For those with questions about possible schools for visual effects I've had no direct experience with visual effects classes but thought I'd list a few here.
I know there are quite a few others world-wide so don't look at this list as the only available source of training.
(Note that I'm not making any endorsements - good or bad)
As I note in my VFX Career posting/podcast you don't necessarily have to go to an official school to work in visual effects.
It's important to check the range and detail of classes they offer.
How much hands on experience do the teachers have?
How much hands on experience do the student get?
Do you want a full college experience (along with a degree) or do you want more of a technical school?
Do they have internships at companies or any placement services?
Make sure to do a search for reviews and opinions of others.
Of course there are universities and colleges expanding their film classes
to include some visual effects and animation classes.
The range and depth of classes at these film schools may not be as great as some of the others.
USC
UCLA
Chapman University
Sheridan Institue
I do know people who teach or run some of the programs at the following schools:
Savannah College of Art and Design
School of Visual Arts
Academy of Art
Gnomon 3D
Expression College
Others I've seen advertised:
Full Sail
Vancouver Film School
For online classes:
Lynda.com
Gnomon
From Readers:
Another school to add to your list is AnimationMentor.com, an online character animation school where all the teachers a working studio animators. Check it out on the web. The school has had great success placing students--more then 50% graduate to studio animation jobs.
For online VFX learning (or in site if you are in San Francisco) i´d also add Pixelcorps.com , run by ex-ILM-er Alex Lindsay.
Another great site for online VFX learning is PixelboxAcademy.Net. I am enrolled on their 'VFX Compositing' online course and it's being really cool.
An excellent online VFX training school/community i highly recommend is fxphd.
They offer excellent courses and acces to high quality footage for a low price.
And there are a wealth of DVDs and Books available. Do an internet search or check the Effects Corner Store.
Another view on VFX schools from vfxhack VFX School Confidential.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
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9 comments:
For online VFX learning (or in site if you are in San Francisco) i´d also add Pixelcorps.com, run by ex-ILM-er Alex Lindsay.
I have been a member of Pixel Corps since it went online in 2004. So I can vouch for that as a great online resource.
But Scott, do you have any feelings about the Art Institutes?
I recently started Art Institute Online to earn a Bachelor's degree. I have an A.A. in Computer Graphics (1996) from the International Fine Arts College in Miami, which is coincidentally now part of the Art Institutes as well.
Art Institues - I've never personally dealt with them or had it mentioned by anyone I know. They seem to have mixed reviews but much will depend on the specific teacher in addition to the curriculum.
For those checking out schools be sure to Google the name of the schoool with the word review or opinion. As with anything on the internet take all thoughts with a grain of salt (or block of salt for that matter)
Another great site for online VFX learning is pixelboxacademy.net. I am enrolled on their 'VFX Compositing' online course and it's being really cool.
Hi Scott!
Many thanks for your work on Effects Corner!
An excellent online VFX training school/community i highly recommend is fxphd.
They offer excellent courses and acces to high quality footage for a low price.
Fantastic that you're back on the air! (as it were...)
btw, along with the pixelcorps and fxguide/fxphd, I'm a student at the DAVE School in Orlando, another very good locale for effects production.
The National Film & Television School in the UK (www.nfts.co.uk) runs an MA programme for both SFX/VFX and Digital Post Production, both of which are tutored by current industry practitioners and have an excellent employment record for graduates.
Do you have any opinion on Gnomon? I am very interested in getting into vfx and animation. I have always been an artist and I have a degree in film and have been making idies but am looking to expand my horizons a bit. Gnomon looks really cool but I'm a little scared of the $45k price tag and I can't find any reviews online. Any thoughts on this place? Thanks!
Gnomon seems to be pretty good. I spoke there a week or two ago and know some of the teachers who are working vfx people (or previously working vfx people)
But the best thing to do is to see if you can find reviews of people who have attended or see how successful people have been getting jobs after going there.
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