[RoadMaster]

Okay, I'll get straight to my question/request, if anyone can help me of course. I'm hopeing to apply to Sheridan's animation program next semester, and I heard that they have a very extensive portfolio screening process, like 20 pieces in a 2 week period, but the portfolio requirements are similiar year to year. I know figure drawing is an important factor, but I don't know many specifics of portfolios over the previous years, so if anyone knows any of the activities or has any suggestions that would help me out a lot. I hope to get my abilities up to par in time to create the portfolio, but I think I have a long way to go until I'm ready still. Things get especially bad when I start comparing my work to others, but that's another story

[wigin]

are you still in highschool? The funny thing is there is hardly anyone who makes to the animation program straight out of highschool. By hardly i almost mean NEVER =(. Sad but true.

I can tell you what was in the portfolio requirements from this year. Life drawing , storyboads, drawings of your hand anticipating an action and during an action , drawing of your room with ahcracter inside and drawing of you room from the eyes of the character , they also sent you 2 characters and you had to pick one and you had to be able to "POSE" him.. this means being able to draw him in any angle and make him look the same have the same line quality and show his structure. And finally they also asked for some extra artwork . Be carefull they do not want to see fantasy or scifi art nor do they want to see if you can draw characters like disney or marvel or whatever they could care less!!! And they state that in there requirements =(.

Anyways what you should do is go to life drawing everyday until the portfolio is do. You should be doing 3- 6 hours of life drawing a day if not more!!! YOu need to get your abilities UP THERE to compete against like 5000 other portfolio. ANd they DO look at life drawing first!!!! If you dont make it into animation then MAKe you sure put Art fundamentals on your List of programs to apply to. THis 1 year program will give you the basics you need to get into animation. ANd these basics are what Highschool students DO NOT HAVE!!!! MOst of them dont. It also allows you to do 6 hours of life drawing a day and if you work hard enough you might make it into animation.

Hmm sounds brutal but its really not. Just gget your butt Into Art fundamental get all the BORING BASICS and if you put effort in work and go to life drawing class and take some extra life drawing sessions theres no reason why you cant make it into animation!!!

good luck!

[ August 10, 2002: Message edited by: wigin ]

[RoadMaster]

Thanks for the advice wigin, ugh... every day life drawing... very brutal, heh. Heck, I don't even know where to go to sign up for every day life drawing (I currently do once a week at a pay-as you go summer course). I know how hard it is to get into animation, although the person who gave me the initial info got lucky and DID get in right out of highschool, but I know he was also hella-talented from my art classes. I know another person from my school got into Sheridan, but I'm not sure if she got into animation or not, she might have applied for something else. If I don't get accepted unfortunately I PROBABLY won't go into art fundies, more likely I'll go to a normal university in comp science.

Anyway, I'm going to start practicing more often I think, I've been slacking off too much recently (ugh... and I was so productive at the start of summer too). Anyone else who feels like responding that would still be a great help, and thanks again for the advice wigin, I'm going to practice on a few of those ideas.

[wigin]

what are these 2 people's names? Even if they graduated id like to know who they were. I have the sheridan animation book that show work from previous students.

Anyways its too bad that if you dont make it into animation right away you go into a totally different field =(. Artfundamental IS worth is. Dont worry man some people even try 3 years in a row to actually get in =( its very hard. I got in throught art fundamental and i know for a fact that i couldnt get in straight from highschool. I lacked life drawing and understanding work procedures ect...

Besided would be fun to have an other fellow Sijun member at sheridan.!!

[ August 11, 2002: Message edited by: wigin ]

[RoadMaster]

well, the one person who gave me the info JUST got in this year, so his first semester at sheridan is actually starting soon... so I don't think he's in any of the books yet
The other person who I knew got accepted, but decided not to go, she instead went to a normal University.

