Art Center or SVA?

>>2730934
>I mean illustration in the entertainment department
What? If you want Entertainment Design (concept art) then go to Art Center. I personally wouldn't do their Illustration program though as it seems much much weaker from what I've seen. I don't know much about SVA though.

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>>2730939
Sorry, I'm saying this because Art Center has an illustration program with a line of entertainment arts classes that seem like the right way to go for me, personally. However, SVA is also a very good school from what I have heard, and right now is more convenient for me.

I can't get into their ED program as it is really difficult for me, as of now.

>>2730943
>I can't get into their ED program as it is really difficult for me, as of now
If those are your paintings you are posting you probably could actually, if you made a specific portfolio for it that is. The entry level for their ED program has gone down a lot in recent years because there's a lot of alternatives to it that are cheaper now like Gnomon, Schoolism, Red Engine, CGMA, CDA etc so the top talent is often choosing those instead since it's a similar education at a fraction of the cost.

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>>2730953
These are definitely not my paintings. I know how good you have to be to get into their ED program. Even if I was this good, it would take a long time.

I would just like to get better, like these paintings. I have some of my peers who got accepted into their illustration program that say that a similar line of artists end up here and do good rounds, and actually get good. I know that's of course, not entirely the case for anyone, but that's why I'm asking. I know I can get better without college, but college is my direction now.

Their illustration program doesn't seem too bad, does it?

>>2730960
>Their illustration program doesn't seem too bad, does it?
I mean I haven't gone there myself, but I've heard bits and pieces and seen people come out of it. It sounds a lot weaker and less rigorous than their ED program. I think they push more individual growth which can be a good thing, but it's also sort of risky because then you get people exploring that rather than building a proper skill foundation to have beneath all that style. The graduates from their illustration program are sort of inconsistent, but yes as you say they do have some good people come out of there. I don't know your skill level or previous experiences or what you want though so can't give complete answers on what is best for you.

If you are really set on SVA or ACCD, try doing a bit of research and seeing if you can find recent grads or current students in those programs, then send them some polite emails explaining your situation and asking some intelligent questions about their experience. Some won't reply, but you would be surprised at the number that do reply with thorough responses.

>>2730968
I see. I mean I already did email some of them. I just get uneasy when they pretty much say the same thing about each other, its just that art center is a bit more intensive on the learning part.

>>2730974
They're both good schools and you'll learn and improve with either of them. Don't overthink it too much, even a "wrong" choice will be a good choice here.

>>2730934
I went to ACCD for Ent. Knew Illustration people. Anyone here go to SVA? Maybe we can answer some of this guys questions and compare and contrast

>>2731167
Not OP but I may as well ask questions if you are nice enough to answer for the thread.

How is your career going now? How long ago did you graduate, and how long after that did it take to get a job? What would you say the most valuable aspects of the program were? Worst parts? If you could go back in time, what would you do differently? If someone were to not go to ACCD but self teach instead, what advice would you give them? How old are you, and how old were most people? How did you compare skills-wise to people in your class? Did people enter the program at a near-pro level? What was the most surprising thing about the program? Did you get any scholarships? How did you afford the school and housing there? What are your plans for the future?

>>2730934
I graduated ArtCenter's Illustration program. It's good if you put effort into it and demand from the program some attention. If you're going to be the quiet kid in the back of the room that sits there just doing the assignments, have fun wasting your money there. You will likely not be pushed by the school and end up working at Trader Joe's bagging groceries.

If you have a lot of self-discipline and drive, I would recommend the school. I had to learn to be the squeaky wheel. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. You must be annoying, it sucks, but you have to do that. It's no different now that I'm in the job market. I can politely send my portfolio out, or I can be the one constantly nagging for work, eventually I get it. The same goes for ArtCenter and that's where I learned to be that way. When you're constantly shoving your work in front of your instructors, even outside of class time and demanding critiques and attention, you get it. They will recognize your work and put it in the gallery. They will make sure you are one of the ones to get a studio or a spot in the various student shows. That shit actually does matter. They are connected and they will recommend you when the time comes. My first jobs came from people recognizing my work in the gallery and also in the halls during portfolio reviews and graduation. My work was likely pushed out by instructors because I gave a serious shit and demanded attention from the school.

>>2731195
This is me,

OP, also, keep in mind that the Illustration program is huge and there are tracks. The broadest, most open one is "Illustration Design" which is basically the one where you're free to develop whatever your own "style" is. If you want to do Entertainment, but can't get in the ED program, also know that there is an "Entertainment Arts" track of Illustration. It has far fewer electives, but many of my friends from that track are now working at Disney, Adult Swim/Cartoon Network, Dreamworks, Laika and some other shit I can't think of. It's a very Disney/Nickelodeonesque type of program. There is some overlap between that part of the program and the Entertainment Design major, but the general way I think of it is that the ED students' stuff is more serious and Illustration's EA students' stuff is a bit more whimsical. I wouldn't say that's true for everyone, but generally speaking.

im currently in the MFA illustration program at SVA...
since youre considering entertainment design, im assuming youre looking for an undergraduate program.
becasue im not in BFA, i really dont know what the undergrad program is like, but i can tell you that the MFA program is not very technically focused. it has much more to do with what you are showing rather than how well you can draw.

