Search form

Animation Major or No Animation Major

3 posts / 0 new
Last post
Animation Major or No Animation Major

Hello,

I am currently a Sophomore at Richard Stockton College of New Jersey. I am going for a Bachelor of Fine Arts concentrating in Illustration. I am also Double Minoring in Art History and Digital Literacy & Multimedia Design. My school does not offer Animation as a major however there are at least 3 classes consisting of Animation. I am extremely driven and I know one day I want to help make an animated feature film.

I suppose my question is, "can I succeed in Animation even if I do not major in it?" I may not end up with a degree in it but I will have experience working in it. However, will that be enough? 

Thank you,

Colleen :)

I'd say that for sure you can

I'd say that for sure you can succeed without majoring in animation. If you develop the right skillset and get enough practice, there is no reason you wouldn't be able to do as well as someone who did major in animation. It mostly comes down to your skill level. School basically just speeds up the learning curve and gives you a fancy piece of paper that may or may not be helpful in getting you a job.

I agree with hilldav's post

I agree with hilldav's post above. I would say some of the main advantages of taking classes/majoring in animation are networking and the opportunity for internships. Your fellow students will eventually go out into the field, and hopefully recommend you when there's a job opening at their studio. Interning is also another huge way to get your foot in the door, as well as receive some hands-on experience before you've even graduated. I'm fairly certain most major studios only accept interns if it's for college credit.

However, I do know several Illustrators who have landed jobs working freelance or in-house at animation studios. I really feel like developing solid illustration skills will help you get noticed in the industry. They can teach you how the pipeline works, but they can't teach you how to be creative and develop your own style. A strong portfolio and demo reel are what's going to get you noticed by recruiters, moreso than if you majored in animation. However, that major might provide you with the skills needed to push your work to that next level.