www.animationmentor.com

[mysrh]

That Is Perfect!!! Thanks Ravvy ^^;;

[sivasketch]

Hi Ravvy, Thanks for the link.

Hi friends
I am siva Kumar from India. wooooooooowwww....... I have joined Animation Mentor and i will be starting my journey or class 1 today. I am very exited about AM. I am happy to meet you all people. Its really good that all students meeting on forums and helping each other.

"A littile information when shared goes long"

:) Cheers
Siva

[sivasketch]

Eeee YAAAAAHHOOOooooo....... I am able to access the AM site .....

Cheers
siva

[mitchmatch]

damn , I can't get in yet :(

[sivasketch]

Hi mitchmatch
Keep trying it will trouble you for some time...

cheers
siva

[mitchmatch]

hey man I'm in and were in the same class :)

[sivasketch]

hey mitch thats koolll....... :)

cheers
siva

[bardur]

I just recived my "congratiulations" email :D
Im inn :D .. ill be starting Sept.29 :D
A klassmate and my teacher her at Noroff have both also been accepted :D
My teacher starts now in march i think.. my klassemate 30.june and me 29.sept :D
its gonna be sweet! -> i have been thinking about taking the Maya course also, since i´m a dedicated Max user :P

But damn im happy :D
Animation mentor baby :D

[JavierLoredo]

Hey Bardur!
I'm Javier! Nice to meet you!

Congratulations!

Your post makes me think of when I found out I was accepted to Animation Mentor! :D This is my second Term here in AM and I have to say that this is by far the best choice I've made in regards my education in character animation.

About learning Maya... You won't have to worry!!! They got all the resource, tutorials, and all bunch of tips and tricks to get you going right away into animation.

See you around in a couple of months! :)

-Javier

[bardur]

Hey Javier Loredo :D
and Thanks :thumbsup:

Im really looking forward to start there.. and its nice to hear that its as top notch as i have only imagined ;) :D
Yeah.. i guess it won´t be a problem with the maya side of things ;) .. ill figure that out in due time :D
Its just gonna be sweet to finaly be able to do animation.. and only animation :D :bounce:

BTW : JavieLoredo .. i watched your blog and i must say -> you´ve got some awsome animations and stuff on there... really nice :D

and i also read in you "about me" and these lines hit me..
I've always been into art, science, history and extreme sports.

I have the exact same interests :P - Art, Science, history and.. most of all Extreme sports (Tricking, Parkour, Skateboarding, Snowboarding)
Cool to see another fellow animator with the same interests :D

Regards

[JavierLoredo]

Hey Bardur!

Wow! That was so cool that you pointed that out! It's so inspiring when you meet somebody that has similar interest! I'm also glad you like my animations! :)

Yeah man!! Art has been part of me since a very young age. I remember painting with this very thick croyola crayons back in kinder garden. Good times! heheh

History is something that everybody should always have in them. I love art history, specialy the Renaissance times back in the 14th century.

Science, I love The Universe topic, stars, planets and all that cool stuff! hehehe

For extreme sports I've always been into skateboarding and surfing. Right now I skateboard the most and I'll continue until my body tells me you can't no more! hehehe


See you around! :)

-Javi

[tleisher]

I hate to commit threadcromancy but I figured this is the best place for it.

Since AM has been around for 4 years, at least 2 classes should have graduated by now. Does anyone know what the placement rate for graduates is? I read somewhere that 74% of the graduates went on to work in the film industry, is this true? I checked out all the people listed in the 2006 summer real, and only 45% or so of them had any major motion picture credit under their belt.

[hiasakite]

I hate to commit threadcromancy but I figured this is the best place for it.

Since AM has been around for 4 years, at least 2 classes should have graduated by now. Does anyone know what the placement rate for graduates is? I read somewhere that 74% of the graduates went on to work in the film industry, is this true? I checked out all the people listed in the 2006 summer real, and only 45% or so of them had any major motion picture credit under their belt.

Yeargh! It's the thread that wouldn't die! :D

Anyway, I'm far from finished with the program but regarding those statistics, you have to keep in mind that there are a bunch of people who go into broadcast/commercials/games and they usually don't appear on IMDB.
Also (although that makes no difference for your statistic) a bunch of people in there are already employed animators and are going through the program just to improve their skills.
In general I have a rather good feeling about the placement rate, however it should be obvious that AM alone will get nobody a job anywhere, in the end it's about the skills (or lack thereof)

[Kimotion]

I hate to commit threadcromancy but I figured this is the best place for it.

Since AM has been around for 4 years, at least 2 classes should have graduated by now. Does anyone know what the placement rate for graduates is? I read somewhere that 74% of the graduates went on to work in the film industry, is this true? I checked out all the people listed in the 2006 summer real, and only 45% or so of them had any major motion picture credit under their belt.

I think the seventh graduating class will be this coming April.

As for your 74% figure, I haven't seen it, but I think it may be the animation field as a whole. This includes film, tv, games, commercials, etc.

[ArneK]

I read somewhere that 74% of the graduates went on to work in the film industry, is this true? I checked out all the people listed in the 2006 summer real, and only 45% or so of them had any major motion picture credit under their belt.

Yes, the 74% would be the industry as a whole. And not everybody wants to work in movies y'know.

You write that only 45% (ONLY..?) of AM graduates already has a motion picture credit so far. If you are correct I'd say 45% is pretty amazing! And remember a lot of movies are in production for several years so the figure is probably higher. I sure wouldn't be where I am today if AM hadn't been around :)

[GingerDave]

Hey Guys.


It seems some people expect to be getting a job for there money, one of the things AM stresses is that you get out what you put into the course. After all, the top places only hire the best and brightest so if you wanna get there you should work your butt off.


I'm starting AM next week, i chose it not because of its job placement percentage but because its imo the most passionate school for animation i have found, taught by those doing what i aspire to do. Im really looking forward to the challenge, I dont know if im going to be good enough, but im going to give it my best shot :)

[Reflexx]

Every time we're between terms I get antsy. I go through AM withdrawls.

[wodagone]

Help , Im having trouble logging in to class 4. The site is not recognising my username or password. Arrrggh !! It went live for this term 2 hours ago.
( where the page normally says, " dont panic you are in between terms " instead i just get login not recognising my details ).
Is anyone else having this problem ???
thanks

[Reflexx]

It's worked fine for me.

[JavierLoredo]

Hey everybody!

Congratulations to everybody starting in Spring Term! You guys are going to love it!

I just finished my second class during the Winter Term and will be back for the Summer Term for class 3. Look forward in meeting more AMer's! Keep animating!

Wodagone:
My best advice would be giving them a call! They are super nice and more than welcome to help you.

Good luck everybody starting new and old AMer's! :D

-Javi

[anthea]

I hate to commit threadcromancy but I figured this is the best place for it.

Since AM has been around for 4 years, at least 2 classes should have graduated by now. Does anyone know what the placement rate for graduates is? I read somewhere that 74% of the graduates went on to work in the film industry, is this true? I checked out all the people listed in the 2006 summer real, and only 45% or so of them had any major motion picture credit under their belt.


You could also take into account the former students who may not have finished the AM course who are working in features. I know a bunch of students who were never able to actually graduate, so I don't know if they are included in that statistic.

If you are looking for some magic percentage, there isn't one. What is for sure is that AM is widely respected in the feature animation business, it is a solid education, and their students keep putting out amazing work.

[aland05]

Help , Im having trouble logging in to class 4. The site is not recognising my username or password. Arrrggh !! It went live for this term 2 hours ago.
( where the page normally says, " dont panic you are in between terms " instead i just get login not recognising my details ).
Is anyone else having this problem ???
thanks


No I could log in ok. Definitly contact the school through phone or email to identify the problem.

[WinterNights]

Hello!

I have a strong interest to study at AnimationMentor.com, but Im a bit worried about their requirements.

First of all, Im worried if i get all money and i wouldnt be then accepted.
Im asking myself how looks their Wonderlic Test, is it hard? Could someone tell me example from one of their question from test?
And what about essay, i heard they ask you over email a few question like why you want to become animator, is this true? You need to answer them quickly or you have a time, lets say one day or two to make all in peace?

Thanks

[Ben-Richards]

Hello!

I have a strong interest to study at AnimationMentor.com, but Im a bit worried about their requirements.

First of all, Im worried if i get all money and i wouldnt be then accepted.
Im asking myself how looks their Wonderlic Test, is it hard? Could someone tell me example from one of their question from test?
And what about essay, i heard they ask you over email a few question like why you want to become animator, is this true? You need to answer them quickly or you have a time, lets say one day or two to make all in peace?

Thanks

The test is not difficult you can google wonderlich and get examples of the test. The essay questions are all online, so you can just write the questions down and answer them OFFLINE on your own time, then get online and submit your answers.

I am in term 3 at AM and I would highly recommend AM - no other school can offer what they do. All the good things you ahve heard about AM are true - its a great place with great people.

[timeless3d]

... And what about essay, i heard they ask you over email a few question like why you want to become animator, is this true? You need to answer them quickly or you have a time, lets say one day or two to make all in peace?...

The essay isn't timed or anything, you can write it off-line and submit when you are ready.

[jedijrmax]

Hi WinterNights,

I really wouldn't worry too much about any of your current concerns. In regard to the money - I would make sure that you have the potential to secure the necessary money - but I would not suggest doing it before you're accepted (unless for some reason you have to). Once you are accepted you should move to secure your money for the classes - but even then I wouldn't recommend all 17K or however much it is for all six classes if you can avoid it. You can always decline your acceptance if the money situation isn't working out.

As for the test - it's a test that starts off easy and gets more difficult as it goes on. The test isn't built for most people to make it all the way through the end, although some people can. But the true purpose of the exam is to test your general life knowledge and grasp on the English language.

My sample questions: **edit** -- Someone just posted that you can view sample questions of the test online - those would be better to check than the ones that I just made up**

1. If there are 4 quarters in a dollar - how many quarters are in 5 dollars?
2. Who was the first president of the United States of America?
3. Find the synonym for 'nice' (pleasant, angry, irritable, fun ) - examples of the multiple choices

Overall the test isn't all that bad and I'm sure most people do absolutely just fine. The only time I'd imagine someone really struggling with it is if they struggle with the English language - which I'm sure in some part, is what they are testing.

They will ask for an essay about why you would like to become an animator -- which should be cake for anybody already willing to invest over $15,000 USD in an online Animation program. Again -- nothing to worry about. Didn't need to be a literary work of art (at least mine wasn't) -- but it showed true genuine feelings about why I thought the program would help me achieve my goals of becoming an animator. Write from the heart and I'm sure you'll be fine.

Hope that helps a bit!

- Jeff

[timeless3d]

also worth mentioning: you don't have to pay for the whole thing up front, you can 'pay as you go'; the tuition for each term is due by the 9th week of the previous term.

[aland05]

WinterNights,
I don't know your intended payment method but make sure you get accepted to AM before signing off on a loan. The wonderlic test isn't something to stress over. It is to basically make sure you can speak english well enough and have a high school education. If you can communicate pretty well on these forums you would probably be ok. There are a lot of students there outside the US. Almost all my class is spread across Europe.
The essay questions are a chance for you to explain to them why you want to attend their school. Nothing to stress over. No set time limit. The only time limit you have to meet is the application deadline for the term you wiish to begin. (available from their web page)
With that all said, if your heart is set on learning animation, AM is THE place to be. It would be very hard to find a better source of faculty to learn from.
Animation Mentor is hard, time consuming, and very very fun. I love it. Good luck!

[kyred]

Hello AM people!

I'm starting my animation education this Summer Term and I'm psyched. Won't be going for the Maya class though, since I've had some experience with Maya before. I'm planning on just burying myself in tutorials and books until the start of class to brush up on it. I'm also brushing up on modelling, so I can hopefully put some unique stuff into my reel later on, if time, and the school itself, permit.

Just a quick question for the students though- the student version of Maya that we get a discount for, does it have the full functionality that the non-student versions of Complete/Unlimited have? I believe I saw some that had licenses good for only a certain number of months or so. It would suck to have to buy it all over again after purchasing it for the 18 months. :)

[GingerDave]

Hey kyred.

Congratulations on making the decision. Animation Mentor is an amazing place, im sure youll love it :)

if your comfortable with maya now then you should be ok, i would advise you pop over to the 11second club if you havent done allready, its a great place for animtion and will be a great primer for you starting AM.

About Maya, you wont need maya unlimited, thats all the extra fancy stuff like hair, cloth, simulation and other guff. maya complete is what youll need. You can buy a full student licence that will last you forever, or you can buy the 14month one, go for the full one! once your through to orientation you should be provided with stuff so you can purchase the student version of it.

