Animation School Review

Animation Schools


Animation Careers

2D Animation Schools

Animation Alien

We have some of the best animation schools to choose from. 3D and 2D animation schools are increasing in popularity. With recent full feature animated movie hits, it’s easy to see why. Now is your chance to become a part of animation history. Animation schools offer flexible scheduling, online options, job placement assistance and multiple degrees. There is no excuse to delay. Request information about our animation schools today.

Potential Careers with training in Animation: Video and Computer Game Designer, 2D and 3D Animator, 3D Modeler, Visual Effects Artist, Compositor, Storyboard Artist, Concept Artist, and Character Designer.

In terms of training, few actually get the "right" training. They go to a crash course program like Mesmer f/x (which teaches you about brand X software in 3 short weeks), put together a rather weak demo reel in the same timeframe, and then hit the streets looking for a job. These people, in my opinion, have no training at all because they know nothing of the art of animation, nothing about lighting, nothing about story telling. They just "think" they know the software. The majority of the failures occur amongst these individuals. Sound a little disheartening? It should. You are attempting to break into the film industry. You are just like an actor auditioning for a part. Everyone wants the part, you have to want it more than anyone else, so much so that they couldn't cast anyone else but you for the role.

If you go to a top quality and reputable school and manage to do reasonably well, your chances of getting your foot in the door for an interview increase dramatically. The recruiters know what is taught at these schools and can assume that you are versed in a lot of things that most other candidates are not, but not always though. A person who has been trained in cinematology will stage their animations in a different way than those who have not. It's known as framing a scene. Every scene or shot is framed so that it has the maximum impact on the audience. In other words, it tells a compelling story. Students of crash course programs tend to mimic what they've seen before, whether good or bad, which indicates a lack of creativity on their part. There are a lot of choices to be made...what canvas to use, what medium, what hues, what pose...a lot of questions. Granted you won't be responsible for every question hat needs to be answered, but you will have to be aware of them.

There are no guarantees in this business. It's one part talent and two parts part luck. The old axiom "It's not what you know, but who you know" rings true here. Once you get into the biz, you're over the biggest hump. From then on, you're one of the players who move from one studio to the next, looking for a better job opportunity. But you have to survive that first spring cut to do it. Some people find work but can't keep up with the pace. They end up burning out or getting fired. These companies are looking for the best, and you'll have to stay on top if you want to work for the big boys like ILM, Disney, or Pixar.

 

Animation Schools and Colleges:

School is very expensive. You can expect to spend about 6K for a crash course in animation as well, but I highly advise against attending such programs for the above mentioned reasons. You get what you pay for. Private schools such as Ringling, Sheridan, etc. will cost you a lot more than state run schools (like twice as much or more!). They're a bit more picky about who they accept and pride themselves in producing top quality graduates. They not in the business of making sure "X" number of students graduate each year, they have their reputations to uphold...hence the dramatic increase in the quality of the education. You will most likely be paying out of state tuition at one of these schools, but federal aid is available to you at most accredited institutions, so always look into that before you choose school "A" over school "B". I'm not about to suggest that you can't find the education that you want where you live, the education curriculums change all the time and more and more schools are offering Animation programs. Just be sure that the school you attend is the right one for you, because in all likely-hood, you won't be able to afford another education at another school after that. A lot of information on different schools is now available,Check 'em out.

 

Demo Reels and Choosing a School:

Demo reels should be done while in school. That's something you'll want to check out. Some places provide no means for putting student's work to tape! Avoid these places, as digital to video transfer can cost a fortune! It also shows that they aren't as "hip" to the business as they claim to be. Also understand that a good demo reel takes more than a couple days to put together. Good work takes time. Some folks spend years refining their reels.

If you interested in Animation, then don't go to a school that  doesn't offer a program in Animation, electives don't count. A lot of schools offer electives in using animation software, and that's not the same thing as being educated in Animation.

Get in contact with schools and ask for a free info packet, they should be more than happy to provide you with one and this will give you a good opporunity to see what they offer and teach. If you can, visit these schools and get in touch with former students. There's nothing like seeing a school first hand and touring the facilities, but if you can't do that, contacting former students will give you a good idea of what the school is like. Just make sure you talk to more than one person...different people have different experiences!

