Some Things to know about the CalArts Character Animation Program before spending 55k$/Year

[@KayGee_yt]

I went to a public school for animation and wanted to do storyboard art. I thought the reason I was stuck unemployed was because I didn't go to calarts or SCAD. All those students seemed successful to me. But the honest truth was that I didn't understand how competitive the industry was and no one I asked cared to honestly tell me. I thought it was competitive like engineering - youll spend a couple months grinding the job search. But its kore like trying to be an actress or in the NBA. Its rare to succeed. It's been 4 years and I'm now a project manager in marketing. I've let the dream go.

[@jorjastevens984]

do you mind if i ask how you managed to pivot to marketing from animation? i’m in basically the same situation and trying to figure out where to go from here (halfway through an animation degree)

[@scribblediary237]

@@KayGee_yt yeah it really is, especially now. I understand that people don’t want to discourage young students so early in their career, but maybe some people would have chosen a different path if they knew how unstable and hard it can be :0 I feel especially bad for the international students that go into all that depth and then are sent home once their visa runs out. Thank you for sharing your story, I hope you are feeling happy on your new path and maybe can still find enjoyment in drawing, even if it isn’t what you ended up making your career

[@sweetrebeldy]

I tell my fashion students the reality out there. It´s better to see now than suffer the stuff like myself.

[@artmadebyRed]

I went to art school myself (a non-private one in Germany) and it sucked hard. All I got out of it was time and the funding to figure out my portfolio and do an character animation internship in the Netherlands, which taught me more in three months than school did in years. I only finished to have a degree in case I need a Visa later on, and because some employers like to hear that you graduated somewhere. I highly reccomend the online classes by Aaron Blaise instead. They cost like 100-150 Euros per year for everything on his website and teach you everything there is to know.

[@scribblediary237]

@@artmadebyRed yess Aaron Blaise is awesome!! And Schoolism is too! I grew up in Munich, Germany and always felt a little sceptical about art school there even though it is free. That’s why I went to the US instead. It’s interesting to hear that your experience wasn’t too great there, may I ask which school you went to? A friend actually just asked me about art education in Germany and I realized that I don’t really know a lot about it even though I lived there most of my life

[@claratomas2813]

Hey, is happening the same to me🥴

[@artmadebyRed]

@@scribblediary237 i went to HBK Braunschweig. The illustration major there was supposed to be pretty good (whole thing was a joke). The animation institute in baden-württemberg is supposed to be good, but expensive for non-eu applicants. And you need either a twelve month long internship or work experience to apply. There’s another uni in babelsberg that looks good, and one in hamburg (can’t remember the name), that i went to for a portfolio review but it all felt very ‘freie kunst’, if you know what i mean. I heard very good things from colleagues about schools in the netherlands, but they are more expensive.

[@scribblediary237]

@@artmadebyRed ahh ja ich glaub ich weiß was du meinst, das mit der freien Kunst war auch immer meine Sorge um ehrlich zu sein. Danke für all die Infos, das is richtig gut zu wissen ❤️❤️! Ganz viel Erfolg auf deinem Weg!

[@jettee9938]

I'm studying at The Animation Workshop in Viborg, Denmark, which offers three main study paths: Computer Graphics, Character Animation, and Graphic Storytelling. It’s ranked as the 3rd best animation school in the world, just after Gobelins and Sheridan (I think they took about 200 schools into consideration). And you don't pay any tuition!!! (if ur from the EU) Don't know why there're not more people talking about the school. I'm really glad I decided to go there:)

[@GF-Chan]

Definitely spot on, Kim Miss CalArts a lot. Just discovered that you have a KZbin channel. It’s nice to see your face in this way after all these years. It’s Gregory, not sure if you still remember me, but I was at film & video, BFA. Best wishes to you.

[@scribblediary237]

Oh hi!! Yes of course I remember, you lived with Henry! Hope you are doing good!!

