanding of History, Philosophy and English is very beneficial to any artist, regardless of medium.

I went out and got my Associates Degree before I went to Art School, that way I had no distractions, and a lot more fun!

As for your question, have you checked out SCAD?

[Stephen M. Levinson]

"I prefer my interns to at least have an Associates Degree. A college level understanding of History, Philosophy and English is very beneficial to any artist, regardless of medium."

Why is that? If you have a very talented intern, what does it matter if they have the degree? For example, if I'm applying to a job as an artist and I have a great portfolio, isn't that all you care about? Would you take a less talented artist with an associates degree over a much more talented artist without an Associates Degree?
( Hope that didn't come out jerkish )
I haven't and I will look into SCAD. Thanks for that reference!

Best,
Steve

[Patrick Mallek]

College isn't like high school, where they jam a bunch of facts down your throat and expect you to regurgitate them on demand. They teach you how to think. (At least they should. If they don't, switch schools.)

Of course I'll always take a talented intern or employee. But I see a higher success rate from the well rounded ones. This is a high pressure deal. When some insane director (like me) is ranting about how a certain scene is comparable to the southern campaign of Scipio Africanus, you'd better be able to keep up. Plus, the burnout rate is pretty high in this business. Of course I know it'll "never happen to you," but I'd hate to see you end up as a 34 year old Domino's driver.

All I'm really saying is that animation is about life. The more you know about it, the better you'll be at both.

Great luck to you!
-pat

[Ward Jenkins]

"Why is that? If you have a very talented intern, what does it matter if they have the degree? For example, if I'm applying to a job as an artist and I have a great portfolio, isn't that all you care about? Would you take a less talented artist with an associates degree over a much more talented artist without an Associates Degree?"

Having a degree signifies to me (a director) that, on the most base level, you can at least accomplish something. It's true that being talented is a major plus when it comes to hiring, but it's not the only thing. And what Patrick is getting to is that having a well-rounded experience in school only intensifes your talent in the long run.

Quick story: Right after I graduated from college, I got an interview at an animation company in Atlanta. As I met the guy who was going to interview me, I handed him my resume and he took one look at it, and promptly folded it twice and put it in his back pocket. I honestly don't know if he ever took it out to look at it again. After looking at my portfolio and demo reel, he responded by offering me an internship first thing the following month. Now, if I was cynical about this, I could say, "Hey, what was the use of me even going to school if he didn't even look at my resume?" But honestly, I don't think I would've ever gotten the internship if I hadn't gone through the programs and classes that allowed me to grow and develop as an artist and be able to produce the type of work that I had in my portfolio that day.

What I'm trying to say is this: Everything counts. Take it all in. Experience as much as you can. You'll become a better artist and animator if you do. Don't rely on getting the job because it might not be the "sure thing." What if you got a job and then several years later you're let go? Now you don't have a job AND you're without a degree. Finish school THEN get the job.

[Fred Seibert]

Well Steve, you've done it again, poked your stick in a beehive. As you know, I don't reply to posts all that often, especially comments (I like the community to mix it up among yourselves; that's what we're here for), but I really feel more needs to be said.

Why is that? If you have a very talented intern, what does it matter if they have the degree? For example, if I'm applying to a job as an artist and I have a great portfolio, isn't that all you care about? Would you take a less talented artist with an associates degree over a much more talented artist without an Associates Degree?

You know, it's disingenuous to ask about hiring a "less talented artist", no one would do that, certainly not consciously. Though, the truth is, talent is only one of the issues we think about in hiring. Can the artist adapt to the film's style? Can he/she understand the characters? Can she/he play well with others, creatively and/or personally?

But working on a show is only one part of the puzzle. Personally, when I can have a conversation with an artist about something other than Bugs Bunny, I look twice. Because, maybe, just maybe, this artist actually has something to say. If he/she does, it often comes through in the art. Even something as simple as a line communicates something. If the artist has nothing to say, the line is just a line. And when something is "just" anything, it's missing everything.

Hell with college. Read a book. Keep reading books. The artists I work with who read nothing but comic books (not that there's anything wrong with that) are not really too special.

Fred

[Joanna Davidovich]

I gotta recommend against SCAD- same issue as the Art Institutes. Very little emphasis on drawing and foundations skills.- they strap down the students in front of a computer way too soon. You have to wrangle a decent education outta them by getting course substitutions and waivers and sucking up to administrators. Most of my 3D animator friends liked SCAD a lot, but it was very frustrating for a 2D gal like me.

[Clinton Racine]

I have to agree with Joanna. I went to Art Institute and it is not the best school for 2D animation. I would suggest you attend a university with a good fine arts program IF you really want to go to college. Not only will you have a good college education, you will also have the good foundation to improve your art skills on. You can learn animation with books, like I did. Preston Blair, Richard Williams, the Nine Old Men. DVDs are a great source for learning animation since you pause frame by frame for long periods of time. You can copy poses and expressions of your favorite cartoons. I didn't learn animation from AI, only books, and my friends who critiqued me. But if you don't want to go to college, because tuition prices are ridiculous and you will be trapped in paying them back for 20 years, then buy a bunch of books and teach yourself. All you need to get an animation job is a kick-ass portfolio. You know, I wish I knew all this before I signed up for AI :S

[Alex]

What happens if you leave school midway ( so no qualifications) but you go into work, say you set up a business, or you end up with a varied list of (creditable) jobs eg illustration, design, writing books Etc and you have a really great portfolio, will you still have a chance of being accepted in an animation college, or will you be rejected for lack of academics.

If you can be accepted, where and what category would you apply (grad, undergrad)

If you can prove that you're not just a stuffed monkey that can draw well, do you still have a chance getting in? Is there any possibility that you could get hired by an animation company and learn the how to's on the job?

