CalArts Experimental Animation Master of Fine Arts.
That's the program I'm going to start doing in 2 weeks. I'm already 18000 in debt with loans so it's not like i have a choice anymore. but i was wondering what strangers on the internet thought about the program.
anyone been through it? anyone there now? do you guys want to be my friend? even if not is there anything you can tell me about the program?
love,
dillon
I have been wondering about this, too. I am about $40,000 in debt from my bachelors, so I don't want to waste more money on an MFA program that wasn't really worth it. I learned a lot in undergrad, but still feel I am not the animator I want to become. I wasn't ready to move to California at the time, but I find myself wishing I'd attended, or at least applied to CalArts, in the forst place. Getting the BFA in character anim. nowseems like a back track educationally.... so if I can get a CalArts animation education, while progressing and actually opening up the possibility of teaching at the college level, I'd be happy.
I love character animation and would love to work in television or feature animation.... but I think there are neat prospects for independent animation, too. Plus, bringing experimental techniques into the studio system can't be bad, right?? But.... will I get the skills to get a studio job with an exp. anim. degree??
I hope someone replies!!!
But after all..... Glen Keane majored in experimental animation at CalArts, right?;)
I think Keane was an illustration major. As far as the legend goes I think he never really started animating till Disney said "Nice work, chap, now let us show you how to move those gizmos around..."
Keane was also turned down at the first place he applied - Filmation! :eek:
Shows how far you can come if you work at it.
meleponine, it's not the degree or school that gets you the job, it's your reel. I understand how you feel re: not being the animator you want to become. That's a career-long feeling, trust me :), but getting closer to it has little to do with graduate-level education and more to do with doing the work and getting better by it. That can be in school or on the job, whichever you prefer.
actually glen graduated from the experimental program (it might have been called motion graphics back then). as did:
peter chung: creator of aeon flux
eric darnell: director of antz and madagascar
henry selick: james and the giant peach
steve hillenburg: spongebob squarepants
and me.
jules, who had the best lines, used to tell us that upstairs (character) they taught animators but downstairs they taught directors.
anyway i loved it. the key is to be self motivated. the rest will take care of itself.
best of luck.
ps. many of my classmates are doing very, very well out in lala land.
Wow, you're right. I just figured when he said the portfolio submitted to Disney was just illustration, that it must've been what he did in college as well. Next time I'll double-check =)
Wasn't powerpuff girls (or whuppass girls) his thesis or senior project or something? that was what i always heard.
in response to meleponine, yeah when i graduated from undergradand i struggled with whether or not to go back for my mfa for a while. i just got so fuckin sick of making websites for $ i had to try. but i had the same questions as you. they made it seem like i could kinda take whatever classes i wanted in the entire animation program up there. As an MFA i think i get access to the entire character animation program and the students said i can basically ditch my requirements. i mean, the beauty of the character anim program i think really rests on intensive figure drawing (which is open to the whole campus) and the visiting artist critiques (which i'm sure you can get with a little stick-to-itiveness). Combine those two with a couple of classes in animation techniques and mechanics and you've got yourself an education. Am I wrong?
that's it. thanks.
Craig McKracken did Powerpuff girls for his thesis I believe, and I think he graduated in character animation from Calarts.
I'm building a new portfolio for Calarts right now, but I can't decide between experimental and character. Sure, character is what Calarts is known for and what most people think of when they think of animation, but experimental sounds like it would give me a lot more freedom. Anyway, Calarts has one of the only experimental programs as far as I know, and it's pretty good.
-moot
Here a link to the page on the CalArts website where they give a little rundown on notable alumni. Since we've all been arguing who's who and who graduated in what from which program I thought it might be usefull.
Film Video Alumni
The film video program contains all of the animation programs.
note
John Lasseter is character anim BFA
Glen Keane is Exp Anim
Peter Chung Exp Anim
Craig McCracken (92, Character Animation)
Henry Selick (MFA 77, Experimental Animation)
Steve Hillenburg (MFA 92, Experimental Animation)
That page basically explains everything about who did what and when.