TWO Academy Award nominations!

College Majors Visual Arts and Film Majors
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<p>Warning: Serious kvelling ahead...</p>

<p>2012 Oscar nominations were announced today. There were five films nominated for visual effects: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2, Hugo, Real Steel, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Transformers: Dark of the Moon. My son worked on the visual effects team for two of these!</p>

<p>Like I said before, there were over a hundred (or more) others on each of these teams, but to a parent, it almost seems like a nomination for him. When he graduated in 2009, we joked about seeing him at the Oscars soon. We won't see HIM, but we'll see two of the films he worked on!</p>

<p>To other parents on this forum: One of the great things about visual arts and film majors is that - unlike so many other majors - you get to SEE the results of your kiddo's work.</p>

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<p>WOW!!!</p>

<p>Being nominated is huge so I don’t know what you call this - twice as HUGE? Terrific news, good for him! Wow, wow, wow!</p>

<p>Best,
Wheaty</p>

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<p>Congratulations, dig and little dig!! What a HUGE honor! He is so freshly out of school; I can just imagine what lies ahead. I hope you are bursting with well-deserved pride!!</p>

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<p>This is entirely wonderful news and very encouraging. Congrats! You must be delighted. :)</p>

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<p>Digmedia, as I recall your talented son went to a somewhat lesser-known (but obviously excellent!) production-emphasis program in Ohio? It is clear that he received a great education and training that prepared him to launch (when combined with his obvious drive, talent, smarts, luck, and all that stuff!). Was it an LAC-type setting? My son is going for digital arts/animation, but really wants the full college experience, as well (not an art school).
Any thoughts based on your son’s experience? I’ve read some comments (like from taxguy) suggesting that art schools (versus LAC/university settings) provide an edge in digital arts/visual fx/animation.
And CONGRATS! :)</p>

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<p>Congratulations! How exciting!</p>

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<p>@gladiatorbird -</p>

<p>Not sure about Ohio University for Digital Arts (and not sure what their animation program looks like)… It <em>is</em> a full college experience and looks like a fun place to go (friendliest students in the US). There are lots of advantages that I’ve talked about in the past. But truthfully, I’m not too sure how much the school and the department had to do with it. But I will give kudos to the program he was in: The Honors Tutorial College within OU. You can read more about OU and the HTC in the Ohio University (Athens) forum on CC: [Ohio</a> University - Athens - College Confidential](<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/ohio-university-athens/]Ohio”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/ohio-university-athens/). </p>

<p>Remember that no place is perfect for everyone. The MAJOR thing that HTC provided was a group of incredibly talented and driven (emphasis on the driven) group of friends with whom to make films. Every one of those guys is gainfully employed in the business - right out of school. I can’t really speak to the program itself… my son says that most of his education came from actually making films and learning from the experience. The HTC gave him the opportunities though - things like sending him to a summer program at Stanford to learn the latest visual effects software, funding a film he did one summer, providing financial support for the group’s capstone project, funding to attend the many film festivals their films were submitted to, etc… </p>

<p>But those are things that you earn and go after and pursue. You have to build a case for the funding, and have the talent to back up the proposal. After he came back from California with certification and software for the visual effects work, he was in demand from others, and participated in over 50 student films the four years he was at OU.</p>

<p>When we first visited the campus, he (and we) knew he had found his home. And the automatic scholarship money made it our financial safety as well.</p>

<p>Sorry I can’t be more of a help about the school. I often wonder what (if anything) would have been different if he had gone to a place like Emerson or LMU or USC. I think that he might have encountered the same: talented, driven people. So perhaps he would have still ended up where he is now at this point in his career.</p>

<p>I’m of the opinion that almost all schools provide good opportunities if the students go after them, I once taught at DeVry University and it has a not-so-great reputation as a for-profit school. I admit that most students were also not-so-great, and got away with it because their money kept coming in. But I will also tell you that for those students who wanted to really learn and take advantage of the place, the opportunities were clearly available to them. Probably the same in Media Arts schools.</p>

<p>My son is of the opinion that it doesn’t make much difference where you go to school. He works with people from all schools, even Full Sail. It is more, he says, about getting experience making films as a collaborative group, and making yourself invaluable to all those others who are pursuing being directors, producers, etc. Those who make it in the industry will then be your contacts who bring you in, based on the work you did for their student films.</p>

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<p>Digmedia, than you for the thoughtful reply. I definitely got this sense when reading about your son and your views in past threads. This confirms (or at least supports) what I have come to believe about where success and achievement come from, esp. in this field.
It’s critical that driven, innovative, knock-your-socks-off creative and industrious kids land with others of their kind. I love reading about your son and his success, and am happy for you!
DS is in at LMU and Chapman, so far, with super merit scholarships. Fit is great at either and the kids we’ve met in both programs have dazzled us. They are like your son!
I think that our son will be a fish swimming hard and happy, with likewise-fish, in cool clear blue water. :slight_smile:
I celebrate your son’s success and thank you for sharing your experience with us. :)</p>

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<p>Dig, congratulations! I am so happy for you and little dig!</p>

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<p>LOL… my son just sent me a photo with the message, “I’ll take some credit.” The photo showed the Digital Domain (vfx house) parking lot after midnight during the work on Real Steel. Only two cars were parked in the lot; one belonged to my son and the other to his friend (also from OU). Too funny.</p>

