This article's being kicked around. :S Doubt it'll have much impact on Sheridan's attendance, but good luck to all the students involved anyway.
This article's being kicked around. :S Doubt it'll have much impact on Sheridan's attendance, but good luck to all the students involved anyway.
Yep, and TEACHING animation is about as secure a job as you'll find in the animation business to boot!
I will say that for most of my tenure as a teacher, I found the job to be very rewarding. I started it at a time when I was really feeling down about the whole animation business and was actively seeking to move either away from it or laterally to other kinds of positions.
Teaching gave me a rekindled passion and sense of purpose for the field again, and I'd reccomend it to anyone with years of experience under their belt who might be feeling a bit jaded.
The industry needs the older hands passing on the word and the way to the youngun's anyways.
If holding a degree gives an experienced pro the cachet to land a better teaching job, so be it--but that's really about the only value I can see in holding a degree.
"We all grow older, we do not have to grow up"--Archie Goodwin ( 1937-1998)
I landed a part-time teaching gig this past spring, and I agree with the rekindling aspect. I'm more excited about my work than I've been in years, although the day-to-day hasn't changed any.
I completely agree with you about the value of a degree. In my case it's merely a means to an end. If I could teach without one I would, but the aforementioned teaching gig came about in part because I'm in progress on my MFA. Without that, they may not have looked at me, even with my experience, due to accredidation issues.
I got that a few days ago; when it talks about the lower-percentage students not meeting eyes it sounds SO sad, like you can almost feel their empty desperation.
By the sounds of it, hopefully they at least learn enough that they can make other, better reels on their own. That happens quite a lot and students end up fine eventually.
I don't know the Sheridan program at all--neither attended or taught there, but I have reviewed portfolios from students there when I was hiring.........well over 10 years ago.
Back then, the students coming out of their 3 year (?) program were not turning out work any better than VFS grads in their 1 year program.
That surprised me.
I became a proponent of the 3 year program a few years ago myself, having taught in VFS's 1 year program for several years.
I still like the added time a longer program gives a student, but I concede now that the program length is irrelevant.
Its the students and what THEY bring to the table that counts, and always has.
The 20% number stated in the article falls right in-line with the "10%" rule I used to pontificate about.
That being that in a class of 20 students; 2, to as many as 4, will have sufficient skills upon graduation to gain work in the industry.
Some classes will have more, some less, but the average is around that........10%---20%. The rest are just fodder for the schools--they keep the lights on.
I'd bet a years income that 95% of the "animation schools" out there cannot field better numbers than those--and never have.
This was always my concern about Sheridan's program going to a degree goaled format--particularly the teaching aspect.
Where in the hell are they going to find animation experienced teachers with degrees--was my main question and it looks like its not gone well for them.
Oh, I simply cannot speak of their staff's experience or qualifications, but if a potential employer is citing what looks like a LACK on their part, then there is a problem.
This is part of my arguement about the worthlessness of a degree.
These students are emerging from this program with degrees of debatable value, taught by staff of what could be questionable expertise. The question becomes why offer such a thing if its toothless?
And Sheridan is NOT alone in this--other schools, both private and public are looking at degree programs as a cash-cow opportunity--simply because it implies more intensive study, it should cost more, right?
Riiiiiiiiiight.
Add talent that have worked a MINIMUM of 5 years into the program as instructors-screw the degree requisite. Make it a rule that NO former students with anything LESS that 7-10 years experience can teach or assist in the programs--and do that just to lend a shred more credibility to the exercise.
Teach the kids the basic, and build off that. Don't let them piss around with anime or comics stuff or any other BS for the first year. Make them earn their styles of choice by showing skills in classical drawing/art methods. Then let them extrapolate from there.
If they cannot handle that, dump them to the curb and bring in the next kid from the waiting list.
Forget about this degree bullshit--its a marketing ploy akin to a blowjob, and has as much worth in the industry. In other wordsL zero, zilch, zip, nada, none.
If an employer cannot/will not hire these grads because they think the kids work isn't up to snuff, then they are 100% right.
The talent requirements/standards in industry HAVE NOT CHANGED for as long as I can remember and can look back. Good solid appealing art skills are a #1 requisite-anyone who thinks otherwise is deluded.
