The following questions are those most often asked of the program. The list does not
replace our interest in helping you directly, however, as an interdisciplinary program
with only 3 dedicated faculty members we are unable to attend to everyone in a timely
fashion. Please review the following thoroughly and if you find you still have questions
please feel free to contact us. (Additionally, if you are a parent and your student is
not on a mission, please have your student contact us. One of the greatest keys to a students’
success is getting to know the faculty in their program and they cannot do this if their
parent is doing all their research and contacting for them.)
APPLICATION
QUESTIONS
How do I apply for entrance
into BYU?
What do I need to do to apply to the program?
When do I apply?
How and when do Transfer Students apply?
What are you looking for?
How tough is the competition to get into the program?
Why can't I apply for the
animation major as an incoming freshman?
Can I apply before taking
the pre-requisite courses TMA 102 and VAAnim 160?
I am currently an Industrial
Design major with an interest in computer animation. Can
I just switch my major to animation or do I need to apply
for the animation major?
Should I apply before my
mission?
OTHER
QUESTIONS
What aspects of animation
does the major cover?
I am planning on transferring
to BYU as an animation major. What major courses can I complete
that will transfer to BYU?
Where can I get advisement?
What scholarships are
available?
What types of industries hire your graduates?
What is the average starting salary of students after graduating?
How do you choose the films you are going to make in the program?
What is the difference between attending BYU’s Animation Program and an animation program at one of the top Art Schools?
What if I want to be a Computer Animator, do I still need to take the traditional animation courses in the program?
Other items of note:
What Software should I learn before I come to school?
Do you offer tours of your
facility?
What types of companies
are your alumni working for?
How
do I apply for entrance into BYU?
An application is available on-line. HERE
You will need the code for the animation major, the pre-major
code is 488001.
Preparing for Admissions: HERE
Costs: HERE
Financial Aid: HERE
What do I need to do to apply to the program?
First you must have already applied to the University. We
are able at times to help students gain acceptance into the
university based on talent, but the student must apply first.
- If you are a BYU student you must declare yourself a
“pre-animation major” in room D-444 of the HFAC.
- Complete the prerequisite classes. There are two required
pre-requisite classes that each student must take before they
apply to the major. These classes are: TMA 102, VAANM 160.
- Fill out the Application Forms.
- Submit your Portfolio for Review. Deadlines will be posted
in the Department of Visual Arts.
At times students, especially transfer students, can apply without
having taken all the prerequisite courses. However, students who
are accepted in this way are accepted with the provision that they
take the prerequisite courses the first year in the program. To be
accepted in this manner you must already show extremely high
proficiencies in your drawing and animating.
When do I apply?
Although most of the programs in the department of Visual Arts have
mid February as their application deadline, the animation deadline
is typically April first. However we do have an August first deadline
for transfer students. We advise that you pick up an animation application
and take special note of the application deadline for that year. HOW
TO APPLY
How and when do Transfer Students apply?
Please read the answer to the question above.
What are you looking for?
The application process and how we evaluate value is as follows:
- 5-10 figure drawings counts 50%
- Traditional animation sample counts 20%
- Writing requirements counts 10%
We are looking for solid drawing and animating skills. Although many students
want to focus on computer animation we believe that all types of animation have
their foundation in solid drawing and traditional animation. The type of figure
drawing we are looking for is precise figure drawing from an illustrator’s
perspective. Precise observational drawing that shows the proper shapes, proportions
and use of line. We are not as concerned about tightly rendered drawings (highly shaded)
as we are looking for a student who knows how to use and control line. Classic Illustration
teachers such as Andrew Loomis or Bridgeman are good sources of study. Sketchbooks -We love
to see students who are studying and drawing from life. Students can grow greatly by
carrying a sketchbook with them and practice drawing as much and as often as they can.
Drawing at the mall, in the library, at the zoo or in any location that allows you to observe
life is a great way to develop your skills. Animation – a traditional animation sample that
shows a firm understanding and use of some of the basic principles of animation. This can be
developed and created in our VAANM 160 Intro to Animation class.
How tough is the competition to get into the program?
This can change from year to year. We average about 60-75 applicants a year and
have traditionally accepted 20-25 students. We will normally accept 15-18 students
in the April application and another 5-10 students in the August deadline. Due to
the numbers of students accepted at each deadline, transferred students are encouraged
to apply at the April deadline if at all possible.