Hope this helps! good luck and ill see you around campus :)

[kyred]

Thanks GingerDave!

So the student version of Maya Complete, the only difference is the price? It's not gimped or anything is it? Man, I hope Unlimited comes at a student price. Although it has a bunch of that fancy stuff, it'd be nice to have them anyway. I mean, come on, how often do we get massive student discounts, right? :D

I'm am PSYCHED. I'm shifting careers, and the fact that Animation Mentor has an 18-month course with only full-on character animation is all good to me. The only other option was taking a full BFA degree at the Academy of Art here in SF that would last about 3 years taken part-time, and cost me about $25,000 more. My only concern is that the only actual animation experience I've had was animating little test robots back in Maya 4- robots, because they're a poor excuse for the choppy animation I could muster up back then. :)

[fluffybunny]

Kyred,

You can get Complete or Unlimited and it functions exactly like the commercial version. Check out studica or journeyed. I believe you can get it from either since you are in the US. I went with Studica (www.studica.com) when I got the student edition. It's also pretty easy to upgrade it to the commercial version upon graduation if you like and actually a bit cheaper than bust out retail. The only difference's being that you can use it for commercial purposes, you can buy a dongle(thus easily moving it between computers), and you can buy "maintenance" or platinum support as they call it.
Also since you're in SF, don't forget about the summer BBQ. If you haven't gotten an invite already, email one of the advisors.

cheers,

eric

[koolcyno]

Congrats kyred, I will aslo be joining AM this summer. I wont be attending maya foundation though. See you in AM :thumbsup:.

Will it be good to purchase maya before starting the classes? Do they provide any site where we can buy it?

[beaucg]

Hi all,

Just want to say hi to everyone. I applied for fall 08 and just took a test today. I guess it's all in god's hand now ;) anyway, I'm wondering if there's anyone from Japan who are/were in AM and also work full time..or should I say over time. Looking forward to hear good news.

Later,

[beaucg]

woohoo I'm in for fall08, very excited, looking forward to see you all :)

[bliip-n-bloop]

Any people who didn't get in from the first time...? :cry: Yesterday I got email from AM that I wasn't accepted. The thing is that they can't reveal the reason why I'm not excepted. I put a lot of thought in that survey, so it can't be it. This year I have my bachelor in Graphical & Digital Media, so I suppose that I'm not a retard... I was dissapointed in my self, you put all your hopes on something and then you can't persue your dreams. :sad: Now I have to wait 90 days to reapply, so the earliest I can join is the Winter program.

[aland05]

Don't be discouraged by it, bliip-n-bloop (http://forums.cgsociety.org/member.php?u=264029). Just apply again as soon as they are accepting applications for the next available term. Use this time to brush up on Maya, and reading some animation books. I recommend the "Animator's Survival Kit" by Richard Williams and "The Illusion of Life" by Frank Thomas & Ollie Johnston. Good Luck for next quarter!

[bliip-n-bloop]

Ofcourse I will try to use this time usefully. Sketching, reading those animation books, doing some Jason Ryan tutorials, still makes me wonder why I wasn't accepted... Well let's hope for the second time then.

[DigitalToon2]

Ofcourse I will try to use this time usefully. Sketching, reading those animation books, doing some Jason Ryan tutorials, still makes me wonder why I wasn't accepted... Well let's hope for the second time then.

That's a great attitude to have. Just keep working hard and try again. Don't let it get you down. Also check out the 11 second club there's a ton of great animation info there as well. Good luck!

[peglegpeet13]

I was just accepted into the Fall 08 semester. I am very excited about this. Just married about to start something I have always dreamed of. I look forward to meeting and being able to learn as much as I can from all of you guys.

[timeless3d]

i think they have gotten popular enough that they can be more picky with applicants (good thing i got in early :)

that is strange that there is no reason given.

[WinterNights]

hi and thx for the answers

i would like to ask where can i get essay questions on animation mentor page, they send you over email those questions after apply application? and also how is with high school diploma, you need to send them copy? and also where could i get similar questions from their test to train?

thanks

[JBoogie]

Hey peglegpeet13 (http://forums.cgsociety.org/member.php?u=225798),

I was just accepted into their Fall 08 program as well, lol. Being married (3yrs) with a full-time job, and a wife that supports my decision to follow a dream is fantastic. I know exactly where youre coming from. I guess Ill be seeing you there. Hopefully with a few (if not, many) others from this site as well. Take care!

WinterNights (http://forums.cgsociety.org/member.php?u=315745),

You answer the questions on their website as you go through the application process. Hope this helps. Oh, and I see youre from Ljubljana Slovenia. Haha, thats great. My wife is from Illirska Bistrica (she went to college in Koper) and we got married in Prem Castle. Very cool to see another Slovene on here. :D

[WinterNights]

hey JBoogie!

Thanks for you answer and of course congratulation for this important step!
Im glad for you that you found a girl of your life, i wish you all good and that love will be for ever.

[powerwave3d]

I'm starting Class 1 this Summer term in 16 days :P

Maya Student Ed was shipped Friday, looking forward to messing with that once it gets here next week. Can't wait to start classes. It's going to be a enjoyable time, being married, full time job, house, blah, blah, blah :)

[madhurchopra]

I am joining the summer term starting June 30th. I've already been through the Maya Springboard Workshop being a complete noob in this field. I must say, it has been an awesome experience so far. I was fortunate enough to study under Aja Bogdanoff and share some of her experiences as well. :thumbsup:

I feel so much more comfortable working on Maya now, all thanks to AM for launching this program and to the mind-blowing mentors who gave us all a kickstart. :bowdown:

I was online till the last moment today just before they shut down the access during the break period. I can hardly wait to begin classes again and am really looking forward to knowing who my next mentor is going to be :bounce::bounce::buttrock::buttrock:

[GingerDave]

Hey madhurchopra

I just finished class 1! its been an amazing 12 weeks, im not just sure, i know you will enjoy yourself!

Good luck in there and ill see you around school buddy!

[kyred]

For all the people starting this Summer, one more week to go!

Anyone going to the June 28 BBQ? :)

[ralphgmr]

Hi all,

Just want to say hi to everyone. I applied for fall 08 and just took a test today. I guess it's all in god's hand now ;) anyway, I'm wondering if there's anyone from Japan who are/were in AM and also work full time..or should I say over time. Looking forward to hear good news.

Later,

Test? What kind of test do they do? Are they already accepting applications for Fall 08?

[Wilexx]

Aww this website looks awesome but I dont meet age req :(

[beaucg]

ralphreinle,
sorry for a late reply, anyway, the test I wrote about was the online test from wonderlic.

[powerwave3d]

2 days 23hrs 46mins to go...

[lbjorseth]

yeah, soon.. i'm in the summer 08 class.. looking forward to start!
This is going to be great! Waited soooo long now :-)

About the BBQ... I'm in Norway, so it's a bit far away :) But I will join the graduation 18 months from now! :)

[timeless3d]

I was fortunate enough to study under Aja Bogdanoff and share some of her experiences as well. :thumbsup:

i had an alumni tutor session with aja, it was awesome. i bet she was great teacher in the maya thing. i hope she is back this term tutoring.

so, just to double check, this next term starts monday? that's what it says on their website but i haven't gotten any email or anything (i was out last term). and i noticed that it is now students.am instead of members.am. i guess i will just cross my fingers that i can get in on monday :)

looking forward to class 5!

[GingerDave]

As far as i know, and talking to everyone else its Monday 12:00 PST

Class 2! its gonna be awesome! good luck to everyone starting class 1 too, you will have a blast!

[beavotron]

Hey guys just popping in to say hello, I've been accepted into the Fall 08 program, so I'll see you there :D

--
Alexandria Neonakis
http://www.beavotron.com

[madhurchopra]

Hey Guys,
We should be able to log-in today after 12.00 PM PST and yes they've changed the web address to students.animaitonmentor.com. I believe that is to allow alumni members to log on as well; so that way there's a segregation between current students and alumnis :D

See you all there soon guys :bounce:. AM ROCKS!!! :buttrock: :buttrock:

[timeless3d]

anyone getting in?

[lbjorseth]

anyone getting in?
Nope... the time goes soooo sloooow... ;-)
I want to start up soon ;-) Can't wait!

[GingerDave]

It will be open by 8 tonight GMT.

Thats when term starts, so dont expect to get anything before then i guess.


See you all in there!

[philbarnard]

Hi everybody,

Just a quick hello. Looking forward to joining some of you tonight at 8 GMT,

Can't Wait to get started, see you all in just over 6 hours.

[MadMax]

3 hours to go........

[MadMax]

at 10:45 am, I'm in.

[lbjorseth]

Me to!!! soo cool :)

[WinterNights]

hello!

I was accepted into the Fall 08 semester.

I have just one question on the email of AnimationMentor they say, you can start journey with Maya workshop and then start with winter term.

So actually I can choose too Winter term 2009? How looks Maya workshop?
Actually right now im doing too diploma for college and thinking maybe to choose winter term but then i actually need to do all again essay and all or once Im accepted I can choose too winter term ?

thanks

[madhurchopra]

hello!

I was accepted into the Fall 08 semester.

I have just one question on the email of AnimationMentor they say, you can start journey with Maya workshop and then start with winter term.

So actually I can choose too Winter term 2009? How looks Maya workshop?
Actually right now im doing too diploma for college and thinking maybe to choose winter term but then i actually need to do all again essay and all or once Im accepted I can choose too winter term ?

thanks

Hey WinterNights,

Maya Springboard Wrokshop is aimed at students who do not have prior knowledge of working with Maya. The 1st 6 weeks are pretty laidback and all you do is explore AM's website, but the later 6 weeks will have you learning some basics of Maya, just enough to get you going once you start with the actual course.

I don't suppose you will need to go through the entire selection process again, however, I'd advise that you check with Student Support at AM and place a request to set you up for the Winter term.

Cheers!

[bliip-n-bloop]

Congrats Winternights that you got in. I remember you sending me all these questions by pm ;) Still makes me wonder why I didn't get in. Oh well I'll reapply in september, atleast i can train myself more IF if I start in january. Let's hope!

[WinterNights]

madhurchopra thanks for reply, I will check on their page for that too.

bliip-n-bloop, thanks for congrats and yes i remember I asked you questions about AM on pm:)
Otherwise, dont worry that you werent accepted for now, Im sure you will be next time and you have planty of time now to read books of animation and train, so you didnt lose nothing.

[ralphgmr]

I am interested in getting into the winter program and I saw that AM recommends the books Illusion of Life and Animation Survival kit. Do they recommend other books about character animation like for example more maya/software oriented? Some of you guys got any other books?

I am looking for a maya book more oriented to animation. I have already some knowledge of maya but more in modeling side of things.

[MadMax]

I am interested in getting into the winter program and I saw that AM recommends the books Illusion of Life and Animation Survival kit. Do they recommend other books about character animation like for example more maya/software oriented? Some of you guys got any other books?

I am looking for a maya book more oriented to animation. I have already some knowledge of maya but more in modeling side of things.

AM makes a lot of book references. However none are "Maya" books, they are all related to animation principles and techniques related to Animation, not the technical aspects of a given program.

Some people (students) at AM will tell you that everything you need to know is included in the AM library of online videos. Topics such as contraints, IK/FK, etc. They are short videos that provide basics.

If you can figure out how to use a rotator, set keys, and move keys on the timeline you pretty much know enough to plow into it.

[timeless3d]

and it sounds like there is that jumpstart class if you need help (it wasn't offered when i started, so i can't speak for it)

[MadMax]

and it sounds like there is that jumpstart class if you need help (it wasn't offered when i started, so i can't speak for it)


All the new guys popping into the AM Chatroom indicate that they really liked it so........

[trenando]

Hi, I am currently looking into AM. I've seen the demo reels of student's work and have seen that they incorporate lip synching and sound into some of their work, however, I did not see any mention of lip synching or the incorporation of sound in the course descriptions.

Is lip synching and sound incorporation taught by AM, or, must one learn it on thier own time?

Cheers

[MadMax]

Sure is.

last half of class 3 begins to cover lip sync and audio, and all of class 4 involves 2 character dialog shots.


Hi, I am currently looking into AM. I've seen the demo reels of student's work and have seen that they incorporate lip synching and sound into some of their work, however, I did not see any mention of lip synching or the incorporation of sound in the course descriptions.

Is lip synching and sound incorporation taught by AM, or, must one learn it on thier own time?

