Moving towards the science behind animation?

College Search & Selection
1

Hello, at the moment I am a confused on what my postsecondary path should be and the best program for it. I initially didn’t have enough information on any field and so tried to follow the advice of passion, so I tried to do well in school while focusing on animation. Now, however, I realize I’d like to move more forward the backend and how the technology that allows animation to be possible in general is made, and the science behind that technology. Most people I have heard said this move towards the technology side happens more in the industry after getting into traditional production, but my parents have insisted I should adopt some form of technology as my main major and set animation to the side to have more stable and broad opportunities, something I am worried about because:
I spent my time trying to focus on the animation industry and I’m not competitive enough to compete against people going into general engineering and science,

second being, it’s already difficult enough trying to make decisions on what I should pursue without any detailed information about industries, I don’t feel any better choosing between ‘the money’ or ‘the passion’ while blind to how the industries really work, the information being more of advertisements and slightly vague anecdotes. These factors such as ‘money’ or 'what you love’feels more like a bubble where lots of questions aren’t elaborated on: “why does this job pay so much? What is demanded and why? How much will I be worked, etc?” Less than the money or fascination I want to see the full picture of an industry and the day to day life, I want information, not pressures.

Mostly I am afraid of choosing a career where I don’t have much time to study the science, whether in ‘art’ or general ‘engineering’, having the space to study the foundational knowledge behind it all seems very important in doing new things and understanding the world around you. Not just studying the blueprints of creation but the knowledge that inspired the blueprints. I’m afraid whether I go into either path I won’t have this space to study over working, though I should be worrying about more pressing matters such as supporting my family, without any knowledge and answers why things have to be this way these worries just bring paranoia when I study, and my homework doesn’t care that I’m just doing it to buy my parents a house and ‘cant risk failure’, these are just not relevant goals to the task at hand and mastering the subject, just overinflating the fear factor of necessary trial and error for any task.

I apologize for the ramble, my two main questions can be summarized as: “how can you do more detailed research into industry, how do you break in and get honest information before you enter the industry, or are most things only accessible once you get in?”

“What would be the best way to dive into underlying science behind technology in any position/specialization?”

2

Based on a few of your comments, I’m assuming you are in high school, so please correct me if I am wrong.

First off, you do not need to pick a career at this stage in your life. There are many things you don’t even know exist. There are opportunities that will exist in five years that don’t exist today. And life transforms, and you may end up having multiple professions, not necessarily sticking with one for the rest of your life. That’s one of the reasons to make sure that you make sure you have transferable skills and a strong base of writing, synthesizing, and analyzing as those are skills that will hold you in good stead in almost any profession.

Interview people in the professions that you’re interested in. Ask if you can shadow them at work. See if there is a forum or message board for people in the profession and read what kind of comments they’re making. If possible, see if you can get an internship. Also, don’t overlook the Occupational Outlook Handbook from the government that has a lot of basic information, including things like the typical number of hours worked. If you take all of these steps, will it be foolproof? No, but you’re likely to have a much better sense of whether it’s the right fit for you.

Animation and the technology behind it is not one of my areas of expertise. But I would say research the specific departments you’re interested in. In architecture, for instance, some departments are very heavy on the design aspect of architecture while others place more emphasis on the technology and science of the materials while others might have more of a focus on the environmental impacts of architecture. These programs might all meet the accreditation requirements, but they have varying foci. I imagine the same may well be true for animation. Look at the curriculum requirements for the major and the course descriptions…are there schools that delve more into the science of the technology?

Also, reach out to some professors. Ask them these questions. See if the science behind the technology is part of the curriculum, and if not, what types of sciences/fields would best be studied to get that background? Find a college that offers majors in both animation and that other science and go along both paths until you see where your interests truly lie. You might end up double majoring, or getting a minor in one, or after just a course or two decide that you’re no longer interested in one or either of the fields.

With respect to your concern about competing with students for engineering/CS programs, don’t forget that many (if not most) universities are very accepting of students in these majors. If you’re looking at the most selective American universities then they often are not admitting by major anyway. But the highly rejective universities are challenging for anyone to get into…there are simply far more qualified applicants than there are spots. If you’re not particularly interested in engineering/CS, however, then I would not recommend studying them as if you’re not interested in a subject there’s little use in trying to use that subject for a career.

2 Likes