<p>Thank you all for the thoughts!</p>

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<p>Dig, That’s hilarious!! I guess the photo is proof positive that hard work pays off! Will your son be able to attend the Academy Awards, or is admission limited to celebrities, etc.? I hope in any case you will be having an Oscar party!!</p>

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<p>kVELL ON! Terrific news. And a real inspiration to all the kids coming after him. Hard work and drive do pay off! Please pass congrats to him for all of us as well.</p>

<p>And… where do we show up for the big Oscar shindig??</p>

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<p>Is it the Digital Domain in Port St Lucie, Florida?</p>

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<p>That’s a branch of theirs (and I think they’ve also started up a school there). He worked in their Venice (CA) compound. They also have offices in London, Mumbai, and Vancouver.</p>

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<p>I’m late getting to this thread, but I want to congratulate dig & digjr. on this awesome accomplishment. How totally cool!! I’ll be watching for the results of the Oscars and rooting for the Dig FX race (is that award given out the week before at the tech Oscar ceremony?) for the first time. :)</p>

<p>I also really appreciate digmedia’s thoughtful post above in evaluating a bit what school suits (helps?) which creative kids the most. Like dig, I think many many schools can be the right one. Almost all schools have great inspiring professors and a cadre of motivated creatively charged kids. It is up to the student to find them and contribute to making that group (and themselves) successful. Smaller or colleges with lesser known film programs may also have fewer kids who are a vying for the mentorship and attention of the top profs in film art. The top programs at the top schools may have more, better known stellar professors and offer a tremendous number of opportunities, but there are hundreds of equally talented driven film students who are aggressively pursuing every lead. It all evens out. There is certainly an element of serendipity and luck involved (How great the dig-son found such an awesome group of friends who are now all doing so well–but maybe not every year produces the same sort of synergy?)</p>

<p>I guess I’d just like to say that going to the most famous or hard to get into program is not the only road, and not going to one is not dealbreaker some may fear. That said, I am continually blown away by the offerings at top film schools. At my sons’ school, every night there is at least one mind-blowing screening w/q & a with the filmmaker, plus panels and speakers with top business and creative movers and shakers, plus leads to jobs and internships which come in almost daily emails. It can almost be too rich! But it’s not the only path. Any truly inspired kid with a lot of drive should not be to disturbed if family finances or competitive admissions results or grades in HS should keep them from their dream program. It’s all about the young artist him/herself.</p>

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<p>digmedia,
Congratulations to your son! How exciting! Sometimes people do forget that it’s a team effort. Anything is possible in the world of film. Talent plus connections get you in the door.</p>

<p>This reminds me of the excitement when the news broke that Dawn Taubin, the former head of marketing at Warner Bros. Pictures, had joined the faculty of Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts as a professor of public relations and advertising over the summer. “Dawn Taubin, who originally joined Warners in 1989 as vp publicity, was named president of marketing in 2002 and held that position for six years. During that time, she oversaw marketing for the Harry Potter films as well as The Matrix trilogy and the Ocean’s Eleven series.” As we can imagine, with that resume, she is a great asset for Chapman and all the students at Dodge. I’m sure this has been said many times, no matter the school, it’s about effort and connections. Some students may find it on their own, while others may need a little help.</p>

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<p>@madbean: You used exactly the right word - synergy. I’m not sure if that happens every year or did we just get lucky. I agree with you about the big fish/little pond theory. If you really stand out, you can take advantage of the lion’s share of resources. For example, my son’s team started making films as freshmen and entered the school’s annual “shoot-out” competition. Even with all of the media and film students, and the film grad students, they got second place that first year - unheard of for new freshmen. In junior year, they took first, and then second senior year. That senior shoot-out film took a first place in the comedy division at the Ivy Film Festival (very prestigious student festival) and earned a tweet from Roger Ebert calling it “Altmanesque.” As freshmen, they also took fourth place in Apple’s international film competition. Their capstone film was a fairly high-budget (for that school) period piece that earned Best Student Film in the Las Vegas Int’l Film Festival and went on to be accepted at more than a dozen other festivals (and earn prizes in many). The highlight was the Grand Prize at the Ivy Festival and an invitation to a NewFilmmaker screening in Hollywood.</p>

<p>The point of all this was that they brought some notice to the school, and the school liked that a lot. A more-well-known film school might not have needed the publicity.</p>

<p>BUT, I do think the odds of finding incredible talent to work with is higher with the well-know schools, and you might have more contacts in the business.</p>

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<p>Just saw a tv commercial for the Academy Awards and in it they showed snippets of some of the nominated films. They showed Real Steel and it was the very scene that my son worked on. Very cool.</p>

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<p>dig, only one more day! I’ve been thinking about you and little dig. The excitement must be building big time. OK, so remind me: we are rooting for Real Steel and ??? I know there’s a second one that your son worked on but I can’t remember the name, so do tell!Did Ohiomom’s kiddo have a film nominated as well? I hope you have more reasons to celebrate tomorrow; first the nomination and maybe a win! Good luck!</p>

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<p>Transformers: Dark of the Moon was the other. He is uncredited in that one though, because he was brought in at the last minute to fix some things - after all of the other post-production had been completed (including the end credits).</p>