Cheers

[Maestro99]

I joined animation mentor and would just like to say it might not be for everyone.

Personally I had a few issues with the course and felt I was not learning enough from it and decided to leave.

Each week you are given a short video that is your lesson, these will often be quiet general and talk about principles or real life examples that you should think about for your assignment. I found the video quality to be watchable in the tiny window but they didnt actually feel like a lesson more like a chat, there was little information.

So with very little teaching you are issued an assignment to do each week and basicly go off on your own to do it. Now animation is of course all about doing but I personally felt there was little being taught. Once you have a rough outline of what you want to do the idea is to upload it to your personal space and have other students give you guidence.

This is a key point, other qualified people wont be giving you guidence for most of the week but it will come from the other students who typically have no more of a clue than you do. At some point that week you will have a lesson with your assigned mentor, this is not a face to face or 1 on 1 as you may expect but more of a chat room style talk with you asking questions in text and him answering on webcam. Sometimes the mentor will bring you up on your cam to ask a question, although this was rare in our talks.

I was so looking forward to this and really getting to talk to people in the industry is what this course has going for it over any other traditional type course. Sadly though this was the biggest let down for me. The webcam was terrible poor quality, the mentor would sometimes try to show us things by holding it up to the cam but you couldnt see what it was supposed to be, or sometimes he would point his crappy cam at his own monitor to show something that would just look all dark and blured. The room would also have people being disconected and kicked from the room for no reason. This happened to me and no it wasnt my connection as it constantly happened to many others who were based all over the world. This meant you could be kicked many times and miss 5 min chunks.

Putting aside the technical problems, being able to speak to a mentor for an hour a week, at the same time 20 other people are also trying to talk to him is just not useful. You simply cannot get much time at all and you may have things about that weeks assignment you need help with.

Once your assignment is in you will get a short 5min video from the mentor explaining what you did wrong and what grade you have been given, this is pre recorded so you dont get a chance to discuss it.
I once explained in an email that I was having problems with an assignment and could do with some advice, I got a reply that he would give me a longer critique on the next one (not very helpful as it only tells you whats wrong after the fact)
I was excited to recieve my critque but when it came in it was only 1minute long, it just cut off. I explained this to the mentor in the weekly meeting with him and he said he didnt have time to re-record it and that was that. I got no help when I asked for it and didnt even get an feedback that week !

So to sum up if you go for animation mentor you will get a short low quality video lesson each week, a 1hour mentor talk with the whole class, and 5 mins feedback on your assignment. That is what AM boils down to.

It may work for some people but not for me, I think having access to a real life teacher may be far more useful, just having someone who you can ask for help or to look over your shoulder at your work would be far more helpful than simply being left to study on your own.

[hiasakite]

@Maestro99

Hi,

well I can understand your feelings to a certain degree, the first 1 or 2 terms are a bit slow in the beginning, though it does pick up a lot during the end of 2 and then 3 and 4 are massive. Critques in the first class are about 5 min because there is only so much you can say about a bouncing ball...they become more like 10-20min once your larger assignments come up.

You can still reach your mentor during the week via email, though it depends on the mentor of course how he handles this.

I agree that AM is based on self-teaching a whole lot. That is unfortunately part of the whole online-study thing in general. For some it works, for others it does not, nothing to be ashamed about either way I say. I do miss the direct interaction with other people too sometimes, but then again once you build up some contacts you can start your own meetings with other students.

The lectures are very generic in the first class and even still in the second. Personally I did not learn too much from them because it was mostly stuff I knew already, however that is different for different people and I'm sure some loved them.

The lectures in the higher classes however become much more specific and demanding. My favourite is still the lecture on how to edit/cut.

AM is one of those things that is as good as you make it for yourself. In theory you can get through with the bare minimum, at least in the first two classes, without doing or learning a lot. That would be a bit foolish of course considering the cost. Or you can use all the ressources and put loadas of hours into assignments. It really relies a lot on self-motivation.

I'd say, if you need the personal contact and guidance, or need to be motivated constantly to deliver your best work, then maybe AM is not the right school, simply because there are stretches between the Q&A meeting and assignment where nobody will make you do anything if you don't want. In that case a classic "proper" university or college is probably the better choice.

For me, it works quite well I must say. Also, there is really no alternative if you plan to work full time next to studying (which btw. is still _hard_).

[hiasakite]

Oh and btw, if you did not get a critique and the mentor did not help / ignore you, you need to get in touch with student support, cause that's a no-no. You have to get a proper critique each week and they are quite strict about that.

[factorblank]

I am currently in Class 5 at Animation Mentor and have to say my experience has been the exact opposite of what has been described a few posts above. I've had 5 excellent mentors who have taken time to give thoughtful and very helpful critiques, sometimes lasting 20-30 minutes. The "classtime" lectures, yes there are sometimes technical glitches, have more than often lasted beyond the 1 hour mark and I've never left one dissapointed. If I ever had a question, all I had to do was press the "Ask a question" button. If you were typing it in the chat window, it's very possible your mentor missed it as those often pass quickly due to the amount of "chatting" during class. AM also provides a weekly technical q/a for those with questions about Maya.

AM might not be for everyone, but it works for me and I definitely do recommend it.

[MadMax]

I have to completely agree with everything quoted below 100%.

I'm currently in class 6, and like you, my experience has been completely different than the poster a few posts up.

In some cases, these weekly sessions have stretched into the 3rd hour. Anyone who has ever had Dimos Vrysellas as a mentor knows exactly what I'm talking about.

There is only so much that can be taught in a hands on manner. It's art after all, you have to find your own legs, if you can't then animation is not for you. A director isn't going to hold your hand and pamper you if they ask for something you have to solve, why would anyone expect to have their hand held in class?

As for getting help from your classmates, the assertion that this is useless and they have no more clue than you do is flat out incorrect and a poorly made assumption. Currently, there are a number of class 1 students who are already working in film and game studios. There is A LOT to learn from talking amongst your peers.

For what AM costs, what you learn and the level of professional assistance available from industry professionals, compared to going to a regualr brick and mortar school, there is no contest. AM is by far the better solution.


I am currently in Class 5 at Animation Mentor and have to say my experience has been the exact opposite of what has been described a few posts above. I've had 5 excellent mentors who have taken time to give thoughtful and very helpful critiques, sometimes lasting 20-30 minutes. The "classtime" lectures, yes there are sometimes technical glitches, have more than often lasted beyond the 1 hour mark and I've never left one dissapointed. If I ever had a question, all I had to do was press the "Ask a question" button. If you were typing it in the chat window, it's very possible your mentor missed it as those often pass quickly due to the amount of "chatting" during class. AM also provides a weekly technical q/a for those with questions about Maya.

AM might not be for everyone, but it works for me and I definitely do recommend it.

[timeless3d]

...other qualified people wont be giving you guidence for most of the week but it will come from the other students who typically have no more of a clue than you do. At some point that week you will have a lesson with your assigned mentor, this is not a face to face or 1 on 1 as you may expect but more of a chat room style talk with you asking questions in text and him answering on webcam. Sometimes the mentor will bring you up on your cam to ask a question, although this was rare in our talks.

...

Putting aside the technical problems, being able to speak to a mentor for an hour a week, at the same time 20 other people are also trying to talk to him is just not useful. You simply cannot get much time at all and you may have things about that weeks assignment you need help with.

anyone who didn't know the topic could think you were talking about a class at any university. usually in university, you have a lecture class (with a hell of a lot more then 20 students) and little 1:1 with the instructor. and out side of class, you to have to rely heavily on peer critique and advice. you can usually schedule time with your instructor outside of class, and i would think the emailing feature of AM is similar to this. this is, of course, not as good as real time, but what do you expect? these are working professionals with not as much availability as someone who might be a full time instructor.

sorry you had a bad experience, i agree that it isn't for everyone. i wish you the best and hope you find what works for you :)

[KristopherLee]

I graduated from AM in March. It was ok I guess... some mentors were better than others, some were quite arrogant acting. I remember failing my first class assignment making a ball bounce. That sucked at the time but quite funny now. If I had the time to do again, I'd save the 14 grand and buy some online tutorials. I do believe I learned more from tutorials than the whole time I spent at AM.

But it was a learning experience. Its not for everyone, just like anything.

[bliip-n-bloop]

I graduated from AM in March. It was ok I guess... some mentors were better than others, some were quite arrogant acting. I remember failing my first class assignment making a ball bounce. That sucked at the time but quite funny now. If I had the time to do again, I'd save the 14 grand and buy some online tutorials. I do believe I learned more from tutorials than the whole time I spent at AM.

But it was a learning experience. Its not for everyone, just like anything.
There are almost no good animation tutorials. The only ones I can recall are Jason Ryan, Jeff Lew and Gnomon and that's probably it and those don't give you feedback ofcourse. :) Just wondering as a prospect AM-student.

[KristopherLee]

There are almost no good animation tutorials. The only ones I can recall are Jason Ryan, Jeff Lew and Gnomon and that's probably it and those don't give you feedback ofcourse. :) Just wondering as a prospect AM-student.

I've done a lot of reading on this site http://keithlango.blogspot.com/ ...he has tutorials and even trains people too at a much lesser cost. He is quite good and his site helped me big time when I was stuck at AM and the mentor was too busy talking about the movie he was working on. But not all it was bad. I met some cool people and a couple great mentors.

Digital Tutors has quite a selection of animation tutorials that also helped me greatly. Where the weekly lectures sometimes didn't do the trick, what with the constant talking more than the actually showing, the DT vids helped me understand what I couldn't get from AM. Combined with the tutorials, you become a member of a good 3D forum (like this one), practice your animation, post your work and get critiqued by the community. End result, you learn basically the same method while saving thousands.

Now I'm not telling you AM sucks. It was a learning experience I personally wouldn't do over, but doesn't mean everyone I met felt the same. I know a few people who felt like I did, a few people who ended up feeling like I did by class 6 and the rest were happy. I personally would rather have gone to a school if I were to do it again instead of online.

I just think for 14k USD, you really want to think about what you're doing because those student loans have to get paid off sooner than later.

[jwfitt]

Just wanted to say hello! I've been accepted for Fall08 and I'm looking forward to it! :applause:

Jason

[JBoogie]

Just wanted to say hello! I've been accepted for Fall08 and I'm looking forward to it! :applause:

Jason

See ya in class!!! Ill be attending the Fall08 curriculum as well, can't wait!

- J

[twoism]

See ya in class!!! Ill be attending the Fall08 curriculum as well, can't wait!

- J

Same!! Been lurking around here for a while, just dreaming of learning from AM. And then, I got my acceptance late last week. Can't wait to start!

[binarycolors]

Same!! Been lurking around here for a while, just dreaming of learning from AM. And then, I got my acceptance late last week. Can't wait to start!

You can add me to that list also classmates! See you all in Fall 08; the class start day is coming up very quickly :)

[phantomworkshop]

You can add me to that list also classmates! See you all in Fall 08; the class start day is coming up very quickly :)

Me too! :) See you guys there.

[jwfitt]

Hey guys!

In anticipation for the Fall Semester I wanted to make sure I had everything I needed and realized I still need to pickup a web cam. I asked my adviser at AM if there was a web cam they recommended and they pointed me towards the Logitech Pro 9000 (mentioning that it typically runs around $90). After doing some quick research on Newegg and Amazon, it sounds like a good recommendation.

But even more importantly, if you order it from Amazon by Sept. 8, 2008 (within the next 5 days!) You can get the web cam for only $75 with free shipping + a $20 mail in rebate from logitech, bringing you to approx. $55! I'm all over it, and I just wanted to share the info in case anyone else still needs to pick up a camera.

Jason

[phantomworkshop]

Hey guys!

In anticipation for the Fall Semester I wanted to make sure I had everything I needed and realized I still need to pickup a web cam. I asked my adviser at AM if there was a web cam they recommended and they pointed me towards the Logitech Pro 9000 (mentioning that it typically runs around $90). After doing some quick research on Newegg and Amazon, it sounds like a good recommendation.

But even more importantly, if you order it from Amazon by Sept. 8, 2008 (within the next 5 days!) You can get the web cam for only $75 with free shipping + a $20 mail in rebate from logitech, bringing you to approx. $55! I'm all over it, and I just wanted to share the info in case anyone else still needs to pick up a camera.

Jason

Wow dude. Appreciate the heads up. I wasn't intending to spend so much on a webcam (meaning the $90) but this could work out nicely. Are any other logitech ones OK or is anything cheaper gonna be a waste of money? Thanks. See ya in the Fall!

