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I've been looking at transferring to a different art school and I found a college in Laguna Beach which appears to have a very good animation program. Does anyone know anything about this school? I'm also looking at going to SCAD, so I was wondering whether anyone has any recommendations, any insights or any information that may be useful. I've researched the school and it seems to get some pretty good marks as far as student placement goes and whatnot. Is this a school that many big name companies hire students from? Anyway, their philosophy of art education really goes well with my own artistic values, so I'm really considering it.
If the school has a lot of its graduates hired by major studios, you wouldn't have to ask; schools tend to make a point of mentioning such things.
That said, if the school provides the training you're looking for and fits with your artistic values, it never hurts to give them a call and ask these questions of them. Personally, I've never heard of them but that doesn't mean anything either.
The schools animation program is fairly new, about 8 years or so. They have two kids who graduated in 2005, one got into pixar out of college, the other got into blue sky then transferred to pixar, so it CAN be done, but those are very special cases. The overall level of student animation is poor-mediocre. The work ethic you are surrounded by until junior-senior year is poor, however if you are self motivated, and willing to actively extract what you can from the program and the teachers, this relatively cheap school can fit your needs. The school does give you a strong balance between actual drawing classes, and animation classses. The school is not well known in the animation industry, nor will you gain many valuable contacts/networking opportunities through the school.
Wow, thanks. Have you attended the school, or have you heard this from someone who did?