is Academy of Arts a good school to go to

#1661

*******Yes

#1662

I applied a couple of months ago for the animation and visual effects undergraduate program…and i got accepted :smiley: w00t, and i just wanted to know, how are the dorms, and how are the people there, students and teachers.

#1663

WHAT WAS the acceptance into the school like was it difficult for you like what did they want was it troubling to get excepted?

As for the Dorms look at the early part of this blog but their location is superb if you ask me.

#1664

Well acceptance wasn’t hard i think its just based on space, the only thing required is a high school diploma (i got the IB diploma), toefl scores (no minimum required) and some other legal forms saying you can pay basically.

#1665

Well I hope to be there FALL09 working on my MFA I just Need to Get things finished up here but please keep me posted on your experience…Good luck!:buttrock:

#1666

np, ill try my best to remember seeing as its like 4 months from now, but hope fully , we both wont be disappointed :smiley:

#1667

This is great that you want to go to learn the art. Good luck!

#1668

Aight! Don’t let me down with the wonderful ability of the Internet, networking is the best thing about art. I just might go visit their open house in OCT. laterz man thanks for the reply! :bounce:

#1669

why did you choose AAU to go to over any other possibilities?

#1670

Well i basically did a google search for top animation schools, filtered it down by accreditation, this (AAU) was one of the best because firstly it does not require a portfolio to be submitted, secondly because its in San Francisco where all the big animation companies are and thirdly because unlike some schools where they teach you animation and give you a certificate, the courses at AAU result in an actual Diploma.

#1671

There aren’t many AA people at Dreamworks. Along the lines of what Jeremy Birn said, a lot of professionals come from the larger schools such as Texas A&M, Ohio State, Purdue University, USC, UCLA, NYU, MIT, Savannah College of Art and Design, etc. The way the industry is today, you need to have a strong technical background if you want to do something besides concept art. Having coding experience is a HUGE plus; C++, Python, and PERL are the big three to know along with how to tinker in Linux.

Also keep in mind that next to nobody goes straight into the big studios right out of school. Most people take very indirect routes. When looking into a school, try to have an idea of what you want to do within the CG pipeline. Again, anything higher than visual development (concept art) will require some technical as well as artistic knowledge.

That’s not to hate on AA though, I hear the campus you’re referring to is quite good. They definitely vary from location-to-location. Always be sure to do your research before choosing a school.

#1672

Say that I want to be an animator. Would I still need technical skills in programming and Linux (I already have some self-taught skill) to become an animator, or could I get by without having formal training? I am really considering AAU, but UC Berkeley is big on my mind as well. I really only want to do 3d animation, although the other parts of CG interest me, I feel that I would prefer animation.

#1673

Dont confuse AAU (Academy of Art University) with AI (Art Institues).

Theres only one AAU, and it’s a very good school for Animation & VFX.
Many of the key instructors at AAU work at places like ILM, Pixar, and Dreamworks.

Jeremy is one of em. :slight_smile:

#1674

Hey there.

Since it wasn’t mentioned in the latest posts, i wanted to mention it. Unfortunately, Pixar classes for animation students have been canceled as of now. This semester, they only have Pixar 2 (they used to have P1,2,3) and they won’t be having them anymore. This is the current situation, though, things might still change. Either some sort of an understanding between Pixar and AAU might happen or other studios might be teaching in the future.

AAU is a good school overall, at least that’s my opinion from what I’ve been seeing the last 2 years but, for animators, Pixar classes were the real deal. Without them, it’s quite pointless to actually come and study “animation” here because there’s nothing extra that you’ll be getting here from any other animation school.

Hope this situation changes and the Pixar classes go on somehow because they are gold!

#1675

NEWS FLASH~ Pixar classes are ending.

#1676

Uhhh, shit.

Why? The guys over at Spline Doctors haven’t said anything, and they teach a lot of the classes.
This is what I was worried about, I didn’t think these classes would last long enough for me to become old enough to take them, but I didn’t think that that they would go so soon.

Is the AAU still worth going to if one wants to become a 3d animator?

#1677

OK, I’m confused. I’m an online MFA student focusing on Games and this is the first time I have ever heard of Pixar classes. Am I missing something? Who are these classes offered to?

#1678

When you say you “feel” you’d be a good animator, ask yourself first if you’ve always been someone who draws really well, impressing people with how well you draw and capture what you see, and are especially good at pictures of people and animals in motion? An animator doesn’t need many technical skills, certainly not at big studios. But there are lots and lots of people looking for work as an animator, and only the best artists actually get the good jobs.

If you have what it takes to get into UC Berkeley and could do a CS degree with a focus on graphics, that’d probably take your career further. I know people who went to UC Berkeley and work at studios like Pixar, mostly doing other things like lighting, not character animation, but UC Berkeley is a very different type of place, it’s not as much of a trade school focused on job-specific training in how to run program x or program y, and it has an art department but no developed charcter animation program I’m aware of.

-jeremy

#1679

I don’t think anyone should enroll in a school hoping that a particular part-time instructor or group of instructors will still be teaching there in future years. As you’ve noticed, a lot of people are moving away from AAU as a teaching venue into other things. I think many people enjoy teaching, but in the long term feel more of a sense of obligation and loyalty towards the students they are working with than to any specific company that provides the space and facilities.

-jeremy

#1680

Hmmm i been thinking of going to AAU for the past 2 years and wanna apply now but now I am quite unsure… if I wanna do modelling/vfx/lighting in the future and not much of animation, where should I go instead? aau’s like the only sch that doesnt need a portfolio.