Why
can't I apply for the animation major as an incoming freshman?
The curriculum is designed so students apply for the major
at the end of their freshman year. There are no advantages
to being accepted as an incoming freshman, but there are
disadvantages.
The Illustration and Industrial Design programs require
students to submit portfolios before being admitted into
any freshman art/design class because of the shear number
of students interested and the limitation of resources.
This creates several problems. The main one being the fact
that many students do not know about the application until
it's too late, then they have to wait a year to apply which
means 5 years in school. Another problem with the incoming
freshman application process is that not all students have
good opportunities for art in high school. By applying after
the first year all applicants have had the same opportunities
for coursework at BYU.
When we created the new animation major, we felt strongly
that we shouldn't shut out any student until they had an
opportunity. Hence, we have created open enrollment in some
pre-requisite classes. After taking these two classes, students
submit an application/portfolio for admittance into the
animation major. The major can be completed in 3 years.
Can
I apply before taking the pre-requisite courses TMA 102
and VAAnim 160?
Only transfer students may apply before taking the pre-requisite
course. If you are accepted you will still need to complete
these courses or have transfer credit approved by the instructors
of TMA 102 and VAAnim 160.
I am currently
an Industrial Design major with an interest in computer
animation. Can I just switch my major to animation or do
I need to apply for the animation major?
Being accepted into the Industrial Design program does not
accept you into Animation any more than being accepted into
any other major on campus. You must apply for the animation
major following the application/portfolio guideline for
the animation major. The two majors require different application
materials that are reviewed by separate judging committees.
The two majors have an impact on different resources (faculty,
equipment, and facilities). The animation is a limited enrollment
program and student numbers need to be regulated.
If you choose to remain an Industrial Design major contact
Brent Adams (brent_adams@byu.edu) for elective course options.
Should
I apply before my mission?
This really is a personal decision and depends on your mission
departure/arrival dates. Because you can apply winter semester
of your freshman year, you are welcome to apply before you
leave. This means that you would not have to worry about
putting together your application/portfolio while on your
mission.
What
aspects of animation does the major cover?
The animation major covers everything from traditional cell
animation to 3-D animation and compositing. Once you are
accepted into the major you will meet with your assigned
faculty mentor to plan and approve your electives. Built
into the curriculum are recommended 2-D and 3-D emphasis
recommendations, but you may take any electives reviewed
and approved by your faculty mentor.
I
am planning on transferring to BYU as an animation major.
What major courses can I complete that will transfer to
BYU?
Please see the CFAC Advisement Center HERE
for General Education course transfer
(D-444, 378-3537).
Unfortunately we can not pre-approve any major course transfers.
The only way to have a transfer course accepted for your
major is to complete a "Transfer Equivalency for BYU Major
Requirements" form available from the CFAC Advisement Center.
This requires that you meet with the instructor of the equivalent
course here at BYU. The instructor will ask to see a syllabus
and course assignments. The instructor makes the final decision
on approving transfer credit for the major. This procedure
must be completed for each major course you would like to
transfer.
Again we can not pre-approve course work, but we do recommend
that you complete drawing courses specifically figure drawing
courses and any video/film classes available to you.
Where
can I get advisement?
Pre-major advisement is handled by the Animation Committee
Chair, Kelly Loosli (kloosli@hotmail.com). Generation Education
advisement can be obtained from the College of Fine Arts
& Communication Advisement Center D-444 HFAC, 378-3537.
HERE
Once accepted into the animation major you will be assigned
a faculty advisor/mentor. Your faculty advisor will approve
all your major electives. Additionally, Brenda Butterfield
(brenda_butterfield@byu.edu) in the CFAC Advisement Center
will be your academic advisor and will track your progress
towards graduation. After you have been accepted into the
animation program she will keep a file on you. This file
will include your general education, and major requirements,
waivers and substitutions and other signed documents by
your faculty advisor. When you are ready to graduate, Brenda
will assist you in applying for graduation and will verify
that you have completed all requirements for graduation.
What
scholarships are available?
We strongly recommend applying for a talent award: HERE
What types of industries hire your graduates?
These companies hire:Theatrical Film and Animation companies
Special Effects Companies
Television Animation Studios
Manufacturing companies looking to create visualizations (such as the medical and automotive manufacturing fields)
Note: Many of these industries exist in varying locations. Not all graduates move to Hollywood.