Ps sorry for all the random questions, but I want to get into 2D animation, not 3D

[Vincent Veidt]

Alex, I'm getting the hint that you're a little too young to consider dropping out of school, but as I distaste such assumptions, I'll go ahead and ask; at which level of education are you?

Anyway, in the United States and many other Anglophone and Francophone nations (where a great deal of animation education and business is conducted), you need a high school/secondary diploma or equivalent to enter college. I see you're from Dubai, so I believe you are subject to an educational system very similar to that of the UK... completing your secondary education (if you haven't yet) is of the utmost importance.

All that aside, many trade schools will accept students without a complete secondary education, but I advise against that expectation.

As for college, within the animation industry, it is not a matter of any degree you hold when it comes to employment. Decisions are typically based on skill and networking ability, past performance, and only then, in the event of seemingly equal skill, will the discipline of a college education come into play. Again, however, while it is not necessary to attend college, the experience you gain and the people you meet are well worth the effort.

When applying to college, "undergraduate" means that you have not yet attained a college degree and "graduate" implies the successful completion of at least one degree program.

I apologise, for I must be going. I have a rather vital appointment to keep.
Until next time,
~Justin "Denny" Furlong

[Alex]

I've just changed from an GCSE education to an IB, but in Dubai artistic skills are held in very low regard in schooling, so there is very little opportunity for me here.

I'm in year 11,

I understand what you are saying, but it is very difficult to stay in this kind of education system when all it focuses on is grades, and a rigid way of learning. As well, if I qualify for the Diploma program, it will mean i have to stay on for another 2 years, doing a set selection of subjects, again, with very little emphasis on creativity.

Slightly off the subject but,
What does character design involve?
If you have no degree, do you have a chance of getting into character design? That is originally what i would like to do, but being an animator is another (I know they are linked)

Thanks
PS when you finish an undergraduate course, does that mean you can leave and go into animation, or do you have to take the graduate course?

[Vincent Veidt]

Well, Stephen, you have a big decision to make. CalArts has a grand reputation, but their character animation department hammers "standard" appeal. You'll find yourself drawing a lot of characters who remind you of this guy: . On the plus side, the experimental animation department is amazing (you can dabble in both) and really allows you to develop a personal style. On the even higher plus side, you're quite likely to win a job with such a school on record. They do have general education requirements and their tough to get into. Basically, don't get your hopes up. When I applied, they didn't even look at my portfolio, they turned me away at the first step, the FAFSA report. If you've got the money, though, and possess a variety of creative styles, I happen to have friends who teach there and I might be able to put in a good word for you.

As for an associates degree, I strongly recommend it. You see, I have been freelancing for four years and it has gotten to the point where 90% of potential clients base their decision on where I went to school, not my portfolio (which I am currently rebuilding). It's not the best course of action to stop at community college, but if you intend to further your education and obtain a BA or BS, it's the best start. Look at it this way, considering you would be coming from New York to California (a strongly recommended relocation), you would pay $2400 per semester for the first year, then $150 or so every year until you complete your AA. When compared to the same first year education at CalArts, which costs $30,000/year, it's an obvious decision. Right now, I'm putting myself through art school (to make myself more marketable) and College of the Canyons (across the street from CalArts) happens to feature many of the CalArts teachers in the animation department. Animation 101 at the community college is the same course as at CalArts (same teacher, same curriculum, same equipment). Plus you get a chance to impress an admissions director. Most of the other staff teaches elsewhere (CSU, UC, CalArts, etc...) and many are CalArts graduates. A friend of mine there went to school with Stephen Hillenburg. With the money you will have saved by obtaining an AA first, you can buy a new car and then drive across the street to CalArts (if accepted).

One very important factor is to get over the popular stigma about community college. Most people think of it as an "Adult High School" which it is not, it is simply a state and community sponsored college to be used as a launching pad for the driven and a finisher for the... not. It also costs a lot less.

Now that my rant about Valencia is over, I have a lot more to gripe about.

Good move by avoiding the Art Institute. They accepted me when I was 16 without seeing a portfolio, then again when I was 18 without an application. They do focus (after the first or second year) on 3D animation, which creates a big problem because the students don't understand the concepts of traditional animation, it floods the job market, and it kills creativity. Plus, I speculate that the public will lose interest in 3D animation in a couple years, so most of them will be unemployed.

As I said earlier, California is he place to be, great climate and a lot of business. Most of the major companies, and almost all of the brilliant small ones, are located in and around LA/Burbank. It's a great atmosphere and, well, I'm here, so doesn't that make things a lot better? Anyway, the major alternative is New York. A lot of amazing talent is in New York... like Fred and company, Dilworth, and a ton of others. If you wish to remain here, THE college for you is SVA (I think Bill Plympton went there). Hands down, that's it.

There is, of course, a market in Canada with a lot of good schools. VFS, Algonquin, etc..., but that's Canada and, while a great place to live, there's not as much major industry and immigration is a hassle.

Save going to India, Japan, China, Indonesia, Thailand, Australia or France, these two schools come with the highest accord. Another private college I looked at was Woodbury in Burbank... it's okay, but $23,000/year. You may also consider the UC or CSU systems. They're not as focused on animation, but the faculty knows their stuff. It's also about 1/10 the price.

My suggestion is to pick the school that fits your budget and skillset, look at the graduate works, alumni, and whatever you feel like (I think CalArts has the best in alumni and student work). From there, figure out where you want to be and intern, then you'll be pretty set.

I hope all that helped.

[Stephen M. Levinson]

Thanks Denny, If you could put in a good word for me to the people you know at Cal Arts, that'd be great!

Best,
Steve