As to the job market and job placement, we have simply expanded many of our programs. To help our students understand what opportunities are available, our Visiting Artist Program invites voices from all arenas to talk with the students. These Friday night visits are then augmented with classroom visits by artists coordinated by the instructor of the inviting class. We have a Corporate Presentation Program, which provides a podium for the companies wishing to present their needs to the students. We have a Portfolios in Review day, where the work of the student is placed on display for the industry to review, giving them the ability to track a student's growth through the passing years. This is promoted by widely advertised and flyer-promoted screenings of the students' work.

Job opportunities received by the Department are e-mailed to all the students on our internal e-mail trees so that they may respond directly to the inquiring source, We are adding the portfolios of the graduating class to the CalArts Character Animation Website, for the ease of the industry in finding talented acting animators. Finally, the Department is very busy keeping in touch with international production areas so that we can also refer quality artistic talent whenever need is expressed. In short, it is quite a full job keeping in touch with where and what the animation industry is up to, but one we enjoy taking on.

Jim McCampbell of Ringling School of Art & Design believes a deep, not wide curriculum best prepares his graduates.

Jim McCampbell • Department Head, Computer Animation, Ringling School of Art & Design
Jim McCampbell began his career as a graphic designer. He started doing computer animation in 1986, working for several film and video production companies with national clients. He has been teaching at Ringling School of Art & Design in Sarasota, Florida since 1995, where he is department head of the Computer Animation major.

Ringling School of Art and Design's Computer Animation major is quite distinctive in several different ways. First, unlike most other institutions, ours is truly a four-year BFA program in Computer Animation. Although many other schools may claim that they have a Computer Animation major, the reality is that most only have a few individual courses on the subject. This is simply not enough for someone who aspires to be a professional animator in today’s competitive world.

Next, the structure of our curriculum is unique. We have worked very hard to create a balance between the conceptual and the technical. In parallel with learning the latest technology, students learn all of the important aspects of concept development and story development. Ours is a philosophy of communication through movement, so it is very important to have a great idea to communicate. Our student work is highly successful and universally well-received because it is not only technically sound, but also because of the unique designs and interesting stories as well. Our students think.

Our department prides itself on the fact that its curriculum is deep, not wide. Many other schools adopt an approach of having students sample a broad spectrum of tools and techniques that are used in a wide range of computer graphics applications. Instead, Ringling School students delve deeply into 3D animation as an art form. With our concentrated focus, we are able to address the subtle nuances that distinguish movement from true animation. Although we are character animation heavy, we do teach our students to have a complete range of skills in the area of 3D. This opens up a broader range of opportunities for them because we are discovering that there is a current trend toward increasing the responsibilities of the artist in studios today. Having artists with a complete skill set allows studios to have a smaller, more efficient company which keeps more full time employees since the artists are able to be productive in every phase of a project instead of in just one area.

Lastly, at Ringling School of Art and Design, we are focused on instilling the desire in our students to become lifelong learners. This means not only learning the conceptual and technical skills necessary to succeed in today's professional world, but also to embrace the notion of change and the opportunity to continue to learn and grow throughout one's career. The result is a graduate that understands the importance of anticipating future trends and aligning themselves appropriately.