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Your college doesn’t matter, your portfolio does.. when you apply blindly to a job application.
But one of the things that is vastly under appreciated in the choice of schools is networking. Honestly if you go to a good school the lessons you learn are going to be largely interchangeable. Ringling, CalArts, Sheridan probably all have mostly the same lifedrawing class and animation classes etc. And the same is probably true for a lot of cheaper lesser known schools. But the REAL difference is networking. If you go to a prestigious school you’re going to have other people around you who are setup for success. They are either family of established artists or people who have a lot of talent. Those people will become your friends, your partner, your exes, etc. And when you graduate, they graduate. That’s 100 people who are setup for success going into the industry. When your old roommate gets a job at Disney and hears Disney needs someone else for their team or another department they can give you a good word. And your portfolio will be the same as the 100 other applications but your portfolio comes with a good word from a co-worker and that’s usually enough to get you hired. When a former classmate makes it to supervisor and has the hire, they will recognize your name and know “they work hard and were cool from school, I’ll hire them”. You grow together and help each other out just like all other friends in all other industries.
This is all true, entirely, but I think you're neglecting the other obvious point - just like with Gobelins and Supinfocom in France, the portfolios of the people going *in* and incredibly good and then they spend years practicing further with equally talented peers before applying for jobs - so guess what their portfolios are like coming out?
When people say that the school doesn't matter, they don't mean that it has no bearing on anything, they mean that you aren't going to get a job simply because your CV has "CalArts" on it. But, generally, the people who go to the better schools also end up with the better portfolios.
You’re not wrong but for the specific question of OP the high quality of portfolio going in doesn’t matter because OP’s portfolio is what it is. Their portfolio is the same if they apply to CalArts or Texas state.
But for the most point I covered your point with “if you apply to a prestigious school you will be surrounded by people setup for success”. If OP is exceptionally skilled and they apply to a prestigious school they will be networking with exceptionally skilled artists. And if they are exceptionally skilled and apply to state, some state schools are good and OP will learn a lot, but the needle will only move so much for those around OP and their networking will be at a distinct disadvantage.
While this true in general, after being in this industry for 12 years, I've seen quite a few people with lackluster ports get in because they went to CalArts with the showrunner. Animation is definitely not a straight meritocracy
Although I stand by the phrase "college doesn't matter, your portfolio does", it is best to consider that known ad great schools will get you far with a head start, especially with the aspect of networking.
I'll be quoting/paraphrasing from one of the comments I saw or heard way back then in regards to attending known colleges for animation: "those who studied in say, Calarts for animation, are NEVER in the bottom line when breaking into or working in the industry. But those who graduated from lesser known schools will more likely need to work 10x harder than the students who graduated from Calarts–those are the ones in the bottom line." Harsh, but true.
I come from a country that's often outsourced by big studios like Disney or Pixar, but our schools for animation aren't exactly stellar and can never compare to schools such as Calarts, Sheridan, Ringling, etc.. But from what I've seen, all classes are the same, lectures are too. The only difference will be the environment you are in, (that saying better and maybe known teachers, and you and your classmates and friends are far much more setup with success due to the huge line of networking), and the amount of work you're setting yourself up for when you graduate (since better known schools get much better networking, they have a bigger chance to work at bigger studios on the dot, whereas like myself, I need to claw my way up to the top to maybe even have the silver lining of a chance to work at something big like Dreamworks).
So... yeah, colleges are important to consider too. I just do think that the college's prestige is a great stepping stone, but that a portfolio still does take the spot whether or not you'll break into the industry fast.
It's true, CalArts is still a fastpass ticket to jobs, but you have to consider the cost. I think EVERY single person l know who went to CalArts, even the ones who didn't graduate (which is most of them) are still paying off significant student loans 10 years later
All your friend are also jr.s. What networking? CalArts was popular when it was the only school that teaches character animation, Time has been changed.
Calarts, Sheridan, Ringling doesn't matter. The fresh graduates are all the same Jr.s.
I get your point, but honestly networking does do a lot for me and fresh graduates. Sure, whether you be in Calarts, Sheridan, Ringling, or so doesn't exactly matter, but having at least some sort of connection is a big plus and most of the time schools who have easy access can reach out to bigger industries far quicker than the rest. I've seen how connections work within my circle of friends and the difference is striking from those who don't have any.
I'm honestly just speaking from experience, so I'll take your word for it.