What is the average starting salary of students after graduating?
In Utah our graduates average $30,000 to $45,000 a year to start.
Nationally those rates vary from $30,000 to above $50,000 a year.
These rates are based on talent, demand, and cost of living in that hiring location.
How do you choose the films you are going to make in the program?
We make a variety of films in our program. The films break down into two main categories.
Faculty sponsored projects and the senior film. Faculty sponsored projects are usually
those that exist as mentored experience where the main focus is on training the student
in the studio environment. The “Senior Film” is the BYU Animation Programs yearly group
project that is pitched by anyone at BYU and voted on by the up-coming seniors in the
animation program and the animation faculty. The Senior Film trains students in the
creation of an animated film as well as in the collaborative work experience.
What is the difference between attending BYU’s
Animation Program and an animation program at one of the top Art Schools?
There are many differences between the BYU Animation experience and that of top art schools.
Art school students typically spend almost all of their time in art classes while students
at BYU are still required to take all their general education courses and religion courses
in addition to those courses in the major. Arts Schools are very focused educations and
BYU offers a much broader education. Art Schools are typically very expensive; BYU is
extremely inexpensive, especially for a private institution.
We have found by comparison, and this is not true of all schools, but that at BYU we have
far greater technology resources and access to these resources than almost any school in
the world. We are currently running 75 licenses of Maya, multiple licenses of Pixar’s
Renderman for rendering, thousands of processors of computer rendering ability both on
and off the super computer, tens of editing stations, tens of compositing stations, high
end video cameras including HD cameras, film cameras, a motion picture studio with two
sound stages, four pencil test stations and 10 licenses of Animo as our traditional
animation software.
What if I want to be a Computer Animator, do I still need to take the
traditional animation courses in the program?
As was said before, we believe that all types of animation have their foundation in solid
drawing and traditional animation. We believe that a computer is a tool just as a pencil
is a tool. If when you draw with a pencil you draw junk the computer will only help you to
make really shiny chrome junk. We have found that even our most technical graduates find that
they need to be able to draw so that they can communicate their visual ideas.
A computer animated film takes as much time as a traditionally animated film to make.
The computer does not make the film easier to make it merely changes the dynamics and the
overall final aesthetics.
Other items of note:
Start carrying a sketchbook and draw all the time if you do not already do so.
Begin to study animation and illustration independently.
Work hard in all of your classes. The more you know about everything, the better
you will do in the industry. Learn art, history, math, physics, English…..There are so
many directions one can go in the animation industry. Don’t close doors before you have a
chance to go through them. Learn to use both sides of your brain.
Be ready to receive criticism on your work. Parents usually think that everything their
child has done is great. We on the other hand do not. We will be brutally honest, not to be
rude, but to help you to improve. Taking criticism and learning and improving from it will be
your key to success both in your studies and in your career. We can guarantee you that we will
be much nicer in our critiques than you will receive once you are in the industry.
What Software should I learn before I come to school?
We typically do not recommend software or hardware as we find that our graduates go to varying
places of employment, many of which use varying software titles including oftentimes their own
proprietary software. For this reason we focus on teaching fundamental drawing and animation skills.
However one software title that we do recommend that students learn is Adobe Photoshop which we have
found as standard software throughout the industry. However, take advantage of any opportunity to
use the computer. Those who aren’t comfortable with a computer struggle in our program as well as
in the animation industry.
Do you
offer tours of your facility?
Due to the high demand, we do not offer tours of our facilities.
You can visit our Facilities web page and tours of the campus
in general are available (you can get more information HERE).
In addition, during spring/summer terms many of our faculty
are on leave and there is not a lot of production activity
to witness.
What
types of companies are your alumni working for?
We have students who have/had positions at gaming and
feature film companies including ILM, Dreamworks, Creative
Capers, Sony Imageworks, Pacific Data Images (PDI), Digital
Domain, House of Moves, Sasoon Entertainment, Crystal Dynamics,
Acclaim, Iquana, Disney, Centropolis, Humongous Entertainment,
Scuptured Software, Alias, Hasbro, SilverKid Studios, and
Viewpoint. Local game companies include: Microsoft Salt
Lake Games, Avalanche Software, Kodiak Interactive, and
Saffire.