[AlexLopez]

I actually start in the spring. I want to make sure I get as much out of the experience as I can so I am taking their workshop first :)

[phantomworkshop]

AM Told me I shouldn't take it cause I've been using Maya for a few years on and off and it's really an Introductory class. We'll see. See ya there buddy! Congrats on getting in.

- Jeremy

I actually start in the spring. I want to make sure I get as much out of the experience as I can so I am taking their workshop first :)

[AlexLopez]

I thought about that too but they had a special offer for starting students and I honestly have used Maya but never to actually make anything worth posting. Best thing I ever made was a ball going thru a hoop of fire from a really old animation tutorial book I bought :)

Grats again for going in and hope to see your work soon!

[Kaleidoscope]

Thinking of try and attend to AM, maybe some of you guys could give me some feedback? And one question, how does the graduating work? Do you just get a diploma in the mail?
And how are the job oppurtunities after?
Thanks

[timeless3d]

there is a graduation every 6 months or so (twice a year).

used to do one with Siggraph, but now they are both done in SF (where their offices are).

of course, if you can't make it, i would assume you would just get your diploma in the mail

there is also job placement assistance with the school, and they just had their first job fair (again, out there in SF) which i think they would like to do every year. but, there are of course no guarantees of job placement. you just have to get the best reel together you can and hope for some luck :)

[Kaleidoscope]

Aaah allright, thanks alot :D

[samisabra]

Hey ppl Salam,

This is my first post on CG forums ever, wishing this would be a good start for all students joining this fall course and the upcoming courses for sure, I have been accepted for the fall08 Course, waiting to see you guys at AM soon, i think i have been informed about AM that the acount info will be provided on the 10th of Sep and there will be an orientation stuff going on, if you know what is that all about let us know, as well as all of you fall08 students ... i cant wait until my class starts !




Ah i almost forgot, what do you think about AM's new Curriculum, now there is no short film courses i think they focus on animation skill more now, i have read alot about it, please share your thoughts.


Thanks !

[AlexLopez]

The confirmation email that I got was for the Maya Springboard Workshop which Orientation and set up should begin today after 3pm eastern time but I haven't received an email yet. I sent an email just to be sure I didn't lose the email to the junkmail gods in lala land :)

I will let you know if I get any additional information.

Now that I think about it, I didn't receive an August newslettter either and always look forward to getting those to see the new stuff going on. Did anyone receive the August Newsletter?

[phantomworkshop]

Hey ppl Salam,

This is my first post on CG forums ever, wishing this would be a good start for all students joining this fall course and the upcoming courses for sure, I have been accepted for the fall08 Course, waiting to see you guys at AM soon, i think i have been informed about AM that the acount info will be provided on the 10th of Sep and there will be an orientation stuff going on, if you know what is that all about let us know, as well as all of you fall08 students ... i cant wait until my class starts !




Ah i almost forgot, what do you think about AM's new Curriculum, now there is no short film courses i think they focus on animation skill more now, i have read alot about it, please share your thoughts.


Thanks !

I'm starting on Sept 29th along with you and I can't wait! I got my Account Setup email a few hours ago and I already created my user name. I haven't had a chance to view the Orientation documents and/or videos just yet but I can't wait to get started!

I think the new curriculum is only going to make the process go that much more smoothly. I feel that Animation Mentor gets their feedback directly from the industry and that if they feel that we need more attention to Body Mechanics then I'm looking forward to being the first graduating class who gets a more improved curriculum. I've always wanted to make a short film but I feel that a Demo Reel is really going to be more valuable to studios and a short film is something that can be created on your own time with guidance and help of course, but not necessarily class-based. Plus, we're looking to be Professional Animators and it's all about getting the job and learning as much as we can to get that job :)

I'll see you there. My user name is AnimatorJ

Good luck!

[Kaleidoscope]

I'm so jealous of you guys X(! Please give feedback during your term there at AM. I would really appreciate it :)
Btw, how long does the education take, I thought that the answer to that question on the website was abit blurry. Thanks

[AJ]

Btw, how long does the education take, I thought that the answer to that question on the website was abit blurry. Thanks
It's currently 6 classes at 12 weeks (3 months) per class, so to complete the course straight through will take 18 months.

[Kaleidoscope]

Wow, that is pretty impressive. Only thing I need to know now is how to explain to my parents that I'm looking at taking a education "over the internet" X( Thats gonna be tough

[phantomworkshop]

Wow, that is pretty impressive. Only thing I need to know now is how to explain to my parents that I'm looking at taking a education "over the internet" X( Thats gonna be tough

A word of advice about that is to let them watch Bobby Beck's Webinars (free off of animationmentor.com) to see what the school is really all about. Tell them where the graduates are working, etc. Explain to them how going to school online gives you the freedom of saving gas money, working part-time (some even do full time jobs) and getting the most one-on-one attention any school can give you. Just some tips... do your research and prove to them it's a good call. Nothing beats the eCritiques and the experience you get from learning from Professional Animators. No "brick and mortar" university can give you THAT much pro knowledge. It doesn't exist. Good luck!

[ghDude]

has anyone able to get onto the alumni site. I've been receiving "certificate expired" for a couple of weeks. I've contacted them through the general site, but have not received any response.

thanks.

[fabianv]

Hey guys! I'll be starting this Fall I noticed there are quite a few here that will also start then :)

I got my login yesterday and been trying to view the orientation videos but they seem to be under heavy load.. the videos under news seem to be streaming fast so I dont think its my connection since I tested it on 2 fast networks.

[beaucg]

I'll also be starting this Winter. I'm just wondering if anyone has problem viewing the site after log in. The left-hand bar appeared and on the top-right corner stuck at loading, nothing else appeared. Does any one has this kind of problem? Since AM server will be on maintenance after next week, I hope the problem get solved so I can see the orientation before that. Oh, almost forgot, I tried with firefox, ie, safari (on the mac) but they all stuck on loading.

Anyway, I emailed AM but no response yet, I'll wait till Tuesday to see if there's any response before I contact them again.

Looking forward to meet you all.
Thanks

[nickynackyqwacky]

Hi Guys

I recently applied for AM and i was accepted! im so excited, still cant believe it!!:bounce:

[AlexLopez]

Hi Guys

I recently applied for AM and i was accepted! im so excited, still cant believe it!!:bounce:

Grats!

I know the feeling. I am still so pumped!

are you starting in the Winter term?

[nickynackyqwacky]

yeah dude!! im starting in the winter term! my buddy also applied for AM so we doing it together, so cool!

how long you been in the 3D industry?

[AlexLopez]

Honestly none at all. I have been unable to due to work and financial issues....I have been a member since forever but haven't been able to contribute except for my praise for the many talented artists submitting their work.

I have played around with it and made the usual jumping ball or text stuff and have been messing around with Maya more and more now.

So I will be working as hard as I can and absorbing as much as I can :)

[phantomworkshop]

Hi Guys

I recently applied for AM and i was accepted! im so excited, still cant believe it!!:bounce:

That's awesome man! Congrats :) I'm starting in the Fall but I'll see you there for sure!

[Kaleidoscope]

I've decided to apply to AM now, only question is how I'll get the money (I live in Sweden), maybe my parents will be willing to lend me some money... anyways hopefully I will see you guys this fall or spring 2009 :):)

Btw, baught the books "Illusion of life" and "The animators survival kit" awesome books!

[MadMax]

it's always fun to see the enthusiasm in the posts here just before the start of a new term :)

You guys are all going to have a ton of fun, make new friends and learn more than you could imagine in a VERY short amount of time.

Seems like just yesterday I was going "OMG, how do I make a ball bounce????" or "ONLY A WEEK TO DO IT?????"

Many sleepless nights, lots of long hours over the weekends and more than a few all nighters, just like back in college. ROFL!!!

For me, AM ends at noon this Friday. Been a long trip, but well worth it.

[AlexLopez]

it's always fun to see the enthusiasm in the posts here just before the start of a new term :)

You guys are all going to have a ton of fun, make new friends and learn more than you could imagine in a VERY short amount of time.

Seems like just yesterday I was going "OMG, how do I make a ball bounce????" or "ONLY A WEEK TO DO IT?????"

Many sleepless nights, lots of long hours over the weekends and more than a few all nighters, just like back in college. ROFL!!!

For me, AM ends at noon this Friday. Been a long trip, but well worth it.

That is awesome MadMax!

Congrats on your graduation. I would love to see any work you did during your term. Do you have a blog or website that we can see?

[AlexLopez]

I've decided to apply to AM now, only question is how I'll get the money (I live in Sweden), maybe my parents will be willing to lend me some money... anyways hopefully I will see you guys this fall or spring 2009 :):)

Btw, baught the books "Illusion of life" and "The animators survival kit" awesome books!

I am personally just using financial aid but in your case I think i read somewhere that they had some type of payment plan per term so your parents might be able to swing it that way since its 2-3k a term instead of the whole lot you know.

I talked to a really nice lady, Rosie Varela. I think her email was loans@animationmentor.com give it a shot. dont let that stop you without checking every resource. Good luck!

[MadMax]

That is awesome MadMax!

Congrats on your graduation. I would love to see any work you did during your term. Do you have a blog or website that we can see?


Nope. Never actually had TIME to do it. AM was a black hole on free time. But I will soon, and I'll be around since I'm volunteering to be what they call a peer buddy.

[AlexLopez]

Nope. Never actually had TIME to do it. AM was a black hole on free time. But I will soon, and I'll be around since I'm volunteering to be what they call a peer buddy.

I read about that during orientation. I think it's a great idea to get people together and network also. Who knows you could end up collaborating on a project in the future. The possibilities are endless. I will see ya there!

[phantomworkshop]

it's always fun to see the enthusiasm in the posts here just before the start of a new term :)

You guys are all going to have a ton of fun, make new friends and learn more than you could imagine in a VERY short amount of time.

Seems like just yesterday I was going "OMG, how do I make a ball bounce????" or "ONLY A WEEK TO DO IT?????"

Many sleepless nights, lots of long hours over the weekends and more than a few all nighters, just like back in college. ROFL!!!

For me, AM ends at noon this Friday. Been a long trip, but well worth it.

:) And it's reading posts like this that make me THAT much more excited! Thanks for helping keep us motivated and enthused! Congrats on graduating. I second that.. Do you have a place we could see your work? What's up with the job market now that you're done? :)

[phantomworkshop]

I read about that during orientation. I think it's a great idea to get people together and network also. Who knows you could end up collaborating on a project in the future. The possibilities are endless. I will see ya there!

Yeah, I dig the peer buddy idea! Looking forward to meeting some AM-Vets :)

[MadMax]

Bad news current students and new guys........


MU AH AH HAAHAHA ahhahhAAH ha AH ha HA HA HAAha ha ha haA ha ha haahahaaH AH AH HAHAHAHAHA AHhaAH HA hA HAAh ahhaAHAa hahahaha hAhAahH AHHAHAhahHahahahahHAhAHhahaha!!

I have officially signed up to be a peer buddy at the start of next term!!! :)


So I'll definitely be around to lend a hand, hang out in the chat room and offer opinions and advice!


WE'll see you guys in 11 days!!!


GOOD LUCK ALL!!

[phantomworkshop]

Bad news current students and new guys........


MU AH AH HAAHAHA ahhahhAAH ha AH ha HA HA HAAha ha ha haA ha ha haahahaaH AH AH HAHAHAHAHA AHhaAH HA hA HAAh ahhaAHAa hahahaha hAhAahH AHHAHAhahHahahahahHAhAHhahaha!!

I have officially signed up to be a peer buddy at the start of next term!!! :)


So I'll definitely be around to lend a hand, hang out in the chat room and offer opinions and advice!


WE'll see you guys in 11 days!!!


GOOD LUCK ALL!!

:) 11 days! I can't wait!


Awesome man, I'll look you up! :)

[Kaleidoscope]

A peer buddy what is that? Does it cost money, and where can I sign up? :P

[bardur]

10 days guys :D

DAmn im excited to start on AM :D its gonna be awsome...
looking forward to get to know you guys and also make and learn some serious animation :bounce:

Regards
Bardur Mikladal

[MadMax]

A peer buddy what is that? Does it cost money, and where can I sign up? :P


A Peer Buddy is an upperclassman who volunteers to assist people.

You'll find out more once you are in :)

[Kaleidoscope]

Oh! Allright, well hopefully I'll see you guys in the spring :)

[showcasefloyd]

I applied about two weeks ago for the winter semester. Any idea how long you have to wait before you hear back. Also did they call you or just email you? Finally do they turn down a lot of people who apply and why?

Thanks for any feedback.