As for me, my initial plan was that if I didn't get into Sheridan I didn't want to leave a gap in my math/computer skills, so I would go to university for at least a year, than try to get into Sheridan next year, and take art courses from University on the side (or a Comp sci major with an art minor, although that is an odd combo). I'm simply trying to not get stuck in a rut by trying too hard to get into Sheridan, while my other abilities diminish over time. Wasting a few years trying to get into a school could hurt me a lot . But if I do get in, I'll be sure to get in contact with you wigin

[gigatron]

Hey I have been really wanting to go to sheridan but yesterday i spoke to Brian Lemay and asked him to evalute my stuff (he was instructor for a long time there but stopped 2001) he even worked on cartoons such as smurfs, inspector gadget etc... Cool person and all, but in his honest opinion (after looking through so many portfolios) he told me I wouldnt get in, and i appreciate the honesty, especially with the double generation graduating :X Anywho he told me as well to go to the art fundementals 1 year program first, and i know i need it :X ALSO he said there is a strict rule against anime :X WHICH SUX because thats what i like LOTS and want to draw :X oh well just my 2 cents hope its helpful as well

[Fuchs]

Good luck with your portfolio. I have two years until I leave HS, and Im very nervous about the competition. I am still in a transitional period between art and political science. Though, they dont sound much a like, I love them both beyond words. So I figure, depending n my luck with some art schools, Ill just apply to a university. Maybe afterward ill go back and continue to study art.

[gigatron]

Yea thats what im thinking

[Storm Crow]

The important thing when applying to Sheridan is to understand why you are taking the program.

With the Classical Animation program, most students don't realise that even if they complete the three year diploma program, that the chances of working as an animator are very, very slim.

In the animation industry, while the 'key frames' and backgrounds are often done by the North American studios, the in-betweens are sourced out to companies in Korea. Why? It's more 'cost effective'.

If you go on to study computer animation, more opportunities for employment are then available, but the competition is very, very high.

Entertainment Industry? You'll be competing with students who DON'T require a visa to work in the United States..and often times talented artist are passed-over because the companies don't want bother (or cannot afford) the paperwork required.

If you are driven and have a true love for art, you can make it work for you. So, set your sights on being a well-rounded, adaptable artist...and you will succeed.

Having said all that, the Classical Animation program at Sheridan is still one of the best in the world. You just need to go in with your eyes open.

You should also be aware that the Classical Animation diploma is being replaced by the Bacher of Animation Degree in the fall of 2003. The degree program is intended to consist of 2 years of classical training, one year of computer animation, and then your project (Thesis) in the final year. More details will be in the School Calendar.

Admissions requirements may change slightly, but as many here have stressed (and it can not be stressed enough) Life Drawing is THE most important skill to develop for your portfolio.

Comic, fantasy, sci-fi, art is totally unnacceptable, and if you include any of this in your portfolio, you can pretty much kiss your application goodbye (again this depends on the person reviewing your portfolio).

The reviewer wants to see that you have a good grasp of the basic traditional skills - life drawing, painting, colour theory, perspective, spatial perception, a sense of design and the ability to communicate visually.

If you are weak in any particular area (and this is nothing to be ashamed about), or if you are uncertain about what field of art you wish to enter, Art Fundamentals is a good course. It's only a year long, and though many students find it frustrating, try to stick it out. There is often a wide range of ability in Art Fundamentals.

Good luck to you and your pursuit of the artistic path!

[ August 11, 2002: Message edited by: Storm Crow ]

[ August 11, 2002: Message edited by: Storm Crow ]

[Fate]

Suddenly I lost my appetite.

does anyone work in game industry as concept/character artists and such? What kinda path do I need to take for that? Or is it often freelance thing

[ August 11, 2002: Message edited by: Fate ]

[ZippZopp]

I'm tryin to figure out what i want to do with myself and am pretty stressed about it. I will be graduating this fall with a Bachelor of arts from a liberal arts collge, my major is studio arts. so i've gotten a pretty solid art background, but i don't think it compares to what i see here all the time! anyway, i definately need to go to grad school because right now, for me, there isn't much i can do with just a studio arts background. my ultimate dream is to do something in the film industry, but i'm not sure which road i should go to get there. I think right now i'm most likely going to go for a masters in computer animation. I think that will teach me a lot, from concept art, to storyboards, and through the whole directing and animation process. my choices right now for schools are School of Visual Arts, Savannah college of art and design and Full Sail. does anyone know anything about the computer animation programs at these schools?? i'd love to hear!

