Totally agree that art school isn't necessary, but I definitely see the draw (no pun intended) to it. I graduated this last year with a degree in animation from a state school, but still worried that I made the wrong decision and should have invested in art school. Realistically, though, your employers won't care about what school you attended as long as you can back up your skills with hard work and persistence. I just landed my first freelance position at one of the big studios, so it's totally possible! :)
SavannahsDrabbles I’m considering state school for animation too. I’m currently super confused about my majors after highschool bc I used to be so into being in art as a career but didn’t get the supports from my family so I tried doing other stuff but I realized everything else is like a mask and i dont want to ended up being in an industry for money and not passion. Would you recommend state schools? I feel like since im still confuse about spending money for an uni or an art school, spending for a state school, majoring in art saves me money, and just in case it’s not for me, I could have other options without feeling like i wasted time and money.
@@giaonguyen3799 So the good thing about the first two years of college is that you can kind of take them anywhere. These two years primarily consist of "basic" courses (math, science, etc), and can be taken wherever. I had a scholarship to my local junior college, so I ended up taking my basic courses there and graduated from them without any debt. Then I was able to go to university and pursue animation. I would suggest taking these first two years at a junjor college or stare school to think more about what you are wanting to do. Then if you want to transfer, go for it! Or if you want to finish your degree at a state school, you can do that! There's no rush to decide anything, and honeslty you can get a degree in anything and then still pursue animation with that degree - what matters is your portfolio. So take a deep breath and relax - whatever you choose will be ok. :)
International artists MORE INFO HERE: as I said in the video, you'll want an art-related degree (BA or equivalent) if you're international applying to the US animation industry- it doesn't have to be an art degree from an art school (BFA). All the international artists I know in the industry started out with an H1B visa. The H1B visa applicant must meet the following requirements to be eligible for the H1B visa: • Applicant should hold a bachelor’s degree or master’s degree (or the foreign equivalent)* • The degree requirement for the job is typical for the job** • The work must be one that requires a professional in a specialty occupation • Applicant must possess deep knowledge in the required field • The employer must demonstrate the lack of qualified US applicants for the position * The applicant can bypass this requirement if they have at least 12 years of specialized work experience ** For example, an M.D. for a surgeon There is another visa called the O-1 visa which some people are commenting about, because there is "no degree requirement!" However: "To qualify for an O-1 visa, the beneficiary must demonstrate extraordinary ability by sustained national or international acclaim. Extraordinary ability in the field of arts means distinction. Distinction means a high level of achievement in the field of the arts evidenced by a degree of skill and recognition substantially above that ordinarily encountered to the extent that a person described as prominent is renowned, leading, or well-known in the field of arts." Even the truly EXTRAORDINARY international artists I know had to start with an H1B visa, so they got art-related degrees first. To quote my friend Amanda: "Basically, everyone I've known in the industry starts out with the H1B. You go through all that schooling, and your student visa post-graduation allows you to stay in the country for a number of months while you look for work (you get work by getting a company to sponsor you as an employee - this isn't the easiest, but it's also standard procedure when studios want non-native workers, so they're all very used to doing it). You're basically against a clock at that point, trying to get employed before the application window for the H1B closes (you can only apply for it once or twice a year, I believe). Even then, that visa is given out on a lottery-basis, so even if you apply on time, there's no guarantee you'll get it. The O-1 visa is considered the "better" visa, because you can get it any time and I think people view it as a bit more stable; however, it requires a ton of effort petitioning and presenting the employee as "extraordinary". It's basically a lawyer putting together a ton of material to be like, "this person is so special, no one else who already lived here can do their job, so we need them." It's a ton of effort. Getting a Green Card is like getting an O-1 but on steroids." Hope this helps :)
This is so helpful thank you! I'm studying digital art in Argentina so I can work in animation later, but it's frustrating. This visa deal is the only reason I'm still at it. The education sucks, they get you farther away from a job rather than closer to it. I'm staying until I get a tertiary degree (which I don't even know if it'll be enough to apply for a visa), but in the meantime I have to learn everything art-related on my own
It’s also so great that you mentioned that a lot of art schools can be scams that don’t really prepare you for the real industry. It’s why so many (like Ai) are closing.
Im thinking of applying to shsu to get a bachelors in fine arts in animation. Now i heard about animation mentor and how its better than that should i go to shsu or animation mentor
I went to SCAD for an animation degree. In some ways, it was great. And in others, not so much. Some our professors worked on films like "Hercules" "Pocahontas" and "Lilo and Stitch". They were the ones I loved working with because you learned so much about the studio life. It was difficult because your personal life has to be pretty much perfect in order to do well because of the quarter system. I graduated a few months ago, and I'm currently working on solidifying my portfolio. The curriculum was just changed to be more specific for animation artists. So you can concentrate in storyboarding and concept development, tech animation, 3d animation, and 2d animation. But, I wish we had more networking events instead of just the career fair.
I'm going to SCAD next year as an international student. Do you feel like it helped you to get in touch with the industry? Because I'm afraid that SCAD won't help me out in the long run
fran gamboa it definitely helped me!! I got to meet professors who have been in the industry for years, and my career advisor was also in the industry. the thing that throws people off about SCAD is that you are going to be handed anything. You really have to work for it. They also have the traditional career fair at the Savannah location, and they have a reverse career fair for the top students where the companies meet them. they also have something called a CLC in each field where the top students get to work with a company in their field for class credit.
Thanks you so much for your response! 💜💜💜 I'm sorry if this is a question that feels too personal to you but, how did you paid the tuition? Because I definitely can't pay it without scholarships or loans. It would definitely help me If you have some recommendations in that aspect or know other international students that have more information about financial aid.
@@frangamboa1922 You're welcome!! It's not too personal. I was lucky and had about 1/3 of my tuition covered by scholarships. I was also lucky because my parents were able to take on the majority of the payment, but I'm still going to have about $20,000 in loans. I wouldn't have been able to go without my parents help.
I went to school for animation but just at my local college. I felt like my school didn't prepare me for the real world and that I was basically teaching myself. There were a couple teachers there that were great mentors, but I dont think that their work was at industry professional level. They mostly taught 3D in a program called lightwave and then after I graduated they taught maya 🙄. Once I graduated I just took my work into my own hands and I have been recreating all of my old stuff and making a new portfolio. I live in LA now and I actually start my first animation gig this Monday. A couple years of hard work can really pay off.
I’m currently in that position now. I’m graduating soon but I feel like my school hasn’t really prepared me for the real world especially the animation industry. I know art schools are expensive but I’ve honestly been considering going for a masters just so I can get proper lessons from teachers who work in the field and have better connections. Also so that I can create work that really pushes me and bolsters my portfolio.
@@8ri1 if you are looking to go into the animation industry I would look into classes through Schoolism. They have industry professionals who teach courses and its pretty affordable. I considered it, but I was able to find a job finally living in LA. Just like Laura says, look at your work and compare the quality to industry professionals. That really is some of the best feedback and dont put anything in your portfolio you aren't willing to do 40 hrs a week
Luisa Lee you can also tighten up you writing as well as your art by never using the word “actually”. It’s a meaningless word that a lot of people speak when they can’t speak professionally, but it is even worse when you write it. Remove it from what you wrote and the meaning is exactly the same!!
School or no school-it’s all about you and the work you put in to get to where you want to be! I’ve considered going to art school but it really is too expensive. Personally, I’d rather just be self taught and prove to myself that I actually want this!! Plus I’d be saving A LOT of coins!! Whether you chose to go to art school or not is based solely off of you, either way YOU have to put in the work to be the best artist you’d like to be- the school can’t do the work for you.
@@frangamboa1922 ah exactly! It's so hard to even find people in your own country trying to learn the same thing as you let all a whole another country
i am going into animation as a background specific artist, i am a freshman in college and am so excited to be soon creating works like you make. And to see where this amazing road of art takes me.
I’m trying to go into animation after working as an engineer for the past 4 years. It was very insightful to hear your take on art school as I am currently trying to figure out how to course correct my job life! Thanks for all the tips. I think that the best course of action for me will be some small online courses but not full blown art school.
After highschool i wanted so badly to go to an art college however my current funds and skills didnt allow me to do so. So I attended my local community college, which I hated at first. But after getting through the general classes in the first semester and actually learning art fundamentals the next 3 semesters I was actually skilled enough to call myself an artist. I then transferred to a very small art school and learned my illustration skills there. I saved myself about half the money I would going to an art school for all four years but Im currently still learning so many things 3 years after graduating. I dont have an industry job yet but i know im still working to build my portfolio to a hireable standard. I guess what im trying to say to all the young people looking to pursue art is, be self motivated and work hard outside of classes and school, thats where u will shine.
definitely recommend going to an art school.. but yeah.. hella expensive. as a follow up, it would be good to know what state universities you might recommend, as they are less expensive for students living there
Same. I'll be applying to schools in the fall and can't afford and art school. I will probably end up in state at BYU or UU (UT). Are there any other state schools that stand out in other states?
From what I’ve heard about schools in Utah, BYU seems to be the best art-wise. UofU seems to be better for more STEM stuff with their Med school, and I haven’t heard much about their art programs. But take that with a grain of salt, as I’m someone who only has friends in those areas and didn’t go for an art degree myself.
ive seen quite a few pros come out of san jose state or csu long beach! i know san jose has a dedicated animation program. however, you have to apply yourself much more in these programs to get the same mileage out of them compared to a dedicated art school imo :)
I found the fact that international people intending to work in the US for an animation job need an art degree but not domestic applicants due to the VISA bery interesting. Can you explain / point me where I can find more information about that? Perhaps in a company of your choice as an example? :O thank you so much for this video!! It really opened my eyes.
hey i have been looking into the O-1B visa requirements for some time, in no particular document does it state you absolutely need a diploma, homever being sponsored by atleast one (or multiple) business's/corporations are a requirement and you need to hold down a job for several years until you get permanent settlement. Honestly it was the first time i have heard of this information aswell but perhaps there is an unspoken rule in the big animation business's to not hire/sponsor foreign artists who do not have a diploma
@@turkbud802 I wonder if's possible to loophole this by getting a "art-adjacent" degree like design (fashion, computing, etc.) or architecture! Especially since I'm pursuing a Design Computing Degree. This rule seems pretty unique to the US in particular
@@luckychonk9527 i just checked the visa requirements again and found this link www.upcounsel.com/o1-visa ''It also has looser standards than the H1B, at least if you qualify as extraordinary. For example, you don't need a college degree to get an O-1 visa, but you do to get an H1B.'' 0-1 visa is the extraordinary ability in arts and sciences visa, so aslong as you are being sponsored by a business that does work in design or animation you do not need a college diploma. H1b is more of a general work visa, typically given to engineers and the like, it makes sense for them to require a visa and honestly their contract is vastly different to 0-1b (such as only being able to work at a single company and getting kicked out of USA if you get fired and cant find a new job in a month) H1B is notoriously brutal, its often nicknamed as the ''slavery visa'' by people who work in california since companies usually bully these workers to have wages or else they will fire them
@@turkbud802 Ah I see. But i noticed that it was a degree in general more so than a degree in the a relevant field! As in it seems you can have any degree in order to work under the H1B visa, as long as you have the degree.
Hi Laura! For me personally, I've been studying cg animation for a couple years now at a Cal State. I never really considered actual art schools because they are WAY to expensive and I don't want to drown in debt. But, I agree with you in that it's up to you as a person to put in the work. From my own experience, school teaches you the foundations and it's really up to you in how you use those skills.