ShowcaseFloyd

[KristopherLee]

When I applied online, I didn't hear anything back at all. So what I did was call the office and talked to someone and from there everything took off and I was in within a few days. I would call them if you start getting antsy and things should be fine ;)

In regards to that peer buddy comment, some of the peer buddies I had gave critiques and advice that conflicted with what my mentor wanted and I ended up having to do more work to fix it. Also, some advice was good.

My views on AM have changed a little since graduating as now that I look back, I had no idea what I was doing. Now that I'm out and doing things here and there, I find myself automatically looking at animation in a new way and seeing things I never noticed before. Animation, while still hard, is seeming easier to the eye now.

Good luck with your enrollment.

[showcasefloyd]

So is normal for it to take this long to hear back? I'm dying to find out if I got in or not.

[MadMax]

In regards to that peer buddy comment, some of the peer buddies I had gave critiques and advice that conflicted with what my mentor wanted and I ended up having to do more work to fix it. Also, some advice was good.


You also need to understand that as art, this is speculative and extremely open to personal opinions as well. There is no one definitive answer.

Fact of the matter is that two different mentors can end up with two drastically different opinions. And it DOES happen. Just because two or more different people tell you something or make suggestions, it doesn't necesarily mean one person is more right than another.

You have to learn how to process all the input you recieve, you can't just rely on having it spoonfed to you.

that is the big benefit of the peer system there. You can have NUMEROUS eyes on your work, and different points of view.

I didn't know jack s#$% about animation when I started, I'm a modeler.

18 months later, I'm a modeler and an animator. And a pretty good one at that.

[KristopherLee]

You also need to understand that as art, this is speculative and extremely open to personal opinions as well. There is no one definitive answer.

Fact of the matter is that two different mentors can end up with two drastically different opinions. And it DOES happen. Just because two or more different people tell you something or make suggestions, it doesn't necesarily mean one person is more right than another.

You have to learn how to process all the input you recieve, you can't just rely on having it spoonfed to you.

that is the big benefit of the peer system there. You can have NUMEROUS eyes on your work, and different points of view.

I didn't know jack s#$% about animation when I started, I'm a modeler.
18 months later, I'm a modeler and an animator. And a pretty good one at that.

I can agree with some of that but my point, which you sounded like you were taking shots at myself there, is that in the end, your Mentor is the one grading you and the crits and direction they give you is THE ONLY path to follow.

Anyone who goes thru AM will honestly come out better at animation. This I know. I graduated from there.

[fluffybunny]

Fact of the matter is that two different mentors can end up with two drastically different opinions. And it DOES happen. Just because two or more different people tell you something or make suggestions, it doesn't necesarily mean one person is more right than another.

hehehe....or even the same mentor on two different weeks :)

But in all fairness, I have heard of that happening way more often from directors in the actual studio then I've heard or seen it happen with mentors. So if nothing else, it's preparing you for the real world (tm) :D

[jwfitt]

Is anyone else obsessively checking their email and/or the student site? :bounce:

[showcasefloyd]

Hey Jason,

Congrats on getting in. I also applied for the Winter session about two and half weeks ago. I know the application states it usually takes around three weeks to hear if you've been accepted, but I was curious if this was true for you as well?

Anyhow, good luck.

Philip

[MadMax]

Is anyone else obsessively checking their email and/or the student site? :bounce:


Don't wear out your F5 key over it. ;)

[jwfitt]

Thanks Philip!

It took around 2-3 weeks for me to hear back from the Registrar's office about my acceptance. But I also applied in the middle of last semester, I'm sure it's been a bit more hectic in their office since a new semester is starting today and they've had the student website offline for a week in preparation for it.

MadMax - My F5 key is staying nice and warm! :thumbsup:

Update: Wooo! A schedule has been posted on the student login site for times when the campus will be opening today!

[MadMax]

MadMax - My F5 key is staying nice and warm! :thumbsup:

Update: Wooo! A schedule has been posted on the student login site for times when the campus will be opening today!


as long as it doesn't catch fire you'll be ok.

FYI, they ALWAYS say noon. It's usually close. Last term it was open around 10:30

[showcasefloyd]

I'm so excited. I just heard back and I was accepted for the Winter 09 term.

I can't wait to get started. By the way does anyone know if Animation Mentor has a facebook group?

Philip

[jwfitt]

Congrats!! :applause:

[zeonstar]

Hey guys.

I'm not sure I have ever posted here, I was surprised I even had an account.

Earlier this week I discovered AM.com and totally fell in love with the idea. I'm 31, newly married, and a current student at the Academy of Art UNiversity going for a BFA in character animation. However I work full time and am really burnt out on school. I've been going 3 + years now and am barely a sophmore. All the prerequiste classes they make me take. UGH! I don't want to make clay figures or draw, I want to ANIMATE.

I am really interested in AM.com. I think it';s perfect for me in just about every way. I can get in, learn only what I want, namely animaiton, and be done alot sooner than at my current school which will take me who knows how much longer at this point!

Getting all excited, I am afraid of not being accepted though. I really have my hopes up about this and would really hate to be shot down....not to mention I wont enjoy my current school knowing this is out there for me as a perfect option.

How strict is thier acceptance? How hard is that Wonderlic test? My math skills are pretty lacking for example. I have a passion and love for animation and I hope to convey that in the essay....but how much do they focus on that wonderlic?

If one does not get accepted, can you try again...ever?

Thanks for any information. I might call them today and talk to an advisor.

-Adam

[jwfitt]

Hey Adam!

I definitely think AM is right for you. I could go on & on about how awesome it is (and how amazing the community of students, alumni, and mentors are), but I'll try to keep this somewhat brief! :)

I recently started my first term and I work full-time. I'd say about 50% or more of my classmates also work full time, have families, etc. The AM schedule is very flexible and I really think they can boast the best school in the world for character animation. Where else will you have intimate, hands-on learning from the top professionals in the field? They can also currently boast a job placement rate of 78-80% worldwide.

I think the best part of the program is that it focuses solely on character animation, and not a damn thing else that isn't related to becoming the best character animator possible. You can look at their site and the curriculum for more details on all that (they actually just launched a newly updated site yesterday).

As far as applying goes, I'm almost positive you can apply as many times as you want. They have said that the #1 thing they look for in applicants is the desire and motivation to want to do this (not experience) for a living. People who express that this is only a passing interest for them would be doing themselves a great disservice if they are looking to get accepted. I'm pretty sure they can only accept 100-200 students per new term (there are 4 terms a year I believe). The overall # is probably restricted based on the # of mentors they have on board each term since they limit the # of students per class to about 10-16 people per mentor. I just had my first live Q&A class last night and it was awesome. We just did introductions and stuff, but we got to hear from our mentor and classmates for almost 2 hrs, and we meet like this once a week for the entire class (12 weeks total).

The Wonderlic test is incredibly simple and you won't need strong math skills for it. It's more of a check to make sure you've had some VERY basic education experience. It's also not a test that really has an end, so don't freak out when it ends abruptly. You basically have a set period of time and they hit you with as many multiple choice Qs that you can answer in that time frame.

Hope this helps and best of luck! :)

[zeonstar]

Hey Jwfitt!


I really appreciate the reply. I been refreahing this since I wrote hoping someone would reply. I'm glad my love of this comes across to you in a simple forum post. Now I will need to convey that in the essay.

It's funny you mention the site changing. I've been on it looking around all week and I noticed midday yesterday it changed. I was like...hey what happened. Just a funny coincidence they changed it right when I was looking. The new site is even more informative than the old one. I've looked all around, read the FAQs, saw the videos. I'm really gung ho about all this. I tend to research things to death when I'm interested.

I agree that AM is a really great idea for me. It's why I fell in love with it earlier this week. I student at in my AAU figure modeling class had mentioned it last week in school and I didn't think much of it at the time. But then I checked the website out and all that changed. It's so tailored made for my situation!

It's online, which of course is great for people who work. I mix online and in perosn at AAU right now even, even though I'm not super far from the school.

All they teach of is animation...which is all I want to do. They cut out the crap, not that I'm knocking AAU's teaching. It's just....TAKING TOO LONG. I'm married now, my wife has a MASTERS and makes good money. I'm temping in brainless data entry jobs I don't like or care about. It's not my passion, and definately not going to be my career.

AM uses Maya...which is quite literally the program I discovered several years ago that made me realize I would love to do this stuff for a living. It took me a long time to find something I would love doing for a living, but I did and thanks to my wife's support, I started pursuing it at the academy...and soon maybe AM.

Sometimes I'm surprised how much I love and enjoy this stuff. I hear animator's names from Disney and I know them from the old making of DVDs, not even conciously aware I retained that kind of information.

This school cuts to the chase with that which I want to do and learn. I'm still a beginner at animation probably, but that's laregly because I've taken so few animation-based classes at AAU. But the ones I did take, you better believe I adored.

Now the hard part is AM wont be no cake walk I have been telling myself. I would have to commit to it and understand alot of free time will be going bye bye. I have a bad habit of waiting too long to start school work at AAU. A habit I WILL break if I go to AM.

The wife loves the idea and supports me, and though we still need to figure out the financial end, she wants me to apply. I'd probably be aiming for the March start semester to give myself time to finish my current semester at AAU, then time to figure out the financing. So applying this far out should help me... I hope. I'm going to take my time and do the application tonight when I get home from work.

Thanks again for the input above. I really do want to do this, it's made for me!

Well since you read all that, here is one animation I did in school last year. Not the best thing in the world by any stretch, but it's my favorite thing I've personally did.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8OEpmrWKHc

I know it shows up really dark...it's not that dark in the original file. I wish I could fix that! I'm still a beginner but I find animation so...FUN.

Have a look at my little animaiton. :) The walk by the way was the first walk I've ever attempted and no one really taught me how to do one. I know he slides but....well hey first attempt!

Thanks again.

[zeonstar]

I had a question about those weekly class meetings. What time are they? I mean do they factor in people who may have an 8 to 5 type job? I wouldn't want to miss those as they seem important and informative.

[jwfitt]

Adam, sounds like you have already made up your mind! ;)

You could obviously complete AM's 18 month program with minimal time or effort, but I think most people who work really hard at it say that they do about 20-40 hrs of work a week.

Like I said, each class/term is 12 weeks. There are 6 classes that make up the 18 month program. Every week you have: 1 pre-recorded video lecture, typically filled with amazing animators sharing their knowledge (which will obliterate any live lecture you've had to sit through at a typical school), 1 live Q&A session (which is a pre-set time, the same time each week), 1 homework assignment/project, and 1 eCritique (this is your mentor giving you an incredibly elaborate, pre-recorded critique of your project submission).

As always, there is probably a lot more info about this stuff at the AM site.

In regards to Q&A times... You are randomly assigned a mentor for each class with the guarantee that you won't ever have the same mentor for the different, 6 classes. Q&A times and mentors are selected with your location in mind so the timing favors everyone. keep in mind that every mentor is a full-time working animator who is more than likely working fairly normal day time hours as well.

For an example, my weekly Q&A time is 10:30-11:30pm EST every wed night. If you get assigned a time that doesn't work with your schedule, you can swap into a different Q&A time (the AM school staff are extremely helpful in every regard with this stuff). And if you ever have to miss a Q&A session, I believe they have a makeup Q&A session on Saturdays (this probably wouldn't be the same person as your mentor though). In fact a lot of the upperclassmen say, if you have the time, go to your normal Q&A class AND the Saturday make-up sessions. I haven't had the chance to see if that's still possible, but I don't see why it wouldn't be.

Finally, in regards to costs and what-not, I don't think there is a more affordable program than AM. I mean, we're talking around $17,000 for their 18 month program where you get to have hands on time and elaborate critiques on your every project with 6 different, professional animators! Most Art institute schools, or places like Full Sail cost in the neighborhood of $70-$90k for a 2 yr animation program and I wonder if they could boast even 1-2 teachers who are currently, or have previously, worked full-time at a big studio.

That's before I even touch on the topic of networking... obviously getting to know 6 pro animators is a huge benefit, but all of your classmates will very likely be working at studios one day, and wouldn't it be nice to have those contacts down the road?

-Jason

[jwfitt]

Your short animation was great man! Better than anything I have animated!

While some students come in with a lot of experience, many people have little to no experience before they start at AM.

[zeonstar]

Hey Jason.

I looked at your blog and work, I liked it. Maybe I'd start a blog if I started AM to keep me focused and stuff. I never did a blog, it was never really my thing.

I liked your rock dudes. Was that Maya? Was that just on your own type work? Messing around, so to speak?