[@GF-Chan]

⁠​⁠​⁠@@scribblediary237 That’s right~and thanks so much.

[@fempilled]

Something prospective students don’t realize until after graduating- community and public colleges these days can have the same network of contacts if they’re located within the center of industry in the field they’re interested in, further reducing the value of going to a ridiculously expensive private college- especially when a lot of adjuncts teach both in private and public colleges simultaneously. Public programs (while smaller) can also be relatively well-funded. Literally no job in any creative field requires a 4-year degree, just field experience and a portfolio and you can achieve both in public 4 or 2-year college programs. Even academia these days is reducing entry requirements to the experience equivalent to a BA or MA. At this point, I think people (who can’t easily afford the tuition) should reconsider committing to a private program unless they’ve achieved scholarships and grants that cover over half of the cost of college. I still think it’s insane to have graduated next to people who had over $200K in debt upon graduating when I can barely handle $40K in fed loans (and I’m employed!).

[@graythistle]

I was accepted at several private art schools, Pasadena, School of Visual Arts. I don't think I applied to Cal Arts, but in the end I went to a public university that was closer to family. You know what, tho? I wish I hadn't gone to *any* university, lol. Maybe to community college. In the end I didn't need it, got very little out of it except stress that nearly killed me (literally), and with the internet taking off (at the time there were resources, but not as many as now), you can get a better education for cheaper.

[@scribblediary237]

@@graythistle yeah you can learn SO much online! Schools are still great I think because they hold you accountable, but definitely not as necessary as they claim to be sometimes

[@graythistle]

@@scribblediary237 Learning how to self-motivate is an important skill that is going to help with getting personal projects off the ground,. I can understand this sentiment, and I did have the benefit of being homeschooled off and on during my childhood, so learning it may not have been as hard for me as it is for others, but letting university take an extra four years of your life you could be using to dive into that dream project and getting experience? I'm not convinced higher education is worth it. Especially as things move toward AI and options for working for The Man diminish (it may not be there yet, but the corporations are motivated to find a way to replace people - why wait for them to find that way? Starve them of your talent.)

[@sashinka6860]

As someone applying to an animation master's degree this video was really useful!

[@scribblediary237]

Ooo I am glad it is!! Good luck on whatever you end up doing!

[@redwolf6334]

I've recently been watching your older vlogs while you were at calarts to see how life was studying there and now there's this video! So thanks for putting out so much information its so awesome!!!

[@scribblediary237]

@@redwolf6334 ohh thank you!! I wanted to make this one for a while and I am so glad you find it helpful :)

[@ShadyEsper]

Thank you for sharing your story. Especially the more difficult topics like tuition and getting a job after CalArts. As someone getting my MFA in Animation I hope you land your dream job!!

[@scribblediary237]

@@ShadyEsper awww thank you!! Who knows if that happens or when, but I am still happy for all the things this rough time is teaching us all. I feel like we are all learning such important life skills because our starts to our careers are sometimes so bumpy. Good luck with your MFA dude!!

[@GoldStandard05]

I went to a community college and took art classes. The professor told me to stop and to just go paint on my own. He graduated UCLA and he never became a successful artist. He tried every approach. He was in his 60s and his advice to me was to not go to school. Just paint. I ended up doing Manga. It is not my choice, but it is what I have a talent for. I have fun so I will get good at it. There are tons of books and KZbin videos on how to get the skill. Instead of markers, I use watercolors.

[@leonylias]

The passion with which you speak about your experiences there. Yeah, it was worth it!

[@Pa_amb_tomaquet]

I live in Barcelona, and although I'm lucky to live in an important european city with many schools and studios, there aren't any of the "famous" art schools such as CalArts or Gobelins here. I always thought I'd have to study either in the US, Canada or France to get a degree that would allow me to get a job in the industry, but as I grew older I saw that it is far from the thruth. At the end, being successful in a creative career is more about having a great portfolio and networking than how much you paid for your degree.