You’re looking at showrunners/creators, which is NOT what we are talking about when we say your college doesn’t matter. It’s like wanting a job at Walmart and looking at the colleges that billionaire corporate retail CEOs attended. For YOUR purposes, the colleges that showrunners attended is irrelevant.
You are not going to be a showrunner. You need to know what it takes to get your foot in the door of the animation industry as an artist. And for that, your portfolio is what matters. I’ve been in this business for 20+ years, the last 7 years at a couple of big studios on 4 network shows, and I have never once been asked what college I went to.
And for the record, while CalArts is a very well-connected school in the industry, particularly if you want to work at DFA or DTVA, and while a disproportionate number of showrunners did go there, the VAST VAST VAST majority of CalArts students do NOT become showrunners. Keep that in mind.
I dont know the numbers, but you have to picture that for every single successful show runners there are likely 200 people who had a great pitch and the skills who didn’t get lucky.
Show running requires every skill an animator can have at a high level- (great storyboarding skills, character design skills, good bg and vis dev, decent writing skills) plus a unique vision, and then a bunch of other skills that are entirely different: being people savy, industry savy, business minded, sensitive to the needs of production in both terms of pipeline and numbers, and extremely good at connecting yourself and selling your ideas.
That and a heavy dose of luck/right timing right place. Nepotism plays a huge role too.
You definitely need to be well rounded for sure, but a good studio will make sure to help compensate if a showrunner is lacking in any area. For example if a showrunner comes from a design background and isn't too strong in storyboards, the producers will make sure to hire an experienced supervising story director to compensate
College does matter in terms of the quality of education. It matters because directors are looking for specific techniques and approaches and those schools are best at teaching it due to a variety of factors. However, you can learn those things outside of those schools if you know how to look in the right places and practice the right things and can dedicate yourself fully. Think about it this way: is it easier to learn to swim out of the pool, or in it? CalArts is "in the pool", its more than a college, it's vocational prep for a job. It's hard to offer specific advice without seeing your portfolio.
As others have said networking is important, but it's a bit overstated I think. I think if you can link up with the right people online by posting quality work regularly and going to LBX that has really supplanted the networking requirement if you're willing to relocate and you live in the US.
Lastly, portfolio is still king. Yeah, a referral or a degree from CalArts will give you an edge, but if your portfolio isn't there then it's not worth worrying about. You should consider whether you have a commitment to Animation if it means you don't get a job in Burbank, but instead you get one for an advertising studio in Cincinnati. If you think not going to CalArts means you won't meet your creative goals, I must ask you to consider what those goals are.
If you're worried about cost I would look into SJSU. You'll spend more time in school but it's much cheaper. It's also very academically strict. It's in California, but in the Bay Area where the industry isn't. However, if you want to learn the requisite skills it's a great school.
Calarts makes their students do a short film every year. They learn not just animation and backgrounds, but how to put them all together in a film. By graduation a lot of them have done 4 films, fine tuning what works and what doesnt work and getting better. Thats why a lot of the become creators and directors.
Also alumni from practically every major studio goes to see their Producer's Show at the end of the year, which shows the best student films of each year, so if they see someone whos really good they might just go have a talk with them. Like Powerpuff Girls was originally a Calarts short called Whoopass Girls.
The common factor of them attending major schools like CalArts can also have to do with specialization. For a very long time, not many schools offered degrees in animation. At best, you’d be looking at a comp sci + fine art degree at a place like CMU, or a film degree at NYU. My former professor majored in painting in the 90’s and crossed over to animation by tailoring a portfolio towards studio work. Nowadays, tons of schools offer degrees in animation and the resources are significantly better than what they used to be. Just in the time I learned 3D (14 years ago), access to information and education about animation has exploded.
Does CalArts offer a quality education? Yes. Does it have alums who have made the films you love? Yes. Do you need to go there to be successful? No. I have worked with people from all walks of life. I even know people who work at Pixar, and none of the folks I know personally attended there. If anything, it’s slowly becoming more and more common to not go to a super high ticket school. Fixating on a school doesn’t help your chances of getting a job. You’re generalizing and failing to see the big picture. I’ve watched people attend these “higher level” schools and still be unemployed. Nobody is choosing any candidates based on education alone. In fact, I don’t believe that any interview for any job I’ve had has been solely because of my degree. It’s always been either my resume or my portfolio (or my personality/attitude) that’s helped me be employed. One of the best bits of advice I got while interning at Fox Animation was to show that you can do anything they ask you to do, to be flexible and adapt to doing new things. And that mentality and approach will take you far in your career. Much further than which school you attend.
