Hello,
I'm currently studying animation at Newcastle College and we are currently working on producing a professional presentation about our career choices.
I am posting up this questionnaire in the hope that you can help with my research into animation.
Here are the questions, please answer as many as possible.
1. Your Name:
2. Company:
3. What do you specialise in?
4. When did you first start taking an interest in animation?
5. What colleges and/or universities did you attend?
6. What animations have you worked on in the past?
7. How did you go about putting a portfolio together?
8. What are companies looking for in a portfolio?
9. What skills would you consider to be essential?
10. What specialist programs do you use (if any)?
Thank you for your time to filling out this questionnaire.
1. Your Name:
Ed Gavin
2. Company:
Ringling School of Art and Design
3. What do you specialise in?
computer animation/education
4. When did you first start taking an interest in animation?
I came upon it by chance. I was in my late 20's wanted to go back to school, knew I wanted to to go an art school and when I saw the computer animation program I knew it would be a good fit and I was right.
5. What colleges and/or universities did you attend?
Ringling School of Art and Design
6. What animations have you worked on in the past?
A bunch of commercial work, some effects on A Simple Wish, a couple shots on Bunny, cinematics for a Duke Nukem game (not to proud of that one) and recently a direct to video animation called Hermie the Common Caterpillar
7. How did you go about putting a portfolio together?
When you are in school you use what you create then after you are in the field you use what you work on
8. What are companies looking for in a portfolio?
Do you have a level of skills that prove you can do the job they are looking for, is your work professional, are you creative, can you tell a story
9. What skills would you consider to be essential?
The principles of animation
10. What specialist programs do you use (if any)?
Maya, Shake, Premier, Photoshop
Thank you for your time to filling out this questionnaire.
Your welcome
Department of Computer Animation
Ringling College of Art and Design
Sarasota Florida
Somebody should really post everyone's answers for this questionnaire somewhere on the AWN as the "students resources" or something . I see the same questions over and over and over and over, as students do the same excersises year after year. I have helped two people out thusfar by answering almost identical surveys, and have counted MANY more since, and I am sure there were many more before as well.
"Don't want to end up a cartoon in a cartoon graveyard" - Paul Simon
Having a section dedicated to this for newbies and students is an awesome idea. I felt really awkward posting my request. I didn't want to be intrusive, but I needed answers.
All life is an experiment.
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
Once again Wade and I agree, these questions are ask every year. It would be nice to just post the answers once and for all, but not sure the teachers would be satistfied. They set the curriculum and want their students to reach out, but it does get tiresome.
Pat
Pat Hacker, Visit Scooter's World.
Hey if some people want to contribute a few questions and answers in a thread I will take the responsibility of merging it all together and forming a nice long list and gather as much good advice together as I can.
I have personally gone from being a completely lost noob in highschool who didn't know as much about animation, school, and the industry as I would have liked to being a very informed and educated person on the subject (in terms of how to research schools, create a student portfolio, where to go for help and information, and what you can do to prepare.) When I started it was very hard to find any information about where to go to school, what does it take to get in, what a portfolio should include or even look like, etc. Through the help and knowledge of people here and on other internet forums and websites I have learned so much. The process of gathering the information was a learning experience in itself, but if I can do anything to help people that are in a place where I once was looking for help I will be glad to. So if any of you want to contribute I will start a new thread for
FAQ for Students and Graduates
just send your questions and comments there.
"All we have to decide is what to do with the time that has been given to us." ---Gandalf
xtina, don't worry about it. I understand that you need your answers, and you are probably new to the industry (a student), and therefore, new to this forum. There would be no way for you to know that this same questionnaire has gone out over here numerous times...
However, to avoid it happening more in the future, maybe some sort of resource would be a good idea, with all the answers people have answered in the past all merged together.
Cheers
"Don't want to end up a cartoon in a cartoon graveyard" - Paul Simon
There's been talk for a long time about putting up some FAQ "sticky" threads: what's the best 2D/3D software; what's a good drawing tablet; what's a good school; etc.
If some regular user takes the initiative and creates these threads himself, and requests that the mods make those threads "sticky," (i.e.: always at top of forum), then the mods might become more motivated about the idea.
Anyway, after being on the forum for a year, I'm not as bothered about seeing the same thread subjects over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over again. If the thought of responding again to the same thread bothers you, just ignore it. Personally I've responded to about four different drawing tablet threads. That seems to be my limit as I haven't responded to a drawing tablet thread in several months. :p
And whatever happened to the "General Discussion" thread, where animators can talk about their other common interests?
And what about the collaborations that everyone always mentions but never does anything about??
AND ANOTHER THING...! :eek:
Or a "tutorial"/"tips" section? The Educators section has taken some of the school questions out of the cafe, but I think a lot of students or potential students are afraid of going in there just because of the title.
Pat Hacker, Visit Scooter's World.