OT: Disney Art College??
Virgo10
kind of schooling on the college level. I've never heard of anything but
I thought I would post it to the group here.
Her daughter is looking for an Art school and will need to find
someplace that can offer financial assistance. My friend doesn't know
too much about Disney and I fear she's confusing the "College Program"
with an actual Disney college.
Not knowing very much about said program myself, does Disney only go to
very large colleges to recruit people? Is it just for students in their
last year of school? Are there only certain parts of the country they go
to? Any help would be most appreciated.
Thanks,
Virgo10
**Imagine... Only 59 more days!**
Evil Mel
>Her daughter is looking for an Art school and will need to find
>someplace that can offer financial assistance.
Disney animation recruits interns from a select group of schools, all of which
are private art schools and thus extremely pricey. However, if the daughter is
very talented, one of those schools may offer her a scholarship.
>Not knowing very much about said program myself, does Disney only go to
>very large colleges to recruit people? Is it just for students in their
>last year of school? Are there only certain parts of the country they go
>to?
Nope, nope and nope!
~melissa~
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Blast_Man
close ties to several art schools in the country. If I were your friend I
would check out schools that offer animation programs. CalArts in
California actually is funded a little bit by Disney and Walt Disney himself
offered a great deal of money to build this school originally. Also the
major film schools in the country offer animation programs as well including
UCLA and USC. The University of Central Florida in Orlando also offers an
Animation program and several animators in Disney's Florida unit at MGM
Studios have come from UCF. I just know that cause i'm going there in the
fall. Any further questions just post them.
Derek Nelson
Virgo10 <vir...@idt.net> wrote in message news:379774...@idt.net...
> Just got a request from a friend who was wondering if Disney offers any
> kind of schooling on the college level. I've never heard of anything but
> I thought I would post it to the group here.
>
> Her daughter is looking for an Art school and will need to find
> someplace that can offer financial assistance. My friend doesn't know
> too much about Disney and I fear she's confusing the "College Program"
> with an actual Disney college.
>
> Not knowing very much about said program myself, does Disney only go to
> very large colleges to recruit people? Is it just for students in their
> last year of school? Are there only certain parts of the country they go
Gwendel
"Blast_Man" <Blas...@email.msn.com> wrote:
>Disney is very selective in selecting their animators. Disney has very
>close ties to several art schools in the country. If I were your friend I
>would check out schools that offer animation programs. CalArts in
>California actually is funded a little bit by Disney and Walt Disney himself
>offered a great deal of money to build this school originally. Also the
>major film schools in the country offer animation programs as well including
>UCLA and USC. The University of Central Florida in Orlando also offers an
>Animation program and several animators in Disney's Florida unit at MGM
>Studios have come from UCF. I just know that cause i'm going there in the
>fall. Any further questions just post them.
I heard a statistic once that 80 percent of Disney's animators come from
CalArts, but it is, as already mentioned, very difficult to get into and
very, very expensive. You don't >have< to go there to work at Disney, though.
What you really need as well as an education is an awesome portfolio.
And I also have an addition to that list; I was told by a good artist friend
about a good school in FL called Bernaum's or something. It was the one she
suggested I look into, but since it would be a three hour commute, I'm not so
sure I'll look into it immediately. ^.^ Got to get my programming degree
first.
As for Disney offering classes, there is a Disney University that exists for
Cast Members only, and they teach a variety of things from personal
enrichments to buisiness classes to languages to karate. However, this is
nowhere near being a professional art or animation school. ^.^
\ / Gwendel-chan Email: samwise at mongoose dot net
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jgs /| .+ . "And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord,
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Evil Mel
>Animation program and several animators in Disney's Florida unit at MGM
>Studios have come from UCF. I just know that cause i'm going there in the
>fall. Any further questions just post them.
>
That's odd. The head of the whole UCF animation program told me that Disney
would probably just toss a UCF portfolio, since they have close ties to a
select number of art schools and just pull their interns from there.
UCF does not have any formal link with Disney (at least not the traditional
animation department), although we have had some Disney guest speakers, and I
was strongly urged to change my major to Studio Art with an animation
specialty, rather than put all my time into such a narrow major as traditional
animation and never be able to find a job. *sigh*
Ringling in Tampa is one of the best in the nation, and yes it is on the
"Disney List".....
Blast_Man
the film program. I am going into the film program and that was one of the
reasons why i chose UCF because I can get great internships at Disney.
Derek Nelson
Evil Mel <incre...@aol.comyeahbaby> wrote in message
news:19990723171207...@ng-da1.aol.com...
Mandelbrot
have researched all of the top art schools in the nation. I have been
accepted by all that I applied to and have attended three of them. All
prices listed are estimates and are for tuition only. Room and board,
books, supplies, transportation, etc. are not included.
The best art schools for those interested in going into animation are as
follows (in no particular order)
California Institute of the Arts, Valencia, CA.
Also known as CalArts, this school is the best known for producing
animation talent but is declining somewhat in status. I spoke with lead
animator Andreas Deja the other day and he stated that Disney became
frustrated when all their new recruits came in with the same drawing
styles. They are now more active in recruiting from a variety schools.
Tuition runs about $20,00.00 per year. Because the size of the
character animation program is so small, and students are only admitted
in the fall, admission is very difficult. Portfolio requirements are
particularly tough for those who have had no life drawing classes.
