Any here from "Vancouver Film School" or art institute???
polycounter lvl 10
I am need of some serious suggestions plz.. (If you are graduate from some art institute, plz share your experiences)
I think its quite hard/impossible for intermediate artist from developing nations(with not much resource on Game Development, though its slowly growing) to get a good international job at some good studios.
so, I was thinking maybe I need some formal courses,..
actually, I was checking out Vancouver Film School (http://www.vfs.com)
The tuition fee is awweesomely expensive for guy like me..., ~35K Canadian Dollar, 1yr
Okay here is my question (Even If I manage to get the loan for the studies), Do you think it's worthy ?
-Yes, I do have passion on game art design esp. on modeling and the force to drive me along the way.
[I saw some post previously saying, going to institute is waste of time and money, but it seems to give some strong background to my career]
But after that, Is it sure that it will increase my efficiency by much (its a 1 yr course), or can I secure my profession, can I work for a good studios as they claim ?? What shld I do ?
I think its quite hard/impossible for intermediate artist from developing nations(with not much resource on Game Development, though its slowly growing) to get a good international job at some good studios.
so, I was thinking maybe I need some formal courses,..
actually, I was checking out Vancouver Film School (http://www.vfs.com)
The tuition fee is awweesomely expensive for guy like me..., ~35K Canadian Dollar, 1yr
Okay here is my question (Even If I manage to get the loan for the studies), Do you think it's worthy ?
-Yes, I do have passion on game art design esp. on modeling and the force to drive me along the way.
[I saw some post previously saying, going to institute is waste of time and money, but it seems to give some strong background to my career]
But after that, Is it sure that it will increase my efficiency by much (its a 1 yr course), or can I secure my profession, can I work for a good studios as they claim ?? What shld I do ?
Replies
I'm sure there's a dozen threads on this topic already, but my general vibe (from the perspective of someone who went to Uni to study game art) is that the only thing you need to get better, is time. Courses offer you that time... usually at an insane price (UK). If the course itself teaches you actual relevant and decent methods then that's a bonus (that you would expect, but you'd be surprised).
A degree/certificate alone will not get you a job in any creative field in the games industry, despite what these courses tell you. "We're accredited! Games companies look for people on our course!"... it's bullshit 99% of the time. They want your money, that is all.
I didn't even have a bad experience with my course, just an FYI... I loved it, but I didn't sign up on the expectation of getting into the industry, I did it because I knew what the course was teaching, and it allowed me to focus pretty much 100% of my time into what I loved doing.
Edit
This thread probably shouldn't be in "Technical Talk"... by the way.
GeeDave: yeah, true that ways it is making me in so dilemma..
Actually, I am from engineering background but have been working in 3D art field for like 3 yrs now, but want to grow my ability now..
so , I am trying for Canada, so after that I want to work for a big studios
but for that It seems , I'd need to have a stronggggggg portfolio, and background. so, wanted some suggestions...
You do need an existing portfolio to apply, and it's not guaranteed entry.
They have fantastic instructors though.
Cap Uni also offers a two year long visual effects course, but the tuition of that is around 25 grand last I checked.
pro:
* you have a degree - makes immigration to countries a little bit easier where game companies are. But you don't necessarily need a degree in games.
* networking! (or post art here on polycount, mail people at polycount, network here)
* AI doesn't have a folio requirement - so even total newbs can get into
con:
* eeeeeeeeeexpensive!
* eeeeeeeeeexpensive!
* eeeeeeeeeexpensive!
* eeeeeeeeeexpensive!
* eeeeeeeeeexpensive!
* AI doesn't have a folio requirement: there'll be a lot of unmotivated / unskilled people too in your class
* doesn't guarantee a job at games
* you only get as much out from it as you put into it.
If your goal is to just have someone nudge you into the right direction and tell you where to start, in case you never touched 3D before, then there's probably cheaper alternatives.
Personally, I wouldn't study game art, especially if I were from a poorer country where the amount of money you'll be spending has even more worth than in a western country. If you go for a degree, get something that's useful inside and outside the games industry - e.g. traditional art /design, computer science, management, and then hone your art skills on your own (you still need to do that in a games college too!). If you really have to go to a place like AI, study at least something like "classical animation" or make sure it has lots of life drawing, color theory, painting and other traditional subjects. Be wary of places who just want to teach you a 3D application, but not the backgrounds of making art.
