Patrick Algermissen’s Animation Mentor Blog

Last night was my first Animation Mentor event as a student: an hour-long webinar with Victoria Tripp where she presented a few slides showing what classes will be like, talked about what life as an animation student (and as an animator) will be like, and answered a constant stream of questions.  The instructions told us to have our microphones ready, so I had mine all poised to go, but we ended up just typing our questions into the chat window instead of vocalizing them.  I don’t know who was answering the questions — I think it was Monique, but I’m not sure.  She would answer some questions, and was either passing them along to Victoria or else Victoria could just see them.  I asked a few questions, and all of them were answered one way or another.  Here are a few highlights:

• The new cirriculum started in the Fall 2008 term, which means that the first students who took the new courses are in their 3rd term right now, and will be starting their 4th term when I begin.  This means the new classes will have been done only 3 times by the time I get there, and they will have had 9 months to work out any issues with the courses.
• The most important information given out was information I’d already given you: Orientation starts on June 10th, 2009 (20 days to go!).  On that day, we create our login for the site, get some orientation videos, and can start cruising the campus.  We also get our Student ID Number, which we can use to purchase the Academic Edition of Maya.  We will not be given physical ID cards, so no discounts at the movies, unless the theatre accepts an official letter from the school as proof of student-hood.
• She talked for some length about entering the job market, and reiterated the school’s 78% placement rate, and talked for a little bit about why that is.  They have someone on staff with contacts at all the major studios that works with students to get them interviews.  She also said that the school is designed like a studio, in that you work for 6 different directors in 18 months (your mentors), and you get notes from the directors once a week, and you feel the time pressures to do your shots on schedule at a high quality.  She said that studios really like students with this type of training, as it is very similar to how they operate.  She stressed the importance of “Cruising the Campus,” leaving helpful comments on other students’ work, and getting yourself known as a helpful, talented animator.  She said they have recruiters from major studios that log on to the site and look for talent, and the mentors do this as well.  It’s a great way to form relationships with working animators, relationships that can turn into jobs.  And don’t forget that the 78% placement rate means that 78% of your classmates are likely to become working animators after graduation, and if you treat them well they might pass your name along.
• I asked about the Maya Springboard, which is a $500 12-week training course to get you familiar with the AM website and with Maya and how it is used at the school.  I was somewhat interested in the class, but you have to take it before you start your first term — it can’t be taken simultaneously with class 1, and they said it wasn’t really worth taking if you already have a lot of experience with a different 3D package.  So, $500 saved!  I’ve got the trial edition, so I can start getting used to it.  I’ve got some experience with 3D Studio Max and lots of experience with Blender, so I’m not too worried.  I’m also looking into getting a book, and am currently leaning toward Mastering Maya 2009, but haven’t decided yet.  I’d love some input on this, if anyone has any thoughts.

I’ve gotta say, I really enjoyed this talk.  Even though the slides were pretty much all available on the public website, and I already knew at least 90% of the material covered (I’ve been researching the school for almost two years, after all), the atmosphere of the whole thing really got me excited.  I wish this school had existed 10 years ago, though my mindset was so totally different back then that I doubt I would have considered myself able to be an animator.

One thing she said early on that really got to me was about animators being “a rare breed.”  She talked a bit about her experiences coming to work at Animation Mentor, saying that she’d never met a CEO as passionate about his company as Bobby Beck is, and never met such passionate coworkers or students.  She said that she’s come to learn that while most people tend to be either strongly left brain or strongly right brain, animators are very strong in both.  Animation requires carefuly, technical planning, and a strong artistic sense.  I’ve always been this way.  I didn’t realize until that moment that I was born hard-wired to be an animator.  Suddenly, my whole life made sense.  I already knew that this is what I wanted to do, but that erased any lingering doubts that lurked in my head.  My purpose is now fixed.  I’m not an “Aspiring Animator.”  I am an Animator.  All that’s left to do is spend a lifetime sharpening those skills.