Hello everyone! I’m wondering if any of you could offer any advice with a dilemma I’m facing. I've posted this thread on CGHub, but I thought I might have more luck with an animation-specific forum. Here’s the situation:
I’m 27, and I want to go to Sheridan next year. I realize I’m a bit older than most first year students, but I’m not really that worried about it, since I’ve known quite a few mature students over the years who seem to do just fine. However, there are a few things making me a little nervous about the decision. First, there’s the cost, which is $9000 for the first year, which means the entire program would cost me over $36,000 in tuition alone, and wouldn’t even include rent or basic living expenses. I realize this is a bargain compared to what most art schools cost, but it’s still a pretty big price tag.
The other issue I have concerns my previous experiences with art school. 4 years ago, I went to Seneca, after studying at a small, independent art school for a few years prior. Although I enjoyed the program when it first started, I quickly began to notice some problems with the curriculum. I won’t mention any names, but I really wasn’t happy with some of the instructors. Our life drawing teacher, for example, just had us draw the skeleton for an entire semester, and spent most of the second semester reciting anatomy textbooks verbatim, with no mention of gesture, proportion, 3D construction, foreshortening, or developing a working method of simplifying the figure. Some of the other instructors were okay, but the worst offender had to be our layout instructor. Rather than teach us perspective, composition, or any real fundamental skills, he simply assigned projects without giving any clear direction, and left us to our own resources. He also cancelled classes without offering makeup lessons, or hiring a qualified substitute. This was during a time when the teacher’s union had threatened to go on strike (it was narrowly avoided by a small margin). Because of this, I felt ripped off. Meanwhile, I was struggling to keep up with the assignments. Eventually, I became so frustrated, that I flunked out.
Afterwards, I tried to re-learn the fundamentals, while working part time. Flash forward to the present, and although I feel my drawing skills and work ethic have improved significantly since I started, they’re still not nearly as good as they need to be. I’ve just started culinary school, and while I certainly enjoy the program, I really can’t see myself doing it as a career. I’ve only recently gotten back into drawing after a bit of a hiatus (work, school, etc), but it’s something I love to do more than anything else. I would love to go back to art school, but I’m worried my experience would be a repeat of Seneca, as I’m sure those types of instructors are typical of many art schools. I’ve heard mixed reviews about Sheridan’s animation program, but most of the negative comments have come from instructors who are either graduates of the program, or used to teach there. I’ve also heard that the program took a bit of a dive about 10 years ago when it switched from a diploma to a degree, but that it’s gradually gotten better over the years.
I realize that art school isn’t mandatory to become an artist, but it can help guide you in the right direction, and give you skills that are extremely difficult to learn on your own. Some of the best artists I’ve ever seen are entirely self-taught, but that takes a ton of focus and discipline, and I haven’t had much luck with it so far (although I definitely feel I’ve made some serious improvement over the years). I’m sure it is possible, but I’m afraid that if I don’t go for it now, I’ll never achieve my goals. However, if it turns out to be a waste of money, I’d probably be better off pursuing the self-taught method. What do you guys think? Is the quality of the program worth the time and money, or am I better off self-training in my spare time, maybe with the addition of online courses (ie CGMA, Schoolism, Gnomon, etc.)? Does Sheridan live up to its reputation?
It bears repeating that if you have questions about a school's programmes and the value of its curriculum, then contact the school to confer with the recent alumni of those programmes.
The graduates of those courses will be able to tell you if their education was effective, if their instructors were any good and if they were able to land work as a result of their training. Asking the school itself will get you fluffed with bullshit, because they are just trying to put butts in seats.
There are other schools as well, such as Max the Mutt, that offer comparable programs. I'd approach them the same way, consulting their alumni.
"We all grow older, we do not have to grow up"--Archie Goodwin ( 1937-1998)
mc1986, it must be a small world, cause I went to Seneca, too. I know exactly what you're talking about. There were far too many students and way too little help. I gave it a year, before I finally left.
I know a mutual friend who graduated from Sheridan last year, moved back to Calgary, and, except for a few freelance jobs here and there, hasn't landed an animation gig at all. One of the rumours I've heard is that Sheridan is facing expansion problems where the student to teacher ratio is being blown out of proportion, but I don't know that for sure.
I know what you mean about the student to teacher ratio. Having more than 20 students in a class is ridiculous, considering the amount of attention each student needs. And unfortunately, that is the reality of most college programs, with the exception of some private career colleges. I've learned to take what I hear about a school's reputation with a big grain of salt, because most of the information I've found (positive and negative) is extremely biased. That said, I've had a look at some of the student work, as well as the instructors' websites, and I gotta say it looks pretty impressive. Then again, I have to remember that one of the reasons why Sheridan's student work looks so good is because they have really high standards just to get accepted into the program. The real question is, how much can you expect to improve?
mc1986, I think you hit the nail on the head with your last point. Their standards are indeed high, and I'm not sure how much more they teach in terms of drawing and painting fundamentals. It might be worth finding out.
As for Seneca, I went there in 2007, and I remember how the teachers would sometimes divide their time between the two first-year classes, which made it feel like we had 50 students per instructor.
Yikes! Well, I'm sure the program's gotten better since then. I've heard both Sheridan and Seneca have hired some good new teachers, and gotten rid of some of the bad ones. As for Sheridan, I'll see if I can talk to some of the students at the Royal Winter Fair to see what they think.
Hello.
If Nancy Beiman is still there - then it is a good program. Nancy is in the top 5% of all animators. And... Nancy is a tough, tough, demanding teacher. She cherishes the art form and draws upon her own craftsmanship to teach. She has written two books - PREPARE TO BOARD (about storyboarding) and ANIMATED PERFORMANCE.
If you work hard she will get you there. She has no time for slackers! Yes, she is very old school.
Thanks.
Larry
web site
http://tooninst[URL=http://tooninstitute.awn.com]itute.awn.com
[/URL]blog:
[U]http://www.awm.com/blogs/always-animated
[/U] email:
larry.lauria@gmail.com
I am always on the look out for new books on animation so how did these get pass me? Thank you Larry for bringing them up. They are steep in price but I thing I can swing it.
Hey guys, I just stumbled across this website that discusses just how intense Sheridan can be: http://motivationanimation.blogspot.ca/. It certainly shed some light on the subject.