VFS is also more like a 6 month program, the courses stop after the sixth month and you are given the next 6 to work on your demoreel. They really don't teach you everything you need to know and when I went there, (6 years ago...man there's a lot of 6's) they were overworked and understaffed. Teachers would avoid students like they were infected with the plague, (understandably).
At the end of the course I was offered a TA position (I was practically already working as surrogate TA for my class) and voted most likely to get a job. I turned down the TA position because it was paying below what is now the minimum wage in Canada, pretty-much threw my pathetic demoreel in the trash and got a job as a Geologist.
I used to joke that in VFS, Teachers had a magic hotkey that did everything- "How do I add multiple UVs?" F1, "How do I open that menu again?" F1...
I got call yesterday, and email infos from Ai with some students portfolio links...
But I was surprised, I wasn't not impressed with their works , nothing like those in the polycount or Zbrush showcase :S ...
Well, this is more amazing haha...
Actually, since it was rated among the top 5 art college, the portfolio was supposed to be Rocking Awesome ??
Anyways, let see what future holds for me... till then will be practicing and applying for studios too
btw, here are my portfolio links
personal work: http://suchan.com.np
professional work: http://suchan.com.np/index.php/professional-works
VFS however is very focused that its students work on a folio and pushes the students - that's why many VFS folios look very similar, but it gives the students a plan to stick to and the folios look much better.
In the end, it's still practice practice practice - either on your own or because your school tells you to.
But from looking at four folio I think you know the basics already - why go for schooling at a game art school? Get some traditional art courses instead and get the rest from books/polycount/dvds.
Really Appreciate your suggestions
It is possible to learn those things on your own, but a school that has highly skilled teachers for traditional art will make a huge impact on your art. I go to a small private college in California and it blows my mind how amazingly my traditional art teachers are. For example my sculpture teacher at my school works at dream works as a consultant and is an insane water color painter. My figure drawing teacher is a wealth of knowledge in every aspect of human anatomy and painting. My sketching teacher owns a gallery and sells paintings for over a $1000 a piece.
I am super happy I made the decision to go for a 4 year Bachelors of Art degree from an accredited college instead of going to AI. Obviously this is my opinion and should be considered as such. By no means am I saying AI will fail you and its not worth your time, but I just think traditional art makes a gigantic difference.
Instead after high school I went to a community college with plans to transfer to a University majoring in Entertainment Art and Animation. I finished up everything there and also took many traditional art courses (painting, drawing, sculpture, etc), but backed off transferring to the University I had picked because I didn't feel the work they were showcasing was worth it.
I'm doing pretty well currently, but I wouldn't really say I know what's best when it comes to school. I learned a lot from the traditional art classes I have taken, but all my 3D knowledge comes from outside school.
I was worried about the same,.. you know I have been working in this field for like 3 years now. I do know many applications, know most of the tools in MAYA, ZBRUSH. CAN make good models, but not WOOOWW models... Since then I realize, I lack the art background..... yeah, thats what I should go for...
PS; I checked out your work, very nice, I believe that you can find a job in a big studio : )
Yep, it's expensive. I found VFS to be a place where you get out of it what you put into it. You basically have to ignore everything else for a year. It's ridiculously intense, and you'll be working long hours every day of the week.
But it's worth it.
I had a bunch of people from other countries than Canada in my class. I myself am from Brazil, so it was a bit of a leap to come over for that. Most of my classmates are still in Vancouver, and after a few months more than half of them are employed at great studios here in Vancouver.
Honestly, it does help to have some background in something, but you seem to have that covered. Sure, it may even invalidate some of the classes you take at VFS. In those cases, I found that by helping my fellow classmates I became even more comfortable and competent with my skills.
Someone else here said that the classes end after 6 months, which is true, but that's not a bad thing. It's the second half of the year that really pushes you. You work very closely with your classmates, other students from your program, and the instructors to create an industry-quality demo reel or game.
What you get out of VFS is less about the knowledge you gain and more about the network you create, the people you meet, and the experience of working closely together with all of those people. Some people even call it a year-long interview, since all your instructors either have been, or still are, in the industry.
You can check out my (not-updated) portfolio at http://www.laladotcom.com
Anyway, those are my thoughts on the school, and I'm sure many of my classmates would agree. Hope this helps!
Lala