3D animation and vfx programs constantly strive to meet the needs of a changing industry. Schools stay current so that graduates are prepared for the real working world. Image courtesy of iStockPhoto.com.

Certificate, bachelor’s and master’s programs focusing on 3D animation and visual effects are constantly striving to meet the needs of a changing industry. They monitor these needs in many ways — through conversations with faculty who have industry experience, by talking with visiting professors and recruiters, by attending industry conventions such as SIGGRAPH and VES, and by consulting regularly with their professional advisory committees.

With tight resources and compressed deadlines, some studios are reducing or eliminating their internal training facilities. “They want people to be able to hit the ground running,” says Pam Hogarth, director of industry relations, Gnomon School of Visual Arts.

The faculty at Ex’pression College for Digital Arts helps prepare its students for the real world by making sure they know they could be working 100 hours a week once they secure a job. Studios appreciate this, according to Chryssa Cooke, director of industry relations and career development, visual arts. “They’re looking for people with a ready-to-work attitude.”

Cooke notes that Ex’pression is a four-year accredited program that is completed in two-and-a-half years. Tight project deadlines and a production atmosphere prepare students for their first job. “This is how it’s going to be when you get out there,” Cooke comments. “Vfx margins are so low, [studios] might have just a half-day of training, and that includes the HR paperwork and a tour of the facility. They can get it done faster if they hire people that can get in the groove quickly.”

Ex’pression’s fast-paced program approximates the tight project deadlines and atmosphere of students’ first job. Work by Ryan Shevlin (left) and Meike Loomis courtesy of Ex'pression College for Digital Arts.

“We try to offer our students an infrastructure where they can develop their own ideas and visions and, at the same time, work in a team under professional conditions,” adds Thomas Haegele, head of fmx and the Institute of Animation, Visual Effects and Digital Post-production of the Film Academy Baden-Württemberg. “This way, we try to prepare them for working life, so that they can take up a job in a production team as soon as they have their degree.”

“Most newbies are overwhelmed by how much they have to work, the hours, the pressure. Some can’t hack it,” explains Michael Squire, department head of vfx at the Vancouver Institute of Media Arts. Like other schools, VanArts tries to simulate a production environment. “It’s very much like a post house,” Squire says. “It’s run just like it.”

Many students have little idea about what a real production process is when they enter school. As a result, “we’re trying to put students into as many real production situations as possible, and we make every attempt to create opportunities for students to work together on collaborative projects,” reports Tad Leckman, chair of vfx at the Savannah College of Art and Design. SCAD’s vfx students work on projects with students in the film, interactive and sound departments, mirroring the process of working for a customer.