Gnomon vs SCAD MFA

trooper905

Hi Polycount,

I am looking to continue my education, I recently graduated from University of Wisconsin - Stout with a BFA in Game Design and Development. I feel after finishing my program that I really didn't get out of it what I needed to get into the industry and feel I need to continue my education. My program was really new and doesn't have the staff or resources to really offer a great experience.

I have been looking at doing the MFA in game development at SCAD but recently remembered about Gnomon as an option  as well. I wanted to hear some other peoples advice about there experience with either. I feel like both are great options and I am not really sure the path to continue down. I myself would like to work in games as a 3D Environment Artist.

Thanks for any and all feedback it is much appreciated.

Larry

I think gnomon prices are somewhat high. I dont know how good their content is but as in this industry you have to observe by yourself and have problem solving skills to overcome any challenge (like the one you are facing right now) I started learning by myself in pluralsight which is 30$ per month and unlimited access to all videos, and when I look at academic programs for 3d, they seem ridiculously beginner level. That being said, nobody will tell you how to do things or get better, you have to produce as much content as you can, every time you will be learning something more. Try participating in challenges here and other forums, and push yourself to find ways on how to make things that you cannot do at the moment. You might like environmental art but you should learn a thing or two about character design animation and vfx, the more you know the better for you.

In conclusion what I believe is, if you are willing to spend so much money on gnomon, better get a masters degree and take your time creating a portfolio with 5 projects, always renewing your worst one with a new one.

radiancef0rge

My thoughts on SCAD for what its worth. 

http://polycount.com/discussion/comment/2525694#Comment_2525694

Brian "Panda" Choi

What does your portfolio look like right now?

PixelMasher

Option C: gumroad, 3dmotive, youtube. save yourself a boatload of debt and use cheaper learning resources readily available that are made by people currently in the industry. Only downside is you have to be super self motivated and disciplined to actually put in the work consistently. Save yourself 30-50k of debt and start life off on the right foot.

if you know your personality and think you can do it, there is plenty of opportunity for self taught people, I never went on to post secondary education after highschool and have been working in games for the last 10 years with zero issue in regards to any diploma or piece of paper. different strokes for different folks though  

trooper905

Brian "Panda" Choi said:

What does your portfolio look like right now?

My portfolio is can be seen at http://mitchelclayton.com/

Thanks for all the feedback so far it is very much appreciated and helpful. Working on my own without imposed structure has been hard for me. When I do have structure I work my ass off and will put in more time then is necessary. I have been trying to get my self as much work with other people because having others rely on me forces me to work but it still has been a struggle. On my own I am not that great about doing tutorials and teaching myself.

Larry

Well i'm afraid you need to cope with these feelings, because this is necessary in every job you want to do. "struggle" is a word that describes an adult's life. Nobody has a mentor to guide them through their entire lives, so you have to learn how to tackle "struggling" problems everyday. Especially in this industry, problem solving is really crucial i believe.

That being said, i'm just having a break from trying to figure out arm anatomy by myself, not having a clue about anatomy besides the torso area.