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Best Universities for Computer Graphics/Animation?

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Reply 2140
Original post by Lydia1234
Hello everybody, i'm in a bit of a pickle. I have a conditional offer for computer animation arts at bournemouth and that was going to be my firm choice. Now I also have a conditional offer for animation at falmouth. And I really really really really like falmouth and considering putting as my firm but at the same time bournemouth has a brilliant track record. Has anybody got any advice? :smile:


im in the same situation, i've got offers from both Bournemouth for CAA and Hertfordshire for 3D animation and i really can't decide :s-smilie:, Bournemouth is the most convenient for me and the best location but CAA doesnt have graduates yet so i dont know what their career prospects are like, i really liked Hertfordshire though so.... i really dont know :/

but someone told me it's like buying a new house you know it's right for you as soon as you walk through the door, but it's not really that simple i think it depends what type of animation it is you want to do Falmouth seemed better for 2D then 3D but its completely up to you.. good luck, this probably didnt help at all but i share your frustration
Original post by katie55
im in the same situation, i've got offers from both Bournemouth for CAA and Hertfordshire for 3D animation and i really can't decide :s-smilie:, Bournemouth is the most convenient for me and the best location but CAA doesnt have graduates yet so i dont know what their career prospects are like, i really liked Hertfordshire though so.... i really dont know :/

but someone told me it's like buying a new house you know it's right for you as soon as you walk through the door, but it's not really that simple i think it depends what type of animation it is you want to do Falmouth seemed better for 2D then 3D but its completely up to you.. good luck, this probably didnt help at all but i share your frustration


It's one big massive fuzzy ball of frustration. I wish I had a pushy parent that forced me to go somewhere then I wouldn't have to pick :biggrin: I live in London so bournemouth is also good for me especially compared to falmouth. I think what is making my decision hard is that I had that 'new house feeling' at falmouth with all the art around but the logical decision is bournemouth. I even get bursaries and stuff from BU that falmouth don't give...just everything about it is the logically correct place for me.
Hopefully we can come to a conclusion soon!! good luck x
Reply 2142
Original post by Lydia1234
It's one big massive fuzzy ball of frustration. I wish I had a pushy parent that forced me to go somewhere then I wouldn't have to pick :biggrin: I live in London so bournemouth is also good for me especially compared to falmouth. I think what is making my decision hard is that I had that 'new house feeling' at falmouth with all the art around but the logical decision is bournemouth. I even get bursaries and stuff from BU that falmouth don't give...just everything about it is the logically correct place for me.
Hopefully we can come to a conclusion soon!! good luck x


i know what you mean, it's difficult and i am awful at making decisions :/ but good luck too :smile:
Does anybody have any information about the CAA course chnaging to 4 years with a 40 week placement?
Hi,

I have embedded a link to a new film discussing how the NCCA was formed 23 years ago and the work of its students, alumni and staff. Hope you find it useful.

[video="youtube_share;fJQK42N14VE"]http://youtu.be/fJQK42N14VE[/video]
(edited 12 years ago)
Original post by Lydia1234
Does anybody have any information about the CAA course changing to 4 years with a 40 week placement?


Hi Lydia,

Its an optional year, with the idea students will opt to undertake a placement year at one of the film, games and TV studios in the UK. Should be really interesting - as we are now working with a number of industry partners to facilitate.

You can however opt out and just do a 3 year degree as before.

Cheers

Saf
Original post by Sofronis
Hi Lydia,

Its an optional year, with the idea students will opt to undertake a placement year at one of the film, games and TV studios in the UK. Should be really interesting - as we are now working with a number of industry partners to facilitate.

You can however opt out and just do a 3 year degree as before.

Cheers

Saf


That sounds brilliant! Is that an option that someone starting this year can opt in?
Original post by Lydia1234
That sounds brilliant! Is that an option that someone starting this year can opt in?


Indeed. Remember the Placement year wont actually take place until the third year of study; so I guess 2015 for you? Be good.

Cheers
Reply 2148
Hello, I've been looking around all the 3D animation threads for a while and although I haven't been through every single page on this thread, I've caught the general gist of it

From what I've gathered, Bournemouth is the more tech course and Herts is more arty
I've applied for CAA at Bournemouth which apparently has less maths and is the arty-er of the three, however Herts apparently has only a few weeks of maths (which I'd much prefer)
My maths sucks and I'm a really arty person so I'd just like someone to confirm whether Herts is a better place for someone that's more arty as opposed to techy

I would preferably go to Bournemouth but the maths and programming side is really worrying me..
(edited 12 years ago)
Hi guys I've done my interview in Hertfordshire around last week, my interviewer said he would send a reply in a few days, but its been a week now. Im just worried =/, and do you get informed if you get rejected?
Not that i think i did bad in the interview but just to be sure xD.
Original post by massiex
Hello, I've been looking around all the 3D animation threads for a while and although I haven't been through every single page on this thread, I've caught the general gist of it

From what I've gathered, Bournemouth is the more tech course and Herts is more arty
I've applied for CAA at Bournemouth which apparently has less maths and is the arty-er of the three, however Herts apparently has only a few weeks of maths (which I'd much prefer)
My maths sucks and I'm a really arty person so I'd just like someone to confirm whether Herts is a better place for someone that's more arty as opposed to techy

I would preferably go to Bournemouth but the maths and programming side is really worrying me..


