That course looks really cool. I might sign up for it, even though I’m already going to another college.
Note: Although Animation Mentor has a favorable reputation and sounds like a magnificent program, let’s keep all discussion centering around the subject separate from this thread.
Thank you. 
– Mitch
Administrators/Moderators: If my action is deemed unappropriate and/or unnecessary, please do not hesitate to remove this post of mine from the premises.
I’m an Animator (high school) and I’m just gonna finish school before I get anywhere. I’ve wanted to work at Pixar ever since I saw Toy Story (I was… about 7-10 years old).
Welcome to Pixar Planet ilikemonkeys.
Hey ilikemonkeys, it can happen. Welcome to Pixar Planet by the way.
Thanks guys, been following the blog for some time now. Finally took the plunge to the forums.
Well, we are quite glad you did. Every active members here are the some of the coolest people I’ll know.
Guess what? I want to be an animator too. And I need all the help I can get as far as determining which school to go to, and learning from art students the exact ramifications of becoming a professional animator. Such as!–
-What’s the best school? Does it have to be in CA? Is Animation Mentor taken seriously, being an online course? What’s so special about CalArts and is it the hardest to be accepted to?
-Maya is expensive. Can a 16-year-old with Maya’s Personal Learning Program gain enough experience with it? How important is it for animators?
-How many Americans are trying to access the rarefied world of character animation?
-Can I go to a local community college for the first two years and finish up at a prestigious art school for the last two and still be considered? (versus a four-year course)
I have way to many questions; they all exploded into my mental dome in one week, as if I’m running out of time to study. I saw Ratatouille, obsessed about it, read “Illusion of Life” and a million animator bios, relished “The Pixar Story”, and finally touched noses with the prospect of a career! I’m excited and at the same time afraid of not being able to compete with “everybody else”. Yeah, I need help, and I need to hone my skills.
~Sarah
I doesn’t need to be in California, I’m in Canada. Just look for a good art program (try finding somewhere that does animation). I’m personally heading for ECIAD (Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design). AM I think is very reputable, you still get a diploma/certificate and you make lots of contacts in the animation industry. From what I hear, getting a job in Animation is “Not what you know, but who you know”. I’m hoping to go after I’m done at ECIAD. Education really is not that apartment (it still is but you can still get by, barely). Most studios only really care about your demo reel, if it comes down to it they will look at your resume. It’s more important to know how to animate well. The Maya PLE is great for learning the software as well as getting familiar with animation with it. Once your in post secondary you can get a student discount then, so don’t worry about that.
Timing and understanding why the body moves the way it does is extremely important too. Timing plays a big part in describing emotions and body language. actions and reactions as well.
And anatomy, holy crap is that important. I suppose technically it’s not as important to a CGI character animator as it is to traditional 2D animator, but if you don’t want things to good all loopy on you…
Even you can’t draw well it’s still really important to learn. My animation department doesn’t have any life drawing or perspective classes (bt illustration does), and the students’ work reflects it sometimes. I personally hate drawing from life, but if I hadn’t been taking life painting and drawing classes, my characters would look much worse. If you can model a human form using tonal value and color, then when you get into that CGI modeling class you’ll have no problem understanding the little quirks of your figure.
Years ago you could have told me that and I would have been like “pff screw that. I just want to make things move”. And that would have made me a moron.
What you need to do is make sure that whatever school you go to will allow you some basic drawing foundation classes (or at least anatomy) and some illustration. Trust me they’re important.
Speaking of schools, you can find them in every corner of the US. I’m currently enrolled at the College of Creative Studies which is in Detroit. I’m an animation major/illustration minor. It’s not the most well known school, but our professors have had extensive time in the field. Our animation chair worked on Surf’s Up, Monster House, and Beowulf and my favorite prof has done 2D for more companies then I can remember. This leads me to my next point. Research your school choice and research them well. Find out what the professors do/have done. Look at where the alumni have gone after graduation.
I’d comment more on this subject, but it’s the weekend before finals and I still have 3 paintings and a bunch of other stuff to do. Been up til 6am the last 3 nights. chugs coffee And that leads me to my final point. Commitment. You must be committed. Art schools are no joke. You will be worked hard and driven to your limit. (Our school motto: You can sleep when you’re dead!) You will feel like you will never be good enough. I’m not saying this to scare you, just being honest here. But if you truly want to be a part of the animation industry, and truly love the work then you have nothing to fear. And remember that we’re extra supportive around here. Aren’t we guys!
~Haunt~
Thanks you guys! You are very helpful.
In getting my degree, Animation Mentor would have the cheapest tuition at $16,000 flat (no room, board, or textbooks required), which was why I was doubtful that I could go very far with it as opposed to 30K private art schools.
I have another question that’s vital for me because my parents have planned for my first two years at a community college. Do 4-year BA courses in art schools require all the basic college credits (math, science, philosophy, etc.)? Would I still get the degree if I transferred from a community college to an art college to finish my last two years?
Haunt: You’re really a tremendous help because you’re literally in an animation program. I’m in the reverse situation: I can draw with a pencil and paper, but I’m inept with computers. I’ve seen your artwork – how exactly do you make it? Is it all done on computers or with pen on paper colored with photoshop?
