I applied to all of my schools focusing mainly on an interest in an animation major, but I am lowkey wavering and thinking illustration is the major for me bc I’m more interested in character design than the actual animating.
I applied to a multitude of schools, and I have so far been accepted to SAIC, SVA, SCAD, PNCA, and Ringling for CA. My other decisions for CalArts Char anim, RISD, Pratt, and USC Animation will be coming in within the next week. Realistically i am looking to attend either RISD/CalArts or (if I don’t get in) less selective school like Pratt/SVA/SAIC.
Blease help. I’m looking for a school that has strong illustration and animation departments. Obvi I know the benefits of going to CalArts and to Ringling CA, but I seriously don’t know the value of the illustration/animation programs of RISD vs SAIC vs SVA vs Pratt etc.
Anything helps, I have literally a month and a half to commit to a school, and I am just about the least decisive person on the planet. I will try to update on decisions if anyones interested lol
A handy reference:
APP LIST in no particular order:
Ringling CA - accepted $10K a year
RISD - pending
SCAD - accepted $10,500 a year
PNCA - accepted $17K a year
SVA - accepted $15K a year
Pratt - pending
SAIC - accepted $18,000 for first three years, $21,600 final year
USC (School of Cinematic Arts) - pending
CalArts Character Anim - pending
lol hey its you again. So definitely if your interests lie in illustration and 2D, Ringling CA wouldnt be your greatest forte bc majority of it is essentially moving a digital puppet; but with that said they also have one of the strongest illustration programs, so if you decide you want to swap majors, the transition would be much easier. From my interpretation of SAIC based off of all the student work, they are very “modern art” if you catch my drift. The “abstract” stuff no one really gets. (Also, SAIC, SCAD are schools that are much easier to get into and with that comes peers that are really lacking so bc you have the options, id aim higher) Not saying SCAD isn’t strong, it fairly is, but its up to whether or not you are willing to endure 2 years of (personally) useless fundamental courses like “how to type a research paper” and STEM classes before you can actually start your preferred major on the 3rd year. SVA has a high rep for 2D animation bc of Rebecca Sugar and the ties to Cartoon Network, but in my and many others’ opinion, the student work there NOW is hilariously bad. look up @svafilmanimation on instagram, and check out the students’ profiles. its pretty sad. but with that said, the impression i get from their illustration is that its much stronger. Pratt is very loosely structured from what i hear. k basc i heard that they dont teach. I know a few people that transferred out of pratt their first year to ucla.
Life Update: for anyone who cares, I got accepted to Pratt. Again, ANY advice is v helpful. Right now I am leaning pretty hard towards RCAD illustration or RISD, but hey if there is something helpful I do not know please do let me know!!!
Hi, Brine, and anyone else. Our dd has been accepted to SAIC, CCA, MICA, Ringling, SVA, and Parsons. Like you, he is interested in illustration. Being 18, I wonder if she will change her major at some point. She would love to take a few classes that focus on the environment, space, or other science topics… not all schools have this possibility. Right now, we are trying to make that same decision as every other art school kid. Frustrating and nerve-racking, to say the least.
The CA major at Ringling is a closed major. Illustration majors will not be able to take any animation “elective classes” from the CA department if that was your goal.
According to my kid there, RISD isn’t the best for animation. Illustration department is great, but animation there is under the film school (it’s a Film/Animation/Video major) and what she’s hearing/seeing of friends’ work is that it’s much more conceptual and not really CA based (and some friends are trying to switch out to the illustration major).
Don’t focus on the size of the scholarship. Add up your cost of attendance, (including travel and housing which are often not the same for your personal situation as the default budget shown on the college websites) and subtract your aid and figure out your bottom line. Any school you can afford without loans deserves a special look.
The best way to decide between your final few choices is to visit and talk to academic advising, professors, and students.
Google “Ringling game art youtube” and look for videos done by “deepfriedpaint”. She is a game art major at Ringling and has lots of advice about Ringling and insight into her major.
(Short story without all the advice and insight–it’s intense and a great program–no slackers.)
The nice thing in her videos is that you can see the development of her work product ) progressing over years… It’s a combo of art and animation and it’s easy to see how the skills she has mastered will translate beyond “gaming”.