Oh yeah I definately am set on AM...now I just need to make it happen. The cost was one of the first things I checked and although $17,000 seems daunting all at once, the fact that that is the TOTAL appeals to me. AAU from beginning to end for my BFA would easily take $90,000. I'm not looking forward to paying that back, My wife already has a school debt. Haha.

It's too bad AM doesn't get FAFSA as that is alot easier than a Sallie Mae loan. Our credit isn't too hot right now, I'm a "Medium risk" and don't have much in the way of co signer options. But I need to get accepted first, THEN worry about paying.

The Q&A sessions are nice to know you can pick a different one if needed but the one you said you have for example the times would work for me, as I am home from work by then. I wonder if evening times like that are the norm?

I love knowing the industry people would be teaching me. That's one of the best aspects I liked about AM. Now AAU DOES also have industry people teaching there, but I can already tell AM would be much more hands on and personal than AAU teachers. THe eCritique sounds especially helpful. You definately wouldn't even that much 1 on 1 with an in-person school.

I watched a little video about AM and even thier online interface looks much more advance than the one for AAU. A very important component being AM is 100% online.

I imagine aleady knowing Maya and at least have already started an BFA animation degree will help me at least a little.

So Jason how has your time juggling been so far? I know you just barely started, but just curious.

[zeonstar]

Thanks. It was fun. LIke I said I light up when I actually get to do animation in school. I actually took that class as an electitive to keep myself up on Maya since I had not used it in SO long. (Damn foundation classes) They kept me from the future Maya classes I want to take.

Funny thing is, I sort of did that assignment last minute, as I have a bad habbit of doing. I can only imagine how it would be had I put more time into it. I pulled off a A- with that somehow. Heh.


Your short animation was great man! Better than anything I have animated!

While some students come in with a lot of experience, many people have little to no experience before they start at AM.

[jwfitt]

Thanks for stopping by my little site! :beer:

Pretty much all of my work on my site was stuff I did just messing around. Some of it was for school projects, but the program I did (there's a little blurb on my blog about it) really sucked. Anything I did was pretty much self taught or through the help of some of the Gnomon DVDs I've picked up over the years.

The #1 reason I started the blog and site was for myself. I knew if I set it all up prior to AM starting it would be just one more thing to help me push myself and stay on top of the program. It will also be nice to track my experience and progress as I go through it all.

I'm not sure if you're aware, but you can breakup the cost of AM on a per-class basis. There's a nominal fee of like $50/class for doing so, but it's much nicer than forking out the lump sum up front. Especially if you're nervous about it working out for you.

In regards to time juggling... as soon as I made the decision to do AM I started to make a lot of significant life changes. I've basically gutted my bad habits and a big portion of my personal life to do this. I figure following my dreams is worth a couple of small sacrifices for 18 months! I work full time (desk jockey!) 8-5am...no kids, but I do have a girlfriend I live with who also works full time (and wants some of my free time!). ;)

With all of that in mind, my juggling is going great. I work 8-5, typically get home at 5:30pm, spend an hour or two unwinding, hanging with the gf, eating, etc. And then I typically spend the rest of my night on school-related stuff. I try to schedule a lot of my time (like actually write a schedule on my google calender) as I find that it really helps me stick to getting shit done.
Usually I try to start in on school-related stuff by 7pm, and will still up as late as 1-2am sometimes if I'm feeling ok. I usually take at least one or two short breaks in the middle of all that though. On average I go to bed around 12-12:30am.

Hope I've been insightful? :)

EDIT/UPDATE- There are a few guys in my class with MUCH heavier personal lives than me. One guy works 8-7 lives with a gf, another works a 9 hr day and has a few kids (I believe he's in his thirties). The support and generosity of everyone attending AM is phenomenal. I've really never seen anything like it. Ever.
My first day in the program I had all kinds of people extending their support and friendship. The whole student site (private area) is a lot like some social networking sites. You have your own workspace where anyone in the school can leave you feedback and comments. Same with an area you can post WIP projects and people will give you feedback on it prior to handing it in (if you choose to do so). It also has its own integrated AMim program and email system so i chat with a lot of classmates on there a lot. Plus the usual - forums, etc.

[zeonstar]

Aw Man... I like my sleep. I don't want to goto bed at 1am! I am not the kind of person who functions well on little sleep. I'm getting too old or something. Haha.

Yes you have been totally helpful. I'm excited!

So a Blog might be a good idea to keep me...structured?

[jwfitt]

Hahah! Honestly, if you can devote a few hours a night during the week + a little more than that on weekends, you should be solid.

Like, if you did 3 hrs a night during the week (say 7pm-10pm). That's 15 hrs right there, before you even get into the weekends.

Can you tell I've done a lot of thinking on time management for myself prior to starting AM? :)

I think it really comes down to being able to kill your bad habits... If you don't browse the web, chat online w/ people, play video games, <insert your vices here>, you can make it work. I know it's possible, b/c myself and almost all of my classmates work full-time during the day, yet here we are!

Not to mention if you're a desk jockey during the day, and you can get away, or it's ok for you to get on the web, you can do a lot of your misc. online stuff during some of that time (like I'm doing now! ;))

[zeonstar]

I guess it's a good thing I'm getting bored of World of Warcraft huh? Or even if I'm not, I have about 6 months to get it out of my system!

Seriously though, I have about 6 hours from the time I get off work till the time I HOPE to goto bed, although it always seems about an hour later than I plan. Of course that includes needing time to get home work work, relax, etc. I do enjoy my free time to do whatever and I have to realize that may at least partially go away, but it wont be forever. With AM.com, I feel I will have a good idea when it's going to end. With AAU it's just...going and going.

Going to school as slowly as I am, and to top it off taking classing you are forced to take really takes the motivation out of you...at least for me it did.

If we could afford for me to just goto school full time, no work, then AAU might not be so bad. But as it is... I want to be done.

My bad habits include the horrible game mentioned above and alot of procrastination. I'll have to disipline myself for sure. My wife supports this idea, but knows how I am and wants me to promise to commit.

I read somwhere today, it might of been AM.com, that where I live, the Bay Area is the "Computer animation" capitol of the world. That sure gives me hope.

I sure do love this stuff. After disovering AM this week, I broke out my Illusion of Life book to start reading again. I was never able to finish it. I already have the 2 books AM requires. This one and The Survival Kit. Told you this is a perfect fit for me. =)

[jwfitt]

Yeah, I was so amped up after I got into AM that I read all of IoL and half of the workbook before class 1 even started! First time I can boast that for any class...

Oh and drop WoW like the horrible habit it is. This is coming from a recovering addict. 1+ years sober! woot woot! =D

[zeonstar]

What is The Workbook?

I wish I could quit WoW altogether. I'm not nearly addicted as I use to be, so I am getting better. I have realized more than ever the game is a never ending time sink. Get gear to goto places to get more gear. The never ending cycle. I'm also not into alts (Thank God) So I have been playing the same character basically for 4 years!


Oy!

[jwfitt]

Good luck with the WoW issue... :)

I meant the Animator's Workbook (the other req. reading for AM), laziness fails again!

[zeonstar]

That's the Animator's Survival Kit. Sheesh Man come on!

"Workbook" Bah!

I started on Illusion because I enjoy reading about Disney and because it seems like something I can read and not have to follow, more of a History of Animation than actual things to learn and try. Survival Kit seems more of a training manual which always made it hard for me to get into.

I don't draw well btw. It's one of the reasons I love 3D animation. I don't have to draw. But oh the academy...makes you draw! I love 2D animation don't get me wrong. I just don't want to create it myself.

Even drawing in a sketchbook like AM recommends will be tough on me. But I suppose if it's just a hobby and I'm not being graded or anything it wouldn't be so bad...

[jwfitt]

Doh! You're right, I have another book from back in the day called "The Animator's Workbook" I've been browsing on occasion :)

I read IoL before i started in on survival kit, and I"m glad I did because Williams makes a lot of historical references that were much more familiar to me after reading IoL.

[zeonstar]

I never got to talk to an advisor yesterday. I think she was off for the day or somehting.

Maybe I will go ahead and apply tonight. I wish I knew what that essay is going to ask. I'd hate to screw up on it!

EDIT: I started filling out part of the application. This might sound like a stupid question but do I put yes or no for having a GED? I have a High School Diploma, not a GED. But I don't wanna answer that wrong.

[powerwave3d]

I never got to talk to an advisor yesterday. I think she was off for the day or somehting.

Maybe I will go ahead and apply tonight. I wish I knew what that essay is going to ask. I'd hate to screw up on it!

EDIT: I started filling out part of the application. This might sound like a stupid question but do I put yes or no for having a GED? I have a High School Diploma, not a GED. But I don't wanna answer that wrong.

The essay isn't a right/wrong kind of essay. They just ask you a bunch of questions about yourself and you answer in short paragraphs.

[Jonmike]

Hello,my name is dembel sow from senegal,i will start in jan 2008 ;so where is my classmates!!?
too exited and a bit anxious!

but more exited!:

[AlexLopez]

Hey dembel!

I would be one of those lucky people. Taking the workshop now to just brush up on some skills but I will see you there!

Alex

[Jonmike]

i think i will get maya myself,and bought the richard williams dvd at the place of the workshop.

[zeonstar]

How much did the DVD run you? Did you get the whole series?

[Jonmike]

it will cost 950 for preorder.

[showcasefloyd]

Hey fellow classmates,

What DVD are referring to? What is the name of it and where can I find it?

Thanks in advance,

Phil

AM / Jan 09

[micgaz]

Hello from another Jan 09er,

Phil, it is a recording of a masterclass that Richard Williams gave, basically running through the book with all the examples and some more stuff too. I have it on advance order as well and am looking forward to getting them.

Here's a link:

http://www.theanimatorssurvivalkit.com/

I look forward to meeting you guys next year. :cool: In fact I can't wait.

mick

[zeonstar]

I've been accepted into the Spring Class, which starts in Late March. I'm so excited, I don't want to wait but then again I need the time to prepare my finances.

It didn't even take them a week to get back to me, which was nice. I'm going to do the Maya Springboard class first so I guess I really wont be starting the real AM classes till like June. However I am going to see if I can switch my start term to January and do the Maya class first.

But I just wanted to share the news. This I hope will be a live changing and improving experience for me. I know it will be hard, and I will have to grow up in some ways, especially time management...but I want this.

[joemammah]

What exactly does the maya workshop cover because I have general/basic knowledge of maya (setting and editing key frames, the QWER, some graph editing, hierarchy).....should I attend the maya workshop? Id rather not if it just covers the basics.....what do you guys think? DO you think I need to take it? WHat is covered? And how much is the workshop for winter 2009? AM sounds soooo great!!!

[jwfitt]

Hey congrats Zeon!!! :applause:

[powerwave3d]

What exactly does the maya workshop cover because I have general/basic knowledge of maya (setting and editing key frames, the QWER, some graph editing, hierarchy).....should I attend the maya workshop? Id rather not if it just covers the basics.....what do you guys think? DO you think I need to take it? WHat is covered? And how much is the workshop for winter 2009? AM sounds soooo great!!!

In my opinion you don't need to take the springboard class. I didn't take it and went in with little to no Maya knowledge. If you already know a 3d program then I wouldn't take it.

[zeonstar]

Thanks Jw. Still a long way to wait... I've not even thought about am in awhile. Just trying to finish my semester at AAU and enjoy free time while I have it.


I'm starting to hesitate on the Springboard class Idea now. I do know maya fairly well, BUT there is alot I don't know. The version I used most was 7.0, and I don't know how different 2008 is. I also don't know the Graph controls too well, or any of the animation tools aside from like keyframing which I consider pretty basic. I've just never used the deeper tools much.

I heard the springboard class also helps teach you about how AM's site works, how they do things etc.

Can we have a few more people chime in for or against the springboard class? Anyone who does know Maya but took it anyway feel it was worth it?

Thanks!

[MadMax]

I'm starting to hesitate on the Springboard class Idea now. I do know maya fairly well, BUT there is alot I don't know. The version I used most was 7.0, and I don't know how different 2008 is. I also don't know the Graph controls too well, or any of the animation tools aside from like keyframing which I consider pretty basic. I've just never used the deeper tools much.

I heard the springboard class also helps teach you about how AM's site works, how they do things etc.

Can we have a few more people chime in for or against the springboard class? Anyone who does know Maya but took it anyway feel it was worth it?

Thanks!


Well as far as the "Learning how AM's site works" is kind of a BS point. Sorry but any idiot can figure out how the site works with about 5 minutes worth of poking around in it, so don't put any weight into that as a selling feature.