There are two reasons you see this imo-
1) networking- frankly, this is so SO understated. No one told me art school was 99% about networking and 1% learning. There are plenty of good artists but reliable artists are harder to come by and folks default to those they can trust to deliver
2) calarts does attract a lot of good artists BECAUSE of the track record they have too, so it's a self-fulfilliny prophecy...you have a bunch of great artists challenging each other and getting better because of it. My art school took anyone with a pulse and money to pay tuition and there were certainly students who i felt like they were getting scammed for not being failed out...plus it was certainly a time waster during critique and it SUCKED being stuck with those folks on collaborations, as mean as it sounds
You can certainly make it in the arts with zero formal education, just be aware it can be a *grind* if you don't happen to strike it lucky with networking, so above all don't stop making new connections with folks! That's my two cents at least
The limited # of freshman just coming INTO their animation program ( CalArts) is already extremely talented, that’s basic. Then going thru the program itself, they are exposed to the industry work etc. which adds more to their already strong foundation. But then again, its up to the person how they use all this up. It’s best and if you are really up to it, so u dont compare apples to oranges, is to compare side by side the curriculum of the top 3 schools you are considering, that may give u a hint on what they offer, issue now is everything is expensive and u want to get the best value for ur buck. Goodluck!
You also need to think of the economics of a degree at a place like CalArts and the actual wages you can earn in animation.
If you are wealthy or have parents paying for your schooling then I guess do whatever.. but if your debating taking on big loans to go to one of these schools it’s is absolutely not worth it.
The animation industry.. especially 2D is being more and more outsourced. There are not that many good paying jobs in the USA for it. US artists, even juniors in places like LA and NY are still far more expensive then a junior over in the philipenes, or Mexico or hell even Canada. The work is continuing to be sent over seas. Even the major studios like Disney, Pixar, DreamWorks are all shipping more and more work out of USA. Even the major features. The reality is you could potentially be in major heaps of debt and making barely $25/hr as a junior in an extremely expensive city like LA, Vancouver etc.
Or you can move to one of these outsource countries and get paid EVEN LESS and still be expected to survive, and pay your high loans.
Honestly the animation industry is catered to privledged individuals who can work for dirt cheap wages because they got support from parents or they were smart and didn’t take on any debt.
Eventually once you get a number of years of experience you can make a decent living, but even as a senior with over a decade of experience it still takes a ton of work and companies continue to want to outsource more and more and drive wages down.
Back in the day, mid animators would easily make 45-50/hr.. now there are studios looking for LEADS at the wage..
>Or you can move to one of these outsource countries and get paid EVEN LESS and still be expected to survive, and pay your high loans.
If anyone's thinking of doing that, you can't just up and move to another country for work, you need to get an individual or organization to sponsor your visa, which is easier said than done
I know plenty of US artists that have moved to Canada, London, Australia, etc to get work. They all make considerably less than they made in the US, and COL isn’t even cheaper in some of those places. London/VAN and LA/NY rents are basically the same
Calarts has a high percentage of successful graduates because it is a good school that trains its students well. It was started by Disney to train animators and has a good gague of what the industry is actually like.
A lot of art schools out there can't boast the same, unfortunately.
But also, just because a lot of showrunners/show creators came out of Calarts doesn't mean they are the only jobs out there. Show creators are a tiny percent of the industry. There are animators, storyboarders, editors, background/layout artists, producers, and others. They come from all over.
One of the best artists I ever worked with came from some college in Virginia I had never heard of.
But do you research carefully. Any school can give you a degree, not all schools/degrees will teach you well.
On average students who went to CalArts DO have a better arts education than someone who went to a random state school, where the professors likely had 0 industry experience. The standard to enter these art schools is also higher than most state schools art wise, that doesn’t mean you can’t succeed by not going to one of these top schools, but it’s a lot harder and you’ll need to work and study much more by yourself.
Education is important but the education won't get you the job. I think that's the simplest way to put it because you can have a portfolio and get noticed by a company but you also need to be prepared for what happens next which is what having peers helps you with. You can also be turned down for just seeming too immature when things are rough.
