I'm currently living in Everett, but could easily move to the Long Beach area. My decision is narrowed down to these: -Westwood College in Torrance or Annehiem, California. (I've heard the Annehiem campus might be a little better). -ITT Tech in Everett, Washington. -Digipen in Redmond, Washington. I'm looking for anyone who has any opinions or knowledge of these schools, because the decision is proving very difficult for me. Westwood and ITT seemed pretty similar, except I came away feeling like Westwood's Game Art program was more cohesive and focused, and might prepare me better for a real job once I get out. I don't believe Westwood would be a big enough improvement over ITT by itself to justify moving down there, but when you also factor in that the LA area has more opportunity for a career in game development after I get out of college it starts to look like a worthwhile move. I know Digipen is top notch if you want to be a game programmer, but I haven't heard anything about what it's production animation courses are like. What has turned me off from Digipen is first that it will take a year longer, and second that it has admission requirements I might not meet (I had a terrible GPA in high school, dropped out but did exceptional on my GED). They also require 10-20 submissions of artwork to get in; And while I could manage to put together something decent, my skills are totally unrefined and I question whether what I submit would be good enough to qualify.

Sorry, I don't know about these schools, but, on the topic of video game art schools, do people know anything about the Guildhall at SMU? They seem to produce some quality artists, but it is at Southern Methodis University (ie SMU), which seems slightly random and unexpected.

Go to a real art school and forget this "video game art" nonsense. If you were to take a poll of professional game artists 90% of them would say the same thing. These sort of schools end up with an overall crappy program, an education and BFA in any sort of fine arts will train you better than Digipen, and train you for LIFE and your CAREER and not to just be a game artist.

Everyone says that, repeating it because it's what someone else has told them.

But I have yet to hear first hand accounts from people who went a school like westwood, or knows someone who did, and who then attests that it was not a quality school.

Of those three: Digipen. I know a few people in the art program, all of whom say good things about it, and I know that there have been successful art grads. The school definitely has a better reputation than ITT Tech or Westwood.

In general: None of those three. Just go to a normal art school. Your portfolio is a lot more important than where you went to school, so get the traditional college experience and a much more rounded education. It will (IMO) serve you better in the long run.

Quote: Original post by Driv3MeFar
Of those three: Digipen. I know a few people in the art program, all of whom say good things about it, and I know that there have been successful art grads. The school definitely has a better reputation than ITT Tech or Westwood.

Digipen does have the best reputation, but I might not qualify unless I spend a year in community college just to establish a 2.5 GPA or better transcript - Something I don't want to do if it's not necessary. I'm already 22 with no significant college credit earned, so I don't want to spend any more time in school than I have to. I just want to go some place that will develop my skills in a way that will allow me to get an entry level job ASAP.

So if it turns out ITT or Westwood is almost as good as Digipen, or at least fully adaquate for my purposes, then I'll go there and make the most of it.

Quote: In general: None of those three. Just go to a normal art school.

I don't want to spend the extra time taking general ed classes, and I want a school program that is tailored towards the specific industry I want to get in.

Quote: Your portfolio is a lot more important than where you went to school,

That's exactly why I'm looking at a place like westwood - The courses revolve around building up your skills to create a portfolio specific to the game industry.

I'm not going to a place like westwood so I can be able to say "I have a game art design degree", because they are only nationally accredited and not regionally accredited. I know that the game industry doesn't care where you went to school, but what examples of work you have.

Quote: so get the traditional college experience and a much more rounded education. It will (IMO) serve you better in the long run.

I don't need any more rounding of my education. In my free time I expand my mind in all directions via reading; History, science, technology, literature, film, music, philosophy, politics, culture, society, etc.

I've spent the last four to six years learning about everything, but really learning nothing because I can't apply it directly to a job skill.
I'm 22 and it's time to focus on an actual career path. I don't want to spend any more time in school than I have to, and I want a program focused on the exact industry I want to go into so that I'll be more prepared to work in the game industry than someone coming out of a traditional art college, and in a shorter amount of time too.

The game industry is it. It's where I've wanted to work since 4th grade.
What I ultimately want to do is design games, but I am also very into the artistic side of game creation - So I think the best way for me to get into the industry would be via art, from there I could either continue to rise as an artist, or maybe after I've spent a few years learning the business firsthand I could shift positions to be a designer.

Quote: Original post by Phoenix_Fury
Everyone says that, repeating it because it's what someone else has told them.

But I have yet to hear first hand accounts from people who went a school like westwood, or knows someone who did, and who then attests that it was not a quality school.

Right. So someone with no degree and no professional experience is naysaying what professionals are saying because its based on heresay. Did it occur to you that these are often the people who have the final say on hirings and they are the people you should be listening to if you want to succeed, they actually know what they are talking about? BTW, here is a thread for your convenience:

http://boards.polycount.net/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=207479&an=0&page=2#Post207479

I just got hired as a game designer and you know what we spent the most amount of time on in my interviews? Projects and people. Within projects we discussed the roles I served, where the projects went, where the weaknesses were at in those projects and how I dealt with them, and how I feel those projects have resulted in me being a better designer. People were also important. I interviewed with the Art Director at the company and he happened to know one of my professors, so that gave us something else to talk about. Also, I have taken the effort to make contact with a couple other designers and various leads at some companies, so I also discussed my interactions with them.

I have to reiterate what several others have said. I understand what you're saying when you say you've spent the last several years learning and yet it doesn't apply to what you want to do and this is why you don't want to take gen ed classes. Those gen ed classes are important, though. You know why? Because it proves that you have the ability to stick with something. My well rounded education and background in both the technical and artistic sides of things helped considerably.

When a company hires an artist, they don't want to hire a one trick pony most of the time. An artist should have breadth in their capabilities and experiences. You need a portfolio no matter what, and it doesn't matter if you create it while you're working at a game oriented school or an art oriented school. Building up your portfolio at a game oriented school is great, but if you can show that you were not only able to build up a great portfolio, but have taken the initiative to get professional reviews of your works and work in groups to get projects completed, that means a hell of a lot.

Quote:
But I have yet to hear first hand accounts from people who went a school like westwood, or knows someone who did, and who then attests that it was not a quality school.

I went to Digipen (for the computer science / "Real Time Interactive Simulation" degree) and I generally do not recommend it. I also know or have met a lot of people from DigiPen and similar schools who I would not hire (this may or may not be a result of the school's program, but it is sometimes a factor in the reason they are not suitable to be hired).

Quote:
I don't want to spend the extra time taking general ed classes, and I want a school program that is tailored towards the specific industry I want to get in.

This can severely impact your appeal as a candidate in many places. Most places I've worked at, or know of, will turn away candidates with no traditional artistic background and consider those general educational credits to have considerable value of one kind or another.

Places that don't care about general educational credits rarely consider them to be detrimental, however. So by avoiding them intentionally, purely because you "don't want to," you are hurting yourself.

I'm fairly certain that all schools with art programs -- traditional or not -- will emphasize portfolio creation for art students, as that is crucial for their job prospects. Even if they school does not force creation of a portfolio on a student via classes, the student (if he is job-worthy) should have enough respect for his work and enjoyment of his field that he builds himself a portfolio on his own.