There are plenty of people who went into AM with ZERO Maya experience at all. For some, that hasn't been a problem. Others have struggled badly.

I had some issues. I was pretty maya proficient, but I had never touched Animation or the Graph Editor. A decent advance class would have been welcome. Back then there was only a really poorly done Maya class offered, 10 sessions for 300.00 and frankly I felt like it was a complete waste of money.

Current Springboard srtudents are excited about the class, and I've met quite a few of them in the chatroom there, all with pretty positive things to say about it.

You just need to be honest with yourself, what you think your maya skill level is and how fast you can pick up what you don't know. I've seen people pick stuff up in ridiculously short time, and I've seen others take much longer, but they still get it.

Only you can really make that determination.


Good Luck!

[powerwave3d]

Well as far as the "Learning how AM's site works" is kind of a BS point. Sorry but any idiot can figure out how the site works with about 5 minutes worth of poking around in it, so don't put any weight into that as a selling feature.

There are plenty of people who went into AM with ZERO Maya experience at all. For some, that hasn't been a problem. Others have struggled badly.

I had some issues. I was pretty maya proficient, but I had never touched Animation or the Graph Editor. A decent advance class would have been welcome. Back then there was only a really poorly done Maya class offered, 10 sessions for 300.00 and frankly I felt like it was a complete waste of money.

Current Springboard srtudents are excited about the class, and I've met quite a few of them in the chatroom there, all with pretty positive things to say about it.

You just need to be honest with yourself, what you think your maya skill level is and how fast you can pick up what you don't know. I've seen people pick stuff up in ridiculously short time, and I've seen others take much longer, but they still get it.

Only you can really make that determination.


Good Luck!


That's excellent advice there. From my understanding the first 4-5 weeks of the class is all about the AM site... I'd be stabbing my eyes with forks if I had to sit through that.

You have like 10 more weeks before the next session starts. I say tackle Maya during that time. That's more than enough time to get familar with it enough to not be hitting road blocks.

[zeonstar]

If you're talking to me, I have alot more than 10 weeks till I start AM. More like 6 months!

I need to figure out the financial side more than anything.

[joemammah]

REPEATED POST ...please delete

[joemammah]

See the thing is I have no 3d animation program experience at all. I have been trying to teach myself maya and have done the bouncing ball. What exercises/practices/tools/menus do you suggest I try to get down for AM? What should I know about maya specifically for me to be successful in the program? And any tutorials (books, websites, etc) do you recommend for learning maya?

Thanks in advance

[MadMax]

See the thing is I have no 3d animation program experience at all. I have been trying to teach myself maya and have done the bouncing ball. What exercises/practices/tools/menus do you suggest I try to get down for AM? What should I know about maya specifically for me to be successful in the program? And any tutorials (books, websites, etc) do you recommend for learning maya?

Thanks in advance

www.keithlango.com

www.jasonryan.com

www.digitaltutors.com

www.thegnomonworkshop.com

In that order.

[Womball]

Do you have to take all of the classes in a row?

I'm still having a hard time deciding if I want to pursue a carear in animation, modelling, or special fx make up (Tom Savini's school is 4 hours away). I already have a BFA in animation, but I could use more specialized training in acting and animation technique.

[joemammah]

Thanks for the websites Madmax.

What exercises,practices,tools, or menus do you think I should try to get down for AM because Maya is really extensive.

[gwennie]

Hi,

I'm from Belgium so I'm on Central European Time - (GMT+1) wich is 9 hours ahead of AnimationMentor time. I'm very interested to join AnimationMentor but I'm trying to understand how this time difference thing would work out...

Could European Students from AM give me some feedback on how they manage to cope with this time difference issue?

I'm afraid that if i get stuck on an assignment during the day or have any question that nobody's awake to answer me! Is there an EU students community too that i coudl interact with?

and also, reading this post i can see only positive feedbacks from studenst wich is really great. Is there anything negative about that school that I should know?

Thanks in advance for you input.

Gwennie.

[Maestro99]

Regarding time zones, they try to assign mentors to students that are in the same zones or who match what times the student can do. eg if you say you can study between 12-5 then they will find a mentor who can do that, he maybe somewhere else in the world.

As for answering questions, there were sometimes times when you could ask questions directly of the mentor but there were also 25 other people trying to ask questions as well, so often it was hard to get an answer.
They have forums which you can post on, to which students normally reply to rather than mentors and of course you can email a mentor a question but theres no way to ask a direct question to a mentor whenever you feel l like it.

Personally I found the course wasnt for me. The lessons, tiny pre recorded videos were ok. The meetings with the mentor often proved a little frustrating, many people couldnt get questions answered, many would have technical issues such as being disconnected from the room. The mentor would talk often about something he was working on for most of the meeting and we would only have a short window at the end to ask questions about that weeks assignment.
The assignments themselves were good, they started off easy and slowly built up but they do assume you can draw ok and also know maya. Each week you hand in the assignment and the mentor grades the work and gives you a short small video telling you what was wrong with it. Most of the time this would make sense, but the grade and comments seemed to greatly depend on what mood he was in. If you got reviewed first the grades might be better, if you were towards the end after hes being doing it for an hour or so he might be a bit fed up and give a worse grade..

One week he messed up the video on mine and said he didnt have time to re-record, so I got not review that week

Overall Animation Mentor works well for some people and not for others, I personally missed being able to talk to the teacher and ask questions like you would in a normall class room. Being able to show him your work or your fellow students and chat about it seems to be missing in AM it just doesnt feel the same, although technically it should be possible, its not the same level of education that you would get in a classroom.

Being sat on your own alone trying to learn from a small video clip is not the same as being sat in a real class room with your fellow students and the teacher...

[chloedo]

I don't agree with part of the statement saying AM wasn't that great.
Personally, English, not being my first language I love the video format where i can play, go back, listen again. I think it's a great tool.
Also, the AM community is quite active at answering questions, checking out your work and commenting.
True that you do need to be self motivated and have enough drive within yourself to go out there and show your thing.

[nimajneb]

As an AM Alumn I can say this:

"What you need to know about AM?"

1. How to draw basic stick figures and thumbnails in poses. The first session (and really every session) is all about planning. Basic thumbs and testing out your ideas on the page is invaluable in being successful in the later work. This is not doing finished drawings or 2D character work. This is down and dirty gesture study. Fast sketching and idea capturing. It can be as crude as stick figures so long as it captures the pose you're looking for, but the AM rule is don't touch the computer until you have a good idea of what you want to do with it.

2. Maya. When I was there, there were four terms of foundations and advanced work, then two terms for your short film. The first four, I would say you need to know how to pose and key a rig in Maya. This means you need to be comfortable with using the channel editor, dopesheet, timeline, channel box, controlling your selections, etc. You don't need to know anything about modeling, rendering, shading, etc. AM will hand you the rigs so you can focus on learning animation. If you're a total Maya newbie, there's a separate Maya intensive workshop that they offer (not sure if it costs) to get you up to speed. It can be difficult to get both that and your lessons done, so be mindful. For your short film, it's really up to you. Some basic knowledge of materials and lighting will help you make your piece stand out. Knowing a bit about NLE (editing) is important. Knowing how to capture sound and clean it up. In short, film making is big. It's really out of the scope of the program I think. If I had a criticism of AM it would be that we weren't ready for the short. At least I wasn't. But in any event, the short is where you'll feel the technical pinch.

3. Time. You need it. Animation requires multiple passes of refinement. You can't really short cut that. I did very well in the first four terms and less well in the latter as time became more of a factor for me. Plan for 30 hours a week. If that sounds like a lot, it is. If you're working and or juggling a family it will be hard. I know this from experience. If you're not, then count yourself lucky and throw yourself into it.

4. Time Zones. We had several folks from all over the planet in our sessions. It put them on some very whacky schedules I'm sure. Our Q&A's generally were between 8PM and 12AM EST. They are scheduled around the needs of the mentors, who are all working in the industry. It's the price you have to pay to get access to em.

5. Financial. I paid for mine with Sallie Mae Career Loan services. It's essentially an unsecured private student loan program. Google it. There was talk of AM providing some financial services, but I don't know what has panned out there.

6. Assertiveness and Motivation. Our classes sizes weren't large, 15 or so folks to a mentor at the most when I was at AM. That said, it doesn't pay to be shy in Q&A. If you have a question, you need to do your best to get it out clearly. Also, if you can't get an answer that is satisfactory you need to contact your mentor via e-mail outside of Q&A. If you can't get help there, you need to contact the other members of your class. Take advantage of the community and ASK FOR HELP. I saw the mention of doing this all alone, but that's not how AM felt to me. You need to be active in your peers' profile pages offering critique and asking for it.

7. Is it better than "real" brick and mortar schools? Yes and no, it has advantages and disadvantages. One of the biggest is that you can work on it on your schedule. For a person with a day job this is key, and is why I adopted the program. Secondly, your mentors are top notch. Note, they are not always the best teachers. These folks are working animators, not professors. They can be unclear, impatient, distracted. They have lives and many demands on their time, but their insights are so much more valuable than complete access to someone who doesn't work in the industry. I found working with them, even the ones I struggled with, a very valuable experience.

I hope that helps.

[powerwave3d]

You get whatever you put into AM. If you sit there and just watch the lectures , do your assignment and don't talk to anyone, ask any questions then you are missing out on over 50% of what AM has to offer. The community is what makes the school so powerful. I see it every week, people don't post their work for feedback and they wonder why their stuff isn't as good as some of the others.

I've said this before in another AM thread. Some online schools aren't for everyone. It requires a lot of self motivation. However, to a lot of people myself included, online is the only option. From what I've seen, if character animation is what you want to do, AM is where you want to be.

[gwennie]

Thanks for your feedbacks!

[JavierLoredo]

Hello everyone,

Is anybody going for Class 3 this Winter Term? After a long break, finally getting back to AM. Whoohoo So excited!!!

For those thinking of joining AM:

I truly believe that AM is one of the best places to practice, learn and share anything that has to do with animation and more. So far in my opinion, Animation Mentor has one of the best Animation Communities you can find. It's just a great feeling to have people that are hungry to learn, to progress and want to fulfill their dreams to become character animators as much as you do.

You have to get into it 110% when you attend Animation Mentor and find a comfortable way to manage AM with your every day life.

Can't wait to start and meet new friends! :D

-Javi

[powerwave3d]

Is anybody going for Class 3 this Winter Term? ...

I'll be in C3 in January:)

[timeless3d]

i wasn't sure when this term starts. anyone in yet?

[fluffybunny]

i wasn't sure when this term starts. anyone in yet?
12pm (Noon) Pacific Time, Monday (Jan 5th)

[zzacmann]

Looking forward to getting back into this. I took off last semester for a much needed recharge. I'll be starting back in Class 5 tomorrow. At least, I'm pretty sure I'll be back. I haven't gotten any emails or anything from AM recently confirming this but I told them before I left at the end of August that I would be back for this term. Anyway, good luck folks. See ya around.

[timeless3d]

same here, zzacmann, i am supposed to be coming back this term for class 6 but no email or anything confirming. same thing last time i sat out a term.

[madhurchopra]

same here, zzacmann, i am supposed to be coming back this term for class 6 but no email or anything confirming. same thing last time i sat out a term.

If you've already paid for the term and received a confirmation email from them, I don't suppose you'll have any problems logging in dude! I will be attending classes for Term 3 this time and so far I've been able to successfully log in at the start of the term without any other emails apart from the payment confirmation!

Hope to see you guys there timeless3d and zzacman!! :) :beer:

[bardur]

Hi guys..
Im supposed to start Term 1 today.. just having finished "Maya springcourse"
but im getting a bit worried - because i havent gotten any mail about when to start..
so i have contacted AM about it..
Well i hope everything is fine :D looking forward to start - ohhh yeah :D

Regards

[JavierLoredo]

Hey whats up?

I can't wait to start already! heheh :D A couple more minutes!!!
Looking forward to meet new friends and old buddies.

See you guys on campus!!!

-Javi

[t°mmi]

Hi all!

I'm also starting term 1 today, and I haven't gotten confirming emails either, but to be honest I didn't expect any. It says the term starts at 12 pst, so I guess we'll all be able to log in by then.

I'm really looking forward to meeting you folks in there, and I'm curious who I'm in class with, haha. Anyways, just wanted to say hi...

Happy animating to everybody!

tommi

[GrimPixel]

Don't stress to much if you can't log in right at 12pm. It took some people a few hours after 12pm before they could log in last term. I know waiting for it to come up is a killer.