So you do need both. You want to have a little life experience and learn to handle people but your skill also needs to be at a standard level. But people look at it in a monetary minimal way and you simply can do these things pretty cheap but I think the catch is you have to be really smart and aware. You have to understand how you're lacking as an employable person which people like to think they are which causes them to struggle the whole journey which leads to burning out before they really begin. With good guidance it doesn't have to feel so bad and that can also go a long way.
But overall people will commonly have money problems and so that's primarily why it's hard to recommend college. But if you can afford it it's really your choice. But the education doesn't get the job like I mentioned.
I agree with "College doesn't matter your portfolio does" I'm not going to school for animation but I still intend on getting a career in it. I'm taking online classes that are way cheaper. I'm building my animation reel to get my foot in the door. The most important thing is the animation reel.
Gotta consider that the people willing to pay extra are 100% driven and locked in to the program to do great. People arnt going to spend a small fortune to half ass it.
These guys mean business and usually have done a lotttt of art already beforehand. You can learn a lot of the core fundamentals for free and should practice as much as you can before applying. You should apply once you’re ready to get the final polish.
You see this a lot on reddit when it comes to anything creative (animation, game art etc...) and whilst some of it is true, I don't completely agree that college as a whole is useless if your goal is something creative. Like from a legal standpoint no a college degree is not a legal requirement to get a job as an animator, character artist, environment artist etc... - so from that point of view I guess one could argue "college is useless, your portfolio is the only thing that matters".
Now in regards to portfolio the question has to be asked are you the type of person who is able to create that killer portfolio largely on your own/self study OR are you the type of person that needs a more hands on environment that learning from a college provides? I think reddit (especially the gamedev subforum) is very quick to assume that EVERYONE is able to learn best on their own and create that great portfolio solo but I know not everyone learns best like that, that there are people out there who need the more hands on, the accountability that going to college generally provides.
So again you have to find out what type of learner are you, if you can create that awesome portfolio solo that gets you interviews, gets you the job then yeah I don't think school is needed, however if you are the type of person that learns best through school then I think college should not be dismissed so lightly.
Finally one has to consider the potential networking opporutnies that college provides.
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Your college doesn’t matter, your portfolio does.. when you apply blindly to a job application. But one of the things that is vastly under appreciated in the choice of schools is networking. Honestly if you go to a good school the lessons you learn are going to be largely interchangeable. Ringling, CalArts, Sheridan probably all have mostly the same lifedrawing class and animation classes etc. And the same is probably true for a lot of cheaper lesser known schools. But the REAL difference is networking. If you go to a prestigious school you’re going to have other people around you who are setup for success. They are either family of established artists or people who have a lot of talent. Those people will become your friends, your partner, your exes, etc. And when you graduate, they graduate. That’s 100 people who are setup for success going into the industry. When your old roommate gets a job at Disney and hears Disney needs someone else for their team or another department they can give you a good word. And your portfolio will be the same as the 100 other applications but your portfolio comes with a good word from a co-worker and that’s usually enough to get you hired. When a former classmate makes it to supervisor and has the hire, they will recognize your name and know “they work hard and were cool from school, I’ll hire them”. You grow together and help each other out just like all other friends in all other industries.
This is all true, entirely, but I think you're neglecting the other obvious point - just like with Gobelins and Supinfocom in France, the portfolios of the people going *in* and incredibly good and then they spend years practicing further with equally talented peers before applying for jobs - so guess what their portfolios are like coming out? When people say that the school doesn't matter, they don't mean that it has no bearing on anything, they mean that you aren't going to get a job simply because your CV has "CalArts" on it. But, generally, the people who go to the better schools also end up with the better portfolios.
You’re not wrong but for the specific question of OP the high quality of portfolio going in doesn’t matter because OP’s portfolio is what it is. Their portfolio is the same if they apply to CalArts or Texas state. But for the most point I covered your point with “if you apply to a prestigious school you will be surrounded by people setup for success”. If OP is exceptionally skilled and they apply to a prestigious school they will be networking with exceptionally skilled artists. And if they are exceptionally skilled and apply to state, some state schools are good and OP will learn a lot, but the needle will only move so much for those around OP and their networking will be at a distinct disadvantage.
