If any Aussies could help me out with this I'd really appreciate it...
I'm looking for information in regards to studying 3D graphics and animation. I have the opportunity to study at the silicon graphics centre in Enmore Sydney (certificate IV in animation) or at Computer Graphics College Sydney and I am wondering if either have a recognised reputation within the industry. Alternatively I am thinking about doing several short courses at the Mad Academy to get discreet accreditation. Is the Mad Academy considered to be a good training institution?
Next year is going to cost me in the vicinity of $10,000 - $25,000 and I just want to make sure I spend it in the right place.
Also if there is any other information that you could offer that may help ease me into the industry I would be most grateful.
I'd also recommend the AIE as well, having gone there last year and although it wasnt that hot abour 3 or 4 years back (from what people told me), it's really picked up now and the student intake has doubled from last year (which had a high intake at the time).
If you can handle the dullness that is Canberra (you could always cruise to Sydney for the weekend), I'd recommend it highly. I learnt a lot and for the $3000 it cost me for the first year.
From what I've heard, the AIE has gained a lot of respect in the eyes of industry workers (due to improving vastly) and now they've got some great tutors in there (Tom Magill, Sebastian Perry spring to mind -- there are others).
I'd also be wary of paying $25000 for a course - especially for one year. Nothing is guaranteed from doing a course. Being right next to Microforte doesnt hurt the AIE, either. This year students and developers mingled with a Warcraft III tourney.
I predict big things for the AIE (not just because I went there - it is genuinely going from strength to strength). They also upgraded the computers for the DIP II guys this year too.
AIE is great i did cert2 this year and am going to do cert 4 next year
The tutor there are great
when i went there they only did a couple of tutorials every now and then to show some things but most of what you learn is one on one with the tutors. The way it was done with cert 2 was if you wanted to do something you just asked hey how do i do this and they tell you.
The learning environment is great and so are the tutors.
It's good to hear they have been acknowledged, everyone told me that they sucked but i went there anyway and they were wrong. It really is great. However if you want to do cert 4 you may not get in, ppl who have completed cert do get instant acceptance and then the rest of the space goes to the other people.
Bloody hell its a giant harmonica!
AIE, 'nuff said. Best courses, lowest fees, sure you have to move to Canberra but it's still cheaper than anywhere else.
Don't go to QANTM. No offense to anyone there but I've seen their stuff and frankly it's not even slightly worth the ridiculous fees they charge. They sent us a demoreel of student work and it paled in comparison to the AIE first year students. They even had the gall to include a model from a Steed tutorial ...
Mmm... ex-QANTM student myself, and it's hard to praise it from my experience which is most unfortunate.
Chris Bowden
http://brain.gamekey.com/
AAARGH, where was this site before I dumped almost ten grand into QANTM?!?!?!
I'm about to graduate in about 3 months from their games animation course...and I'm pretty worried!
Before I joined, they told me how wonderful the place was and how last year's stuents had a 80% employment rate...now last week they admit it's more like 10%. Then I start to hear about what a bad reputation it has!
Well, to hell with it, I'm working on my demo reel anyway.
Great site, btw.
I dont think you should worry - if you've learned skills from Qantm, then more power to you. I don't think that a potential employer would hold it against you for going to a particular school - in the end, you could have 5 degrees but if your portfolio isnt as good as the next guy, he'll get the job. Your skill should/will reflect in your demo reel.
Cheers
Heh QANTM I didn't consider doing a course there because when i was in high school i rocked up to one of their workshops and man i was stunned because of how behind the tutor was, ugh but It's even more frustrating now..because i'm studying at GU-Qca griffith uni college of art and they have one 3d course but it's mainly working in autocad and designing products so i'm just doing a graphic design course and hopefully people in the industry accept me even without having a degree focusing on 3d applications. But yeah Qantm is dodge
You know what would be cool? Student internship with ILM *Drools* If they offer anything more like that i'd certainly try go for it. *dreams a little dream*
hey hey! I didn' blab as much as i usually do, better stop here otherwise i'll break the record.
//Without order nothing can exist - without chaos nothing can evolve. \(anon)
I feel kinda bad about all the QANTM bashing...sorta.* There are some lecturers there that really know what they're doing and what they're talking about. Unfortunately they are about 5% of the teaching staff. Sigh. I should name names but I'm being nice.