[@scribblediary237]

@@Pa_amb_tomaquet I totally agree! And now there seems to be more and more opportunities in Europe too, especially in Madrid it seems. Good luck on your journey !

[@corurachi7054]

Did you decide to study in Barcelona at the end? I'm in a similar position 😅

[@Pa_amb_tomaquet]

@@corurachi7054 Yes, I did! I'm currently doing so!

[@caithlin]

I got so annoyed in college when I started looking at the salaries of entry level positions and they were all minimum wage, I could've just stuck to my retail job.

[@jessekorson7139]

We graduated the same year and I agree. Especially the contacts and friends you make being some of the most valuable takeaways from CalArts. Right now some friends and I are working on pitching a stop motion tv show. But we’re all still not working in the animation industry yet! As artists I think we learn so many skills in animation that transfer to other industries. Like I took my fabrication skills I learned from stop motion in experimental animation and I’ve worked for scenic companies and theme parks. It’s not animation, but it’s creative and pays the bills. Santa Clarita can be very boring and draining but you can find cool things if you have a car and search around. They have a video rental store, an abandon ghost town (5min drive from campus), a great Indian deli and really beautiful hikes. But again you need a car and have to sift through a bunch of stuff. The thing I miss most is the sense of community. Post grad, it’s really hard for me to find time to catch up with people and see what they’re working on. How have you found artistic community since graduating? What’s your art practice like since graduating? Would love to collaborate someday!

[@scribblediary237]

@@jessekorson7139 hi! And omg a ghost town! I wish I would have known about this! Back then it didn’t even cross my mind to ask people what fun things there are to explore in scv. About your question, i still meet up with my friends for cafe sketching and my class had quite a good community so I still see them quite a bit when I am in LA! But that community thing will definitely be more of a challenge once I move back home to Germany you are right. It’s so important to keep myself motivated and connected. Thanks for sharing what you are up to in your post grad life too!! And all the best in your show!

[@subterranean327]

Yes! Universities giving a bigger budget to certain programs over others. That is a huge problem that isn't talked about much!

[@scribblediary237]

@@subterranean327 I only really realized that after living with my experimental animation friends and seeing the difference every day :0

[@fionasimagination]

Thanks for being so honest!❤🎉

[@scribblediary237]

Thanks for seeing it that way haha, I didn't want to seem like I was just bashing the place but it did feel important to share at some point :0

[@tangowhiskygirl]

I studied in Europe (so for free). I did CG animation as part of a computer science degree. I was far from the best, but haven't struggled at all getting employed. We even won a daytime emmy award at my first job out of school. This was 15 years ago though, and I've since taken a break to raise my family. But it still seems like 3D animation, rigging, modelling, rendering etc are in way higher demand than traditional 2D animators. I do 2D animation on the side for fun. But it has never landed me a job

[@scribblediary237]

@@tangowhiskygirl ohhh that is awesome dude!! I only know of one friend Who is working as a 2D animator, most of us go into either design or storyboarding, which is still 2D work of course! It was fun to animate at school in 2D but I myself could never do it as a job either, it’s soooooo much work

[@vyyaeart]

Dope video, and I recommend Ranking of Kings. Like please watch this masterpiece of emotions.

[@YOUCANTDOTHATONTELEVISION]

Hey I thought you have some killer pieces. I wanted to go to an art school but the cost was way out of my league. Just being surrounded by other creative people and inspiring and pushing each other forward is a sort of magic that's hard to find where I'm from. I really wish you the best on your journey.