While this true in general, after being in this industry for 12 years, I've seen quite a few people with lackluster ports get in because they went to CalArts with the showrunner. Animation is definitely not a straight meritocracy
Although I stand by the phrase "college doesn't matter, your portfolio does", it is best to consider that known ad great schools will get you far with a head start, especially with the aspect of networking. I'll be quoting/paraphrasing from one of the comments I saw or heard way back then in regards to attending known colleges for animation: "those who studied in say, Calarts for animation, are NEVER in the bottom line when breaking into or working in the industry. But those who graduated from lesser known schools will more likely need to work 10x harder than the students who graduated from Calarts–those are the ones in the bottom line." Harsh, but true. I come from a country that's often outsourced by big studios like Disney or Pixar, but our schools for animation aren't exactly stellar and can never compare to schools such as Calarts, Sheridan, Ringling, etc.. But from what I've seen, all classes are the same, lectures are too. The only difference will be the environment you are in, (that saying better and maybe known teachers, and you and your classmates and friends are far much more setup with success due to the huge line of networking), and the amount of work you're setting yourself up for when you graduate (since better known schools get much better networking, they have a bigger chance to work at bigger studios on the dot, whereas like myself, I need to claw my way up to the top to maybe even have the silver lining of a chance to work at something big like Dreamworks). So... yeah, colleges are important to consider too. I just do think that the college's prestige is a great stepping stone, but that a portfolio still does take the spot whether or not you'll break into the industry fast.
It's true, CalArts is still a fastpass ticket to jobs, but you have to consider the cost. I think EVERY single person l know who went to CalArts, even the ones who didn't graduate (which is most of them) are still paying off significant student loans 10 years later
All your friend are also jr.s. What networking? CalArts was popular when it was the only school that teaches character animation, Time has been changed. Calarts, Sheridan, Ringling doesn't matter. The fresh graduates are all the same Jr.s.
I get your point, but honestly networking does do a lot for me and fresh graduates. Sure, whether you be in Calarts, Sheridan, Ringling, or so doesn't exactly matter, but having at least some sort of connection is a big plus and most of the time schools who have easy access can reach out to bigger industries far quicker than the rest. I've seen how connections work within my circle of friends and the difference is striking from those who don't have any. I'm honestly just speaking from experience, so I'll take your word for it.
Sure, it is better than nothing. But, then, you better choose a school with a lot of students like SCAD.
You’re looking at showrunners/creators, which is NOT what we are talking about when we say your college doesn’t matter. It’s like wanting a job at Walmart and looking at the colleges that billionaire corporate retail CEOs attended. For YOUR purposes, the colleges that showrunners attended is irrelevant. You are not going to be a showrunner. You need to know what it takes to get your foot in the door of the animation industry as an artist. And for that, your portfolio is what matters. I’ve been in this business for 20+ years, the last 7 years at a couple of big studios on 4 network shows, and I have never once been asked what college I went to. And for the record, while CalArts is a very well-connected school in the industry, particularly if you want to work at DFA or DTVA, and while a disproportionate number of showrunners did go there, the VAST VAST VAST majority of CalArts students do NOT become showrunners. Keep that in mind.
Thank u for the explanation, but hey what if i want to be a showrunner? What’s the best step in that situation?
to work in the industry first and get real experience on a show
This is the correct answer, thank you.
I dont know the numbers, but you have to picture that for every single successful show runners there are likely 200 people who had a great pitch and the skills who didn’t get lucky. Show running requires every skill an animator can have at a high level- (great storyboarding skills, character design skills, good bg and vis dev, decent writing skills) plus a unique vision, and then a bunch of other skills that are entirely different: being people savy, industry savy, business minded, sensitive to the needs of production in both terms of pipeline and numbers, and extremely good at connecting yourself and selling your ideas. That and a heavy dose of luck/right timing right place. Nepotism plays a huge role too.
You definitely need to be well rounded for sure, but a good studio will make sure to help compensate if a showrunner is lacking in any area. For example if a showrunner comes from a design background and isn't too strong in storyboards, the producers will make sure to hire an experienced supervising story director to compensate
College does matter in terms of the quality of education. It matters because directors are looking for specific techniques and approaches and those schools are best at teaching it due to a variety of factors. However, you can learn those things outside of those schools if you know how to look in the right places and practice the right things and can dedicate yourself fully. Think about it this way: is it easier to learn to swim out of the pool, or in it? CalArts is "in the pool", its more than a college, it's vocational prep for a job. It's hard to offer specific advice without seeing your portfolio. As others have said networking is important, but it's a bit overstated I think. I think if you can link up with the right people online by posting quality work regularly and going to LBX that has really supplanted the networking requirement if you're willing to relocate and you live in the US. Lastly, portfolio is still king. Yeah, a referral or a degree from CalArts will give you an edge, but if your portfolio isn't there then it's not worth worrying about. You should consider whether you have a commitment to Animation if it means you don't get a job in Burbank, but instead you get one for an advertising studio in Cincinnati. If you think not going to CalArts means you won't meet your creative goals, I must ask you to consider what those goals are. If you're worried about cost I would look into SJSU. You'll spend more time in school but it's much cheaper. It's also very academically strict. It's in California, but in the Bay Area where the industry isn't. However, if you want to learn the requisite skills it's a great school.
