Animation Mentor?

Jeremy Lindstrom

I happen to have a little extra time since I'm only going to school now full time. I'm taking 20 credit hours of school next semester. I was wondering have anyone heard anything positive or negative about Animationmentor.com? The classes they give you and you have someone working in the industry give you advice on your projects and it's not really a college persay but it's an 18 month program and alot cheaper then VFS and it's online... Is it still too new? I haven't seen alot of news from it other then outside PR but was thinking about picking it up alongside my bachelors in Computer Animation, since I got about 18 months left before I graduate with that, I figured it may compliment my skillset a little more. I would like to be picked up by an animation studio somewhere.. someday.

Ninjas

they had a huge thread on CGTalk about Animation Mentor. I haven't heard anything really bad, and a lot pretty good. You know, "you get out what you put in" and all that.

Josh_Singh

It is hard, and there is a high drop out rate. But everybody I know who has gone through the program and stuck with it Love it. But by no means think it's something to supplement your current curriculum. From what Iv'e seen it's 20hrs a week minimum, not including assignments. Prettyr hard core, but some really great instruction. The program is old enough now that most of the bugs have been worked out too. I was thinking about a.m too.
It's 14 grand for the whole course, or I hear you can pay 2g's per class, as you take them.

Jeremy Lindstrom

yeah, 20 hours a week shouldn't be too difficult for me, I've got a lot of freetime since I was lucky enough to quit work to finish my degree. I have 20 credit hours next semester and 3 of those classes are pretty easy. The next AM courses start up in January.

Jeremy Lindstrom

now if you had 18 months left to get a degree at International Academy (which is one of those crappy tech schools) or drop it and not finish your degree and go to Animation Mentor instead would that be a wise choice?

I think it is... maybe I should stop wasting my money at a tech school..

Rwolf

Vfs is the best crash course on modeling and character animation I say (currently halfway in the 1 year 3d animation program), too bad it's expesnsive -.- and you only get a dimploma in 3D modeling.

Then again, it's the only crash course I've taken :P

animatr

im in it right now man, its a blast. DO IT!
its well worth the money. and I even have a sound job as an animator, I just wanted to learn more, and I couldnt be happier.

FunkaDelicDass

I haven't taken any of the courses at AnimationMentor, but I know some of the guys who started it up, and they are some of the nicest, most knowledgable, accomplished animators I've met.

Jeremy Lindstrom

I think i'm gonna sign up for teh winter classes then..

McIlroy

I have read that at least a good amount of the students who have completed the course have got jobs at Disney , ILM , Pixar ..etc etc I have no doubt it's a good course to take . Some of the reels for junior animators have been pretty good !

I wonder why someone hasn't done this type of thing for Game Animation specific training . I really think if some of the game industry best animators did a course like this a lot of people would be interested . The game industry REALLY needs better animators in some companies !!