3D animation

#1

Hello, let me introduce a bit about myself. I’m currently 17 years old and applying for colleges (preferably in california)
I’ve always had a great interest in 2D animation and spent much of my time animating stickfigures with Flash in my spare time. Currently I’m studying traditional art on my own with some books by Loomis and vilppu. But I have 0 experience with 3D animation itself.
Here’s a little animation that i made for fun https://dl.dropbox.com/u/34642113/goreo2.swf

So anyway, what I want to do is get into 3D animation to work in the game industry or an animation studio.

I did some research the other day and found out that there are a lot of categories that include 3D animation. ( Like 3D modeling & animation, 3D animation & visual effects, Game Design and digital character animation ) My question is, which of them is most related to 3D animation that is required in the industry?
I feel like I’m a bit lost. And I don’t have a proper portfolio at the moment so do I just apply next year?
Can a state university actually provide a decent education in this field? CSU Fullerton seem to have a BFA entertainment art / animation, but im not sure if that is related to what they do in game industries.

I’ve also heard that Gnomon and VFS are the best schools for 3D animation, but money is somewhat of a great issue for me. Are they worth the investment or is it better to go to a cheaper art school at teach 3D animation? Will I be able to take some basic 3D modeling/animation classes and transfer to these schools for credit?
Any recommendation for schools would be nice as well.

Sorry for the bombarding of questions and thank you for viewing this post.

#2

Im part of the Artzolio team, and I also work for Dreamworks Animation. I never had any formal 3D formation. Just google. If i was going to do it again, I would get myself a digitaltutors.com membership. Your best bet is to study on your own, and try several things. Then, if you got the money, apply to Gnomon or other already recognized school. Dont jump into a school right away. Use them to perfect your skills, but not to build them. Youll be then the star of the group and you will most likely have a job offer by the end of the course.

#3

Most animations schools admit students based on a portfolio of life drawings. However your flash animations alone could probably get you into college programs specifically for animation.

imo, I don’t think going to expensive schools like Gnomon or VFS are worth all the money they cost or debt that you may take on. The only upside to those schools are the networking possibilities that could get you an entry-level position. Either way, your animation reel will be the single most important qualification that employers will look at.

Being an employable animator requires knowledge of software as well as artistic ability in animation. Use Digital Tutors or Gnomon video tutorials to learn the software (Maya and 3Dsmax are probably the most popular 3D software for film and games). After you learn the fundamentals of those programs, you should take online classes with either AnimationMentor or IAnimate. They’ll put you in touch with Dreamworks and Pixar animators who can teach you the theoretical side of animation: like physics, body mechanics, and acting.

11secondclub.com is a very popular website/forum/community for 3d animators of all levels. If I were in you, I would sign up and start looking at other people’s work and reading the boards.

#4

You can learn a lot on your own, but remember that part of the benefits you receive from attending an educational institution of some sort is their contacts with industry. Also another thing that an educational experience can bring you is the opportunity to prove you can work well on a team or that at least you get along well with others. Your networking is a valuable asset to you in your search for employment.

#5

Although I liked your animation reel, most good animation schools/programs want drawings from observation. You probably won’t get in anywhere good UNLESS you have some of this.

#6

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