I can confirm that Herts is more arty/less techy. Unless something has changed since I left (admittedly several years ago now), there's basically no technical stuff beyond what's required to get a film out the door. Of course, all parts of CG are inherently techy to a degree, and if you want to get down and dirty with shaders and fancy-pants compositing, there are great resources at your disposal, but these are, in the world of CG, not really 'techy' things. The more traditionally techy CG things, like pipelines and scripting or actual shader writing aren't touched upon (and they're helpful, but not necessary for every artist to know). I would imagine Bournemouth delves into these subjects to at least some degree.
Reply 2151
Hey guys! I have a dilemma here, I've applied for game art and I've had my heart set on going to De Montfort, but I had an interview for Herts yesterday and really loved the place the work looked really impressive. They offered me a place but I am really torn between the two unis now, does anyone have any advice that might help me to make a more informed decision?
Reply 2152
Original post by CyclopsRock
I can confirm that Herts is more arty/less techy. Unless something has changed since I left (admittedly several years ago now), there's basically no technical stuff beyond what's required to get a film out the door. Of course, all parts of CG are inherently techy to a degree, and if you want to get down and dirty with shaders and fancy-pants compositing, there are great resources at your disposal, but these are, in the world of CG, not really 'techy' things. The more traditionally techy CG things, like pipelines and scripting or actual shader writing aren't touched upon (and they're helpful, but not necessary for every artist to know). I would imagine Bournemouth delves into these subjects to at least some degree.


Thanks for the help. Are you comparing the arty-ness to the CVA part of Bournemouths 3D or just in general? Because I've heard that CAA is much less techy. And do you know if BU includes lot of maths?

The thing about Herts is that the interviewer warned us all yesterday that they're far more pushier than Bournemouth and although I do intend to work hard, I'm not sure if I could take the pressure from Herts. So blah, I'm not sure which to pick at the moment..

My main concern would probably be which is the more arty though tbh. I wouldn't mind if BU is a little less arty than Herts but if it's a big difference then I'll probably end up choosing the latter :/
Original post by massiex
Thanks for the help. Are you comparing the arty-ness to the CVA part of Bournemouths 3D or just in general? Because I've heard that CAA is much less techy. And do you know if BU includes lot of maths?

The thing about Herts is that the interviewer warned us all yesterday that they're far more pushier than Bournemouth and although I do intend to work hard, I'm not sure if I could take the pressure from Herts. So blah, I'm not sure which to pick at the moment..

My main concern would probably be which is the more arty though tbh. I wouldn't mind if BU is a little less arty than Herts but if it's a big difference then I'll probably end up choosing the latter :/


I can't really say with any degree of certainty (and, it's worth noting, that very few people have experienced both courses. I can tell you all about Herts and about what I've heard of Bournemouth, but that's all it'll ever be I'm afraid!)

Regarding pushing you, I wouldn't worry. Or, rather, what I mean is that, generally, if you turn up, do the work, take notes, do the "homework" and hand that in, you'll graduate, possibly with a decent degree classification - and then never get a job. If you want to ever be successful in this industry, it won't be because the lecturers have or haven't pushed you - it'll be because you have or haven't pushed you. Now, often times it's easier to push yourself because if there's an area you particularly like, you'll be far more inclined to get stuck in and do late nights even when the deadline doesn't demand that you do. In the first year or so, the university course can be tough because you have countless deadlines, many of which will be in areas of the process that you're utterly uninterested in - rigging, perhaps, or storyboarding etc. These are necessary things, though, to help you determine exactly what it is you DO want to do. However, as said, once you work out what you want to do, you are going to have to work your fingers to the bone if you want to end up doing well. It's a very very competitive industry out there, and a combination of factors (language, the EU's immigration policy, our geographical location) means that you're not just competing with other UK University students, but graduates from schools and studios all across Europe. You have to bring your A-game, and that won't come because the lecturers tell you to work hard.
Reply 2154
Original post by HWD-x
Hey guys! I have a dilemma here, I've applied for game art and I've had my heart set on going to De Montfort, but I had an interview for Herts yesterday and really loved the place the work looked really impressive. They offered me a place but I am really torn between the two unis now, does anyone have any advice that might help me to make a more informed decision?


Thanks :smile: The easy solution to your question is to look at the quality of the work of the final year students.