Still, if you are dead-set on animation as a career and are not
concerned with versatile drawing skills this should be your top choice.
Art Center College of Design, Pasadena, CA.
This is the school that I am now attending and will graduate from. It
is one of the top art schools in the world in all categories. This
school is physically closer to the major studios than any other. They
do not have an animation major but rather an animation program within
the illustration department. Most schools on this list run similar
programs. This setup is ideal because studios desire foremost the
ability to draw and versatility in that ability. The process of actual
animation is easily taught once one can truly master life drawing. Art
Center works on a trimester system which allows for graduation within
three years rather than four. This also jacks up the annual tuition
price to just under $30,00.00. This school is very difficult to gain
acceptance to and very very few come directly from high school. Art
Center enjoys a close relationship with Disney. I love this school. I
would be happy to e-mail any more information on Art Center to anyone
interested.
Ringling School of Art and Design, Sarasota, FL
This is a good school. I have had a bad experience with them so I
cannot recommend them very highly. It was a long drive back from
Florida to California. Anyway, they have a computer animation program,
and an illustration program, among others. They state that if you want
to intern with Disney plan to major in illustration. It's a good school
and you could do a lot worse. Cost is about $16,000 per year and it is
not too difficult to gain acceptance compared to other art schools.
They accept about two thirds of applicants. They do require two letters
of recommendation which can be a pain.
Columbus College of Art and Design, Columbus, OH. This is a good school
with a crappy campus. Run down buildings, little parking, bad
neighborhood. I attended here for a year and was miserable. I had a
scholarship but transferred to Ringling, anyway. Acceptance is about as
easy as Ringling as is tuition cost. Lots of students directly out of
high school. They do have a strong relationship with Disney. Again, plan
to major in Illustration.
Kansas City Art Institute, Kansas City, MO.
This school has a good reputation and a good animation program within
its illustration department. Admission is slighlty harder than Columbus
or Ringling but much easier than CalArts, Art Center, and a little
easier than RISD(see below). A good school in any case with a Disney
connection.
Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI. This, along with Art
Center and Yale school of Design are the top three art schools in the
nation. RISD has a dedicated animation program that has a strong Disney
connection. Per semester, this edges out the others as the most
expensive art school at about $11,000. Admission is difficult but still
easier than CalArts, Art Center, and of course, Yale. An excellent
school in every respect.
School of Visual Arts, New York, NY
This is the largest art school in the nation. Reputation is so-so. It
is on Disney's list so it must be pretty good. I believe admission here
is the easiest among all schools on this list.
Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, NY.
I know virtually nothing about this school except that it's on Disney's
list. I never considered it. It is most likely a notch above SVA.
Yale School of Design
Damn near impossible to get into. An excellent school not on Disney's
list. No animation major but any prospective employer will respect a
Yale degree.
Art Institute of San Francisco
This school is on Disney's list of recommended schools but you have to
question the reputation of a school that advertises on TV. They do,
however, have a dedicated animation major so if you must take only
animation classes then they are a viable choice. Cost is around 17K per
year. Acceptance is fairly easy. You could do a lot better for the
money, however.
There are other art schools out there that either are emerging as good
schools or once were. These include School of the Art Institute of
Chicago, Savannah College of Art and Design, Cleveland Art Institute,
Art Institute of Pittsburgh, Art Institute of Southern California, Otis
College of Art and Design, and California College of Arts and Crafts.
Of these, the first two are most likely the best.
There are many two-year animation schools that have developed in recent
years. Though, they have yet to prove that they can produce a steady
stream of artistic talent, they can be a viable alternative to
traditional education. The two best ones that I know of are Vancouver
Film School and Vancouver Institute of the Arts. Because they are in
Canada, financial aid can be really tricky. Both are about 12K per
year. Job placement from these schools seems to focus mainly on smaller
animation studios.
Some major universities also offer animation programs. Two that come to
mind are UCLA and Ohio State.
To some all this up let me say that with the conversations I have had
with Disney animators, drawing ability is what they are looking for.
Drawings that convey movement and life will get you a job, not cartoons
or graphic novel sketches. They will hire you even if you've never done
any animation or flip books. These things help but are not crucial.
The best thing you can do is learn to draw anything better than anyone
else. Draw in a way that conveys your deep understanding of anatomy and
movement. Learn to draw so that a two-minute sketch can convey powerful
emotion. To do this you need to go to a school that can infuse you with
these skills. And that will cost a lot of money. I'm doing it with
loans and consider it a very worthy investment.
I would advise applying to only the best schools on this list. Visit
the campuses if possible, and gather as much information as you can so
you can make your best choices. Apply to as many as possible. If you
do not get accepted, don't give up. Go to a local college and gain
drawing skills and experience and reapply next year. If you work hard,
you will get in eventually. In fact, the older you are the more mature
you will be which will help you to deal with the intensity of art
school. And it IS intense.
A common misconception is that art school is all fun and games. It is
extremely hard work. I average 60 hours of homework a week. Having a
part-time job is impossible. But I love it. Another common
misconception is that good artists were born good artists. Nope. They
work hard. If you are willing to work hard you can make it.
Gwendel
incre...@aol.comyeahbaby (Evil Mel) wrote:
> Ringling in Tampa is one of the best in the nation, and yes it is on the
>"Disney List".....
Ah, that's the name I was thinking of. Still a long commute. ^.^;;;;