Thanks so much for this information! I am 24 and rediscovered my love of art last year and I feel so behind. I thought that pursuing art school could help me build a lot of essentials and had my eye on SCAD. Hubs wasn't crazy on spending that kind of money and wasn't convinced it would help more than intense practice and local classes. It was hard to hear and felt a bit like he didn't believe in me, but this vid solidified that his points weren't unfounded. I've learned a lot over the past year from independent practice, skillshare, and speed paints (love yours!). With so many options to learn and network without leaving your home it's hard to justify moving out of state for a school that doesn't have any direct connections. So thanks Lulu! 💕
I got into scad but I had money Issues and had to push back my start date....I still most likely won’t be able to pay. What did you do and how is it going for you
I just recently got into sva NYC for animation and I feel that it would be good for me since I don't have that much self discipline (I'm working on it lol). I cannot afford art college or any college to begin with but I feel that I will learn alot at sva (hopefully) and when I move to LA maybe having a art school tied to me will help me in the long run.
Congrats! I'm the same, which is why the idea of going to an art school sounds pretty great to me. I can study art a little on my own, but definitely not at the pace I should be doing it.
Spirits Jamaa also I think the degree will help getting other jobs as well. For example, if you don’t get a job in the animation industry, maybe you can be a art teacher because you have an art degree...
I want to attend SVA NYC too! But for cartooning. For me I plan to work for myself or a smaller company. Disney is a fun dream I have sometimes but realistically I want to stay in New York even after I graduate from college. I hope everything goes your way! :)
@@Meowastic just an fyi, in some states in order to teach you also need a masters (thats the case where i live in MA, I'm currently applying to grad schools because of it), so check that information for the state you might live in if you want that to be a back up plan :)
I only get my diploma. I can't afford to get a degree in animation. As we know art and design require a lot of money to use. Therefore, i only be able to be a self-taught person and build my portfolio. It is all about a long journey being who you are and find a place where you can stand in this industry. Wish you guys luck who just start in your new carrier in animation or other work.
Same! Not even on my dreams I'm able to pay for this kind of education, I am mostly self-taught but I took some drawing classes and online courses too! It's not impossible we just need to work hard for it! We will get there!
Currently in online college for graphic design because my parents think it's a more realistic job than being an artist, but it is my deepest dream to be an animation artist someday. I'm already in my 30s, so it feels like it's too late, but I hope I can move to a place with an animation company I could work at someday.
@@Brandonhayhew oh hi, this comment I made was about a year ago. I am literally in 2d animation classes now and working on a bachelor's degree in 3d modeling and animation! Basically I decided to follow my dreams and I am teaching myself alot as I work through these programs! Hopefully I will be a professional in the industry in the next year! :)
@@amberakart love your speed drawing in digital . I am doing a fine art certificate but digital drawing class is a bit expensive like a hundred dollar, for just eight time a month, a day its four hours
@@Brandonhayhew TH-cam is truly where I get 98% of my education. Even my teachers are just linking more youtube tutorials to me. It's all about where you put your time. And sometimes I have to sacrifice playing video games in order to learn how to make video games. Lol. (like the concept art and modeling stuff)
I’m a high school art teacher and unless they qualify for incredible financial aid (which sometimes they do) I highly discourage them to go to art school. The price of tuition is beyond crippling and not worth it in my opinion. Even if you DID get a job in the animation field it is not like you will be making a doctor level salary to be able to pay off $150k worth of tuition. That being said, I do find it important to be near the companies you intend to pursue regardless of what field it is. If you want to work in NYC, look into colleges near the city, if you want to work at studios in CA, move out there and be near them to gain those connections.
Sorry if I sound rude or something but what would you say to internationals?if you are an international student like me, the only way of having a job in the industry is to go to art school. Taking loans is the only option for me, I'm practically going to artschool for the contacts, not to learn. I know I can learn everything from ast school online.(I'm Chilean, were the only "art career" that you can get it's fine arts and the only art that you would manage to make in Chile it's to paint portrait in a park)
fran gamboa Te entiendo en México me pasa lo mismo, estoy decidiendo que estudiar y donde y por más que me gusta el arte se que en mi país no hay suficientes oportunidades ni de trabajo ni de carreras:(
@@frangamboa1922 At least you are already in an art school. Some of us can't even afford the loans to pay tuition fees, meaning we can't go to any art schools T.T It's really heartbreaking to find out that without a degree we can't afford there's no way to be hired. I guess I was born in the wrong country.
@@frangamboa1922 be active in social media communities run by industry professionals where you can show off and be recognized. ethan becker owns a discord server there are tons of growing artists in there with some professionals that teach free classes. right now ethan is making a collaborative project hiring server members to make an animation together. not just ethan, other pros might have social communities as well if you look hard enough
I would like my daughter to go to art school so that she has a sense of achievement and confidence in what she is doing. I would also like her to enjoy developing with like minded people. We homeschool in SA and the only classes she attends are art classes. She enjoys seeing other artists work and I see how it motivates her at home with her art.
Im graduating this year from SCAD, I have friends who recently graduated from CCS and I feel the need to share my retrospective experiences. Overall I would not say what art school has to offer is worth it in an age of social media, it also gives you this illusion that grades matter, which obviously they are some merit of success but I was so caught up on getting a 4.0 I ignored oppertunities that would have actually really helped me. As well I ended up getting my degree as an Animation major which was a very large net cast that leaves a lot of holes for information to pass through, meaning, we get trained in every aspect of every animation pipeline, Concept, boards, 2D character anim, 2D fxs anim, 3D modeling, 3D anim, rigging, texturing etc... which would be great if you didn't have a clear idea of what you wanted to do but there are better ways to find your specialty. On top of everything going to an art college/University means you are spending 70% of your classes doing other school work, for example, at scad you are required to take 7-8 art history course where as I am a senior working on my thesis film and I have done 2D animation in only 2 classes. I have learned a lot and grown as an Artist, I've met fantastic people whom I hope to work with throughout my career, but at the end of the day I had to be the one to direct my own learning because the professors do not have the time to cover everything I want to learn or focus on for my portfolio so it's a matter of looking up tutorials online, or working with my peers to get critque. Sorry for the rant but I really do think this is an important topic because of how much these schools take advantage of their students to make money off them, I would argue that if there was an accredited art vocational school that would be way more useful
HI Laura, thank you so much for your Channel and this video. My daughter has been going to a State University with an Animation program, however... she feels like we've wasted A LOT of money and she's not at all where she knows she could be. She's now focused on getting into Art Center and... and is willing to take on the debt. She is actually very talented and motivated and has drive and has been self-taught minus a few art classes at 92Y in NYC. We're going to watch many other videos you've made. I wouldn't be okay with her taking on this debt if I didn't truly believe she has the talent. Not sure this is the right move at all but where she's at isn't either. TBD.
Great video. I graduated Art Center in '98 and I'll weigh in from employer's perspective. When companies hire, they go through hundreds of resume and choose only based on what's on that piece of paper. And of the chosen resumes, they again have to choose based on 10 minute interview. Hiring wrong artist is big loss for the company. This is why we look at schools. If they graduated tough schools, it is first indication that they have good work ethics, manage time well, and collaborate well with others. Doesn't mean those who didn't go to art school doesn't have these traits. Just that the ones who went are more likely and less risky.
I went to The Art Institute of California - Orange County. The have recently closed most of all their campuses since. Art is tricky thing but not necessarily. Read The War of Art by Steven Pressfield and just do the work. There is enough free or affordable site to learn and do portfolio projects like this channel, Udemy, Skillshare, Lynda and others. My work and previous experience got me my jobs and the ones I had before. So go out and get it!
Hey LuLu Sketches, I go to art school (MICA) as well! I’m apart of the animation program and what you said it really true. Art school is ridiculous expensive ($6k just for a single room in a dorm) and they really did put us though the ringer! The only benefit I got from going to art school was meeting industry professionals but one interesting thing about MICA is they promote the illustration program to studios (Like Cartoonnetwork, Netflix, Nickelodeon, Disney) for pre- production work. However, if I didn’t get a once of a life time deal from MICA, my mom wouldn’t have been able to afford it and I would’ve been just as happy to go to a school like VCU.
I'm currently interested in illustration/comic books and I was nervous not attending an art school, but this was promising (even though it's specifically for animation) and I really enjoy learning a bit of everything at a non-art school! So this was good to hear :) And if you happen to have any tips for illustration/comic careers that would be much appreciated, too!
I currently attend SCAD and will be a sophomore in the fall. Simply in the first year of attending, my art skills has grown drastically and I have learned so much about professional standard softwares (photoshop, maya, after effects, illustrator, and a few more) and the animation pipeline. I created my first short animation this spring and I am certain I would not have had the guidance and direction to do it alone. I think art school can very very beneficial for people willing to put the work in. I have a plethora of peers who are probably wasting their time here because they are more worried about going to the next party rather than getting their work done and preparing their portfolios. So if you are looking into going to an art school, I only suggest it if you're ready to work hard and not look for specific handouts.
obviously i don’t have the benefit of hindsight quite yet but I’m a student at SCAD and I love it. They do have quite strong connections with lots of companies, with representatives constantly visiting. Tons of our professors are legends in their fields as well!! I’m lucky enough to have parents helping me out with tuition. I wouldn’t have attended art school if i didn’t have my parents behind me, but i say if you have the resources it’s a great experience!
if you're THAT worried about going to art college, or that it's the path you wanna take, then that's great! literally any college within the top 50 schools in animation in America and you're getting a good education. don't worry about going to the top 10 or anything. if you want to learn you can even find animation courses online.
Thanks for this perspective, Laura! I’ve been out of college working as a software engineer for the last 5 years, but, in the last two years, have discovered my passion for art and animation. I feel like I have the discipline to succeed without art school, and the only reason I’ve considered it is I feel like the process of building my skills and portfolio is so long and challenging since I’m doing it in my spare time outside of work. I just want to be able to devote 100% of my time to learning and growing. I’m curious to know more about how you balanced learning new skills and building a strong portfolio while working in an unrelated field. Sometimes it feels like the whole industry is just passing me by and I’ll never be able to catch up.
It depends and has pros/cons. If you are going to be self-taught, it will be difficult cuz you might not know if you are going in the right direction. Your art might look good to you, but average to others. You need feedbacks and guidelines. And a good art school can provide these.
Thank you so much for this video! I’m starting college in the fall and did not apply to art school. Knowing that I can still become an animator is a huge relief!
I actually attended a 2 year tech school for a degree in Graphic Design back in the 90's. Back then, they called it "Visual Communication." I dropped out after 3 semesters, yet continued to pursue my art with personal development and self discipline. I also reached out to others and did a lot of commission work. I started using Photoshop when it was version 4.0. I literally grew older along side it, bettering my skills with every project that passed. Finally, 10 years after graduating high school, and 7 years after art college, I landed a full-time position as a graphic designer, by the contents of my portfolio, and by how I carried myself. Know when to listen, but also know when to close your own mouth, and learn. Get REAL good at taking constructive criticism. Don't feel (or pretend to feel) like you've reached your pinnacle of greatness, either. Always be open to learning. I don't ever want to be the best designer, photographer, or artist. Because, honestly, I think it might be a lonely place to be. I've been designing graphics and drawing for over 20 years and I'm still learning and loving it. That's why I follow Laura. Now, I'm not saying don't go to school. By all means go! You have to do what's right for YOU. It just so happens, that it wasn't 'right' for me.
I love your comment so much. It inspires me to know that should still pursue art even though you think you’ve reached the top. I also can understand how being the best can feel lonely. Hard work can pay off! :)
Thank you for sharing this, Lauren! I’m in production in the industry and I want to get an art position in the next year. While I don’t think you need to go to art school, indefinitely think if I were to go back and do it over, I probably would’ve pushed more to go to Art Center or get into the programs like CDA. Since I started interning in the industry, I’ve met more people that either dropped out or went to CDA. And unfortunately most of the State universities that are in California that are reasonably priced are impacted even the freshmen and honors levels. It’s not to say I don’t value the knowledge I gained in city college and university. But I wish there was more encouraging from my teachers improve my art skills than getting a degree here especially since the average degree is now taking 5-6+ years to obtain out here. Those are my thoughts.