Hertfordshire
http://vimeo.com/uhanimation/videos/page:1/sort:tongue:lays

De Montfort
http://www.dmu.ac.uk/Study/Courses/Undergraduate-courses/game-art-design-ba-degree/game-art-design-student-work.aspx

The harder answer for you is that it is really your decision and yours alone - you are about to get yourself into more debt than you can imagine, so think about it carefully. I wouldn't worry about course cost as a decider - any difference between courses won't knock much off your final debt. Consider how you felt about both locations, whether they felt like somewhere you could spend 3 years of your life and whether you felt the lecturing staff had the skills and experience to teach you what you need to know. And if the worst comes to the worst and you feel like you have chosen the wrong course, you can always transfer :smile:
(edited 11 years ago)
Reply 2155
Original post by CyclopsRock
I can confirm that Herts is more arty/less techy. Unless something has changed since I left (admittedly several years ago now), there's basically no technical stuff beyond what's required to get a film out the door. Of course, all parts of CG are inherently techy to a degree, and if you want to get down and dirty with shaders and fancy-pants compositing, there are great resources at your disposal, but these are, in the world of CG, not really 'techy' things. The more traditionally techy CG things, like pipelines and scripting or actual shader writing aren't touched upon (and they're helpful, but not necessary for every artist to know). I would imagine Bournemouth delves into these subjects to at least some degree.


We teach Python now, it's a shame you graduated before that came in :smile: But you are right, the course is definitely aimed at the artist side of study - not that anyone who wants to study technical areas would be stopped, we have a few of those every year, and programming skills certainly add to employability for many jobs in CG.
Reply 2156
Original post by beeper000
Hi guys I've done my interview in Hertfordshire around last week, my interviewer said he would send a reply in a few days, but its been a week now. Im just worried =/, and do you get informed if you get rejected?
Not that i think i did bad in the interview but just to be sure xD.


You get informed whatever the result (that should apply to all universities). You should see a message in your UCAS account soon letting you know if things are good / bad. It can take a couple of weeks for our admissions department to update this information though.
Reply 2157
Original post by moid
Thanks :smile: The easy solution to your question is to look at the quality of the work of the final year students.

Hertfordshire
http://vimeo.com/uhanimation/videos/page:1/sort:tongue:lays

De Montfort
http://www.dmu.ac.uk/Study/Courses/Undergraduate-courses/game-art-design-ba-degree/game-art-design-student-work.aspx

The harder answer for you is that it is really your decision and yours alone - you are about to get yourself into more debt than you can imagine, so think about it carefully. I wouldn't worry about course cost as a decider - any difference between courses won't knock much off your final debt. Consider how you felt about both locations, whether they felt like somewhere you could spend 3 years of your life and whether you felt the lecturing staff had the skills and experience to teach you what you need to know. And if the worst comes to the worst and you feel like you have chosen the wrong course, you can always transfer :smile:


Thanks for the advice there Moid :biggrin:
Yeah the difference in work is pretty much a no brainer. I think I've pretty much made up my mind or at least more informed now. :smile:
Now just to practice my 3D work some more.
Original post by massiex
Thanks for the help. Are you comparing the arty-ness to the CVA part of Bournemouths 3D or just in general? Because I've heard that CAA is much less techy. And do you know if BU includes lot of maths?

The thing about Herts is that the interviewer warned us all yesterday that they're far more pushier than Bournemouth and although I do intend to work hard, I'm not sure if I could take the pressure from Herts. So blah, I'm not sure which to pick at the moment..

My main concern would probably be which is the more arty though tbh. I wouldn't mind if BU is a little less arty than Herts but if it's a big difference then I'll probably end up choosing the latter :/



Hey,

We have three streams on the BA, at one extreme we have the art pathway (CAA) which is focused on the artistry and craft of the subject - so concept design, character artist, environment artist, character/creature animator, lighter, texture artist, compositor, VFX animator, storyboarding, cinematography etc. There is some maths in the first year, but it is aimed at artists so not as in depth as the other streams. Python is taught and essential in your progression as practitioner in the industry. The difference with the NCCA in comparison to other courses is that Maths, programming and art are not seen as being separate entities from one another; but interlinked. They are not mutually exclusive as far as we and the industry are concerned. The bias in how much a students is taught (percentage wise) is based on the pathway; but each student is still expected to communicate with one another; even if the their subject knowledge is limited in terms of experience or ability.

At the other extreme is SDAGE which is Software Development; so very technical indeed. However they are also expected to do some art subjects so that they can work and communicate with artists regarding tools, pipeline and process.

In the middle we have CVA which is a mix of both CAA and SDAGE. So therefore what the industry would call a Technical Director or Technical Artist. Student work is also known to drift towards CAA or SDAGE depending on their interests and talent.

We also push are students very hard! However, it all comes down to how hard the student wants to work; its a competitive industry and going to University is not a meal ticket into employment - its up to the student to shine and push themselves and the work of their peers.

I hope that's helpful.

Cheers

Saf
Oh thanks moid, one last question. Is it wise to make my uni choices early (firm and insurance)?
I dont remember clearly but either my friend or my teacher said something about making your choices early would benefit my student finance. ?_?

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