CG Graduate Studies in Orlando?

#1

I’ve completed a Bachelor’s degree in Interactive Multimedia Design and have been doing freelance work for a few years now, but I’m growing tired of it and want a change. I’ve been pondering going back to school for a graduate-level program. Recently, I’ve had relatives offer to house me for free near Orlando (30 minute drive) if I chose to go to school in the area.

I’m wondering if anyone has any recommendations for 1-year graduate level programs in the area. I’m interested in anything related to CG (VFX, Games, Animation, etc…). After a quick search on my own, I saw Full Sail is offering a Master’s program in Game Design that teaches all about being, more or less, a producer. This is of pretty high interest to me since my long term career goals fit well with that kind of work… so I’m not necessarily limiting myself to purely artistic pursuits.

Just wondering if anyone has any educational experiences in this area? Mostly just a rough idea at the moment, but figured I’d ask around.

#2

hey grant,

i too was considering going back to school and was looking around… have you found anything?

i was looking at fullsail… seems like a trade school like setup, which may work well for me.

#3

The reviews for the school seem to be very mixed. From what I can gather, it seem ideally suited for someone who prefers a very quick education and will be able to do a lot of self-study. I haven’t found anything to do with previous graduates specifically from the master’s program though.

#4

Hi Grant,

I graduated Full Sail’s Animation program in 08 and for me it was a great experience. I learned so much and enjoyed my time there. That being said not everyone has the same grand memories of the school. Due to the pressure of the acceleration program and stress of dealing with the red tape you would with any other school, many become frustrated and bitter. So Full Sail isn’t for everybody. But if you can handle classes that are normally 6 to 12 months being crammed into one month, then you should go for it.

On a related note, I had enrolled in the Game Design masters a few years back but had to pull out do to finances after the first month. From what I could tell it was going to be a very busy year. Everything you would be doing there will be combined into your final thesis that will be evaluated for your graduation. Again another thing to contemplate before making the plunge.

I wish you luck and will be able to answer any questions about Full Sail you might have.
You can email me at JHagan@xupsetup.com and visit my site at XupSetup.com.

One last note, I am attempting to get a local networking group together in the area for animation artists to get together and share knowledge and experiences. If your interested in becoming a part of that as well send an email over to OrlandoCGArtists@gmail.com and I will keep you informed on progress made with that.

#5

Grantmoore3d, I asked a friend who teaches drawing in an art department. Here is what she told me about accelerated art programs:

In her opinion, and this is the opinion of one person, she really doesn’t like the accelerated art programs. I asked her why? Her answer was that although software can be trained in an accelerated program, strong drawing and creativity skills take a lot of time to train.

In an accelerated program , students must work almost non stop to get out of the program what a non accelerated program would inculcate in their students,. who in many cases also work very hard, especially in the more well-known schools. This would result in MANY more sleepless nights for the accelerated students that has to result in a degradation of their work product not to mention taking a toll on their health.

Can accelerated programs work? In her opinion, maybe! However, for the vast majority of art students, ( which she believes applies to over 90% of the students)it isn’t the right program for them due to the reasons given above.Thus, why go to a school and pay almost what a 4 year program would charge to have a 90% chance of failure and/or frustration?

Moreover, developing strong critical reading and writing skills is the function of most liberal arts offerings. She doesn’t believe that intensive courses in the liberal arts will develop these critical skills either. According to her, artists may think that they don’t need good writing and reading skills. However, this would be a big mistake to believe this. If they want to make it into management, having good reading and writing skills will be very usefull and, in her opinion, very necessary in the long run.

She believes this very strongly too.

#6

I appreciate the replies, but I’m specifically asking about 1-year graduate-level studies, particularly the Master’s Game Design course they are offering. It’s not a course which focuses on creating art, but rather managing a team of artists to produce a product. JHagan touched on it a bit, though I was hoping to hear more about what it’s like.

edit: Though the advice so far has been great in regards to their other programs. I would agree that an accelerated art program has a high potential for failure, but could appeal to a select few individuals.

#7

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