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Schools

How does the animatormentor compares with the academy of arts university online program??? I'm looking for a GOOD online animation program and can't really decide between this 2... I know one is a bachelor's and the other is not, but in terms of prepering you for the real world...
Thank you

d

Nobody knows how well AnimationMentor prepares you for the real world; all it has is a good running start and common sense ideas about how to handle it as the future approaches.

If you do a search on the CGTalk.com forums, there is actually a thread pitting these two schools head to head.

I graduated from the Academy of Art College. The real one, no the online one, and I'm currently finishing up the second semester at AnimationMentor.com, I'm in the first class there. In my oppinion, there is no comparison. Animation Mentor kicks @$$!!!! The only way it would be perfect is if they had a real campus, but then that would make it worse, because then they wouldn't be able to get the mentors that they do have since they are not all in the same location.

The best thing about Animation Mentor is that it's an ANIMATION school. They teach ANIMTION and NOT the program. They only have 4 lectures on Maya and so far 20 lectures on animation. You don't have to do you assignments in Maya, you can do them traditionally, stopmotion, in sand, Flash what ever. And people do!

Animation Mentor has a very active Forums page that you can ask questions and other students and mentors can answer. If you have a technical question about Maya or other software, post it on the fourm and by the end of the day you usually have several responces to it.

I would say I learned more in the first 12 week class about animation than I did in the 4 years I was at the Academy of Art College. Sorry AAC, I know it's the place to be. In their deffence, they were just starting up their Animaiton Program and it wasn't till my senior year there, that there were a bunch of really good animation classes.

End sales pitch...

Aloha,
the Ape

...we must all face a choice, between what is right... and what is easy."

Animation Mentor is the best school for animation, period. You are taught by people from the top studios on the planet...

"Animation isn't about how well you draw, but how much to believe." -Glen Keane

I gotta say, I'm surprised that people are vaulting AM to the top of the list so soon after their launch. I think Scattered said it best; we really won't know how they stack up until their students start hitting the job market. They may well be the best, but let's wait to anoint them as such until that's been proven.

Student enthusiasm is important, but not the telling factor.

Besides, there are these other schools around, like CalArts and Sheridan. I hear they're pretty good... :D

I can't say it's the best, and certainly not for a singular reason. But it is free from a lot of the idiosyncracies or stresses regular schools have out of habit, and most of the people there are doing college concurrently or have already graduated, so rather than viewing a person, if you view the school and see all it has is animation, of course it's going to be viewed in a different light and proportion, because it has just that to worry about. I'm sure if any school came out with an AM-style program (in addition, that is, not replacing their regular program) that you could take, it would even out the playing field. But it is apples and oranges.

Some people are noticeably struggling, and some people blow my mind at how consistently creative and technically proficient they are. What does that mean? It means it's like any other school, eventually: the individual controls his success, wherever he goes. If you are the sport that is totally engaged with and in love with animation, and works ridiculously hard, your employment concerns are the same no matter what you do. All AM is doing is saying "This is a way that's taught where you might be able to grasp what you need to know better, and if you are already rounded out from other education, well, it's a nice efficient way to condition your existing skills into something more useful!"

I've gotta run. PM me anyone if you need more wordy rambling perspective. The enthusiasm is strong but it's not entirely unwarranted (I know you weren't challenging that, DSB, just letting everyone know) =)

That's a good point, Scattered. Most of the people I've heard "going to" AM have done so after having attended another program or had experience in the industry already. Everyone I've heard who's come out of it says it's fantastic, but I'm curious how their experience would have been had they no previous instruction.

Please note that I said I was curious, and I really am. This should not be read as an implication that AM is only for people with previous animation exerience. I imagine anyone would get alot more out of any program if they went in knowing something of the basic tools and could focus more on the fundamentals of what's being taught.

Producing solidily ok animation since 2001.
www.galaxy12.com

Now with more doodling!
www.galaxy12.com/latenight

Let's put it this way. Everyone's improving from where they are, so that's a benefit. But experience changes the learning curve and the individual herself (hehe changed it up) controls the dedication that will push them however far along that track.

I knew a lot about animation before, but now I'm actually animating. I can say that honestly now, instead of second-guessing myself, and that says something. I was just telling Pascal I'm not employed yet, and the majority of animators have more experience (read: I'm not saying I'm all that good yet lollol) but it's actually animation instead of just moving, and my conventions of working are there and my thought process is where it needs to be so I'm really doing it and I'm doing it more efficiently. Nine weeks makes that difference! The fact that there are 63 more of increasing difficulty and complexity only drives me more...

I know one is a bachelor's and the other is not...

Some people on the CGtalk forum also brought up the problem with certificates and school accredidation, or however it's spelled. When will people learn, and I know all the teachers don't like hearing this, it's not about the diploma. You get hired by what you can do, not from what school you went to. Animation Mentor is working on, or got, accreditation not for a certificate program, but so their students can get finacial aid.

A friend of mine who is doing AM with me went to Sheridan and he also said this is a better animation program. But it is true, we both had prior training, and have worked in the industry for a few years, but we both agree we've never been taught animation this well before. And it is just animation. No drawing or painting or sculpture classes, just animation. So if Animation is what you want to do, Animation Mentor is one of the best places to learn it.

Aloha,
the Ape

...we must all face a choice, between what is right... and what is easy."