This is a great review, the reality is as the author describes.
Initially I didn’t want to comment since most of the facts are well described in this review. However, seeing there’s commentators or “self claiming grads” twisting facts on this site, I just had to say something.
I’m currently enrolled in this program (3d/vfx) 2011, will not say what term due to prying eyes, and will not mention names.
Before you hear my ramble, for anyone interested in 3D/vfx and is considering vfs. I must stress to you that 3D as a career is a life long process, it is very “TECHNICAL”, it is very “ARTISTIC”, and not something instantly learnt in 1 year. Before considering this school, “Protect yourself and get past the sales person or suffer!” Make sure to talk to students on campus in “PRIVATE”, especially the teachers on the 4th floor campus of 1380 burrard in “PRIVATE”, because that’s where you’ll be spending 35k + 1 year of your life. Believe me, that kind of investment will burn a hole in your pocket when you’re not getting certain education you should be getting, plus there’s hardworking people that ended up with health issues afterwards, but that’s another story.
DO NOT, AND I mean DO NOT just listen to the VFS “sales people”. In any situation when money is involved, do not just listen to 1 person. It’s one thing to market a product/service on YouTube, but it’s another to ruin someone’s health and time.
“The program”
The program is divided into 6 terms, first 2 terms you learn everything from animation basics to modeling + some compositing. 3rd term you develop your concepts for demo reel. If you’re in the “modeling stream” like me, most likely you’ll be doing at least 1 environment in term 4, 1 character in term5, term 6 for compositing fixes and sound sync “soft lock”.
“What’s learnt/Software”
-maya, xsi, zbrush, photoshop, nuke, aftereffects
“Tuition vs. Quality”
35k since I am Canadian citizen, was it worth it? I’d say yes for terms 1-2 which are intense and learned new things each day, but for rest of the terms, no. Why?
In terms 1-2, you have courses from 9am morning to 10pm at night on certain days of the week. Course content range from animation in the morning 9am-12noon, 3D modeling in the afternoon 1pm-4pm, to Photoshop/compositing at night 7-10pm.
However, term 3 started to fall apart in terms of course layout and quality, you start planning demo reels but only for 1 out of 3 streams. This wasn’t the case years before, 3D/VFX/Animation go hand in hand always, especially when you’re paying 35-50k. I can only see separating the streams as a time saver for the students’ demo reel production, or the school’s way to make more money. Ask yourself this, if you were an employer, would you hire someone only good with modeling? Or hire someone that knows modeling, vfx, and some animation. This is due to vfs’s internal staff/structure change, the school was sold years ago, the owners changed and want more students (especially international ones) for money, hence stressed out teachers, and downhill education quality. My class alone had 30 people, at least 25 of them were all international students. My vfs contract during that time has been “locked” as well, my rights for a legit refund expired, not to mention I paid half of the tuition upfront to them. They’ve recently increased and upgraded alot computers, looks like future terms will be around 32+ students per class/term, imagine that.
During term 3, you’re also constantly bombarded with ideas of students helping each other following the industry’s work flow. That maybe true in the actual industry, but you’re paying 35k (50k) for 4 terms of peer support? I have several friends already in the 3D industry and they’ve told me that in the actual industry, it all cuts down to “know your shit, no bullshit, or get fired.” Simple.
“Time”
- 1 year is not enough for 3D as a whole. Period. It’s a life long career.
- I have friends in the 3D industry at this very moment to justify how “self taught 3D” is 100% possible, you just need dedication.
- Actual work time for demo reel during the school year cuts down to 3-4 months (terms 4-5) Term 6 does not count due to the hassle you’ll go through fighting for computers to render alongside technical gimmicks.
- Youtube Vfs demo reel (the good ones) are by people with prior 3D education, and are used as a marketing tool. Time wise it’s not humanly possible, unless you don’t eat, don’t sleep, and if lucky, get minimum health damage + a few lesser years on this planet.
- We were lucky to have someone from the industry come in and speak to us the truth at one time, she said that some studios are literally like a hospital, with people that just entered the industry already drained and strained. Google “Carpal tunnel syndrome”.
“Industry”
The industry in Canada is very small for 3D/vfx, so you got to know as much as possible and show it in your reel to get in, in the states there’s the economic crisis, you get my drift.
For learning, 3D is worth it if you’re truly passionate during this time, but know that Vancouver housing/renting/food price/monthly bills has risen by 2-3 folds in the past few years, hence the high expense in tuition. If it’s not the tuition that burns a hole in your pocket, the HST + Vancouver downtown apartment rents will.
“Bottom line”
Research the following and you’ll see if 3D or VFS is for you as a life long career:
1. for those interested in animation: gimbal lock, IK, blendshape
2. for modeling: 3D topology, edge loop, passes, Npoles, SSS scatter
3. for VFX: film plates, 1080p, 3D projection, gamma correction
Hopefully my comments above doesn’t appear all that biased and shed more light, I’m just stating my experiences so far and have nothing to gain or lose.
Thanks.
~Goujian
1.12.11
http://www.artschoolreviews.ca/reviews/vancouver-film-school/3d-animation-visual-effects/a-risky-investment