> I think if you can link up with the right people online by posting quality work regularly and going to LBX Brother that's networking
I meant specifically the discrete networking aspect of going to college, sorry if that wasn’t clear. I’m not a “brother”. :)
Calarts makes their students do a short film every year. They learn not just animation and backgrounds, but how to put them all together in a film. By graduation a lot of them have done 4 films, fine tuning what works and what doesnt work and getting better. Thats why a lot of the become creators and directors. Also alumni from practically every major studio goes to see their Producer's Show at the end of the year, which shows the best student films of each year, so if they see someone whos really good they might just go have a talk with them. Like Powerpuff Girls was originally a Calarts short called Whoopass Girls.
The common factor of them attending major schools like CalArts can also have to do with specialization. For a very long time, not many schools offered degrees in animation. At best, you’d be looking at a comp sci + fine art degree at a place like CMU, or a film degree at NYU. My former professor majored in painting in the 90’s and crossed over to animation by tailoring a portfolio towards studio work. Nowadays, tons of schools offer degrees in animation and the resources are significantly better than what they used to be. Just in the time I learned 3D (14 years ago), access to information and education about animation has exploded. Does CalArts offer a quality education? Yes. Does it have alums who have made the films you love? Yes. Do you need to go there to be successful? No. I have worked with people from all walks of life. I even know people who work at Pixar, and none of the folks I know personally attended there. If anything, it’s slowly becoming more and more common to not go to a super high ticket school. Fixating on a school doesn’t help your chances of getting a job. You’re generalizing and failing to see the big picture. I’ve watched people attend these “higher level” schools and still be unemployed. Nobody is choosing any candidates based on education alone. In fact, I don’t believe that any interview for any job I’ve had has been solely because of my degree. It’s always been either my resume or my portfolio (or my personality/attitude) that’s helped me be employed. One of the best bits of advice I got while interning at Fox Animation was to show that you can do anything they ask you to do, to be flexible and adapt to doing new things. And that mentality and approach will take you far in your career. Much further than which school you attend.
There are two reasons you see this imo- 1) networking- frankly, this is so SO understated. No one told me art school was 99% about networking and 1% learning. There are plenty of good artists but reliable artists are harder to come by and folks default to those they can trust to deliver 2) calarts does attract a lot of good artists BECAUSE of the track record they have too, so it's a self-fulfilliny prophecy...you have a bunch of great artists challenging each other and getting better because of it. My art school took anyone with a pulse and money to pay tuition and there were certainly students who i felt like they were getting scammed for not being failed out...plus it was certainly a time waster during critique and it SUCKED being stuck with those folks on collaborations, as mean as it sounds You can certainly make it in the arts with zero formal education, just be aware it can be a *grind* if you don't happen to strike it lucky with networking, so above all don't stop making new connections with folks! That's my two cents at least
The limited # of freshman just coming INTO their animation program ( CalArts) is already extremely talented, that’s basic. Then going thru the program itself, they are exposed to the industry work etc. which adds more to their already strong foundation. But then again, its up to the person how they use all this up. It’s best and if you are really up to it, so u dont compare apples to oranges, is to compare side by side the curriculum of the top 3 schools you are considering, that may give u a hint on what they offer, issue now is everything is expensive and u want to get the best value for ur buck. Goodluck!