Hey Laura! I really appreciate that you have been giving advice on getting into the industry. I just moved to LA a few months ago with the intent of getting my foot in animation- preferably in storyboarding. I appreciate that you mentioned schools you could take classes in specific areas since I also don't have the money to go to art school and feel I have enough drive to create a strong portfolio myself.
HEYYOU'REWELCOMEILOVEYOU. And I wish this kind of video had been around 11 years ago for me. haha. I'm so glad you made it - it's really gonna help people. Also, yes bloopers.
Love this video, thanks for the insight! I know that I personally thrive in school settings, being around other artists really energizes me, and having assignment deadlines/getting critiqued by industry professionals really helps to motivate me. I have an art degree from a state college, and while that was an integral experience that I enjoyed and learned from, I was right out of high school and needed that time to really work on myself. Now that I'm a little older and wiser, I know more about what I want from my career, but I'm still not where I want to be skills-wise. I also really want to land an internship or two, something I wasn't able to accomplish during my first BA, which only got more difficult after graduating because most internship programs are only for students.
Thank you Laura! You gave me hope that you can work in the industry without the art school crippling debt. I always wanted to be an animation director and I live close-ish to LA. Who knows? Maybe in a few years I'll get to work with you one day :)
I'm so glad you made this video. I attended College For Creative Studies and had I had known that it doesn't really matter if I went to an art school or not I wouldn't have gone tbh. It was too expensive and there was HUGE favoritism going around sadly.
I was considering a small art school for a while (for graphic design, not animation, but still kind of applies). For me, it's been between that and the graphic design program of a local public school. The idea of an art school sounded nice, but this one's stupidly expensive. I was still considering it, but that changed when I went to visit last month. Something felt off about it; it might've just been that the walls were such bright colors or something, but it didn't feel right. The last nail in the coffin was when I was told the school discourages going into freelance when I said I was considering that. Pretty sure they just do that to boost their job placement numbers, since it's hard to apply freelance to that. I also visited the public school well before that, and I didn't get the same bad vibe from there. It felt more genuine. My choice is pretty much set in stone at this point that the art school won't be worth it. Whatever gaps the public school may leave, there are probably cheaper alternatives to fill them online anyway.
I am actually a secondary school graduate who is so unsure of going to an art school in my country right now cuz it is soo expensive and the country ministry of education does not support art that much. It actually stressed me out, thinking whether or not i need to go to an art school. But after watching your video regarding this topic, it actually helps me reconsider my choices and calmed me down a bit. Thank you so much for this wonderful information that i needed.
This video will help out so many people. I attended FIT in Manhattan and I left after 2 years. I loved it, but like you I wanted the traditional studying hard college experience. Love your work by the way!
I'm currently an Illustration student at Ringling, and just within my first semester alone I could immediately tell that it really isn't for everyone. It's 100% for ME, but I had a ton of classmates this semester that grew to hate the idea of art school. I thrive off of the structure, I love getting critique (I'm weird) and I haul ass. It is absolutely true, about art school, that you really have to put in the work and bust your butt. I was warned not to make solid friendships my freshman year due to the amount of people that quickly realize art school just isn't for them. You really have to know what you're getting in to. I think, 10 years ago, I would've absolutely hated art school. It's all in the timing, and it really depends on the artist. As said, I love it, it's the best decision I've made thus far. The connections are wild, my mentor is a vis dev artist at Disney now and has been there for 20 years. It's the coolest experience I've had, though every single artist is different. It helped that I attended preview days and such (pre-pandemic) and reached out to current students about workload and etc. I was heavily warned/prepared, so I didn't go into it like a deer in headlights. You have to do your research and have a true understanding of just who you are, as an artist. It's really hit or miss, in my opinion.
Love this video! I wish I watched before attending but I really enjoy art school! I go for 3D animation at SVA and yeah its all industry professionals working, however, not at Disney or Pixar. There are a lot of people from studios like Blue Sky and a lot of professors that work at studios that produce commercials like Method and Nathan Love. I have only ever met one teacher that was a recent industry professional, but I think it does help maybe to go to art school just because if you're like super good your teachers can help you get a job, or if there is an opening at their studio they can help you. Again love this video, love you, just giving some input from the east coast art gals
SCAD is more geared towards East coast Studios, which is mostly New York based Ad firms, we do get a lot of visits from Gamestudios like Blizzard, Riot, and HiRez (since they are in Atlanta). Dreamworks, Bluesky and Pixar make multiple recruitment visits a quarter but SCAD actively holds students back from visiting with them because if you get hired you might now give SCAD more money
I’m currently a college student and love painting and drawing and have been feeling REALLY lost on what to do next or is this school even worth the time.. and this video really helped me thank you!!
I got accepted at Ringling last year- but couldn’t afford to go. So now I’m trying to earn money to either go get my illustration degree or go straight into the career I want. I work on art in my spare time as much as I can
Yes, you should go to art school, if you can, but most people won't go because of the cost of the school and where it's located at and some people think there are above art school and think there better off teaching there self's . Some people only us art books to learn how to draw and that's ok if want to learn that way.. I personally think it's useful to use not only art books and videos, but for me I went to art school and I am still in art school now.. I have fives year's to finish it..... I think people don't go to art school , because it's cost to much that is a cop out, because I am one of the Poor's person in the world and if I can pay for art school you can... I think art school can be e great benefit for any one who wants to learn art, but some people can't go to the art school and don't won't to waste there money and don't want to go to a 4 year school.. I am proud that I went to art school because it's helping me soooooo much.. I have a learning disability and I need some thing like art school to help me with my art , because I am person who needs all help I can get.... Yes art school it's for everyone...🎨
I’ve been frantically searching for helpful advice on what to do about my artistic education path, and this just made it feel like I lost 1,000 pounds off my shoulders. Amazing advice. Thank you thank you thank you!!!
As someone who is trying to get into the animation industry one way or another, I guess I am technically currently going to an "art school". But it's an in-state public university, I am majoring in the visualization from Texas A&M. While it's not the best program in the world, I am constantly surrounded by amazing people who can push me. Not only in the traditional art side, but the technical side as well. But I haven't gotten hired anywhere yet, currently looking, going to graduate in May of 2021, kind of nervous about getting a job. My portfolio is decent, but still has a long way to go. Wish me luck!
i went to an art "feeder school" for my freshman year of highschool. the teachers were abusive and bitter and sent me into one of the deepest depressions of my life. i'm attending art classes at a junior college now and it's really helped me regain artistic confidence!
Well its a dream for me to get into the west animation industry as I have no connection and also as I live in India (shitty animation studios) so west art style isn’t popular here but I’m learning a lot through Instagram and hopefully I’ll build a solid portfolio and an insta page so that later I’m noticeable.
Okay, through intense research (proper research which involves interviews with industry experts (such as people from animation, design, comic background like Editor in Chief of Tinkle, ACK), going through tons, I mean 103 resumes and portfolios so far, I can say with the fair assessment that India is not that far behind in animation. It is picking up, albeit slowly. Being an Indian and aspiring artist/character designer, I too held on that opinion for a very long time. The problem is, though there are decent design studios, animation studios and agencies in India, it's pretty poorly paid and tremendously overworked. Another industry you can look into is comics. Comics are going on pretty well. At least for decent pay, we must travel abroad. European countries have strong studios as well. If you do come across any good studios or universities (anywhere in the world), please let me know.
It was my dream my whole life to work in illustration or animation, I went to art school abroad but it was too expensive so I quit, came back to my country and started an art school on weekends but they didn't teach much illustration there so I also quit. So right now I study language on weekend on a university and work in solar energy. c'est la vie
I will say for anyone who is considering attending ArtCenter specifically. You need to be clear about what you want. It’s important for students here to have a clear goal and lots of people ended up wasting money and time because they didn’t think this through. Make sure you do want to spend 50+ hour developing one painting then start to consider ArtCenter. It’s a long road and full of all-nighters. I love ArtCenter but also I can’t help feeling burnt out sometimes
@Andie Revilla It really depends on what you what to do. Jon Klassen, currently a well known children's book illustrator and writer came to talk at ArtCenter. He went to ringling expecting to learn vis dev for animation. Instead, he learnt 3D program that will get him become animator. There is a big difference between animator and animation artists. ArtCenter has well crafted curriculum for vis dev artists. Illustration's Entertainment Art chair was once the art director for original Aladdin. ArtCenter is tough but I grew so much. I wouldn't expect this level of improvement happening to me if i attended elsewhere.
Hey Laura! I couldn't agree more with your comment on college art department only teaching students how to paint fruit bowls... I personally don't want to go into animation but I wanted to grow as a digital artist. I was continuously getting frustrated when I would talk to my advisors about classes/degrees/programs but they could never give me a solid answer. I soon discovered that in my case, I would have to be a self starter and self teach myself in procreate, adobe, etc. That was the best thing I could have ever done for myself! I love your videos a lot thats all!
I'm not attending art school because I already go to a regular university! I'm taking some animation classes at the ucla film school though to give some structure :)
I'm trying to find colleges to apply to that will help me build on my technical skills and let me learn other art related skills but it's been really hard to get a list of schools i'd want to go to XDD
Oh my gosh, thank you so much for sharing this! While I'm not going for big time animation studios right now (my husband and I are pretty settled in Texas and don't want to move to Cali anytime soon) I have been looking into being a freelance illustrator (now that I know that's an option) but was feeling discouraged because I felt like I couldn't develop the skills and portfolio I needed without going into debt to attend an art school. Thank you for sharing all those sites with great online art classes! I have been using skillshare and udemy up to this point, but they don't have the best instructors and programs. Definitely going yo invest in some courses at schoolism and cgma!
I am so happy I found your video, I am 28 and I have been contemplating animation/art school to develop my skills as an animator.I took a community college class for beginning 2D animation and I feel like it was very helpful to understand the basics, but if I had a choice to go back, I feel like I would have learned so much more about animation by practicing it in my free time and building a great portfolio. I have loved animation as a child, and I recently discovered how much I would love to do it as a commision, studio, or freelance side hustle, who knows, maybe I will be hired full time as an animator someday. I loved hearing what you had to say, I feel like the best decision I can make right now is learn animation by myself, and possibly do online art classes that don't have a due date attached to them. Im doing tattoo full time and using animation as a side hustle, thanks for the truthful video.
I’m going to LCAD (Laguna College of Art and Design) this fall as a transfer student and the price tag has always been the biggest deterrent for me (I went to a CC instead of an art school after high school because of it) but that’s just how things are! Some private schools are more generous than others with financial aid, so my advice is do research and pick what’s right for YOU and stick with it! You won’t get anywhere being in the middle. It doesn’t matter where you go, as long as you GO all in!
Aussies. If you’re still interested in going to art school after this video check out JMC Academy. Super super great school and gets you industry ready.
HIGHLY AGREE!!!!! Currently studying at the Brisbane campus and the lecturers are second to none. For those wondering, it’s a 3D animation degree which also covers 2D animation, 3D modelling and concept art. I post my assignments on my Instagram (captaindishwasher) if anyone is curious to see what we get up to :)
seraby Yep, Brisbane hasn’t got as many as Melbourne or Sydney, but we have around 10 games/animation companies within the CBD (including game design for Snapchat. We also have studios that are outsourced by Disney regularly). Perth always seems to have a lot of animation jobs listed on Seek too. We definitely don’t have as many as America but the industry is starting to pick up in Aus recently which could be thanks to the influx of streaming services(Also I heard Netflix just opened an office here). It’s just a bit more competitive for graduating students and artists who are already established within the industry. But most of us know the animation industry is competitive everywhere. That being said, I still plan on moving to LA for a while to gain experience at larger companies after I get a few more smaller jobs here.
