SCAD vs. MCAD: Comic art and Animation?

College Majors Visual Arts and Film Majors
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<p>I'm torn right now between SCAD and MCAD, considering a major in sequential art/comic art and a minor/interest in animation. These are the two main schools I've been looking at, but I'm also applying to SVA (but doubt I will go there, the cartooning program isn't as great from what I've heard, and it's very expensive). Can I have anyone weigh in on SCAD and MCAD? Also, are there any other schools with good comic/sequential majors I should be looking at?</p>

<p>SCAD is right now a little bit ahead on my list. A major point for SCAD for me is their storyboarding minor, which I'm interested in as (right now) I'm thinking of a career in storyboarding/preproduction. SCAD has a terrific program both for SEQA and Animation, more classes in other areas that I'd also love to take (illustration, film, etc.) and an alright location, though Savannah feels a bit... isolated.<br>
My main concern with SCAD is whether or not the work will be of a high enough quality, or if the professors will push us enough to really expand our boundaries and views. I'm not sure how rigorous SCAD's standards are: I know of one student who transferred to SCAD's Seqa program, but from watching her work over the years from DeviantArt (she's a senior now I believe) I haven't really seen her progress any in her art, which concerns me. I understand a lot of art school is what you put into it, but I want to be pushed, to really get out of my comfort zone. I've also heard a kid in another major at SCAD who wanted to switch into the Seqa major just because the rest of the work she was encountering was so sub-par. These stories just make me a little concerned about the quality of work at SCAD.</p>

<p>MCAD is the exact opposite: the work I've seen coming out of MCAD looks ridiculously good and incredibly impressive. I talked with a girl there on dA and she described how the school is much more serious in its attitude toward you and in how they train/teach you. The problem here is she said it was even a bit too severe at times? They're picky about the art forms they like (they really frown on anime/manga, even to the style itself than just the shortcuts/stereotypes that manga art might encourage, which is not something I agree with, beating out another artist's style (this is also something that SCAD seems to encourage more than other schools, letting an artist work in whatever style they like)). Also, I don't yet know how strong MCAD's animation program is (I haven't heard much about it at all, so I'm afraid it's not too well-known, but the curriculum seems to have a fine offering of classes).</p>

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<p>I don’t have an opinion of either of your schools but Ringling College of Art and Design definitely frowns on anime/manga. My clearest recollection from DD portfolio days (CA applicant) was when the reviewer (main instructor of concept art) announced, “I wish there was NEVER such a thing as anime!”. And of course DD LOVED anime–right up until that day. It truly turned her art around. And her portfolio. No anime made it’s appearance.
But why? Anime has a very specific style and while it shows creativity in characters and is fun to draw for stories, it’s not going to further your skills in art in the way schools want you to stretch yourself. Many budding artists get stuck in the style and never really break out of it. What is valued for animation is real life drawing, especially anything that portrays action. Even quick sketches that portray action show your potential for animation.<br>
DD still creates graphic novels but her style is clearly her own now–not a copy of a style she knew in HS.</p>

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<p>My D is a junior at MCAD, majoring in illustration. She also loves comics and has taken several several comic classes that have helped her immensely with illustration and the story telling part of it. Her best friend there is a comic major.</p>

<p>Gouf78 is correct - the schools want you to think outside the box and develop your own style. You said you want to be pushed and move outside your comfort zone. My D has been given assignments that she continually goes above and beyond. For example one assignment was to develop a book cover. By the time she was done, she had done the cover, back, flaps and spine. At first the profs were “well, you didn’t have to do all that”, and now they just know she’s going to push herself and take it one step beyond. She has gotten herself noticed by going outside the box. If you like what’s coming out of the school, then that is something to consider. </p>

<p>I don’t know much about the animation program, I’m afraid, other than several graduate students she knows had internships in California.</p>

<p>If you do a search on MCAD and look for threads with redbug119, you’ll see a few posts about life at MCAD.</p>