 

 

The Art Institute (Online) - Online Animation Training and Degree Programs

Alabama Animation Schools
Virginia College* (Birmingham, Huntsville, Mobile) - Animation and Game Design

Arizona Animation Schools
ITT Technical Institute - Animation
High-Tech Institute (Phoenix, AZ) - Animation
Collins College (Tempe) - Bachelor - Animation
The Art Institute of Phoenix - (Phoenix, Arizona) - Media Arts & Animation, Game Art Design

California Animation Schools
Academy of Art College (San Francisco) - Video and Computer Game Designer, 2D and 3D Animator, 3D Modeler, Visual Effects Artist, Compositor, Storyboard Artist, Concept Artist, and Character Designer
Art Institute of California (San Diego, CA) - Media Arts & Animation
California Design College (Los Angeles, CA) - Interactive Media Design, Graphic Design
ITT Technical Institute (Anaheim, CA, Lathrop, CA, Oxnard, CA, Rancho Cordova, CA, San Bernardino, CA, San Diego, CA, Sylmar, CA, Torrance, CA, West Covina, CA) - Digital Entertainment and Game Design
Laurus College (San Luis Obispo, CA, Santa Maria, CA)
American InterContinental University (Los Angeles)
Brooks College (Long Beach)
Brooks College (Sunnyvale)
Brooks Institute of Photography (Santa Barbara)
Platt College (Los Angeles, Newport Beach, Ontario)- 3D Animation Design
The Art Institute of California (San Francisco, CA) - Animation and Digital Media Arts Programs
Western Career College (Fremont, Emeryville, San Jose, Walnut Creek)
Westwood College (Anaheim, Los Angeles, Inland Empire)

Colorado Animation Schools
Westwood College (North-Denver, South-Denver *) - Bachelor Degree - Visual Communications, Associate Degree - Graphic Design and Multimedia, Bachelor Degree - Animation, Bachelor Degree - Computer Network Management, Bachelor Degree - E-Business Management, Bachelor Degree - Game Software Development, Bachelor Degree - Web Design and Multimedia
The Center for Professional Development at the Art Institute of Colorado (Denver) - 3D Animation Principles and Techniques 3ds Max 7 Advanced Lighting, 3ds Max 7 Animation 1 and 2, 3ds Max 7 Essentials, 3ds Max 7 Rendering 1 and 2
The Art Institute of Colorado (Denver, CO)Visual Effects & Motion Graphics, Animation

Florida Animation Schools
Florida Metropolitan University (Brandon, Jacksonville, Lakeland, Melbourne, Orange Park, Orlando, Pinellas, Pompano Beach, Tampa) - Film and Video, Commercial Art
DMAC: Digital Media Arts College (Boca Raton, FL) - Animation, BFA in Computer Animation
High-Tech Institute (Orlando) - Digital Design & Animation
International Academy of Design and Technology (Orlando) - Computer Graphics, Game Design and Development, Multimedia Production and Design: Interactive Media, Visual Communication, Recording Arts, Digital Movie Production
International Academy of Design and Technology (Tampa) - Bachelor - Computer Graphics, Bachelor - Game Design and Development, Bachelor - Multimedia Production and Design: Interactive Media, Bachelor - Visual Communication ,Bachelor - Recording Arts, Bachelor - Digital Movie Production
Keiser College* (Daytona Beach, Fort Lauderdale, Jacksonville, Kendall, Lakeland, Melbourne, Orlando, Pembroke Pines, Port St. Lucie, Sarasota, Tallahassee, Tampa, West Palm Beach) - Computer Animation and Design
Southwest Florida College (Ft. Myers) - Animation
The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale - (Fort Lauderdale, Florida)

Georgia Animation Schools
American InterContinental University (Buckhead, Atlanta) - Animation, Bachelor - Visual Communications: Digital Design
Westwood College (Atlanta) - Visual Communications, Associate Degree - Graphic Design and Multimedia, Bachelor Degree - Animation, Bachelor Degree - Computer Network Management, Bachelor Degree - E-Business Management, Bachelor Degree - Game Software Development, Bachelor Degree - Web Design and Multimedia
Florida Career Colleges (Hialeah , Lauderdale Lakes, Miami , Pembroke Pines , West Palm Beach)
Herzing College (Atlanta, GA) - Animation
High-Tech Institute (Atlanta) - Interactive Graphic Arts
The Chubb Institute (Alpharetta, GA) - Animation

Illinois Animation Schools
International Academy of Design & Technology (Schaumberg, Illinois) - Animation
The Illinois Institute of Art - Schaumburg - Animation
The Chubb Institute (Villa Park , Chicago , Quincy) - Animation
Westwood College* (DuPage, Chicago Loop, O'Hare, River Oaks) - Bachelor Degree - Visual Communications, Associate Degree - Graphic Design and Multimedia, Bachelor Degree - Animation, Bachelor Degree - Computer Network Management, Bachelor Degree - E-Business Management, Bachelor Degree - Game Software Development, Bachelor Degree - Web Design and Multimedia

Illinois Animation Schools
Laurus College (Jonesboro, KY)   3D Animation, Business Applications, Web Design.