I'll just share what I'm doing in case someone is in the same boat. I dropped art from my life about freshman year of high school, graduated HS in 2010, and until last year did not get back into it. And after 10 years of floundering around at a community college off and on trying out various medical degrees, it suddenly clicked that I should go into art. I don't have any big dreams of working for Disney, making characters or storyboards, etc. I'm more interested in commercial art and advertising/marketing. I had no idea what I was doing, or where to even start. Art school made the most sense. I currently attend Southwest University of Visual Arts in Arizona, it's really small (there's maybe 30 freshmen), and I am currently in my first year, taking "foundations" courses, before I head into my discipline next fall. My personal art has improved 1000% just from what I've learned in my first semester, I'm blown away. I have a lot of one on one time with teachers who truly care about my education and want to make sure their students succeed in the real world. It's also kicked my butt into gear as far as my time management skills go, and I've seen fellow students drop one by one who just couldn't figure it out. School is not a job, no, but your school should prepare you to work in the real world and you should treat it like a job in my opinion. I am not sure I personally would have had the drive to learn the things I've learnt at school on my own, half the stuff I'd never even heard of or knew existed. Art school isn't for everyone but it may be perfect for some people, and I'm very grateful for artists like Laura who come out and do these kinds of videos and be realistic.
Great advice in this video! I didn't go to art school specifically but went to 2 design programs, ITT and Liberty University, got my BS in Visual Communications: Graphic Design. I have worked in Design Industry for 12 years now, sort of as a jack-of-all-trades. I've done print, web, digital, motion graphics, and 3D animation. Most of my training actually came once on the job! You can learn so much from your peers and Senior Artists. I really think the key is to never stop learning, whether you go to school or not, always try to push your work further! When I got out of college most companies wouldn't even look at your application if you didn't have some form of degree, I think that may be changing now, depending on the field of course. Also I would suggest, when job hunting, broadening your search. There are animation and design jobs out that that aren't just in Studios. For example I've worked for Government contractors, a Periodical company, and for a News station. Job hunting is a job in itself, you may have to apply to multiple places before hearing back from a single application.
I am astounded at how many online learning opportunities there are today. Thank you for sharing this experience and knowledge with us. I went to school and took art classes at my university, not an “Art” university but I did learn a lot! I am also older and the Internet did not exist whenI was in college! Good video!
Animation Mentor is a great choice if you are really serious about getting a job in feature animation. And much more cost effective than going to an Art school!
I'm currently taking classes at a community college but the program is killer! All the teachers have film and tv industry experience and many even teach or have taught at Concept Design Academy, etc. A good handful of really hardworking students have also landed jobs at the big studios in LA straight out of school. For like $100 a class, you can't beat it. I think it's really important to look up the curriculum and who are the teachers before hand anywhere you decide to go.
This is awesome Laura. You have made some really great points in this video. I did attend art school and majored in game art. My experience was amazing overall. Took a lot of great fundamental art classes and then moved toward more advanced art. I decided even before going to college to give it my best and thankfully it paid off. Even now after college, I’m still learning and taking mentor ships to advance my craft.
I'm currently trying to get into the animation industry by doing my own character design work on my spare time to build up a substantial portfolio to use to apply to freelance animation work, and then use that as experience for the big studios. I'm not totally ruling out art school, but since my daily life is already pretty busy and school seems too expensive, I think sharpening my skills on my own is best for me at the moment. Maybe when the time comes for me to move out to the animation promise land of LA, I could further sharpen my skills and take weekend classes like you did, even if I just get in as a production assistant or something.
I went to BYU-I which has a decent art program without breaking the bank. I'm so glad I went, because I got that well-rounded education, like you, but also really pushed my art past that big hurdle of high-school to professional. It's definitely not specific to animation, but it gave me a really good foundation to stand on and the ability to look at my own work critically and push myself to get better as I try to get into the industry. Also, I'd say a quarter of my classmates are IN the industry, so I feel like there are connections there (it's just harder cause I'm Canadian XD )
I'm 32, and after battling with my mental health for all these years, I finally want to turn my life around and do the things I've only dreamed of. Even though I'm in my 30s, I learned it's never too late to stare and you can't beat yourself up over being unable to start earlier. Just take it as it comes. I want to go to art school, but due financial constraints, I can't. So instead I'm learning art through being self-taught, and Skillshare. Currently I'm working on traditional art first, then working my way to getting a tablet and start doing digital art.
Hey Laura! Your videos are really amazing and inspiring!! I was wondering if you could give a little bit more info about the requirements for internationals to get a job in the animation industry (the big studios that you've worked or you're currently working for). I'm from Europe and I'm scared now that you've said I might need some kind of art degree to go and work for big studios. Thank you so much and have a nice weekend :)
I went to school for fine arts for a year and found out school wasn’t for me! Since then I’ve said I was going to work in the industry and just push myself to get better! I have found it rather difficult to make connections to anyone who works in the Industry especially because I’m not in the la area! But one day! I’m very determined 🥰
Thank you for your insight on art school I’ve been thinking about this so much lately. I’ve already gone to college, went to community college and got a associate degree in graphic design which i thought would hopefully get me a little closer to working in animation but not so much. I’m in debt now and kind of hesitant to go back to school but I really want to get into the industry and learn too. Plus I live in Ohio nowhere near a school like Cal arts lol. I’ve considered going to a art school in ohio but after seeing this video I’m gonna think it over more.
Do you know of anybody who went to Massart (Massachusetts College of Art and Design) and now works in the animation industry? I know I won't be able to afford an art school such as Art Center or Calarts. However, I could potentially go to Massart and graduate with minimal/no student debt because of the significantly lower in state tuition cost. I'm trying to decide if it would be better to go there or just go to a traditional college or university.
I am a second year at MassArt in the animation program and to be honest I'm a bit worried I won't be employed after graduating. There's so much to learn in the industry and they haven't taught in depth on storyboarding, background painting, etc too much. Also due to covid they might open this fall with online classes which I don't think would cut it for me. Some insight on state schools animation programs would be great.
@@cryptical1210 I've transferred to Bunker Hill CC to study ultrasound. I still do art on the side but I've switched to the healthcare field in terms of career. Thank you for asking
The thing about going to like, a Calarts level school is that those students are already high level artists going in. They’re geniuses. A friend of mine took a life drawing class at Calarts and said the year 1 animation students’ work is crazy. They want to take amazing traditional artists and turn them into animators.
I’m from EU and I will probably attend an art school for next year. most schools in EU are under 10k a year. (only top ranged schools are more expensive). I’m almost 17 and very indecisive. If i want to go to art school now (for interior architecture or graphic design?) or do a gap year. and later maybe if I got a lot more experience and build a professional portofolio try to go to art schools in LA. (or just work there ).
I wish that I had networked better in my style interests back when I was in art school. Many of the illustration classmates and teachers were very into swords & sorcery, action driven comics, and being politically provocative. In years following my time in school, I developed a fondness for early 20th century European cartooning, romantic impressionist painting, and stories that were far more character driven.
I went to Westwood College Online, learned Maya, but now I only use Blender for all my designs for products and animations. Westwood is now closed for fraudulent financial aid, so the promise of training me and updating me for the programs learned will not happen, but it is very easy to stay updated when each new version comes out. It all takes time to make a person better so keep working at what ever you love to do. Online College is not less expensive, as they claim, than a conventional school. I do have a diploma, but the piece of paper did not make me any better of an artist, only time does that.
I'm an animation student at a community college right now but focused on 3D object and environment modeling, but I'm aware that I'm not at industry level yet, so I'm continuing my art school at another college to hopefully get more practice and time to build up my 3D skills!
Personally, I went to art school, I originally wanted to do concept art but art school helped me through my artistic journey and helped me figure out where i was most comfortable and how I was most comfortable drawing. Yes, it was (and still is) extremely expensive. I was lucky to be granted the ability by a family member to pay for it, but even so, I still have loans. Learning from others and being surrounded by like minded individuals and having group critiques and teachers to help you is something I really enjoy. I thrive from a routine and from my peers, so I really loved the atmosphere. Could I have improved the same way through online classes? Probably. But the experience of going to art school (which was in a new city away from home) is something I don't regret. I certainly regret not taking certain classes while I was there, and maybe not making the most of it, but I learned a lot and I wouldn't trade my knowledge back. BUT!! What I would suggest, if after this you are still on the fence about going to art school, if you are a high school graduate GO TO YOUR COMMUNITY COLLEGE and take some art classes there! See how you like the environment of a classroom. Yes it will probably just be drawing fruit bowls and naked people BUT at least it won't cost an arm and a leg, and maybe it will help you improve just a little! Community college is a great way to figure yourself out without spending tons of money in art school and then dropping out a year or so in after spending 10k.
I am currently in school so I haven't been able to prove if its worth it or not yet (almost done!), but I am enjoying it so much! Having people I can compare myself to is pretty nice as well but then its also being taught by people currently in the industry. It's been cool to see my instructors names in the credits of some big blockbusters right now. I am more focused on 3D though if that makes any difference!
Thank you so much for this awesome advice about art college. I'm a senior and I want to be a story bored artist so this is very helpful and I know that any route can work to achieve my goals.
I really want to go to art school at Art Center, but I have a few questions that I was wondering if you might be able to answer? - Is Pasadena/LA safe? I have severe anxiety and things like earthquakes, hurricanes, and shootings are triggers for me. - Are there good animation jobs you can get while living somewhere thats not LA? (Wisconsin is my home and I don’t want to live far away forever)
I think my future is in clown college.
Jef Larremore I once dreamed that I was a boy with blue hair who attended clown school, it was pretty great.
Righttt
Well if it's what you're passionate for than go ahead I support you 🥺💖
Totally agree that art school isn't necessary, but I definitely see the draw (no pun intended) to it. I graduated this last year with a degree in animation from a state school, but still worried that I made the wrong decision and should have invested in art school. Realistically, though, your employers won't care about what school you attended as long as you can back up your skills with hard work and persistence. I just landed my first freelance position at one of the big studios, so it's totally possible! :)
congratulations on landing a freelance gig! state schools are the best! :)
SavannahsDrabbles I’m considering state school for animation too. I’m currently super confused about my majors after highschool bc I used to be so into being in art as a career but didn’t get the supports from my family so I tried doing other stuff but I realized everything else is like a mask and i dont want to ended up being in an industry for money and not passion. Would you recommend state schools? I feel like since im still confuse about spending money for an uni or an art school, spending for a state school, majoring in art saves me money, and just in case it’s not for me, I could have other options without feeling like i wasted time and money.
@@giaonguyen3799 So the good thing about the first two years of college is that you can kind of take them anywhere. These two years primarily consist of "basic" courses (math, science, etc), and can be taken wherever. I had a scholarship to my local junior college, so I ended up taking my basic courses there and graduated from them without any debt. Then I was able to go to university and pursue animation. I would suggest taking these first two years at a junjor college or stare school to think more about what you are wanting to do. Then if you want to transfer, go for it! Or if you want to finish your degree at a state school, you can do that! There's no rush to decide anything, and honeslty you can get a degree in anything and then still pursue animation with that degree - what matters is your portfolio. So take a deep breath and relax - whatever you choose will be ok. :)
that’s so inspiring!
I’m rethinking my whole life choices
International artists MORE INFO HERE: as I said in the video, you'll want an art-related degree (BA or equivalent) if you're international applying to the US animation industry- it doesn't have to be an art degree from an art school (BFA).
