Search form

Grants for an animation student?

12 posts / 0 new
Last post
Grants for an animation student?

Hi,
Looking to study animation at Calarts soon. As you proabably know its very expensive, so just currently wading thru many many internet pages for funding for such an education (baring in mind i would be an international student too as i'm from the UK).

Whilst i'm on a break from the endless of fun of mass-net searching, i'd thought i'd ask here to find out if any of you guys would know of any grants, sponserships, scholarships, or organizations that help fund student animators and/or artists?

There are a few for 'art' students (who from experience have decided apparently animation doesn't count as an art! :mad: ), but i keep getting kicked back by the 'non resident' clause, putting me in a catch-22 cus my home countries equivalents are usually for use on home soil too!

Also, anyone know of any wealthy benefactors, perhaps ones getting annoyed by too much taxes and needing to offload some of their vast green collection?? Perhaps ones specifically interested in the field or animation or arts in general?? I can dream... ;)

Thanks,
Rich.

RTP's picture
________________________________Perpetual Motion________________________________

________________________________Perpetual Motion________________________________

Glad that was useful for you Rich. I would change your initial approach a little to try and get a bit more wow-factor into it. Here's my stab at it:

"I have been offered the chance of a lifetime to study animation at CAL Arts in America, the best school for animation in the world. This prestigious school has high teaching standards and has produced some of the biggest names in animation today: Brad Bird (The Incredibles), Tim Burton (Nightmare Before Christmas, Edward Scissorhands, Willy Wonka), Glen Keane (Disney's Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast), John Lassiter (Toy Story, Cars). And I have the opprotunity to follow in their footseps.

This opportunity will help me to pursue my dream of a career in animation. It will enable me to study animation at its foundations and heart, learning from some of its best practioners in the world. Beyond the course I want to bring my new-found knowledge and experience back to the South West and actively contribute to British Animation scene by working in the industry and making my own films.

I am now actively pursuing funding for this opportunity and hope that South West Screen can help me with this and with any advice. As I am from South West I hope that I am eligible for your funding?

I enclose some examples of my work and my CV and look forward to hearing from you regarding this matter."

I'm just assuming that you do want to go on to make your own films, change this as suits your ambitions. I would advise that you make a personal contact with someone at South West Screen. At least you need to know a name of who to write to in the first place. You may have to settle for phone communication if you are on a tight deadline. So make an initial approach and say that you'll be back here in May if they want to discuss it further with you in person.

Also have you thought about making some links with Aardman or any other South West-based studios that may sponsor you and give you work when you come back?

Visit my website:

Claire O'Brien.com

Grants

Are hard to come by, especially for an undergrad (as I assume you are) - because any sponsor would like to see your body of work before pouring his green on you... US art schools offer scholarships and fellowships for outstanding skill even at addmission, on grounds of how good your application portfolio is. Those are offered to international students (sometimes they actually have more ones available). As an undergrad the chances are lower to recieve a felowship from the school - but still existant.
You should check with your school to see what kind of fellowships are available - my bet is that CalArts doesn't offer that many. I go to SCAD and they offer quite a lot (as means of attracting people).

As far as outside grants - helps if you belog to a certain ethnicity - than sometimes these groups offer academic scholarships , maybe the township you are from offers similar help.

Good luck!
Roy

http://www.royiddan.carbonmade.com

I belong to the ICED PIGS ethnicity...

Irish Canadian English Dutch Polish Italian German Spanish

No word on monies for us yet...

As an undergrad the chances are lower to recieve a felowship from the school - but still existant.
You should check with your school to see what kind of fellowships are available - my bet is that CalArts doesn't offer that many.

http://www.royiddan.carbonmade.com

Thanks for the reply. Just to clarify what a fellowship is exactly, as i've heard of them but aren't entirely sure what they are and what they are given for. Are they just a form of a scholarship or are they something entirely different?

Thanks,
rich.

________________________________Perpetual Motion________________________________

Fellowships

Are basically (as far as I know...) a fancy name for a scholarship awarded on merit rather than financial need (?) or scholarship awarded by the institution (another (?) Doesnt matter! either way they are money in the bank $$$.

