Guild Hall - anyone heard anything good?
polycounter lvl 18
a few of my students are interestes in guild hall, I was wondering if anyone know someone that attended there, or know about the college. It seems better than fullsail, but you never know until someone has been there 
http://guildhall.smu.edu/
http://guildhall.smu.edu/
Replies
If you've found the website, I encourage you to visit the forums (http://guildhall.proboards15.com/) and ask the students and grads who hang there. Or you can ask me specific questions ... I helped set up the school and designed the original art curriculum. But be warned ... I'm biased.
Some general comments on the art curriculum.
Establish your traditional art skills before coming to the school. GH is about turning trained artists into trained game artists. Part of the application process is convincing the professors and advisors that you have the skills to make it as a game artist.
The art program covers nearly every aspect of game art, including concept art, 2D character design and animation, 3D modeling of world objects, environment art, character modeling, texturing, rigging and animation, UI design, workflow, and art pipelines.
Students work intensively with at least 3 game engines on group projects.
Every art student starts out as a general artist (learning how to do everything at a basic level) and decides on their speciality along the way.
I'm happy to answer any specific questions about the content of the program.
Old people are weird like that, but he paints dragons, so it's all good.
a couple of guys i know got jobs around here in the area after going to the guildhall, we have a level designer who graduated from there here at ritual. In general from what I've seen and heard most of the artists (students) there aren't really that stellar, things might have changed since i last looked into it, its been awhile.
I've learned alot from my peers, so i'd say thats definitely important, regardless their program could be very good, alot of the people that are involved are people i personally respect as developers, so it could be worth it, and i don't think any other school's staff works as hard at actually getting you in the industry, or has the kind of connections they have at the guildhall, so if for nothing else this could be worth it, its definitely pricey though.
Success as a recent graduate is about:
-refining a marketable skillset
-presenting said skillset
-being in touch with the status of the industry, this makes sure you skillset is where it needs to be. polycount is good for that.
...and the all-important networking.
If you can do all of those things you will most likely find your way into this business.
-R
Lee3Dee ... sorry if I came off sounding like a car salesman. The word I would use is "evangelist" (in the secular sense). How about I just say ... the school is good. The school is getting better. I was sold on it as a developer who has been involved in the hiring process and knows how hard it is to find talent that knows how to do the job you need them to do. I was sold on it as a way to teach my craft. I was sold on it as a parent ... my son graduated from there last summer and works in game industry as an artist.
strangefate - "Old people are weird like that, but he paints dragons, so it's all good." "Old people"? Thanks for the compliment ... but, ow. Older, but quite a long ways from feeling "old."
Mr_Rockstar- And despite most of the students not being "stellar" the school has a near 90% placement rate into the industry. As far as the cost goes, start pricing other programs. The much-vaunted USC program, which so far, has graduated 6 students is a four year undergrad degree who's price-tag is going to be AT LEAST $200,000 USD. Most of these schools are private and pricey. Few of them have the type of faculty found at the Guildhall (nearly all are game industry vets). I don't think any have the immersive, multi-discipline team focused training one finds at the Guildhall.
You can learn 3D art skills at many universities. Same holds for learning to program. You may even find a few that offer some level design classes. But I don't think there's a school out there yet that has structured its program to teach all three in an integrated manner (each discipline separate, yet working together toward team-based goals ... like the way the game developers work).
OK .. done evangelizing. If you want more info on the school. Check out the web page. Talk to a recruiter. And if you REALLY want to see what the school is about, come to the next open house (March or April). Actually seeing what the school is about and meeting the staff and students will give a true picture of what it's about and what it can do for students.
If the people coming out of school were 'stellar' they probably wouldn't need the school in the first place.
Like a karateka, long practice and lots of alcohol makes the master.
So far (and i dunno any details about all those game schools out there so my opinion doesn't count much) the vids from graduates i've seen from the Guildhall are usually better, up to date and hire-able than what i see posted from other schools, which are usually single portfolios anyway.
I remember some stuff looking just as good or better than some similar games out there.
Every student takes part in the production of a game every year they attened Digipen.
One of the few teachers that taught me anything worth retaining became one of the department directors at Digipen (Abbott Smith) and he brought with him some of the other excellent faculty members.
My school was a joke. I had a good time and I loved college...but it didn't prepare me for this industry; I did that on my own.
Any school that is more interested in filling classes than weeding out squaters is a waste of time imo. Peer pressure can be a good thing. Screening is important cuz the atmosphere your piers create motivates a student much more than the faculty and ciriculum ever could. Steer clear of schools that have a lax screening system.
Be careful with that term 'industry placement' For AI it means kinko's and QA for Microsoft, or internships for flight simulator (which prepares you for almost nothing given their assembly-line pipe...well, aside from flight sim 2007.)
Guildhall looks interesting. If I return to Texas I'd like to come and see it for myself, Paul.
-R
Most schools can't prepare you to work in the game industry (specifically). They don't understand what the industry needs. They have no connection with it (other than being home to gamers for four or so years). If a game career is what you want, and you can't find/afford a school with an established game dev program, choose one that will solidly ground you in the foundations of the craft you choose to pursue. A well-trained artist with no specific game art making skills has a better chance of reaching his or her goals of making game art than a fan who has more enthusiasm than skill or training.
While it's not necessarily something that needs saying to this forum's members, it's important to realize that loving PLAYING games is not the same thing as loving MAKING games.
How Long?
Meaning what type of commitment is required and are there shortcuts or more direct routes? In specific, I was seeking a one year intensive program that focused on modeling and texturing. Not a school that enforces everyone to start out with drawing 101, one that instead assumes everyone is beyond this. Or one that assumes that everyone wants to be animators and forces a art path that focuses on this at a core level.
Again.. 1 year. Im getting too old and financially broke to consider anything beyond this.. Especially since at some later date I still want to go for a MFA.
And while Im at it, whats the level of rent in that area (small studios fine)? Bicycle distance from the campus.
You get out what you put out. that's just a general statement about all tech schools I guess.
Success as a recent graduate is about:
-refining a marketable skillset
-presenting said skillset
-being in touch with the status of the industry, this makes sure you skillset is where it needs to be. polycount is good for that.
...and the all-important networking.
If you can do all of those things you will most likely find your way into this business.
-R
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That's the best, succinct answer I've seen about getting into the industry. Something I might add is a skillset doesn't only include what pieces of technology you know. I landed my first gig because I had experience working with a team on independent projects and dealing with all the issues that surface when you are in a team environment.