>>2731180
>How is your career going now?
All is well!
>Grad/ take to get job
I didn't graduate, left in my 4th year for a job offer.
>Valuable aspects
Connections. Peers. Strong foundations instruction.
>Worst parts
Intensity can burn you out. You learn extremely important lessons from overcoming the burn out but it hurts to think how much you paid for a semester and look back to see you were making sleepy drawings for 3 months.
>Go back in time
I would wait a bit longer to start. Get a little better. I would also take a break in the middle possibly. And I would take the competition less aggressively. Don't know if the mood is still the same up there.
>About self teaching
Make contacts- it's as big a disadvantage in your career as a gap in skills. Also, if you're self teaching, don't try to be anyone else or live up to the level of some peer group like "Art Center Students". You'll lose your fucking mind and beat up on yourself. Develop your critical thinking and your own mind and become the best version of yourself. No one self taught themselves to be Dadaists or some shit- they joined the circle and had all the advantages of working in that atmosphere. Sargent was friends with Monet. YOU GET WHAT IM SAYING.
>Age
I went in at 19. Most people were a bit older than me, early mid twenties to mid twenties. A smaller percentage but a good amount were 30s. We had one guy over 40.
>Skill level to class
I felt I was near the bottom while going through school. In retrospect I was better at some things that kept me above water and utter embarrassing trash at others. I had to conquer a lot of self doubt. It was distracting.
>People entering at near pro level
Some people did. They just had different things to learn. Most people were not pro at all to start.
>Surprising thing
You have to suck like 4 dudes dicks a week. It's crazy. I got A's on all those
>Scholo
Scholo was less than half. Loans and WS for rest
>Plans
Saved for a year off, traveling and drawing now.

>>2731223
Oh wow you actually answered all my questions!

I'm already making a living off my art, but I'm struggling pretty bad and working for really low pay doing freelance gigs. I'm always curious about ACCD because if I had had different circumstances and some money I would have gone there I think. I wonder how things would have turned out for me differently.

>left in my 4th year for a job offer
Are you willing to say what the company/position is? Or post your portfolio/work?

>I would take the competition less aggressively
Any reason why?

>Make contacts
I struggle with this a lot. I'm bad at doing this both in person and online, and I don't really get many opportunities in person. Last time I did was at a schoolism event and the instructors just gave me a thumbs up but I didn't get any useful connections, and the other people there were mostly just students who wanted me to be a contact for them and help them out because they thought I was a more successful pro.

> don't try to be anyone else or live up to the level of some peer
>You'll lose your fucking mind and beat up on yourself
T-too late
>You have to suck like 4 dudes dicks a week. It's crazy. I got A's on all those
Lol! If only they were chick dicks. In all seriousness though I am curious what your real answer to that question would be. Like was there any class or teacher or something else that was entirely not like you would have expected going into the program?

>Saved for a year off, traveling and drawing now
Nice, congrats on being able to do that.

Does mr art center student have any experience or knowledge about the automotive design program?
Please and thank you

>>2731242
Glad to hear you're making a living off your art! It's too bad it's starting out rough but it can really only get better as time goes on.
>position
I always hesitate to expose myself on here, especially since you'll forever come up on 4chan archive sites, but I'll say I was a designer at a real-world-environment company. Did all kinds of places. Lots of theme parks. Great place. Loved the team, environment, atmosphere, pay, benefits. It was all good.
>Competition
I think competition is really healthy and a great thing about school- but I'm a very extreme person and when I wasn't on top I really let it get to me and depress me. I think you have to draw a line.
>contacts
It's fucking hard. I really only started getting the hang of it AFTER school. I feel I wasted my time in school contacts wise and am making up for it by catching up now. I've worked with guys who are mini companies on their own- based entirely on their aggressive lunch schedule. I know that sounds weird but its true. They take every job that lunch cycle brings in and redistribute everything they can't do to the rest of the lunch cycle. Insane lifestyle. But if ya love cash ya love cash. Great pay.
>T-too late
Haha...ha....yeeeah... It's real. Fight it. I've got close friends who are flat out some of the best in the world. You have to prune your mind of all that shit to not let yourself go nuts.
>Surprise
Biggest surprise was how few secrets there was to teach and how the teachers were really just teaching us to handle our shit.
Thanks for the congrats, it took some doing.
>>2731257
I know jack about cars. But every car guy I personally knew placed at a great studio. AC is hard to bet for it. Maybe only CCS competes? But I knew guys who finished CCS then just came to AC.

>>2731223
How do you overcome the burn out?

When I was there, the only thing worth your time in SVA is literally the 3 portfolio classes for illustration. First year is a big waste of time and money, you'll be wasting a lot of time writing papers in academic classes all 4 years, and the studio classes are just studio classes and not really guided. You're paying 100,000 or whatever it is now for 3 classes of being coached by an illustrator. The rest is on your own initiative.

>>2731286
You sort of have to externalize. Being truly burnt out means that YOU are done, and your mind is locking you out of your wishes and goals and saying its time to lay in the dirt. So you develop techniques for list making, hour-to-hour planning, and prioritization that you then take on mechanically. You "show up for fucking work" like a construction worker or mechanic. And you develop mental techniques for beating back the depression and trusting that in a few days you'll wake up feeling good again- but you acted like a professional and still put out while feeling shit.
School is really helpful for that. Or poverty without a fall back. It's really hard to push through the heartbreak to learn those things without a context that demands you keep going.

>>2731275
Hm, is there anything you could post that could indicate the level of your work? Even a small sketch or something would help, I'd really appreciate the point of comparison

>>2731223
Are you rich? How did you get in?

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>>2731275
Any info is good info. Thank you my friend!

>>2731202
I've actually heard the head of Ent. Arts describe the difference between the two majors being that ED was a better fit if you wanted to go into concept design for live action films / big hollywood industry and Ent. Arts was more for feature animation like Disney/Dreamworks/Etc.

though with the new character animation track in ED, it's hard to say if that still stands true...

>>2731404
That sounds pretty accurate actually. I think of ED as being very Video Game / Action movie minded, though I do know some students with work that could easily be Illustration character design stuff in ED...as well as I knew some Illustration majors whose stuff looked like epic action film concept art.