Animation Colleges

Which animation colleges will offer you the best chance at getting a job upon graduation? Advances in technology continue to transform the field of animation. It is now a highly sought-after professional career, and the best animation colleges will work with their students to prepare them for immediate employment.

For starters, attending one of the best animation colleges will give you a huge leg up. That practically goes without saying. But which of all the schools are considered to be the best animation colleges? There is no one answer that is right for everyone. Among the top rated animation colleges are the Ringling College of Art and Design in Florida. Ringling prides itself on being ranked as the #1 college in North America three years running by 3D World, a prestigious industry magazine. The Savannah College of Art and Design and the Pratt Institute also have excellent programs.

But these are only the animation colleges that comprise the very top tier. There are many others that will offer you a great education leading to a worthy career upon graduation. As the field of animation continues to grow, more and more animation colleges will be offering quality programs.

For now, though, one of the ways you can judge which of the animation colleges will offer you the best prep for a career is by pondering the demo reel. What is a demo reel? It is a short videotape (short being five minutes or less) that shows off your talents. You will need to put together your demo reel while you are still in school. So one way to judge animation colleges is by how much support they offer students for working on their demo reels. This all-important item is your entrée to a successful career in the animation field and you don’t just want to dash it off in a couple weeks. You want to spend as much time as it takes to create a quality demo reel. Make certain that the animation college of your choice has access to the kinds of equipment you will need for this.

You should inquire about demo reels as well as facilities when you visit various animation colleges. Yes, if you are serious about animation as a career you should go on school visits. You’ll want to get a feel for the place that will be your home away from home for a number of years and you can’t do that from pictures on a brochure or computer. It is a good idea, however, to go online and visit directories which list animation colleges to get more information before you visit. When making a school visit, be sure to ask what kinds of career placement opportunities the animation colleges provide. This can vary enormously from school to school. Then too, be aware that recruiters from animation companies are well aware of which animation colleges have the best reputation. It truly is important to make the correct choice of school for your eventual career.