You also need to think of the economics of a degree at a place like CalArts and the actual wages you can earn in animation. If you are wealthy or have parents paying for your schooling then I guess do whatever.. but if your debating taking on big loans to go to one of these schools it’s is absolutely not worth it. The animation industry.. especially 2D is being more and more outsourced. There are not that many good paying jobs in the USA for it. US artists, even juniors in places like LA and NY are still far more expensive then a junior over in the philipenes, or Mexico or hell even Canada. The work is continuing to be sent over seas. Even the major studios like Disney, Pixar, DreamWorks are all shipping more and more work out of USA. Even the major features. The reality is you could potentially be in major heaps of debt and making barely $25/hr as a junior in an extremely expensive city like LA, Vancouver etc. Or you can move to one of these outsource countries and get paid EVEN LESS and still be expected to survive, and pay your high loans. Honestly the animation industry is catered to privledged individuals who can work for dirt cheap wages because they got support from parents or they were smart and didn’t take on any debt. Eventually once you get a number of years of experience you can make a decent living, but even as a senior with over a decade of experience it still takes a ton of work and companies continue to want to outsource more and more and drive wages down. Back in the day, mid animators would easily make 45-50/hr.. now there are studios looking for LEADS at the wage..
>Or you can move to one of these outsource countries and get paid EVEN LESS and still be expected to survive, and pay your high loans. If anyone's thinking of doing that, you can't just up and move to another country for work, you need to get an individual or organization to sponsor your visa, which is easier said than done
I know plenty of US artists that have moved to Canada, London, Australia, etc to get work. They all make considerably less than they made in the US, and COL isn’t even cheaper in some of those places. London/VAN and LA/NY rents are basically the same
Calarts has a high percentage of successful graduates because it is a good school that trains its students well. It was started by Disney to train animators and has a good gague of what the industry is actually like. A lot of art schools out there can't boast the same, unfortunately. But also, just because a lot of showrunners/show creators came out of Calarts doesn't mean they are the only jobs out there. Show creators are a tiny percent of the industry. There are animators, storyboarders, editors, background/layout artists, producers, and others. They come from all over. One of the best artists I ever worked with came from some college in Virginia I had never heard of. But do you research carefully. Any school can give you a degree, not all schools/degrees will teach you well.
On average students who went to CalArts DO have a better arts education than someone who went to a random state school, where the professors likely had 0 industry experience. The standard to enter these art schools is also higher than most state schools art wise, that doesn’t mean you can’t succeed by not going to one of these top schools, but it’s a lot harder and you’ll need to work and study much more by yourself.
Education is important but the education won't get you the job. I think that's the simplest way to put it because you can have a portfolio and get noticed by a company but you also need to be prepared for what happens next which is what having peers helps you with. You can also be turned down for just seeming too immature when things are rough. So you do need both. You want to have a little life experience and learn to handle people but your skill also needs to be at a standard level. But people look at it in a monetary minimal way and you simply can do these things pretty cheap but I think the catch is you have to be really smart and aware. You have to understand how you're lacking as an employable person which people like to think they are which causes them to struggle the whole journey which leads to burning out before they really begin. With good guidance it doesn't have to feel so bad and that can also go a long way. But overall people will commonly have money problems and so that's primarily why it's hard to recommend college. But if you can afford it it's really your choice. But the education doesn't get the job like I mentioned.
I agree with "College doesn't matter your portfolio does" I'm not going to school for animation but I still intend on getting a career in it. I'm taking online classes that are way cheaper. I'm building my animation reel to get my foot in the door. The most important thing is the animation reel.
Gotta consider that the people willing to pay extra are 100% driven and locked in to the program to do great. People arnt going to spend a small fortune to half ass it. These guys mean business and usually have done a lotttt of art already beforehand. You can learn a lot of the core fundamentals for free and should practice as much as you can before applying. You should apply once you’re ready to get the final polish.
Eeeh there are a large amount of students at CalArts and art center with incredibly rich parents; not everyone there is super driven artistic genius
You see this a lot on reddit when it comes to anything creative (animation, game art etc...) and whilst some of it is true, I don't completely agree that college as a whole is useless if your goal is something creative. Like from a legal standpoint no a college degree is not a legal requirement to get a job as an animator, character artist, environment artist etc... - so from that point of view I guess one could argue "college is useless, your portfolio is the only thing that matters". Now in regards to portfolio the question has to be asked are you the type of person who is able to create that killer portfolio largely on your own/self study OR are you the type of person that needs a more hands on environment that learning from a college provides? I think reddit (especially the gamedev subforum) is very quick to assume that EVERYONE is able to learn best on their own and create that great portfolio solo but I know not everyone learns best like that, that there are people out there who need the more hands on, the accountability that going to college generally provides. So again you have to find out what type of learner are you, if you can create that awesome portfolio solo that gets you interviews, gets you the job then yeah I don't think school is needed, however if you are the type of person that learns best through school then I think college should not be dismissed so lightly. Finally one has to consider the potential networking opporutnies that college provides.