Roy

ICED PIGS hahahaha

Hi ScatteredLogical - maybe you sould start the Organization for the Furthering of Animation Education in the ICED_PIGS Community of Greater Florida or something, and make sure the cause is financially supported!

Congratulations on getting a place at CAL Arts!

Have you tried your local film council? I know that mine, Northern Fim and Media, provide grants (albeit small, I think) for courses and professional develpoment. There's a list of them here.

All the best,
Claire.

Visit my website:

Claire O'Brien.com

Oh I've just remebered this from my days as a Fundraising Assistant :). It may be useful if they class animation as a craft.

Good luck!

Visit my website:

Claire O'Brien.com

Thanks Cobster, your link has opened up a new door to me. As i am from the South West of England, via your links i came accross 'South West Screen', who help aid people from the region in film, television and media. I am going to ask them for financial aid.

Any advice on how to ask for money, as i really need to pursuade these typa guys to help me.

Do you reckon i should take the 'guilt trip' approach, bigging up my financial needs and dreams of animation, with a little bit of 'fellow South Westerner' looking to 'advance the field there' typa thing thrown in or what? Any ideas, or anyone had to do such a thing in the past that can offer some advice?

Thanks,
Rich.

________________________________Perpetual Motion________________________________

Hi Rich,

Glad that was of some use to you, did you look at the Quest site in my other post?

I had a a quick look at the South West Screen website to see if they have any funding guidelines for any of their schemes but they don't appear to be there. That would have given you a good idea of how to make your approach.

I received funding from Northern Film and Media for the short film that I am working on and this is how I went about it:

I found out the name of the person who deals with this sort of funding from contacts who had also previously recieved funding. I then wrote to this person saying these contacts recommended that I get in touch. I enclosed a brief outline of what I wanted to do and asked if it was possible to meet up and discuss any funding opportunities for it further.

I got the meeting and we discussed my proposal and how it would fit into any available funding schemes. I was then encouraged to offically apply. The guidelines for application laid out what they were looking for and basically what to include in your funding bid can be found in the questions.

If I were you, I'd emphasise what an incredible opportunity this is and point out the illustrious alumni who have attended CAL Arts and what they have gone on to do. I would also maybe say that you want to go back to work in the South West after your studies as they may not see the benefit if you take their money and leave to never return (whether that is your plan, I do not know).

If you want I'd be happy to look at your proposal and give you any feedback that I can.

All the best,
Claire.

Visit my website:

Claire O'Brien.com

Yeah I looked at the Queen Elizibetn Scholarship trust and like you said,it seems to be for craft workers and builders of equipment. But hey, worth a shot i suppose, never know.

This is the basic outline of what i have so far (what i wrote to guide me in writing the application proper):
>I am from South West, looking to pursue my dream in a career in animation. I want to study the field at its foundations and heart, learning from some of the best in the world for the medium. In doing so I would achieve a nurturing of my talents and ideas from the perspective of the animation epicenter. Then I want to bring this knowledge back to my home country, and incorporate my tutelage to manifest my ideas for animation, thus progressing the overall British Animation field by increasing its appeal worldwide, yet at the same time holding onto, and expressing it’s unique British foundation and ideas. This would ultimately entwine the two mediums that sit apart on either side of the Atlantic. I have actively pursued funding for myself, driven by my desire that began when I was very young (7), by using my creative talents to sell greeting cards and artwork. I have also saved up in anticipation of such a career. Yet I cannot amass the funding needed to pursue my dreams alone and thus ask for aid in making my dream a reality.<

I will definatley add the points you made about the illustrious allumni and the great opportunity. Thanks for that input. Any other pointers on adding or editing what i should write?

Cobster, thanks very much for your help here, i really appreciate it. Would you say meeting the person before applying is definatley worth doing? As i am currently in the USA atm, and thus getting home would be quite a cost (although i am scheduled to return home for 2 weeks in early May).

________________________________Perpetual Motion________________________________