#1. If you are planning to enter a specialized field like animation, you should go to a specialized school. By this I mean, you probably shouldn't go to a liberal arts school if you know for sure that you want to be an animator. Liberal arts colleges will give you a smattering of everything, which can be good, but if you know what you want to do already, you're probably going to want a more focused approach. If you're not totally sure you want to be an animator, then perhaps a liberal arts college really is the best place for you. Cuase if you go to a strictly animation college graduate and then decide you hate animating.. then you've got 4 years down the drain. (or at least one, and a big hunk of tuition!) Think about this seriously.
Please note, that SOME liberal arts colleges have excellent animation programs, so this can be an unfair generalization. Just do the research on the colleges you are interested in and see if THAT college offers an INTENSIVE program. (whether its liberal arts or not.)
#2. Alot of "art" colleges try to cash in on ignorant students by saying they offer animation as a major. Be very wary of this. Unfortunately, I can't review colleges any more due to lack of time, and as there are just too many springing up, and it's impossible for me to know what they are all like!
YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE TO RESEARCH THE COLLEGES YOURSELF. You're about to make a big choice, so you should put some work into it to make sure you make the right choice for you! What I suggest is that you think of the top 3 or 4 companies you might want to work for eventually. Call them up and ask them if they have a college list. (ie a list of colleges that they prefer.)
Also, I suggest that once you eliminate a few, that you visit the colleges. Take a look at their student artwork. Is it good? If it is something you could do now, you shouldn't go there. You want to see a college that has work that astounds you. Look at the student films if they have any. See how intensive the work load is. Is this just a trade school? Do they teach live drawing intensively? Do they have storyboarding courses?
Take a look at the teachers' credentials. Are they actually CURRENTLY working in the industry? This is not always a factor, as a great teacher could be retired or currently unemployed, however, a currently working teacher can get you better recommendations and better "ins" to the industry. Often it is a sign of the quality of the teachers, how many are currently working, and just WHAT they are working on.
I also personally recommend colleges that actually require you to make your own films, as this is a wonderful and invaluable experience. Calarts and Sheridan are two main colleges that focus around this idea and are otherwise excellent as well. There are many others though.
#3. Depending on the college, computer animation may not even cover "traditional animation techniques". If you know good traditional animation techniques you can animate in any medium, be it on paper, with clay or with the computer. This is becuase animation techniques are not specific to any medium, they are rules of motion, made by studying life. The rules don't change just becuase you change mediums. So the point is animation houses are going to be vastly more impressed by a great 2d animator than a subpar animator who can use the computer. However, as the industry is changing to be heavily 3d, you really are doing yourself a DISSERVICE if you don't learn 3d animation. Unless you know for sure that you never want to do 3d, it's in your best interest to learn both 2d and 3d. Or learn 3d, but make sure that you are learning GOOD animation techniques and GOOD acting skills. This is so important!
NOTE: This is how it worked for me back in 1997 or 1998 or so. Things may or may not be different, but after doing some research Calarts, NY School of Visual Art, Kansas, Sheridan and Ringling looked most promising for me. (in no particular order)
Do some research on your own, and you may come up with a different conclusion. I can't choose your college for you!
I really must warn you though that ALOT of "animation" colleges don't have
quality programs, they're just trying to make money off you. Just becuase
the college is on this list does NOT mean that it is a great college.
Make sure that you thoroughly look into whatever school you are applying for
and keep in mind that colleges intentionally try to make themselves
look better than they really are. Take a look at the kind of
artwork coming out of the college, find out how many graduates get jobs.
Take a look at their alumni. TALK to alumni. TALK to current students!
Take a look at what kind of courses they are offering. After you've narrowed
down the list of schools to about 3 or 4 go school visiting to get an actuall
feel for the environment. Going to one of these schools, of course, does not
guarantee a job.
NOW! On to the Colleges!
NOTE: these are older lists, and are probably out of date! This is just a starting point for you, as I can no longer have time to keep the lists up to date. You can start here though, and then find more colleges, and make your own conclusions.
Remember you can always CALL or write Disney, Pixar, Dreamworks, etc, and ask them what they think. They often will already have a form letter ready with the information you need.
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