Look at the product that comes out--the students work has to mirror that to be of any value to the industry.
If the kiddies in these schools are not hitting those standards, then they better get cracking as far as developing their talent goes.
Those kids will have a chance to develop those kinds of skills if they cut away all the distractions and junk and have skilled industry experienced instructors teach a simple, direct program to them.
Nah, this kind of thing with Sheridan doesn't surprise me at all.
"We all grow older, we do not have to grow up"--Archie Goodwin ( 1937-1998)
a somewhat animated reply
couldnt commit to an ending.. use your imagination.
cool
I think part of the issue with the educators that institutions hire is based upon the accredidation that those institutions strive to maintain. These institutions can't hire non-degree holding eudcators or they could lose their accredidation and any funding that goes along with that. Unfortunately that decision has nothing to do with concern for the students.
I've seen where an institution will turn down employment of a capable educator because they didn't have a degree, but then hire someone because they have a degree and meet the requirements but aren't capable as an educator. It's not an intelligent decision, it's an economic decision. I don't agree with it either, but what do you do?
As an example: Does AAU have degree requirements for its Pixar class instructors? I had someone that used to teach there at the start of AnimationMentor and aside from knowing his animation stuff, it struck me how good he was at teaching. That's nothing against the mentors that would come later -- they're smart and extremely good animators, and definitely had the vision and patience to be able to present the material well, but you definitely could tell the difference in style when someone comes from experience + classroom mileage vs. experience alone. So maybe get whatever accreditation(sp?) they have that enables them to do that, because to my knowledge my instructor wasn't beyond a Bachelor's.
Yea, ain't that a peach, eh?
What's the point of offering a degree program with degree holding instructors if the instructors have never WORKED (or have extensive experience) in the field of instruction? In the zeal to market programs like animation, that little detail consistently gets overlooked.
Oh I'm sure there's voices out there that say that these schools will only hire degree-holding instructors with actual work experience........but again, how does one qualify that?
Would a student like to be taught by a degree-holding teaching with 5 years in the field of study or a non-degree holding instructor with 25 years in that same field?? I think anyone with half a brain can answer that.
Private schools now like to dangle the degree gimmick in front of students noses too, because its makes them appear to be more prestigious. It also makes things more lucrative too--for the schools.
I've long argued that a degree--at least in the animation field) is WORTHLESS because animation, as a craft and industry, is PERFORMANCE-based, not doctrine-based. A student can work their way through a programme and meet the academic standards set and STILL lack sufficient talent to gain work in the industry.
I've seen this multiple times with many grads.
It doesn't matter if the kid got straight "A"s--if they lack the talent they will not get work in the biz.
A degree-holding talent is at the exact same level on the "playing field" as a non-degree holding talent when being looked at for the job--because almost no-one I know of looks at the kid's education. They look at TALENT.
After the first few jobs, the education becomes meaningless anyway.
And still people get caught in the spin of "gotta have a degree".
Where's a spittoon when ya need one??
Honestly, the schooling really seems to serve the folks that have already self-taught themselves to a certain degree anyway. There's so much info on how to do this stuff out there right now that some dedication and time is all it takes to develop competence........and at probably less that $1000. Cripes amightly, schools are dinging people upwards of $30,000 to $40,000 a YEAR to learn the SAME stuff you can get from about $200 worth of books (and you can find out just what books with less than 30 minutes search time on the internet!).
The ONLY thing that big coin offers a student is feedback and guidance from a instructor--assuming they are a pro to begin with.
But those instructors have to be industry folks--otherwise the education itself is suspect and all that money spent wasted. If the instructors are found wanting, then the students may as well self-teach.
If students, like those at Sheridan, are showcasing work that's not up to industry standards, then those considering such a programme need to take a hard look at the instructors, the programme and the school.
"We all grow older, we do not have to grow up"--Archie Goodwin ( 1937-1998)
Frankly, I'm glad to hear that professionals with experience and a Master's degree are in short supply, and that they'd be a boon to any college faculty. I'm working on an MFA right now, and I've been working in the field for over 18 years.
I've had the head of an animation program tell me that once my degree is complete I should have no trouble finding a full-time teaching job due to my years of experience. Let's hope she's right :D