What is the best four year college for an Animation/Gaming degree?

[The Backlash Cometh]

I've already asked on DU about Technology schools, but I'm learning that Animation/Gaming is a specialized field. Which four-year college (preferrably in a blue state) has the best program for this field?

[SlackJawedYokel]

1. It really depends.

What do you want to do with it?
If you wanted to do video gaming, I'd look at the schools that offered strong curriculum and post-grad job placement in that industry.
U of Phoenix, let's say, which IIRC, has a full-blown masters degree offering in video game animation.
If you wanted to do SFX animation, I'm thinking any school with a good rep California/LA would be the place to go.

What I'd do is check with the companies who make the games... look at their job listing pages and see just what they are looking for.
For the graphics side I can tell you right off that you'll absolutely *need* to know Photoshop and at least one of the major 3D animation packages, Maya, Max, Lightwave, Alias/Wavefront or Softimage.
(Cinema 4D, Bryce and Poser are excellent low-end alternatives, btw)
http://www.amazing3d.com/softcom.html

If you're wanting to do programming, you'd be best served going to a university computer science program.

In the end what matters is your hard work, dedication, skill and networking abilities as much, if not more, than what school you go to.
Absolutely develop the best reel/portfolio you can.

I'd avoid, if at all possible, schools with less than 300 students and that don't offere at least a bachelors degree.

Good luck

Cletus

[HamstersFromHell]

2. I used to do printer/plotter support for one of the best...

in the 3D animation field, www.3duniversity.com which was based out of the Rennaissance Center in Dickson, TN. They were one of the first places to be listed by Autodesk (way back when) as an officially recognized 3d Studio training center, and Maya soon followed.

Jason Busby was the "chair" and lead instructor of the animation dept. there, specializing in Maya and 3d Studio Max aimed for gaming graphics, although they did do some work toward TV production graphics for newscasts and the like.

It was a very intense bootcamp environment with 8 hour a day 5 day a week training, and often weekend long projects/assignments. Covered everything from basic modelling to video post production in a mere 3 month's time. I'd talked to those folks a few times and they claimed they had over a 90% placement rate in game development houses.

Unfortunately, 3D University is no more. Ren. Center's been bleeding red ink since they built it (it was a tax shelter for a pair of local doctors who sold the hospital they built), and I wonder if the entire center might fold up someday.

Jason's now listed as an instructor at www.oregon3d.com as well as offering FREE (or low cost) Maya training online at www.3dbuzz.com

He's got a new online Maya Fundementals class starting July 11th, if you're interested.

[Lorien]

3. I use to be on the review board at Disney Feature Animation

The portfolios we chose for hire usually came from:

Ringling (Sarasota, FL)

Columbus College of Art and Design (Columbus, OH)

Pratt (NYC)

Art Center (Pasadena, CA)

Cal Arts (Valencia, CA)

Sheridan School (somewhere in Canada)

Many of the people I know who currently work at EA Sports or Pixar still say that most of their new hires come from these schools. Full Sail in Orlando, FL is also producing some great new 3D artists.