I’ve read interviews of lead animators at Pixar (animationarena.com) saying they thought they sucked and didn’t have a chance. I guess I’ll have to brace myself for feelings of low self-esteem!
Okay, I’m drifting far away from the topic! But Haunt, I live in the middle of the midwest – north Texas. In general, if I wanted to go to the nearest art school offering a course in animation, the Dallas Institute of Art would be it, and they’re more pricey than CalArts. Would traveling to California for school be a bonus since almost all feature animation studios are based there? Do you plan on migrating all the way from Michigan to CA to get a job?
~Sarah
I’ll tell you what, this site has the most friendly boards I’ve ever been on. Everyone respects each other and even the most heated argument we’ve had so far with Hog-Hug in the Car 2 forum was nothing more than a pillow fight. Everyone here is great!
To back up Haunt, holy crap is anatomy important. Computer animators seem to forget this. Yes nobody sees your thumbnails you draw, so they don’t have to look good at all, but not knowing anatomy will make your character not function properly and the audience will feel it. Having an understanding of how the body moves and why it moves the way it does is absolutely essential in character animating.
FunnyGirl, you have the Illusion of Life. Study Chapter 3 on the Principals of Animation. Study them, memorize them, and think of them each time your animating, they are all equally important. If your animation feels off, you probably left out one of the principles.
Animation is the illusion of life, so you have to study life and the more you know about it, the better you’ll be able to replicate it!
I’ve pretty much given up all hope of ever working for Pixar. I know, I shouldn’t, but seriously, it is waay out of my league. And I know if I have any hope of ever working there, I’d probably be in my mid-forties by then. 
I do like animating - can’t get over how giddy I got about a stupid eye-blink animation, but liking it doesn’t seem enough anymore.
I’m constantly told I’m good at drawing, and have been told this my whole life, but I think everyone I know on this Stupid Island has put loads and loads of false hope in my heart.
Maybe, just maybe, when I publish my novel, it’ll be known enough for them to know who I am, and maybe I’ll get in. But, that’s just a dream.
I hated it when I thought nothing could stand in my way, that I could work for Pixar as soon as I got out of college. I was a real fool then. I’m glad I’ve opened my eyes. I’m sick of living in a world of bliss and endless possibilities. It’s a nice place to stay, but when I realized the truth of it all it just broke my heart and made me feel like garbage.
FONY- I’m in the same situation as you are, but in my case, I haven’t given up hope, just opened up more possibilities. For example, I love animation and wnat to be an animator, but if that doesn’t work out, I’d love to do marketing, and the best part is, both jobs relate to Pixar in some way.
I attribute losing my naivete to the internet, but at least I don’t have false hopes anymore, they are more realistic, but they are still there. I still have some more time to think, and I’ll use it well.
martini833: I know what you mean - and I still hold that hope of animating somewhere else, but it’s just my eyes opened up to exactly how freaking hard it is to actually get a job at Pixar.
That, and I’m starting to think that my drawing skills are really not good enough, and that my writing may actually be my forte. 
So … that’s a big turn around. Spent my life focused on art to find I might enjoy writing more - parents aren’t happy since artists don’t get paid much (they were all right with me being an artist) but unless I shoot books out like Stephen King, or my book becomes the next Harry Potter … I’m in trouble, money-wise.
FunnyGirl: My deepest apologies. I had finals last week and now I’m finally catching up with forums, journals and galleries.(Not to mention I still need to work with my cosplay outfit!)
Anyways, you had a bunch of questions. Firstly, yeah, transferring is always a good option. I already have a bachelors degree, and my new school still let some stuff through. I had a lot of my art history, liberal and math already done. I’m sort of an odd transfer because people usually haven’t gradated. Most students tend to say in art school for the fall, winter, and spring semesters then take out their non-at classes during the summer at cheaper com school. In detroit there is literally one next door. Try to locate the nearest com college when you go school hunting.
As for my own artwork I use several diffenrent medias. I tend to do a lot of my sketching now on paper. Last year it was on the computer, but that can hinder your ability to use perspective and composition correctly. For color I do a million different things. Lately I’ve been getting back into markers and color pencils. For digital I use Illustrator, Photoshop, or painter. For CGI animation I use 3ds max 8 (and I’ll be learning Maya this summer) and for my 2D I use Mirage and Flash. Having basic understanding of some programs is a must, but bear in mind that a lot of business will give you on site training for some things.
I don’t know about moving to Cali. I know that some studios are partial to in-state graduates, but not always Like I said before, don’t just pick a school based on location and tuition prices. Really research and see what the graduates are doing. That’ll be your best indicator. Of course I’m not putting down Cali schools. I’m a little jealous that their field trips can take them to the studios of their choice while I sit here with nothing to stare at but the same picture of Pixar’s cereal bar.
For my personal plans, I do see myself leaving frosty ol’ Michigan and high stepping it all the way to SoCal. A lot of major film studios are out there. There are also some indie studios I’d love to work at too. Sure there are places in Michigan (not many in the feature film industry though) and surrounding areas. Places like Chicago and New York are ripe with up and coming studios too. I’ve got my heart set on 3 or 4 studios and all require me to leave MI, and in one case leaving the country all together. (Though I really don’t fancy the idea of tangling with those vancouver students. That school is pheonomenal, or so I’ve heard.)
Sorry to the mod if this is gettiong off on a tangent.