[@scribblediary237]

@@YOUCANTDOTHATONTELEVISION oh thank you! And i love that you want to seek out people that are super driven and talented to push you, I was so scared about meeting tons of people that are better than me :0 are there maybe some life drawing classes around where you live? I find that I can really scratch that art community itch after graduating just by attending different figure drawing schools in the evening

[@bellamendoza3336]

Thank you so much for making this!! It was so sooooo helpful ❤❤ Would you say that it was relatively easy to get a scholarship? Did you see a lot of people with them and how much did it pay for if you dont mind me asking? This was such a well made video i really appreciate it! :)))

[@jonathanvergara162]

Thank you for your honesty ❤

[@outpointer9288]

I always wanted to go to art school but after hearing everyone and seeing the current state of the animation industry the only way I would go to art school is if I get a crazy good scholarship, So devastated because animation is truly my passion :/

[@scribblediary237]

@@outpointer9288 ooo dude I‘m sorry to hear that, but I still think there’s ways for you to learn so so much about animation! I met such talented artists that are all self taught and so many of my successful friends left school after a year or two too! Don’t give up on it just yet 😱❤️

[@rockon8174]

Short answer: NO!!!!! Not in America!!!!

[@Kosmokatgirl]

Hey there, girl, I’m an Academy of art graduate who graduated in illustration and graphic design. I didn’t even get a job in my field. I work as a set stylist and a in a PR fim part time I graduated in 2009. This is a story oldest time. I’ve never met anybody from cal arts who got a job in their field. Unless they had some type of nepotism that got them in.

[@scribblediary237]

Oh we are in the same boat then haha. But I do feel like I need to defend CalArts, even with the industry being so rough, my fellow graduates and friends often landed really good jobs at Netflix, Sony, Dreamworks, Nick, Pixar and so on. My sister graduated with me and worked at WB for a year at least until layoffs happened. There's been tons of layoffs everywhere of course , but I still have friends that have been working somewhat consistently so it is still super helpful! All I am saying is while CalArts helps a ton, its not the only way in.

[@QueenCoco]

My heart goes out to you. I had wanted to go but something deep down years ago told me something catastrophic was going to happen to the creative industry. Take care of yourself

[@papina54]

CalArts was a trend. Nowadays I find myself wondering if this kind of school still exist.

[@JP-1990]

While I cannot speak on behalf of animators as I am not one, I can say that as a consumer, I wouldnt worry too much about AI "taking over", as machine learning can only mimic a small handful of artstyles on its own, namely " generic anime" and "Pixar knockoff". It cant do cinematography on its own, either. I don't think I've ever seen an AI character from a profile view, for example. If anything, the most it will be able to do for animators is predictive in-betweening of key frames, which will save animators time and money on stuff which is traditionally outsourced, anyway. That being said, however, I wish the western entertainment industry didnt insist on ghettoizing animation as being either only for kids or adult comedies. I think if we freed ourselves up, perhaps maybe more animated feature films and prestige television based on novels comic books, we'd bein a much better place.

[@sweetrebeldy]

Omg. I`m frustrated with my fashion school but, paying so much money looks worst. I never use Ia because is a bad thing for artists. I hope you can found a job in sometyhing♥.

[@kyrieeleison31]

It's not a good time to be an animation graduate. In Hollywood, animation jobs are very scarce right now. Studios like Disney, Dreamworks et al are simply not hiring new animators. Even veteran animators are out of work. And most studios, even Disney, are outsourcing their animation work to other countries like So. Korea, Japan, the Philippines because rates are cheaper in those countries. So you better have a backup plan besides animation. And one other thing. You are not going to earn a lot in animation. You better really love animation to work and stay long in the industry.

[@AirmanCS]

Guys my grain of sand. Don't do it if you are thinking about it. If it comes easy to you to spend 200k on a degree well of course enjoy, you are rich anyway so is a wonderful world out there. But if you are thinking you will recover that money, or to go into debt for it, pls for the love of all sacred DONT, spend 15k 10k on internet courses and you will be WAY more prepared and will make the same if not better networking. And that goes for US and non US students, modern days are different you don't need college AT ALL at least not in art.

[@WallyMahar]

A little outdated? Two years ago. God that is so long ago.

[@AbeStudio-fk9zf]

animation is bad for your health, like smoking a cig.

[@Animate4Cel]

Make a good short film. Show the right people. Repeat. Art x N = $ N= FANS .😊