*Actually, no I don't. $10K and I'm still struggling with stuff I thought I would have mastered by now. And they won't let me steal I mean borrow the Wacom pads. Gah.
What is _really_ ticking me off is that at the end of the year there's an 'industry night' where we invite local industry people and show them our stuff in hopes of landing some work. Management has left it to the students to organise this...and gee, how many students actually know any industry people? Gah, train wreck...
Oh boy, that sounds pretty terrible.
Speaking of Wacom tablets, I was thinking of holding a modelling contest on Sumea, where the main prize was a Wacom Tablet.. of course, that all requires some form of sponsorship.. I will have to email a few companies and see if it happens, but I think it's a great idea, and certainly one of the things I had hoped the website could do. That picture box of the girl you see on the main page was put there as a placeholder for the entries in the competition...
Anyway - Adamant, did you finally decide who you're going to go and study with yet? Enmore is pretty top class, btw..
Wacom Tablet!!! Yes yes!!!
Actually it's a sore point for me at the moment, as apparently a big pile of them were stolen from QANTM over the past week or two. I love those Tablets and it's half the reason I go to class at all :) So on one hand I'm ticked off that students stole them and therefore made everyone else wear dorky id holder tags around our necks all the time now...but on the other hand I'm ticked they didn't ask if I wanted one ;)
j/k!!! But man, sometimes it doesnt pay to be honest! :)
quote:
BTW, my contract with MF is up and assuming I can't find work I'll be back at the AIE next year, cya there...
No offense, but if you've got industry experience, why not look somewhere else? Otherwise, you'll just be putting yourself into debt again. Then again, if you feel you've got lots more to learn, then by all means.
Excuse me? I said that I'd be studying if I couldn't find work. Maybe you should read my whole post? Frankly, even studying something I already know would be better than sitting on the dole doing nothing. I guess you feel otherwise.
And any artist who thinks they have nothing left to learn is fooling themselves. For example, if it was as easy to find a job as you seem to think then you'd be working, wouldn't you?
Whoa dude - don't take it the wrong way (I did say no offense ), I simply misinterpreted your comment (just woke up at that time of day). From what I've gathered, having experience appears to be the biggest plus anyone can have on their resume so that would probably put you higher in the eyes of employers than unproven artists like myself.
However, in defense of my post, I'd appreciate it if you didnt put words in my mouth. I never said that sitting on the dole would be better nor did I say that I thought getting an industry job would be easy. It's just that a few people I knew chose to do self-directed study and use the money that would have been spent on tuition to fulfil these requirements.
I had a similar choice to make this year. I could choose to go back to the AIE this year and spend $10,000 NZ (taking my student loan to a grand total of $40,000) on the Dip II course or I could work on my portfolio in my spare time and find full time non-related work to finance it- which is what I chose to do.
Hope there's no misunderstandings - no offense was intended. Sweet?
JK
Eep... thought you were trying to be a smartass, my mistake. I'm very sorry, I've been a bit snappy since becoming unemployed. My apologies, hope you understand. :)
The main reason I'd be studying is not so much for the sake of my skills as to avoid having Centrelink waste my time with "mutual obligations" and crap like work for the dole. I'd much rather stay at home and work on my own projects but if I was to do that the government would see me as a lazy dole-bludger and would order me into slavery, and then I'd have a lot less time for my demoreel.
quote:I was one of the first Qantm scholarship winners
wasn't 3/4 of the course on scholarships, just to make full classes. that is what i was told.
lachlan inglis
Showreel WIP: http://effectism.com/sample/
[[/quote]
wasn't 3/4 of the course on scholarships, just to make full classes. that is what i was told.
THE first intake we were all scholarship winners I think.
No licences on software, so you couldn't save any work you did.
lots of bungling. and mumbling. then they tried to sell me an
SGI. pfft.
they gave me a T shirt though. I washed my car with it till it died.
Handy.
ahh, gonernment education..they get you with the free tshirt.
lachlan inglis
Showreel WIP: http://effectism.com/sample/
nah its government. its just tafe with a fancy name.
lachlan inglis
Showreel WIP: http://effectism.com/sample/
If you're willing to move to canberra (AIE), the animation course there is just under $3000 for the one year cert IV, and then $7500 for the second year diploma. They are highly respected in the industry...of course it does require the move to canberra :)
CYer, Blitz
($10,000-$25,000 sounds an awful lot for one year...)