All the international artists I know in the industry started out with an H1B visa. The H1B visa applicant must meet the following requirements to be eligible for the H1B visa:
• Applicant should hold a bachelor’s degree or master’s degree (or the foreign equivalent)*
• The degree requirement for the job is typical for the job**
• The work must be one that requires a professional in a specialty occupation
• Applicant must possess deep knowledge in the required field
• The employer must demonstrate the lack of qualified US applicants for the position
* The applicant can bypass this requirement if they have at least 12 years of specialized work experience
** For example, an M.D. for a surgeon
There is another visa called the O-1 visa which some people are commenting about, because there is "no degree requirement!" However: "To qualify for an O-1 visa, the beneficiary must demonstrate extraordinary ability by sustained national or international acclaim. Extraordinary ability in the field of arts means distinction. Distinction means a high level of achievement in the field of the arts evidenced by a degree of skill and recognition substantially above that ordinarily encountered to the extent that a person described as prominent is renowned, leading, or well-known in the field of arts."
Even the truly EXTRAORDINARY international artists I know had to start with an H1B visa, so they got art-related degrees first. To quote my friend Amanda: "Basically, everyone I've known in the industry starts out with the H1B. You go through all that schooling, and your student visa post-graduation allows you to stay in the country for a number of months while you look for work (you get work by getting a company to sponsor you as an employee - this isn't the easiest, but it's also standard procedure when studios want non-native workers, so they're all very used to doing it). You're basically against a clock at that point, trying to get employed before the application window for the H1B closes (you can only apply for it once or twice a year, I believe). Even then, that visa is given out on a lottery-basis, so even if you apply on time, there's no guarantee you'll get it. The O-1 visa is considered the "better" visa, because you can get it any time and I think people view it as a bit more stable; however, it requires a ton of effort petitioning and presenting the employee as "extraordinary". It's basically a lawyer putting together a ton of material to be like, "this person is so special, no one else who already lived here can do their job, so we need them." It's a ton of effort. Getting a Green Card is like getting an O-1 but on steroids."
Hope this helps :)
Thank you
this is actually so helpful, thank you so much!!
I can’t thank you enough!!!!!!!
This is exactly the answer I was curious about while watching the video the other day! You're so thoughtful!!! :)
This is so helpful thank you! I'm studying digital art in Argentina so I can work in animation later, but it's frustrating. This visa deal is the only reason I'm still at it. The education sucks, they get you farther away from a job rather than closer to it. I'm staying until I get a tertiary degree (which I don't even know if it'll be enough to apply for a visa), but in the meantime I have to learn everything art-related on my own
It’s also so great that you mentioned that a lot of art schools can be scams that don’t really prepare you for the real industry. It’s why so many (like Ai) are closing.
I dodged a bullet, I nearly applied to this institution. Thank goodness I looked at other ppl's testimonies.
Im thinking of applying to shsu to get a bachelors in fine arts in animation. Now i heard about animation mentor and how its better than that should i go to shsu or animation mentor
I went to SCAD for an animation degree. In some ways, it was great. And in others, not so much. Some our professors worked on films like "Hercules" "Pocahontas" and "Lilo and Stitch". They were the ones I loved working with because you learned so much about the studio life. It was difficult because your personal life has to be pretty much perfect in order to do well because of the quarter system. I graduated a few months ago, and I'm currently working on solidifying my portfolio. The curriculum was just changed to be more specific for animation artists. So you can concentrate in storyboarding and concept development, tech animation, 3d animation, and 2d animation. But, I wish we had more networking events instead of just the career fair.
I'm going to SCAD next year as an international student. Do you feel like it helped you to get in touch with the industry? Because I'm afraid that SCAD won't help me out in the long run
fran gamboa it definitely helped me!! I got to meet professors who have been in the industry for years, and my career advisor was also in the industry. the thing that throws people off about SCAD is that you are going to be handed anything. You really have to work for it. They also have the traditional career fair at the Savannah location, and they have a reverse career fair for the top students where the companies meet them. they also have something called a CLC in each field where the top students get to work with a company in their field for class credit.
Thanks you so much for your response! 💜💜💜
I'm sorry if this is a question that feels too personal to you but, how did you paid the tuition? Because I definitely can't pay it without scholarships or loans. It would definitely help me If you have some recommendations in that aspect or know other international students that have more information about financial aid.
@@frangamboa1922 You're welcome!! It's not too personal. I was lucky and had about 1/3 of my tuition covered by scholarships. I was also lucky because my parents were able to take on the majority of the payment, but I'm still going to have about $20,000 in loans. I wouldn't have been able to go without my parents help.
That's really cool! I'm actually trying to get into SCAD this year. I'm really nervous about not being able to network.
I went to school for animation but just at my local college. I felt like my school didn't prepare me for the real world and that I was basically teaching myself. There were a couple teachers there that were great mentors, but I dont think that their work was at industry professional level. They mostly taught 3D in a program called lightwave and then after I graduated they taught maya 🙄. Once I graduated I just took my work into my own hands and I have been recreating all of my old stuff and making a new portfolio. I live in LA now and I actually start my first animation gig this Monday. A couple years of hard work can really pay off.
I’m currently in that position now. I’m graduating soon but I feel like my school hasn’t really prepared me for the real world especially the animation industry. I know art schools are expensive but I’ve honestly been considering going for a masters just so I can get proper lessons from teachers who work in the field and have better connections. Also so that I can create work that really pushes me and bolsters my portfolio.
@@8ri1 if you are looking to go into the animation industry I would look into classes through Schoolism. They have industry professionals who teach courses and its pretty affordable. I considered it, but I was able to find a job finally living in LA. Just like Laura says, look at your work and compare the quality to industry professionals. That really is some of the best feedback and dont put anything in your portfolio you aren't willing to do 40 hrs a week
I’ve actually been wondering about this! This was super cool to know.
Luisa Lee you can also tighten up you writing as well as your art by never using the word “actually”. It’s a meaningless word that a lot of people speak when they can’t speak professionally, but it is even worse when you write it. Remove it from what you wrote and the meaning is exactly the same!!
mavfan1 shut up 🙄
mavfan1 no one asked
edilyn lazo no one asked you too
School or no school-it’s all about you and the work you put in to get to where you want to be! I’ve considered going to art school but it really is too expensive. Personally, I’d rather just be self taught and prove to myself that I actually want this!! Plus I’d be saving A LOT of coins!! Whether you chose to go to art school or not is based solely off of you, either way YOU have to put in the work to be the best artist you’d like to be- the school can’t do the work for you.
Yeah but where do you get the contacts. I'm not American, I can't just move to Los Angeles
@@frangamboa1922 ah exactly! It's so hard to even find people in your own country trying to learn the same thing as you let all a whole another country
My face hurts every time I see Mables face because of how hard I smile
I feel the same. Mable's smile is hard too and wide too.
i am going into animation as a background specific artist, i am a freshman in college and am so excited to be soon creating works like you make. And to see where this amazing road of art takes me.
Daniel Starr best of luck man!
ArminHammur thank you!!
Daniel Starr I’m nearing my end of art school it’s more writing then creating
@@Zakori im not in art school
What is your major?
I’m trying to go into animation after working as an engineer for the past 4 years. It was very insightful to hear your take on art school as I am currently trying to figure out how to course correct my job life! Thanks for all the tips. I think that the best course of action for me will be some small online courses but not full blown art school.
Literally in the same boat 🙂
Sarah Culp we can get into the animation biz together!
Totally! Always been torn between the creative and mathematical sides of my brain. Wish there was a happy medium
@@sarah_leilani_art A career involving animatronics, maybe?
@@sarah_leilani_art computergraphics xD
After highschool i wanted so badly to go to an art college however my current funds and skills didnt allow me to do so. So I attended my local community college, which I hated at first. But after getting through the general classes in the first semester and actually learning art fundamentals the next 3 semesters I was actually skilled enough to call myself an artist. I then transferred to a very small art school and learned my illustration skills there. I saved myself about half the money I would going to an art school for all four years but Im currently still learning so many things 3 years after graduating. I dont have an industry job yet but i know im still working to build my portfolio to a hireable standard. I guess what im trying to say to all the young people looking to pursue art is, be self motivated and work hard outside of classes and school, thats where u will shine.
definitely recommend going to an art school.. but yeah.. hella expensive.
as a follow up, it would be good to know what state universities you might recommend, as they are less expensive for students living there
Seconded. I'd also like to hear about state schools
Same. I'll be applying to schools in the fall and can't afford and art school. I will probably end up in state at BYU or UU (UT). Are there any other state schools that stand out in other states?
@@aabird4110 University of Central Forida is usually near the top of lists I've seen, as are Ohio State and sometimes Clemson
From what I’ve heard about schools in Utah, BYU seems to be the best art-wise. UofU seems to be better for more STEM stuff with their Med school, and I haven’t heard much about their art programs. But take that with a grain of salt, as I’m someone who only has friends in those areas and didn’t go for an art degree myself.
ive seen quite a few pros come out of san jose state or csu long beach! i know san jose has a dedicated animation program. however, you have to apply yourself much more in these programs to get the same mileage out of them compared to a dedicated art school imo :)
I found the fact that international people intending to work in the US for an animation job need an art degree but not domestic applicants due to the VISA bery interesting. Can you explain / point me where I can find more information about that? Perhaps in a company of your choice as an example? :O thank you so much for this video!! It really opened my eyes.
hey
i have been looking into the O-1B visa requirements for some time, in no particular document does it state you absolutely need a diploma, homever being sponsored by atleast one (or multiple) business's/corporations are a requirement and you need to hold down a job for several years until you get permanent settlement. Honestly it was the first time i have heard of this information aswell but perhaps there is an unspoken rule in the big animation business's to not hire/sponsor foreign artists who do not have a diploma
@@turkbud802 I wonder if's possible to loophole this by getting a "art-adjacent" degree like design (fashion, computing, etc.) or architecture! Especially since I'm pursuing a Design Computing Degree. This rule seems pretty unique to the US in particular
@@luckychonk9527 i just checked the visa requirements again and found this link
www.upcounsel.com/o1-visa
''It also has looser standards than the H1B, at least if you qualify as extraordinary. For example, you don't need a college degree to get an O-1 visa, but you do to get an H1B.''
0-1 visa is the extraordinary ability in arts and sciences visa, so aslong as you are being sponsored by a business that does work in design or animation you do not need a college diploma.
H1b is more of a general work visa, typically given to engineers and the like, it makes sense for them to require a visa and honestly their contract is vastly different to 0-1b (such as only being able to work at a single company and getting kicked out of USA if you get fired and cant find a new job in a month)
H1B is notoriously brutal, its often nicknamed as the ''slavery visa'' by people who work in california since companies usually bully these workers to have wages or else they will fire them
to have lower wages*
@@turkbud802 Ah I see. But i noticed that it was a degree in general more so than a degree in the a relevant field! As in it seems you can have any degree in order to work under the H1B visa, as long as you have the degree.
Hi Laura! For me personally, I've been studying cg animation for a couple years now at a Cal State. I never really considered actual art schools because they are WAY to expensive and I don't want to drown in debt. But, I agree with you in that it's up to you as a person to put in the work. From my own experience, school teaches you the foundations and it's really up to you in how you use those skills.
Thanks so much for this information! I am 24 and rediscovered my love of art last year and I feel so behind. I thought that pursuing art school could help me build a lot of essentials and had my eye on SCAD. Hubs wasn't crazy on spending that kind of money and wasn't convinced it would help more than intense practice and local classes. It was hard to hear and felt a bit like he didn't believe in me, but this vid solidified that his points weren't unfounded. I've learned a lot over the past year from independent practice, skillshare, and speed paints (love yours!). With so many options to learn and network without leaving your home it's hard to justify moving out of state for a school that doesn't have any direct connections. So thanks Lulu! 💕
I got into scad but I had money Issues and had to push back my start date....I still most likely won’t be able to pay. What did you do and how is it going for you
perfect timing, I have always been thinking about this question. Thank you so much!