[gigatron]

I must say storm crow has put it better then anyone ever has, I seriously spoke with a person who worked at sheridan for 14 years he was very kind and he told me out of all honesty exactly what storm crow has said, its very hard to get in for most ppl right out of high school... they are VERY picky so.. its tough sine alot of ppl enter... he said the same thing as well about me enterting the art fundementals first prior to thinking about classical animation or illustration. I believe I will train and practice hard then either enter the arts fundementals at sheridan or fine arts somewhere else (some university nearby).

[gigatron]

I also wana add... its then best just to go to a regular art school where u have a 'calling' if u will... in other words its worth the paper not just one year of useless stuff well not useless stuff but YOU become useless :P if thats a good way to explain it i dunno :X

[The Magic Pen]

I will tell you all that for games and film it does not matter at all where you went to college your portfolio does all the talking . I know many many artist who do not have any formal training in art but are far superior artist then those teaching at universities . I would deffinatly not start at an expensive school like sheridon , why not look at other options such as Ringling or Joe Kubert .

Draw and paint everydat , learn 3D modeling , take advantage of the advive from pros who surf these boards and you can educate yourself as well if not better then any of the colleges . I am not syaing don't go to college but don't stress out if you can't get into the best ! I got turned down when I applied to RISD , but now who is lauphing last ?? I am a pro and it is because I lauphed it off when they turned down my application and I started drawing and painting everyday all day and it payed off. Good luck guys

[gigatron]

laughed* lol

[JFreak]

Sorry from changing the subject away from animation again. I just figured most people talking in this thread are young artists in Ontario anyway. I tried getting into Illustration at Sheridan right after high school, and beleive it or not (heh heh) I didn't make it. Instead I'm off to the Ontario College of Art to Study Graphic Design and perhaps Illustration. Has anyone here taken "Foundation Studies" ? (The First year for all students at OCAD) That's what I'm going into and I want to know what people thought.

[wigin]

Gigatron ,

Shame on you to give all the credit to Storm . I mentioned most of what he said before him hehe =).

Anyway sYes storm did indeed bring up points that i did not mention and they are all accurate.

Oh and gigatron about brian Lemay. Umm he still teaches at sheridan man. Just not in the animation department. Hes a teacher for Art fundamental students. Its a shame though he went from Head of the animation department teaching basics. The reason for this is that brian lemay um screwed up for the third year students ( 2001) and none of them were able to finish their final film and demo reel. Soo everyone signed a petition to get him kicked out =\. Sad but true...

The guy's a genius though. You can go buy a shit load of books he wrote for animation at the sheridan book store. Very good books that cover all the animation basics of perspective , character designs ect.. But yeah his stuff IS DATED though.. you seen his character designs and layout funny stuff.. but thats what people liked in the 80's and early 90's ...

Its ashame that people give up if they dont get in right away and they dont want to take art fundamental. That program is exactly WHAT you need to get you into animation or illustration or graphic design. Even by some miracle you make it into animation straight out of highscho TRUST ME YOU WOULD STRUGGLE sooo bad that by midterm you would probably get kicked out out because you cannot deal with the work load and you are missing a shitload of basics. Its not all fun and games. Character design and layouts can be quite fun but you still need to show the basics in these designs....


Anyways the reason why i did pick classical animation isnt because i want to be an animator. I think people have to understand that this program isnt only about ANIMATING and thats what you have to do when you graduate. Animation is ONLY 1 class out of like 8 in the program. I took this program because you get to do concept art, story boarding, layout , background painting , character designs life drawing ect... ect.. IN the end i want to probably design or illustrate stuff. The illustration department at sheridan is good but its just not what i want and looks hella boring.

I think im done ranting for now =\

/plouffe

[ August 12, 2002: Message edited by: wigin ]

[RoadMaster]

for me it isn't about giving up, it's more about having well-rounded skills and being able to get a job when I get out of school. I can always go to an art college after university, but if I go to a comp sci program in a university after I go to College than I will have a lot of problems with math and stuff I've already learnt. My mind isn't made up yet on what I'll be doing, so as I've said, I just go through all my options