As animation technology improved remarkably in the past few years, more and more students became interested in making a selection from the various 3D animation schools to gain the skills for careers in this evolving industry. Both feature film successes such as Ratatouille and prime time television hits like The Simpsons have proven that animated film offers a market beyond simply producing cartoons for children.

Students studying at 3D animation schools will ideally graduate with demo reels which showcase their work to the film industry. The superior institutes will have the equipment to produce the student’s initial demo reels, saving on the expense of the digital to video transfer process after graduation. The demo reel itself may evolve over a few years, as good work takes time to produce and students will probably want to represent their recent projects on their current reels.

Full Sail University is located in Orlando, Florida and attracts students from all over the world with a passion to create music, film, games, design, live events and of course animation. Full Sail U is home to more than 5,000 students and offers 7 Bachelor of Science and Associate of Science degrees that span the field of entertainment media.

The Digital Media Arts College has a campus in Boca Raton, Florida where students are taught by industry experts from leading companies such as SEGA, Imageworks, Disney and others. This school offers industry-standard animation tools, 3D software and imaging technologies in labs available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Degrees offered include Bachelor of Fine Arts in Computer Animation or Graphic Design and Master of Fine Arts in Special Effects Animation or Graphic Design.

For those interested in 3D animation schools with online programs, there’s the Westwood College of Technology offering a Bachelor’s in Animation with other programs that may also be of interest including Bachelor’s of Visual Communications and Bachelor’s in Game Art & Design, which teaches both Maya and 3DS Max. The studies involve conceptualizing and developing ideas, using life drawing and rendering techniques and creating animation for television, movies and other digital media.

Students wishing to study in California will be interested in the Ex’pression College for Digital Arts in Emeryville. This school offers Bachelor programs in Digital Graphic Design and Digital Visual Media. Their courses are project-based and incorporate all aspects of visual design, emphasizing motion graphics for advertising, film and television.

Students seeking 3D animation schools in Canada will be impressed with the International Academy of Design & Technology in Toronto, Ontario. The city hosts a major motion picture industry including animated projects as well as the Toronto International Film Festival. This facility offers an Associate degree in Visual Communications: Video and Animation Production and a Bachelor degree in Computer Animation, among others. Animators at the IADT can specialize in motion, feature films, materials and more. The new motion capture studio allows the opportunity to train on the same equipment that’s used in major motion pictures.

There are many choices of 3D animation schools a student may consider, and there has never been a more exciting time in the industry to enroll.