I just recently got into sva NYC for animation and I feel that it would be good for me since I don't have that much self discipline (I'm working on it lol). I cannot afford art college or any college to begin with but I feel that I will learn alot at sva (hopefully) and when I move to LA maybe having a art school tied to me will help me in the long run.
Congrats! I'm the same, which is why the idea of going to an art school sounds pretty great to me. I can study art a little on my own, but definitely not at the pace I should be doing it.
Spirits Jamaa also I think the degree will help getting other jobs as well. For example, if you don’t get a job in the animation industry, maybe you can be a art teacher because you have an art degree...
I want to attend SVA NYC too! But for cartooning. For me I plan to work for myself or a smaller company. Disney is a fun dream I have sometimes but realistically I want to stay in New York even after I graduate from college. I hope everything goes your way! :)
@@Meowastic just an fyi, in some states in order to teach you also need a masters (thats the case where i live in MA, I'm currently applying to grad schools because of it), so check that information for the state you might live in if you want that to be a back up plan :)
How're you going to such an expensive school without being able to afford it?
I only get my diploma. I can't afford to get a degree in animation. As we know art and design require a lot of money to use. Therefore, i only be able to be a self-taught person and build my portfolio. It is all about a long journey being who you are and find a place where you can stand in this industry.
Wish you guys luck who just start in your new carrier in animation or other work.
Same! Not even on my dreams I'm able to pay for this kind of education, I am mostly self-taught but I took some drawing classes and online courses too! It's not impossible we just need to work hard for it! We will get there!
@@mariana96ssantos any online courses You recommend?
I went to a normal college for illustration. It's so hard to find a job that doesn't want 5+ years experience. :/
Currently in online college for graphic design because my parents think it's a more realistic job than being an artist, but it is my deepest dream to be an animation artist someday. I'm already in my 30s, so it feels like it's too late, but I hope I can move to a place with an animation company I could work at someday.
You should do self taught about other different art forms like blender 3d artwork and animation, model building
@@Brandonhayhew oh hi, this comment I made was about a year ago. I am literally in 2d animation classes now and working on a bachelor's degree in 3d modeling and animation! Basically I decided to follow my dreams and I am teaching myself alot as I work through these programs! Hopefully I will be a professional in the industry in the next year! :)
@@amberakart love your speed drawing in digital . I am doing a fine art certificate but digital drawing class is a bit expensive like a hundred dollar, for just eight time a month, a day its four hours
@@Brandonhayhew TH-cam is truly where I get 98% of my education. Even my teachers are just linking more youtube tutorials to me. It's all about where you put your time. And sometimes I have to sacrifice playing video games in order to learn how to make video games. Lol. (like the concept art and modeling stuff)
@@amberakart hi! Any online art courses/youtube channels you recommend? Thanks!
I’m a high school art teacher and unless they qualify for incredible financial aid (which sometimes they do) I highly discourage them to go to art school. The price of tuition is beyond crippling and not worth it in my opinion. Even if you DID get a job in the animation field it is not like you will be making a doctor level salary to be able to pay off $150k worth of tuition.
That being said, I do find it important to be near the companies you intend to pursue regardless of what field it is. If you want to work in NYC, look into colleges near the city, if you want to work at studios in CA, move out there and be near them to gain those connections.
Sorry if I sound rude or something but what would you say to internationals?if you are an international student like me, the only way of having a job in the industry is to go to art school. Taking loans is the only option for me, I'm practically going to artschool for the contacts, not to learn. I know I can learn everything from ast school online.(I'm Chilean, were the only "art career" that you can get it's fine arts and the only art that you would manage to make in Chile it's to paint portrait in a park)
fran gamboa Te entiendo en México me pasa lo mismo, estoy decidiendo que estudiar y donde y por más que me gusta el arte se que en mi país no hay suficientes oportunidades ni de trabajo ni de carreras:(
@@frangamboa1922 At least you are already in an art school. Some of us can't even afford the loans to pay tuition fees, meaning we can't go to any art schools T.T It's really heartbreaking to find out that without a degree we can't afford there's no way to be hired. I guess I was born in the wrong country.
@@frangamboa1922 be active in social media communities run by industry professionals where you can show off and be recognized. ethan becker owns a discord server there are tons of growing artists in there with some professionals that teach free classes. right now ethan is making a collaborative project hiring server members to make an animation together. not just ethan, other pros might have social communities as well if you look hard enough
@@M_JackOfAllTrades me too .. it was so sad 😭😢😢
I would like my daughter to go to art school so that she has a sense of achievement and confidence in what she is doing. I would also like her to enjoy developing with like minded people. We homeschool in SA and the only classes she attends are art classes. She enjoys seeing other artists work and I see how it motivates her at home with her art.
Im graduating this year from SCAD, I have friends who recently graduated from CCS and I feel the need to share my retrospective experiences. Overall I would not say what art school has to offer is worth it in an age of social media, it also gives you this illusion that grades matter, which obviously they are some merit of success but I was so caught up on getting a 4.0 I ignored oppertunities that would have actually really helped me. As well I ended up getting my degree as an Animation major which was a very large net cast that leaves a lot of holes for information to pass through, meaning, we get trained in every aspect of every animation pipeline, Concept, boards, 2D character anim, 2D fxs anim, 3D modeling, 3D anim, rigging, texturing etc... which would be great if you didn't have a clear idea of what you wanted to do but there are better ways to find your specialty. On top of everything going to an art college/University means you are spending 70% of your classes doing other school work, for example, at scad you are required to take 7-8 art history course where as I am a senior working on my thesis film and I have done 2D animation in only 2 classes. I have learned a lot and grown as an Artist, I've met fantastic people whom I hope to work with throughout my career, but at the end of the day I had to be the one to direct my own learning because the professors do not have the time to cover everything I want to learn or focus on for my portfolio so it's a matter of looking up tutorials online, or working with my peers to get critque. Sorry for the rant but I really do think this is an important topic because of how much these schools take advantage of their students to make money off them, I would argue that if there was an accredited art vocational school that would be way more useful
HI Laura, thank you so much for your Channel and this video. My daughter has been going to a State University with an Animation program, however... she feels like we've wasted A LOT of money and she's not at all where she knows she could be. She's now focused on getting into Art Center and... and is willing to take on the debt. She is actually very talented and motivated and has drive and has been self-taught minus a few art classes at 92Y in NYC. We're going to watch many other videos you've made. I wouldn't be okay with her taking on this debt if I didn't truly believe she has the talent. Not sure this is the right move at all but where she's at isn't either. TBD.
I would want to be a Character Animator at Walt Disney Animation studios! What would you recommend? Schools are kinda expensive.
Great video. I graduated Art Center in '98 and I'll weigh in from employer's perspective. When companies hire, they go through hundreds of resume and choose only based on what's on that piece of paper. And of the chosen resumes, they again have to choose based on 10 minute interview. Hiring wrong artist is big loss for the company.
This is why we look at schools. If they graduated tough schools, it is first indication that they have good work ethics, manage time well, and collaborate well with others. Doesn't mean those who didn't go to art school doesn't have these traits. Just that the ones who went are more likely and less risky.
As a highschool freshman who's freakishly scared of what college I want to go to, this video was EXTREMELY helpful! Thank you so much!
I went to The Art Institute of California - Orange County. The have recently closed most of all their campuses since. Art is tricky thing but not necessarily. Read The War of Art by Steven Pressfield and just do the work. There is enough free or affordable site to learn and do portfolio projects like this channel, Udemy, Skillshare, Lynda and others. My work and previous experience got me my jobs and the ones I had before. So go out and get it!
Really helpful thanks Laura!
Hey LuLu Sketches,
I go to art school (MICA) as well! I’m apart of the animation program and what you said it really true. Art school is ridiculous expensive ($6k just for a single room in a dorm) and they really did put us though the ringer! The only benefit I got from going to art school was meeting industry professionals but one interesting thing about MICA is they promote the illustration program to studios (Like Cartoonnetwork, Netflix, Nickelodeon, Disney) for pre- production work. However, if I didn’t get a once of a life time deal from MICA, my mom wouldn’t have been able to afford it and I would’ve been just as happy to go to a school like VCU.
I'm currently interested in illustration/comic books and I was nervous not attending an art school, but this was promising (even though it's specifically for animation) and I really enjoy learning a bit of everything at a non-art school! So this was good to hear :) And if you happen to have any tips for illustration/comic careers that would be much appreciated, too!
I currently attend SCAD and will be a sophomore in the fall. Simply in the first year of attending, my art skills has grown drastically and I have learned so much about professional standard softwares (photoshop, maya, after effects, illustrator, and a few more) and the animation pipeline. I created my first short animation this spring and I am certain I would not have had the guidance and direction to do it alone. I think art school can very very beneficial for people willing to put the work in. I have a plethora of peers who are probably wasting their time here because they are more worried about going to the next party rather than getting their work done and preparing their portfolios. So if you are looking into going to an art school, I only suggest it if you're ready to work hard and not look for specific handouts.
obviously i don’t have the benefit of hindsight quite yet but I’m a student at SCAD and I love it. They do have quite strong connections with lots of companies, with representatives constantly visiting. Tons of our professors are legends in their fields as well!! I’m lucky enough to have parents helping me out with tuition. I wouldn’t have attended art school if i didn’t have my parents behind me, but i say if you have the resources it’s a great experience!
if you're THAT worried about going to art college, or that it's the path you wanna take, then that's great! literally any college within the top 50 schools in animation in America and you're getting a good education. don't worry about going to the top 10 or anything. if you want to learn you can even find animation courses online.
Thanks for this perspective, Laura! I’ve been out of college working as a software engineer for the last 5 years, but, in the last two years, have discovered my passion for art and animation. I feel like I have the discipline to succeed without art school, and the only reason I’ve considered it is I feel like the process of building my skills and portfolio is so long and challenging since I’m doing it in my spare time outside of work. I just want to be able to devote 100% of my time to learning and growing. I’m curious to know more about how you balanced learning new skills and building a strong portfolio while working in an unrelated field. Sometimes it feels like the whole industry is just passing me by and I’ll never be able to catch up.
It depends and has pros/cons. If you are going to be self-taught, it will be difficult cuz you might not know if you are going in the right direction. Your art might look good to you, but average to others. You need feedbacks and guidelines. And a good art school can provide these.
Thank you so much for this video! I’m starting college in the fall and did not apply to art school. Knowing that I can still become an animator is a huge relief!
I actually attended a 2 year tech school for a degree in Graphic Design back in the 90's. Back then, they called it "Visual Communication." I dropped out after 3 semesters, yet continued to pursue my art with personal development and self discipline. I also reached out to others and did a lot of commission work. I started using Photoshop when it was version 4.0. I literally grew older along side it, bettering my skills with every project that passed. Finally, 10 years after graduating high school, and 7 years after art college, I landed a full-time position as a graphic designer, by the contents of my portfolio, and by how I carried myself. Know when to listen, but also know when to close your own mouth, and learn. Get REAL good at taking constructive criticism. Don't feel (or pretend to feel) like you've reached your pinnacle of greatness, either. Always be open to learning. I don't ever want to be the best designer, photographer, or artist. Because, honestly, I think it might be a lonely place to be. I've been designing graphics and drawing for over 20 years and I'm still learning and loving it. That's why I follow Laura. Now, I'm not saying don't go to school. By all means go! You have to do what's right for YOU. It just so happens, that it wasn't 'right' for me.