Good luck this term!
Grim

[Imagus]

The campus re-opened pretty much right on time. Congratulations to all starting the program this term, be it the Animation Mentor curriculum or the Maya Springboard Workshop. Best of luck, and have fun!

[EvilZurg]

Did anyone else have a "Cup of coffee" today? ;)

[timeless3d]

more of a hot tea kinda guy

[zeonstar]

Hey guys, havent posted in awhile.

I'm registered for the Maya Springboard class that starts at the end of the month and an email I got when I did it said today is the start of when you setup your account and go through orientation. But I have not gotten an email or any information on where I go to do this. Should I expect an email from them soon? How do I setup my account with a link of where to go...LOL.

Thanks for any help.

[EvilZurg]

Hey guys, havent posted in awhile.

I'm registered for the Maya Springboard class that starts at the end of the month and an email I got when I did it said today is the start of when you setup your account and go through orientation. But I have not gotten an email or any information on where I go to do this. Should I expect an email from them soon? How do I setup my account with a link of where to go...LOL.

Thanks for any help.

You will get an email with all the info some time today, they do each student individually.

[zeonstar]

Oh cool...I look forward to it then. I just noticed the email says the orientation thing STARTS today so maybe they get to everyone over the course of a few days.

[timeless3d]

welcome, zeonstar, good luck with AM :D

[Flyard]

Hello guys , does this really costs $17,925 ? to start?

[hiasakite]

Hello guys , does this really costs $17,925 ? to start?

You can pay per term instead of one lump sum. Not sure what the term costs are at the moment. You can download a PDF document on the site that should give you the prices.

[Flyard]

You can pay per term instead of one lump sum. Not sure what the term costs are at the moment. You can download a PDF document on the site that should give you the prices.

thanks , if anyone else knows exactly how much the first class costs or how it works please reply...

[hiasakite]

thanks , if anyone else knows exactly how much the first class costs or how it works please reply...

http://animationmentor.com/assets/pdfs/AMcatalog.pdf

Pages 23 and 24.

[zzacmann]

Anyone else still not able to login? I've had to wait an hour or two before, but now its seven hours past when we were supposed to have access and I still can't get in.

EDIT: Oh wait, are we starting on Mondays now or something?

[DigitalToon2]

Typically terms usually start on Mondays. Once and a while current students may or may not be able to login early. It's usually hit or miss. Don't panic though, AM is probably doing routine maintenance and upgrades this weekend, especially since there wasn't a week long break between these terms. Even the alumni site is down temporarily right now.

No worries!! :)

[Jye]

Hey guys I just got accepted :) and are wondering if anyone else on here will be starting AM in June. it would be really cool to get to know some people before school starts.

[DigitalToon2]

Hey guys I just got accepted :) and are wondering if anyone else on here will be starting AM in June. it would be really cool to get to know some people before school starts.

Congrats...your going to love it!

[zeonstar]

I am also starting in June. I was approved awhile back but was still figuring out the financial aid, but all that worked out so June here I come. As I probably mentioned before, I am swithching from The Academy of Art to AM so I hope this all works out for me. It's sort of a risk and I still need to figure out how to keep my AAU loans at bay since I definately can't pay them back yet. Since AM doesn't count towards deferrment. =( Aw well I am still excited to start. I'm in Maya Springboard right now, but we aren't doing much yet. =)

[Flyard]

guys, someone who has recently paid and knows how it goes , how much it costs for first class ?

[EvilZurg]

guys, someone who has recently paid and knows how it goes , how much it costs for first class ?

The schedule is right on the tuition page.

http://www.animationmentor.com/school/tuition.html

[LFT]

Hey guys I also have been accepted to AM for Fall and I am currently deciding on weather or not to take the Maya Springboard class. I have not been able to find pricing information for the class and if anyone knows the price please let me know!

[LFT]

Hey I was wondering if anyone knew the cost of the maya springboard class? I can't find it anywhere and am very interested!

[phantomworkshop]

When I was going to AM, it was like $700 I think...

It used to be on the Maya Springboard Website but I guess you need to apply now to see the cost.

[timeless3d]

It's sort of a risk and I still need to figure out how to keep my AAU loans at bay since I definately can't pay them back yet. Since AM doesn't count towards deferrment. =(

i have so been there. i just finished AM and had the same issue. i ended up taking the 2 easiest classes i could find at my university. 2 classes was all i needed to keep half-time enrollment and defer my loan (but i was adding to it at the same time, so it is a slippery slope)

you might want to look for a cheaper school then AAU if you decide to do that.

also, i found i could not enroll for a term and there was like a 6 month deferment until you had to start paying back. i just made sure i enrolled again before then.

it was difficult juggling AM with another school and working full-time, but i didn't have much choice :/

[Jye]

Good to hear there are some other members starting :) hope to see ya there

LFT the Maya Spring Board comes in at $495usd and is a 12 week program tho i choose not to do it Trying to keep my tuition costs to a minimum and i already have some basic knowledge of Maya.But if your just a beginner iam sure it would be advantageous to do.

Cheers,
Jye

[Imhotep397]

I am also starting in June. I was approved awhile back but was still figuring out the financial aid, but all that worked out so June here I come. As I probably mentioned before, I am swithching from The Academy of Art to AM so I hope this all works out for me. It's sort of a risk and I still need to figure out how to keep my AAU loans at bay since I definately can't pay them back yet. Since AM doesn't count towards deferrment. =( Aw well I am still excited to start. I'm in Maya Springboard right now, but we aren't doing much yet. =)

I don't know that I would drop out of AAU all together...there is something to be said about having a full degree versus a professional certification and if you decide you want to explore some other area more deeply you would be able to do that at AAU. The other guy, a little further up seemed to have the right idea, I think, he stayed half-time taking courses to open up some time to pursue AM (and probably had access to some left over University loan resources that he could apply to AM.) The other issue is if you used financial aid loans to pay for AAU or part of it, you'll probably be obligated to start paying those back either in the middle of your course work or while you're trying to find a job on top of the money that will come due for the AM courses.

[timeless3d]

other guy here. yea, i was able to use my residual to help pay for AM. it didn't cover all of it, but it kept me from having to take out another loan for AM.

[primal101]

Hi,

I got a question to as people that got accepted. How many times did you guys apply before getting accepted? Or did guys get accepted on your first application? Just wondering.. Dont get me wrong, i will keep applying, updating my answers and improving my test score. Just curious how long it took for you guys to get into the program.. thanks

[phantomworkshop]

First shot here, but hang in there! :)

[Jye]

yeah first try here as well :). keep trying mate iam sure ull get accepted

[chloedo]

Congratulations for the newly accepted folks :D
I did a small blog about my small AM experience (I am currently in class 2).
It's a great program, needs a lot of dedication if you want to do great assignments.

blog.chloedo.com if you are interested.

Also, to answer one of the questions, I got accepted on my first try (and.. the day of my birthday :D)

[phantomworkshop]

I just sent in my petition to re-enroll! :)

[Jye]

Petition to re-enrol what exactly is that ?

[phantomworkshop]

Petition to re-enrol what exactly is that ?

When you take a leave of absence/withdraw, you have to Petition to get back in. :)

[timeless3d]

weird, how long was your leave? i set out a few times, but just one term at a time. i never had to do that.

[phantomworkshop]

weird, how long was your leave? i set out a few times, but just one term at a time. i never had to do that.

I only left since December so far, and it's cause I withdrew, not took a Leave of Absence.

[phantomworkshop]

Hey,

I have a question to ask all you current AM students as well as Alumni that might be peeking around the CGTalk Forums...

Do you feel it's necessary to have some foundation in 3D, and 3D Animation before entering the program? Another words, a degree or at least coursework from another college beforehand, or would you say that it's not necessary and one could do just fine without it? Also, do you feel the Springboard is enough if you're someone who has no prior 3D Animation experience? This is very important to me and I appreciate any/all feedback. Thank you.

[redsith]

Hey,

I have a question to ask all you current AM students as well as Alumni that might be peeking around the CGTalk Forums...

Do you feel it's necessary to have some foundation in 3D, and 3D Animation before entering the program? Another words, a degree or at least coursework from another college beforehand, or would you say that it's not necessary and one could do just fine without it? Also, do you feel the Springboard is enough if you're someone who has no prior 3D Animation experience? This is very important to me and I appreciate any/all feedback. Thank you.

No, you just need to know how to use the curve editor and some other small things, nothing difficult. They have a program for those who haven't ever used maya before, but you have to pay for it separately. Otherwise you can buy a "learning maya" book and do some tutorial.

[phantomworkshop]

No, you just need to know how to use the curve editor and some other small things, nothing difficult. They have a program for those who haven't ever used maya before, but you have to pay for it separately. Otherwise you can buy a "learning maya" book and do some tutorial.


You're an AM grad?

[redsith]

Yes I'm an alumnus.

[phantomworkshop]

Yes I'm an alumnus.


:) Awesome. I appreciate your feedback, I sent you a PM if you want to take a look, I'd appreciate it. Thanks.

[ccavute]

hey guys, this is great, I am planning to go for it.

btw, did you guys pay the fee separately (class by class) or pay off at once?
or with loan? I dont know how the finical loan works for international students. (I am currently living in Australia)

I am thinking going for the fall 09 term tho.

another question is that since I live in Australia, how the timezone stuff works for me? if I got accepted, what's the normal live Q&A session time for me? if its at night in US, it would be early in the morning here or very late at night.

Thanks guys.

[paulmcg1]

I'm currently in class 2 and Animation Mentor is the best! I'm paying per term my tuition. As far as student loans are concerned...I think they're only available in US and UK. I might be wrong though, so make sure to call Animation Mentor about that. Then, as far as your Q&A would go, they take into account where you live. If they assign you a Q&A time that you can't really do, your able to request a different time. Later! Hope to see you on the otherside ;)

[ccavute]

Thank you Paul for your reply :D

another concern for me is that I am also planning doing Honours Degree next year, just wondering if that would be too busy for me :P

How many hours you guys put into this every week?



ps: it may sounds dull, but study is the easiest way to keep my VISA overseas. until I can really find a good job. So I have to get the most of it(from learning). learn as much as I can.

[Fixed]

Can you have one term on, one off? I'd like to do AM but want to spread the costs/classes over a longer period of time.

[phantomworkshop]

Can you have one term on, one off? I'd like to do AM but want to spread the costs/classes over a longer period of time.

The policy is that you can have a total of 2 leaves of absence throughout and they can be no longer then 2 terms length between each term.

[LFT]

Oh man so excited just figured out I will be able to transfer my A.A. into the local state college and then do and independent study program with AM through a professor at the college and complete my B.A. with the majority of the rest of my credits coming through AM. Should be awesome! Starting the Maya springboard in June...

[Polish63]

I applied 11 days ago and my refresh button is on fire!! How long is the average wait for acceptance?! Took the Wonderlic the next day after applying and thought that was a good sign, but 11 days?! pant pant pant

[LFT]

I would say no harm in giving them a call, I waited about a week before hearing at least you might get a better idea of when they were going to let you know...

[Jye]

Took about 4 days for me. but be patient they probably would be getting a lot of last minute applications to process at the moment.

[Mirzon]

After days of trying to read this thread and getting all excited. I was wondering if AM had any statistics on Job Placement after graduation?....Or maybe a list of where some of the graduates have been hired. I would assume with such a involved group of professionals the networking capabilities would be amazing.

[Jye]

Mirzon this is from there website http://www.animationmentor.com/school/overview.html (http://www.animationmentor.com/school/overview.html) Bottom of that page lets hope these figures are accurate :)


Get results

When our graduates leave our program, they are ready to go to work. They have built a solid network of connections with their mentors and fellow students. In addition, our job fairs and lectures from recruiters and hiring agencies have prepared them for how to market themselves. Lastly, our career placement program actively works with recruiters and hiring agencies to place our students at production companies, studios and game companies. Our placement rate is 78% worldwide which is one of the highest of all schools. Some of the places our graduates work include:

Industrial Light & Magic
DreamWorks Animation SKG
Walt Disney Animation Studios
Laika Entertainment
LucasArts
Sony Pictures Imageworks
Blue Sky Studios
Tippett Studios
Disney Interactive
Electronic Arts
Ubisoft Entertainment
And more...

[LFT]

Not that those numbers are not accurate or anything but I would be interested to hear from people who have finished the program what the employment search assistance is like and if people feel like they get enough help after the program is over...

[Mirzon]

Thank you JYE :)

[rist2]

The price made me choke on my tongue.

[Polish63]

I got in! :D I start the Springboard workshop in June. It's finally happening... I'm pumped.

[Jye]

Congrats Polish63 See you there in june :)