More learnin' please.

[KrzysztofFus]

If you already know a 3d program and know EXACTLY what you want to do. I Suggest Gnomon.

[phantomworkshop]

If you already know a 3d program and know EXACTLY what you want to do. I Suggest Gnomon.

I agree.

Now it also depends on WHAT you want to do exactly, from what it sounds like Lindsay, you've already gotten your feet wet in a lot of different aspects of Digital Art & Design or CG as we call it around here...

The question is, what specifically do you want to do in this entertainment industry?

A school for modeling may not be as good for animating, etc..

You had mentioned game design which is a great choice, but perhaps there's a part of that game design pipeline that specifically interests you? If not, and you just want to do General game design.. you may want to look at schools with specific Game Design programs if you feel you've had enough of the "well-rounded" art education.

So let us know and we'll help you out! :)

[Lindsay4410]

What I'm thinking about is character design.
There's a MFA at the academy in game design that I was thinking about.
There are a bazillion game companies out there and I think it would be the best move in an attempt to open up job opportunities to myself.
I'm not very good at what I want to do, which is why I definitely need to learn more. I'm already looking into FAFSA so hopefully I can get the money to go to school.
I'm willing to go anywhere in the country, really, but I think California might be the best option, considering the all the firms out there.
My first gut instinct was "go to school". But reading through here I'm hearing lots of "don't bother with school". So ....now what? Can't wait tables forever waiting for my life to start, you know?

With love, Lindsay

[taxguy]

Hi Lindsay, my middle son graduated from Towson a few years ago, so I am familiar with the school.

My daughter also wanted digital design;however, we didn't think that Towson had a good art program at the time and weren't NASAD accredited. They were a department in transition at the time and didn't even have that major when she applied to colleges four years ago.. Thus, she want to University of Cincinnati. I am , thus, familiar with what the major encompasses.

I also would recommend Gnomon School of Visual Effects for you. You really don't need another degree, so going to a trade school shouldn't be a problem. As an alternative, Animation mentor has a reputably very strong program in character animation. However, it won't teach the other aspects of the animation pipeline as would a school such as Gnomon.Another two year trade school that you might want to check out ( which I know little about) is Flash Point Academy in Chicago.

I would NOT recommend full Sail. Just do a web search for comments about them. The majority of folks really didn't like them. Moreover, it just seems a bit too intensive to be able to get what you need out of them.

Other alternatives would be SVA in NY, Pratt Institute in NY, Sheridan College in Canada and even Ringling for another undergraduate. I do know that Ringling will waive all gen eds for folks with a prior bachelors,but it still will take at least three years to graduate from there.

I also heard that California College of the Arts has a very good undergrad program in that area.

I do have one question: how are your fundamental fine art skills? Do you feel that you need more honing or do you feel that you got a lot of good training in anatomy facial gestures and figure and head and hand drawing? If you feel that you need more work, a school such as AAU or SCAD or SVA or Pratt might be the better choice.

[Lindsay4410]

I feel that I have an adequate basis in drawing (if that's what you mean). Granted I'm not the greatest sketcher ever, but I think I have enough in that dept.
To be honest, I'd never heard of Gnomon as an actual school. When I first started reading about "Gnomon" on this site, I kept finding the tutorials website, and it wasn't until a day or so ago that I have found that it's an actual school!
This is looking much more like where I should be, and on the plus side, my brother lives in Los Angeles. Would cut down on housing costs, wouldn't you say?
Pricing is actually, surprisingly, about the same as AAU. And they take FAFSA, which is really great. I *need* to get financial aid, otherwise I could never do this.
I want this so much, doing CG work is what I want to do more than anything. I love CG more than I love breathing.
I've definitely tossed Full Sail out the window because I don't think it's quite what I'm looking for.
If anyone else has any thoughts or comments, I'd love to hear them. It's great that people actually respond in these forums.

with love, Lindsay

[Fess1001]

Art Center is supposed to be a really good school for concept art (if that's what you meant by character design). A lot of great concept artists and illustrators came out of that school. I'd love to study there myself actually, if I could afford another degree.

[taxguy]

By the Way, Lindsay, my daughter felt the same way as you after majoring in Digital Design. At Cincinnati, it is more a concentration of web design with some 3d modeling and motion. She REALLY liked the modeling and motion part of the curriculum, which put her in the same boat as you. She was lucky in that they have over a year of integrated , paid coops as part of their program, which allowed her a variety of work in several types of firms.

Other schools that you might want to check out would be California College of Art ( this is different from Calarts). They supposedly have a strong undergrad program in animation. Also check out Flashpoint Academy in Chicago, although I know little about them.

If you are willing to go to Canada, Sheridan College supposedly has a great reputation in animation. They have several one-year programs that if you take all of them should provide you with strong training. Supposedly, Seneca College in Canada has a good program too, but I know little about them.

As you can see, you have a lot of good choices. There are two types of places that I would stay away from if I were you:

1. Stay away from any program that is a one-year deal. It is too short and intensive to really get the training that you need.

2. I would not recommend a masters degree right now. Masters programs that I have seen really don't provide the same quality training in animation as that of an undergrad program or good trade school. I guess with enough hard work, any program can do, even self-study. However, I wasn't impressed with any of the masters programs here in the US. Maybe after you finish a program like Gnomon, a masters program might be fine but not in lieu of that. As you can see, I have done a lot of research in this area.

I should note that the only exception to this would be NYU's masters program in their school of Continuing and Professional Education. I actually met the head of the program, and it sounded like a good , grounded program for a masters degree. Its main problem is that, even though it is a masters program, it isn't a terminal degree; thus, you can't really teach with it as you would be able to do with a MFA. However, it did look like a very good , skills oriented program and worth checking out. Its second program is that it is expensive. Between tuition , room and board ( in NY), you will easily spend over $100,000 for the two years there. Gnomon, Flashpoint etc. would be a lot less expensive.However, if you want to work in NY and maybe work for a network, they have some very good connections.

I should also note that while in NY, you can take fine arts courses at the NY Academy of Fine Arts, which is recommended by NYU in case you need better skills in drawing of facial gestures.

Sadly, Maryland has no strong program in animation, which is a shame.

Finally, your major, if it were a good program, should have given you strong skills in Flash, Illustrator and Photoshop. You will find these skills very useful and put you ahead of the curve over those that don't know these applications well.

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