Louisiana Animation Schools
Herzing College - New Orleans, LA - Animation

Massachusetts Animation Schools
Clark University Computer Career Institute (Cambridge, MA) - Animation
Gibbs College (Boston) - Visual Communication Graphic Design (Associate)
The Center for Digital Imaging Arts at Boston University (Waltham) - 3D Animation, Digital Filmmaking

Maryland Animation Schools
Computer Career Institute at John Hopkins University - Digital 3-D Design, Digital Video & Animation Design
Hagerstown College Hagerstown, MD - Animation

Michigan Animation Schools
International Academy of Design and Technology (Detroit) Bachelor - Computer Graphics, Bachelor - Game Design and Development, Bachelor - Multimedia Production and Design: Interactive Media, Bachelor - Visual Communication ,Bachelor - Recording Arts, Bachelor - Digital Movie Production
ITT Technical Institute - Southfield MI

Minnesota Animation Schools
Herzing College (Minneapolis, MN) - Animation
Brown College (Mendota Heights) - Bachelor - Game Design and Development, Bachelor - Interior Design,Associate - Visual Communications
The Art Institutes International Minnesota (Minneapolis) - Media Arts & Animation

New Animation Schools
Fairleigh Dickinson University Computer Career Institute - Animation
The Chubb Institute (Cherry Hill , North Brunswick, Parsippany, Jersey City) Animation Degrees
Katharine Gibbs School (Piscataway) - Animation
Herzing College - Animation

New York Animation Schools
3D Training Institute - New York (New York, NY)
Briarcliffe College (Bethpage) Bachelor - Graphic Design, Associate - Graphic Design, Bachelor - Information Technology: Computer Networking and Telecommunications,Bachelor - Information Technology: Applied Computer Programming
Katharine Gibbs School (Melville ,New York ) - Animation, Game and Web Design (Associate)
NetCom Information Technology (Manhattan, Queens) Animation
Skidmore College (Computer Career Institute) (Whiteplains, NY) - Animation, Digital 3-D Design, Digital Graphic Design, Digital Multimedia & Web Design, Digital Video & Animation Design
The Chubb Institute (Westbury, NY) - Animation
The Chubb Institute (New York , NY) - Animation
The College of Westchester (White Plains, NY) -- Multimedia Development, Computer Applications Management, Computer Applications Specialist, Computer Network Administration, Computer Networking Specialist, Computer Programming

North Carolina Animation Schools
Art Institute of Charlotte - Animation

Ohio Animation Schools
Ohio Institute of Photography & Technology - Dayton, OH - Animation

Oregon Animation Schools
Art Institute of Portland, OR - Animation

Pennsylvania Animation Schools
* Browse Animation Schools in Pennsylvania
Bradley Academy for the Visual Arts (York, PA)

Rhode Island Animation Schools
Katharine Gibbs School (Providence) - Animation

Tennessee Animation Schools
International Academy of Design & Technology - Nashville, TN - Animation

Texas Animation Schools
Westwood College of Technology - Fort Worth - Animation

Virginia Animation Schools
The Chubb Institute - Reston, VA - Animation

Utah Animation Schools
Utah Career College (West Jordan) - Multimedia, Computer Graphics - Animation

Washington Animation Schools
The Art Institute of Seattle - (Seattle, Washington) -

Wisconsin Animation Schools
Herzing College - Madison, WI - Animation


International Animation Programs
Canada Animation Schools
International Academy of Design and Technology (Toronto) - Animation
Herzing College - Animation
CDI College / Delta College - Laval - Animation
CDI College / Delta College - Longueuil - Animation
CDI College / Delta College - Montreal - Animation
The Art Institute of Vancouver - Burnaby Location, (Burnaby, British Columbia) - 3D Modeling for Animation & Games
The Art Institute of Vancouver - Burnaby Location, (Burnaby, British Columbia) - Animation

United Kingdom Animation Schools
American InterContinental University (London) - Animation

 

Additional Animation Schools