Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/863793
9 2 0 1 7 E D U C AT I O N & R E C R U I T M E N T S P E C I A L students spend their own time developing their work for class delivery, doing industry research or working on passion proj- ects on their own or with peers. "These students truly stand out when they hit the industry because the work ethic has been expected from the start of school," says Bandstra. Bobby Beck, CEO and cofounder of the online animation school Animation Mentor, sees teamwork and feedback as the keys to success for any animator at any level. "Animation is a team sport. Although we wind up sitting at our computers bringing what is in our heads to life through digital puppets, we always need to include others in our work," he explains. "That is where you will see if what you think is funny, sad, dy- namic, scary, and so forth is coming across clearly to others. The feedback you get will make or break your work. If you hold on too tight and show it only when you think it is 'per- fect,' you will fall down and have to backtrack hours or days." Beck adds, "We have a mantra we live by at Animation Mentor, and that is, 'show early and often.'" So, from day one at the school, all student work is visible on campus. Students can be in the most basic class and see the video reference, thumbnails, rough blocking, and so forth from all their classmates – who just happen to be spread out all over the world. "You are putting your work out there, and even if you don't go seeking feedback, which is very hard to avoid at Animation Mentor, your work is exposed," Beck says. And he emphasizes that is a great thing. "Any professional animator will tell you this is what it's like to be in dailies, where you review one another's work with the director each morning," Beck points out. "There's nothing worse than getting tough feedback in front of your peers when you're a professional, and we work to help our students build the muscle and confidence they need to learn that it's not a mean or bad thing to get tough feedback. It's all meant to make your work better." Meanwhile, Academy of Art University's curriculum for animation students mirrors the departments within a studio. "If you've ever looked at the credits at the end of an animated CG feature, you'll know there are a ton of people involved. There's artists who create the models, artists who paint the models' surfaces, there are animators, lighters, and on and on," says Derek Flood, associate director of visual effects for the school's Animation and Visual Effects Department. Academy of Art embraces this structure, "so students will receive the particular education they need to be able to develop the skill set and body of work within their chosen specialized field within the larger animation studio umbrella," says Flood. "Being able to offer that specialized training in these many disciplines is a real strength of the school." ULTIMATE GOAL It's clear that educational institutions specializing in anima- tion are taking their role of teaching and preparing the next generation of artists for careers in the industry very serious- ly. Indeed, they are teaching the tenets of animation, from modeling to rigging and beyond, such as how to create a character audiences care about. But they are also teaching so much more – things that are essential for students to know as they transition to the professional world, including how to handle deadlines, how to work as a team, how to handle critiques, and how to see a larger picture, among others. And many schools are incor- porating these lessons into students' education. After all, a school's reputation hinges on the hiring factor and success of its students. ● "Unmasked" from SVA's Alice Gavish and Christina Faraj.