I love your comment so much. It inspires me to know that should still pursue art even though you think you’ve reached the top. I also can understand how being the best can feel lonely. Hard work can pay off! :)
Omg I just went on the art center tour yesterday and the CalArts tour today and the campuses were beautiful 😍
Thank you for sharing this, Lauren! I’m in production in the industry and I want to get an art position in the next year. While I don’t think you need to go to art school, indefinitely think if I were to go back and do it over, I probably would’ve pushed more to go to Art Center or get into the programs like CDA. Since I started interning in the industry, I’ve met more people that either dropped out or went to CDA. And unfortunately most of the State universities that are in California that are reasonably priced are impacted even the freshmen and honors levels.
It’s not to say I don’t value the knowledge I gained in city college and university. But I wish there was more encouraging from my teachers improve my art skills than getting a degree here especially since the average degree is now taking 5-6+ years to obtain out here.
Those are my thoughts.
Hey Laura! I really appreciate that you have been giving advice on getting into the industry. I just moved to LA a few months ago with the intent of getting my foot in animation- preferably in storyboarding. I appreciate that you mentioned schools you could take classes in specific areas since I also don't have the money to go to art school and feel I have enough drive to create a strong portfolio myself.
HEYYOU'REWELCOMEILOVEYOU. And I wish this kind of video had been around 11 years ago for me. haha. I'm so glad you made it - it's really gonna help people. Also, yes bloopers.
amanda you are such a queen and I honestly love you work
@@clannadlover12 AW! THANKS! That means a lot!
Love this video, thanks for the insight! I know that I personally thrive in school settings, being around other artists really energizes me, and having assignment deadlines/getting critiqued by industry professionals really helps to motivate me. I have an art degree from a state college, and while that was an integral experience that I enjoyed and learned from, I was right out of high school and needed that time to really work on myself. Now that I'm a little older and wiser, I know more about what I want from my career, but I'm still not where I want to be skills-wise. I also really want to land an internship or two, something I wasn't able to accomplish during my first BA, which only got more difficult after graduating because most internship programs are only for students.
Thank you Laura! You gave me hope that you can work in the industry without the art school crippling debt. I always wanted to be an animation director and I live close-ish to LA. Who knows? Maybe in a few years I'll get to work with you one day :)
I'm so glad you made this video. I attended College For Creative Studies and had I had known that it doesn't really matter if I went to an art school or not I wouldn't have gone tbh. It was too expensive and there was HUGE favoritism going around sadly.
I needed this video
I was considering a small art school for a while (for graphic design, not animation, but still kind of applies). For me, it's been between that and the graphic design program of a local public school. The idea of an art school sounded nice, but this one's stupidly expensive.
I was still considering it, but that changed when I went to visit last month. Something felt off about it; it might've just been that the walls were such bright colors or something, but it didn't feel right. The last nail in the coffin was when I was told the school discourages going into freelance when I said I was considering that. Pretty sure they just do that to boost their job placement numbers, since it's hard to apply freelance to that.
I also visited the public school well before that, and I didn't get the same bad vibe from there. It felt more genuine. My choice is pretty much set in stone at this point that the art school won't be worth it.
Whatever gaps the public school may leave, there are probably cheaper alternatives to fill them online anyway.
I am actually a secondary school graduate who is so unsure of going to an art school in my country right now cuz it is soo expensive and the country ministry of education does not support art that much. It actually stressed me out, thinking whether or not i need to go to an art school. But after watching your video regarding this topic, it actually helps me reconsider my choices and calmed me down a bit. Thank you so much for this wonderful information that i needed.
This video will help out so many people. I attended FIT in Manhattan and I left after 2 years. I loved it, but like you I wanted the traditional studying hard college experience. Love your work by the way!
I'm currently an Illustration student at Ringling, and just within my first semester alone I could immediately tell that it really isn't for everyone. It's 100% for ME, but I had a ton of classmates this semester that grew to hate the idea of art school. I thrive off of the structure, I love getting critique (I'm weird) and I haul ass. It is absolutely true, about art school, that you really have to put in the work and bust your butt. I was warned not to make solid friendships my freshman year due to the amount of people that quickly realize art school just isn't for them. You really have to know what you're getting in to. I think, 10 years ago, I would've absolutely hated art school. It's all in the timing, and it really depends on the artist. As said, I love it, it's the best decision I've made thus far. The connections are wild, my mentor is a vis dev artist at Disney now and has been there for 20 years. It's the coolest experience I've had, though every single artist is different. It helped that I attended preview days and such (pre-pandemic) and reached out to current students about workload and etc. I was heavily warned/prepared, so I didn't go into it like a deer in headlights. You have to do your research and have a true understanding of just who you are, as an artist. It's really hit or miss, in my opinion.
Sheridan College here in Canada, is amazing and world renowned for it is animation program.
Love this video! I wish I watched before attending but I really enjoy art school! I go for 3D animation at SVA and yeah its all industry professionals working, however, not at Disney or Pixar. There are a lot of people from studios like Blue Sky and a lot of professors that work at studios that produce commercials like Method and Nathan Love. I have only ever met one teacher that was a recent industry professional, but I think it does help maybe to go to art school just because if you're like super good your teachers can help you get a job, or if there is an opening at their studio they can help you. Again love this video, love you, just giving some input from the east coast art gals
But do you feel like going to SVA helped you to get into the industry?
Thank you so much for mentioning the other schools/programs you can take outside of art school! I will look more into them!
SCAD is more geared towards East coast Studios, which is mostly New York based Ad firms, we do get a lot of visits from Gamestudios like Blizzard, Riot, and HiRez (since they are in Atlanta). Dreamworks, Bluesky and Pixar make multiple recruitment visits a quarter but SCAD actively holds students back from visiting with them because if you get hired you might now give SCAD more money
I've definitely heard similar things about SCAD from my friends who attended!
I’m currently a college student and love painting and drawing and have been feeling REALLY lost on what to do next or is this school even worth the time.. and this video really helped me thank you!!
Thank you! The stories you provide are very inspirational, and it is also appreciated that you keep them grounded in the realities of the profession.
I got accepted at Ringling last year- but couldn’t afford to go. So now I’m trying to earn money to either go get my illustration degree or go straight into the career I want. I work on art in my spare time as much as I can
Yes, you should go to art school, if you can, but most people won't go because of the cost of the school and where it's located at and some people think there are above art school and think there better off teaching there self's . Some people only us art books to learn how to draw and that's ok if want to learn that way.. I personally think it's useful to use not only art books and videos, but for me I went to art school and I am still in art school now.. I have fives year's to finish it..... I think people don't go to art school , because it's cost to much that is a cop out, because I am one of the Poor's person in the world and if I can pay for art school you can... I think art school can be e great benefit for any one who wants to learn art, but some people can't go to the art school and don't won't to waste there money and don't want to go to a 4 year school.. I am proud that I went to art school because it's helping me soooooo much.. I have a learning disability and I need some thing like art school to help me with my art , because I am person who needs all help I can get.... Yes art school it's for everyone...🎨
I’ve been frantically searching for helpful advice on what to do about my artistic education path, and this just made it feel like I lost 1,000 pounds off my shoulders. Amazing advice. Thank you thank you thank you!!!
straight to the point with a lot of insight and information in less than 10 minutes. Thanks!
As someone who is trying to get into the animation industry one way or another, I guess I am technically currently going to an "art school". But it's an in-state public university, I am majoring in the visualization from Texas A&M. While it's not the best program in the world, I am constantly surrounded by amazing people who can push me. Not only in the traditional art side, but the technical side as well. But I haven't gotten hired anywhere yet, currently looking, going to graduate in May of 2021, kind of nervous about getting a job. My portfolio is decent, but still has a long way to go. Wish me luck!
best of luck! look up Gnomon's online courses -- they're really good on the tech side!
i went to an art "feeder school" for my freshman year of highschool. the teachers were abusive and bitter and sent me into one of the deepest depressions of my life. i'm attending art classes at a junior college now and it's really helped me regain artistic confidence!
Well its a dream for me to get into the west animation industry as I have no connection and also as I live in India (shitty animation studios) so west art style isn’t popular here but I’m learning a lot through Instagram and hopefully I’ll build a solid portfolio and an insta page so that later I’m noticeable.
Same but I am from spain
same bro india is 0 in animation
Okay, through intense research (proper research which involves interviews with industry experts (such as people from animation, design, comic background like Editor in Chief of Tinkle, ACK), going through tons, I mean 103 resumes and portfolios so far, I can say with the fair assessment that India is not that far behind in animation. It is picking up, albeit slowly. Being an Indian and aspiring artist/character designer, I too held on that opinion for a very long time. The problem is, though there are decent design studios, animation studios and agencies in India, it's pretty poorly paid and tremendously overworked. Another industry you can look into is comics. Comics are going on pretty well. At least for decent pay, we must travel abroad. European countries have strong studios as well. If you do come across any good studios or universities (anywhere in the world), please let me know.
Have you ever done a "day in the life" video? If not I would love to see one please! You/your life/your talent are goals!
It was my dream my whole life to work in illustration or animation, I went to art school abroad but it was too expensive so I quit, came back to my country and started an art school on weekends but they didn't teach much illustration there so I also quit. So right now I study language on weekend on a university and work in solar energy. c'est la vie
I will say for anyone who is considering attending ArtCenter specifically. You need to be clear about what you want. It’s important for students here to have a clear goal and lots of people ended up wasting money and time because they didn’t think this through. Make sure you do want to spend 50+ hour developing one painting then start to consider ArtCenter. It’s a long road and full of all-nighters.
I love ArtCenter but also I can’t help feeling burnt out sometimes
@Andie Revilla It really depends on what you what to do. Jon Klassen, currently a well known children's book illustrator and writer came to talk at ArtCenter. He went to ringling expecting to learn vis dev for animation. Instead, he learnt 3D program that will get him become animator. There is a big difference between animator and animation artists. ArtCenter has well crafted curriculum for vis dev artists. Illustration's Entertainment Art chair was once the art director for original Aladdin. ArtCenter is tough but I grew so much. I wouldn't expect this level of improvement happening to me if i attended elsewhere.
Hey Laura! I couldn't agree more with your comment on college art department only teaching students how to paint fruit bowls... I personally don't want to go into animation but I wanted to grow as a digital artist. I was continuously getting frustrated when I would talk to my advisors about classes/degrees/programs but they could never give me a solid answer. I soon discovered that in my case, I would have to be a self starter and self teach myself in procreate, adobe, etc. That was the best thing I could have ever done for myself! I love your videos a lot thats all!
I'm not attending art school because I already go to a regular university! I'm taking some animation classes at the ucla film school though to give some structure :)
I'm trying to find colleges to apply to that will help me build on my technical skills and let me learn other art related skills but it's been really hard to get a list of schools i'd want to go to XDD
Oh my gosh, thank you so much for sharing this! While I'm not going for big time animation studios right now (my husband and I are pretty settled in Texas and don't want to move to Cali anytime soon) I have been looking into being a freelance illustrator (now that I know that's an option) but was feeling discouraged because I felt like I couldn't develop the skills and portfolio I needed without going into debt to attend an art school. Thank you for sharing all those sites with great online art classes! I have been using skillshare and udemy up to this point, but they don't have the best instructors and programs. Definitely going yo invest in some courses at schoolism and cgma!
I am so happy I found your video, I am 28 and I have been contemplating animation/art school to develop my skills as an animator.I took a community college class for beginning 2D animation and I feel like it was very helpful to understand the basics, but if I had a choice to go back, I feel like I would have learned so much more about animation by practicing it in my free time and building a great portfolio. I have loved animation as a child, and I recently discovered how much I would love to do it as a commision, studio, or freelance side hustle, who knows, maybe I will be hired full time as an animator someday. I loved hearing what you had to say, I feel like the best decision I can make right now is learn animation by myself, and possibly do online art classes that don't have a due date attached to them. Im doing tattoo full time and using animation as a side hustle, thanks for the truthful video.
