Best College for learning Visual Effects

[ramagopal]

thanks for u r past reply
i nt too much interested in animation i am only interested in vfx only
i want to learn purely vfx
any option for that in master degrees ........

[lendl]

Just a suggestionTry the ICAT website.
According to me they r the only school in India to teach Animation & VFX

[niceguysan]

Just a suggestionTry the ICAT website.
According to me they r the only school in India to teach Animation & VFX

though their are other also like maac & picaso , Raffels , maac provides certification of cambridge university ,Raffels is of New Zealand has only one institute in india in mumbai,
this could be the best choice for those cant afford study abroad in this field , i saw it has good placement within india ... but i can't say how much futuristic value that might be having w.r.t. professional work experience being in india or doing it in some industry like pixar or sony imageworks.

what i think what that matters is not the degree or certification but the quality of work , and quality of education

i didnt see any vfx showreel on their site just modeling work,

[ramagopal]

i want to do masters in vfx i am nt that much interested in diploma
any colleges are providing masters in vfx

[rebolt]

I am thinking of choosing between Seneca & Bournemouth University. But not sure which one is better and there's a lot difference between the expenses. But still if someone could tell me more on this would be great.

[tcomputerchip]

I know a lot people are looking for some good words of advice for what school will give you the best information.

But, here is the thing. Write this down.
It does not matter how much you pay to go to school. In the end, you need to learn the basic skills. DVD's can only do so much. From that point having classes for most people is needed. And don't blow through the class. DO THE HARD WORK.

I spent much of my degree working full time and taking 5 classes.
That was hard, but I did it with a high GPA. This stuff is not easy, I know that. But getting the time to get educated by industry professionals is the most important part of your education.

So, I would say you need to look for schools that are close to the industry. Cal Arts, Academy of Art Univ. and Gnomon are all close to the industry. Meaning much of the instructors come from the industry.

[jamesmcp]

bournemouth university is great. probably one of the best places to do computer animation in the country. the uni has won many awards and is very welll recognised. i have met many many people working now in london , some in senior positions, who did the computer aniimation masters at bournemouth university. if you are going to go there i would maybe advise doing your 1st 3 years on the film degree as a compositor, the film degree is run in the bournemouth arts institute and prepares you for the masters course. after doing the film degree (specialism in compositing) you would be qualified for an entry level 2d job - if you go on to do the masters you would be qualified to do a junior compositing job.
the arts institute is a uk screen academy , only 2 of those in the country. the head of the school of media there used to work for ILM and is seen in the industry as a guru, a very useful contact in the vfx industry. they an have excellent industrial liason scheme . past graduates from the film production degree include the guy who wrote the script for the full monty, and billy elliot, and the guy who wrote the gorrilla filmakers handbook. it is one of the most respected courses in the uk and rightly so. i cant tell you so much about the uni because i didnt do that course but all i know is the masters is a very very good option to take after you have a degree.
hope this helps!

[jamesmcp]

bournemouth is great. probably the centre for computer animation in britain. its a well respected course and ive met a lot of people working now in london who did the masters course there. i think it has won many awards and is a top course. it also benefits from being next door to the arts institute where they have a film school / uk screen academy . i was at the arts institute for 4 years so i know plenty about the film degree there. but i guess if you are already doing a degree your more interested in the masters at the uni?

a lot of people come from overseas to bournemouth, the town is very cosmopolitan and thats one of the best things about it . good luck with whatever you choose!

[space-sprayer]

yea i have to agree with jamesmcp - Bournemouth is generally considered the best course in the country for animation. However, when it comes to Visual Effects, i think the course at Teesside University is as good as or better than Bournemouth. I am currently half way through my second year at Teesside, and for the most part, I am very content with the course. Some other reasons to consider Teesside:

- Was rated 18th in the world for animation and vfx training by 3Dworld magazine last month.
- Just finished a new £27million development of the arts training including new life drawing and graphics arts facilities and a new greenscreen studio which is apparently being run by a technician that used to work for Cinesite. I am seeing it inside for the first time tomorrow so ill report back on how it is.
- Hosts the anual Animex festival, where lots of industry pros come to share techniques and experiences, and mingle with the students to scout out talent. Check http://www.animex.net
- Possibly the cheapest place in Britain to live right now. By accommodation last year cost me £55 a week as opposed to the £120 a week for some in London. The area isn't nice, but the university itself is a rose among the thorns.

Teesside hasn't been perfect, ive had my issues (and ill expand on them if anyone is interested), but it is an option that you may wish to consider. I know that students have to sit a maths test to get into Bournemouth, and apparently there is quite a bit of programming (i may be wrong here) in the course. At Teesside its very much art related.
Hope that will give you another option to consider, especially with money being a major factor in your decision.

I think that anywhere you go you have to be prepared to learn on your own. I have learned a lot at uni, but for the most part, it is just a creative environment for me and gives me time to really push my work to the next level. Plus it is nice to have someone to point you in the right direction when you make mistakes which you dont get with the Gnomon dvds. I have a whole bunch of Gnomon dvds too, and use them to supplement my uni course, but in my work here i am pushed outside my comfort zone to do things i wouldn't have considered before, which is good (especially when they turn out well )

Ok, im all typed out. Hope it helped...

Nick

[mboden]

i want to do masters in vfx i am nt that much interested in diploma
any colleges are providing masters in vfx

Why are you interested in MFA if you don't want a diploma? A lot of money for no reward. AAU in SF, CA has a VFX MFA.

[Hugh]

I know that students have to sit a maths test to get into Bournemouth, and apparently there is quite a bit of programming (i may be wrong here) in the course. At Teesside its very much art related.

The one thing that I hear most from other compositors is usually along the lines of "I wish I knew more maths" or "I wish I could program and make macros".

Bournemouth is so well respected because the people that they send out at the end of the course are all rounders. The art-oriented people can also do a bit of scripting/programming, and the programmers understand the art side of it.

[jamesmcp]

the arts institute (bournemouth) degree course at the film school involves no programming its just a simple shake run course with a bit of theory thrown in for good measure, i agree however the university does involve a lot more techinical stuff but im sure most people would expect that in the step up from BA to masters

[space-sprayer]

Yea, my comment about the Maths wasn't a criticism by any means, just an observation on the differences between the courses. Personally i am learning a bit about maths and scripting on my own to fill that gap.
Interesting that the film school offers a degree that involves no programming though. Personally im keeping a constant keen eye on the Bournemouth students, their quality of work and what they are learning because i know the courses are well respected in the industry.

Good to hear your thoughts on that, thanks.

Nick

[VFX_Vicky]

The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale! We have a great VFX program that so few know about.

[deepumsk]

HI,
I am from India. i have done diploma from arena multimedia, and also from SAE college of animation.I want do vfx in Australia or Canada.I am doing job as web designer. I have discontuined my +12. Is there any college which offers a degree depending on my background?If not i even ready to do diploma also.Which college wil be good to do?


(sorry for my English if any mistake)