Hey everyone,
I need your help with an issue I might need to deal with pretty soon.
I'll try to make the long story short:
I'm a 2D animator with a BFA in Animation and 2 years of work experience (Full time and Freelance) and I applied to a few MA/MFA animation programs around the world in order to start a more interesting and fulfilling career abroad.
I got accepted to a few of places in the UK (Including Edinburgh College of arts) but US is my top priority. So here's the bottom line:
I just got accepted to the animation MFA program in MCAD and now i'm waiting for the reply from Calarts. Thing is, If I do get accepted to both I'll have to make a choice. A very quick and critical one between these two institutes.
My dilemma has a few factors that require attention:
1. The Program:
I'm a very traditional animator. I work both in the classic and digital manner, but my main interest is to better myself and make my style and skills "complete", to take my own animativ language to the next level. And like every artist, I still have alot to learn.
Taking that in mind, MCAD suits me more. It's a mentor based program, very personal, very supportive to your personal interest and style. It's pretty much what I'm loathing for. Now, Calarts have only an "Experimental Animation" MFA program. In the end, you may choose to make a more traditional Grad project, but the department itself will definetly try to push me to the more "artsy" and experimental approach. Which is interesting and enjoyable, but It'll not exactly fit me that well.
Also take in to mind that I already worked with experimental techniques in my BFA (Our BFA here is Israel is 4 years and very different than ones in the US, it's like a heavy mixture of both Calarts Programs- Character and experimental). So again, I'm seeking a more personalized program.
1. Career:
This is probably the biggest issue I have to deal with. My plan does not include going back to my home country. I plan to stay in the US and work permanently. So after my student visa expires I'll have to find a decent fulltime job pretty quick. So this is the main issue I'd like you guys to help me with, if you can.
I know that finding a job after finishing Calarts is an easy task if your portfolio and exprience is good. They have lots of work connections and career placement programs and their location is obviously a plus that serves this purpose.
But what about MCAD? are they helful with careers? do they have good job placement programs for graduation animators? Is it easy enough for someone who graduated from there to find a job that'll support his visa? (considering he already has work experience, Festivals in his resume and a BFA + MFA)
In other words, is the difference critical? my biggest nightmare will be to finish my studies and have no job for a while, which will mean I have to go back to my country- broke.
now , there are also financial factors (MCAD is more likely to support financially than Calarts), But those are decisions I need no help with. It's the career thing I have to worry about.
So, sorry for the daunting length of this post. I tried to make it as detailed as I could. Hope you wouldn't be too bored to reply
Thanks in advance!
Cheers!
Amit Tishler
Btw, If you're wondering about my style of work so far- check out these films:
Animation Showreel: (Personal and Professional work compilation)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onhj_xBe34Y
WinterHunt: (Flash)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VQSozqkIcTY
Born to be Dead: (Traditional Animation)
You are making a LOT of assumptions here that the reality of the situation just does not support.
The California region is heavily populated with talent--A-list talent in fact.
Finding a job is NOT easy because of that, and doubly more so if you are not a US citizen. Add to it that a sizeable percentage of talent are out of work, so right away you are competing with them, never mind your classmates, for the available jobs.
And honestly, the situation is no different in the rest of the USA, or Canada for that matter.
You'll probably need a work visa, and likely sponsorship to work in the USA ( or Canada) after graduation--and that will be based on your hiring potential.
You will VERY LIKELY have no job for a while after graduation because you may not be legally allowed to work.
Lastly, the schooling means nothing if the talent is not there. Degrees, or where you went to school mean nothing if you cannot produce work at the level the studios demand. Job placement...is meaningless as well, because studios will not hire "talent" based on some school program. They'll filter talent based on their needs.
"We all grow older, we do not have to grow up"--Archie Goodwin ( 1937-1998)
Hey Ken,
Firstly, thank you for the reply! it's highly informative for me.
you have to understand, all of this may be very obvious to you, but I work in a much smaller industries and the rules here are kind of different. Of course in ther end, the talent is what matters most. But i'm asking these question while taking that into account, cuz that IS the obvious thing.
Overall, I think you pretty much answered my question. My main concern was if there was any difference in the post-graduation job search between the two places. So if there is none, and the point about LA area massive competition is indeed true (which is logical sense I didn't even think of) then I guess all that's left to take into account is the program itself.
So again, thanks alot for this. It may sound really obvious, but trust me, over here we have it ten times as rough. So - it's good to know.
and one last thing, do you know anything about MCAD in general? the place and program sound really appealing, and so far I've heard only great things about it. but you sound like you know a thing or two :) so ...have you heard anything about their MFA program? or the overall institute?
and how's the market around Minnesota? are there active studios and good working places around the area? (Because the way I see it, it seems like a much more attractive city to live in than LA).
and again, Thanks!