I’m going to LCAD (Laguna College of Art and Design) this fall as a transfer student and the price tag has always been the biggest deterrent for me (I went to a CC instead of an art school after high school because of it) but that’s just how things are! Some private schools are more generous than others with financial aid, so my advice is do research and pick what’s right for YOU and stick with it! You won’t get anywhere being in the middle. It doesn’t matter where you go, as long as you GO all in!
My daughter is going to LCAD this fall, too! She's so excited.
Aussies. If you’re still interested in going to art school after this video check out JMC Academy. Super super great school and gets you industry ready.
Thank you! I’m finishing school this year so I’m looking around to places I would like to think about attending. Did you go to JMC?
HIGHLY AGREE!!!!! Currently studying at the Brisbane campus and the lecturers are second to none. For those wondering, it’s a 3D animation degree which also covers 2D animation, 3D modelling and concept art. I post my assignments on my Instagram (captaindishwasher) if anyone is curious to see what we get up to :)
Is there even animation studios in aus(for tv and movies)? Last thing i heard is disney-aus closed down almost a decade ago.
seraby Yep, Brisbane hasn’t got as many as Melbourne or Sydney, but we have around 10 games/animation companies within the CBD (including game design for Snapchat. We also have studios that are outsourced by Disney regularly). Perth always seems to have a lot of animation jobs listed on Seek too.
We definitely don’t have as many as America but the industry is starting to pick up in Aus recently which could be thanks to the influx of streaming services(Also I heard Netflix just opened an office here). It’s just a bit more competitive for graduating students and artists who are already established within the industry. But most of us know the animation industry is competitive everywhere.
That being said, I still plan on moving to LA for a while to gain experience at larger companies after I get a few more smaller jobs here.
Don't study in Perths School of art Design and Media. They're shit house.
I'll just share what I'm doing in case someone is in the same boat. I dropped art from my life about freshman year of high school, graduated HS in 2010, and until last year did not get back into it. And after 10 years of floundering around at a community college off and on trying out various medical degrees, it suddenly clicked that I should go into art. I don't have any big dreams of working for Disney, making characters or storyboards, etc. I'm more interested in commercial art and advertising/marketing. I had no idea what I was doing, or where to even start. Art school made the most sense. I currently attend Southwest University of Visual Arts in Arizona, it's really small (there's maybe 30 freshmen), and I am currently in my first year, taking "foundations" courses, before I head into my discipline next fall.
My personal art has improved 1000% just from what I've learned in my first semester, I'm blown away. I have a lot of one on one time with teachers who truly care about my education and want to make sure their students succeed in the real world. It's also kicked my butt into gear as far as my time management skills go, and I've seen fellow students drop one by one who just couldn't figure it out. School is not a job, no, but your school should prepare you to work in the real world and you should treat it like a job in my opinion. I am not sure I personally would have had the drive to learn the things I've learnt at school on my own, half the stuff I'd never even heard of or knew existed.
Art school isn't for everyone but it may be perfect for some people, and I'm very grateful for artists like Laura who come out and do these kinds of videos and be realistic.
Great advice in this video! I didn't go to art school specifically but went to 2 design programs, ITT and Liberty University, got my BS in Visual Communications: Graphic Design. I have worked in Design Industry for 12 years now, sort of as a jack-of-all-trades. I've done print, web, digital, motion graphics, and 3D animation. Most of my training actually came once on the job! You can learn so much from your peers and Senior Artists. I really think the key is to never stop learning, whether you go to school or not, always try to push your work further! When I got out of college most companies wouldn't even look at your application if you didn't have some form of degree, I think that may be changing now, depending on the field of course. Also I would suggest, when job hunting, broadening your search. There are animation and design jobs out that that aren't just in Studios. For example I've worked for Government contractors, a Periodical company, and for a News station. Job hunting is a job in itself, you may have to apply to multiple places before hearing back from a single application.
I am astounded at how many online learning opportunities there are today. Thank you for sharing this experience and knowledge with us. I went to school and took art classes at my university, not an “Art” university but I did learn a lot! I am also older and the Internet did not exist whenI was in college! Good video!
Animation Mentor is a great choice if you are really serious about getting a job in feature animation. And much more cost effective than going to an Art school!
I'm currently taking classes at a community college but the program is killer! All the teachers have film and tv industry experience and many even teach or have taught at Concept Design Academy, etc. A good handful of really hardworking students have also landed jobs at the big studios in LA straight out of school. For like $100 a class, you can't beat it.
I think it's really important to look up the curriculum and who are the teachers before hand anywhere you decide to go.
Which community college?
This is awesome Laura. You have made some really great points in this video. I did attend art school and majored in game art. My experience was amazing overall. Took a lot of great fundamental art classes and then moved toward more advanced art. I decided even before going to college to give it my best and thankfully it paid off. Even now after college, I’m still learning and taking mentor ships to advance my craft.
This was really helpful thanks for the advice
I'm currently trying to get into the animation industry by doing my own character design work on my spare time to build up a substantial portfolio to use to apply to freelance animation work, and then use that as experience for the big studios. I'm not totally ruling out art school, but since my daily life is already pretty busy and school seems too expensive, I think sharpening my skills on my own is best for me at the moment.
Maybe when the time comes for me to move out to the animation promise land of LA, I could further sharpen my skills and take weekend classes like you did, even if I just get in as a production assistant or something.
I went to BYU-I which has a decent art program without breaking the bank. I'm so glad I went, because I got that well-rounded education, like you, but also really pushed my art past that big hurdle of high-school to professional. It's definitely not specific to animation, but it gave me a really good foundation to stand on and the ability to look at my own work critically and push myself to get better as I try to get into the industry. Also, I'd say a quarter of my classmates are IN the industry, so I feel like there are connections there (it's just harder cause I'm Canadian XD )
Could we get an updated work morning routine?! :)
I'm 32, and after battling with my mental health for all these years, I finally want to turn my life around and do the things I've only dreamed of. Even though I'm in my 30s, I learned it's never too late to stare and you can't beat yourself up over being unable to start earlier. Just take it as it comes.
I want to go to art school, but due financial constraints, I can't. So instead I'm learning art through being self-taught, and Skillshare. Currently I'm working on traditional art first, then working my way to getting a tablet and start doing digital art.
Hey Laura! Your videos are really amazing and inspiring!! I was wondering if you could give a little bit more info about the requirements for internationals to get a job in the animation industry (the big studios that you've worked or you're currently working for). I'm from Europe and I'm scared now that you've said I might need some kind of art degree to go and work for big studios. Thank you so much and have a nice weekend :)
I went to school for fine arts for a year and found out school wasn’t for me! Since then I’ve said I was going to work in the industry and just push myself to get better! I have found it rather difficult to make connections to anyone who works in the Industry especially because I’m not in the la area! But one day! I’m very determined 🥰
Thank you for your insight on art school I’ve been thinking about this so much lately. I’ve already gone to college, went to community college and got a associate degree in graphic design which i thought would hopefully get me a little closer to working in animation but not so much. I’m in debt now and kind of hesitant to go back to school but I really want to get into the industry and learn too. Plus I live in Ohio nowhere near a school like Cal arts lol. I’ve considered going to a art school in ohio but after seeing this video I’m gonna think it over more.
Do you know of anybody who went to Massart (Massachusetts College of Art and Design) and now works in the animation industry? I know I won't be able to afford an art school such as Art Center or Calarts. However, I could potentially go to Massart and graduate with minimal/no student debt because of the significantly lower in state tuition cost. I'm trying to decide if it would be better to go there or just go to a traditional college or university.
I am a second year at MassArt in the animation program and to be honest I'm a bit worried I won't be employed after graduating. There's so much to learn in the industry and they haven't taught in depth on storyboarding, background painting, etc too much. Also due to covid they might open this fall with online classes which I don't think would cut it for me. Some insight on state schools animation programs would be great.
@@melodiearya9478 it's been 1 year, how are you doing now?
@@cryptical1210 I've transferred to Bunker Hill CC to study ultrasound. I still do art on the side but I've switched to the healthcare field in terms of career. Thank you for asking
The thing about going to like, a Calarts level school is that those students are already high level artists going in. They’re geniuses. A friend of mine took a life drawing class at Calarts and said the year 1 animation students’ work is crazy. They want to take amazing traditional artists and turn them into animators.
I’m from EU and I will probably attend an art school for next year. most schools in EU are under 10k a year. (only top ranged schools are more expensive). I’m almost 17 and very indecisive. If i want to go to art school now (for interior architecture or graphic design?) or do a gap year. and later maybe if I got a lot more experience and build a professional portofolio try to go to art schools in LA. (or just work there ).
I wish that I had networked better in my style interests back when I was in art school. Many of the illustration classmates and teachers were very into swords & sorcery, action driven comics, and being politically provocative.
In years following my time in school, I developed a fondness for early 20th century European cartooning, romantic impressionist painting, and stories that were far more character driven.
I went to Westwood College Online, learned Maya, but now I only use Blender for all my designs for products and animations. Westwood is now closed for fraudulent financial aid, so the promise of training me and updating me for the programs learned will not happen, but it is very easy to stay updated when each new version comes out. It all takes time to make a person better so keep working at what ever you love to do. Online College is not less expensive, as they claim, than a conventional school. I do have a diploma, but the piece of paper did not make me any better of an artist, only time does that.
Great video! And thanks for the recommendation for online courses 🐾
I'm an animation student at a community college right now but focused on 3D object and environment modeling, but I'm aware that I'm not at industry level yet, so I'm continuing my art school at another college to hopefully get more practice and time to build up my 3D skills!
Personally, I went to art school, I originally wanted to do concept art but art school helped me through my artistic journey and helped me figure out where i was most comfortable and how I was most comfortable drawing. Yes, it was (and still is) extremely expensive. I was lucky to be granted the ability by a family member to pay for it, but even so, I still have loans. Learning from others and being surrounded by like minded individuals and having group critiques and teachers to help you is something I really enjoy. I thrive from a routine and from my peers, so I really loved the atmosphere. Could I have improved the same way through online classes? Probably. But the experience of going to art school (which was in a new city away from home) is something I don't regret. I certainly regret not taking certain classes while I was there, and maybe not making the most of it, but I learned a lot and I wouldn't trade my knowledge back.
BUT!! What I would suggest, if after this you are still on the fence about going to art school, if you are a high school graduate GO TO YOUR COMMUNITY COLLEGE and take some art classes there! See how you like the environment of a classroom. Yes it will probably just be drawing fruit bowls and naked people BUT at least it won't cost an arm and a leg, and maybe it will help you improve just a little! Community college is a great way to figure yourself out without spending tons of money in art school and then dropping out a year or so in after spending 10k.
I am currently in school so I haven't been able to prove if its worth it or not yet (almost done!), but I am enjoying it so much! Having people I can compare myself to is pretty nice as well but then its also being taught by people currently in the industry. It's been cool to see my instructors names in the credits of some big blockbusters right now. I am more focused on 3D though if that makes any difference!
Thank you so much for this awesome advice about art college. I'm a senior and I want to be a story bored artist so this is very helpful and I know that any route can work to achieve my goals.
I really want to go to art school at Art Center, but I have a few questions that I was wondering if you might be able to answer?
- Is Pasadena/LA safe? I have severe anxiety and things like earthquakes, hurricanes, and shootings are triggers for me.
- Are there good animation jobs you can get while living somewhere thats not LA? (Wisconsin is my home and I don’t want to live far away forever)