I found out about and decided to attend the Art Institute because I was unsatisfied with my college situation at the time. I was looking for something closer to my interests. Having been raised on video games, when I read the banner ad for the Art Institute of Vancouver’s Game Art & Design Diploma program, I knew that I had found what I was looking for. I had always been curious as to how video games were made, so this was my chance to find out.
I began the application process with an email to the address supplied in the advertisement, followed up shortly with a telephone interview. This lasted for about 30 minutes and mostly consisted of me stating how much I liked video games and was excited to learn how to make them.
So in the end, I did not even end up submitting a portfolio, and got accepted anyways.
At the time they did state that I would need to submit an art portfolio consisting of 5 pieces of art. Now, I must make it clear that I have always liked scribbling sketches on my notes during class and stuff like that, but it had been a good five years since I had actually made a finished piece of art. So in the end, I did not even end up submitting a portfolio, and got accepted anyways. I began my studies at the Art Institute of Vancouver in April of 2005.
The Classes
The program was six semesters, each lasting 10 weeks with a two week break in between. When I showed up on the first day of classes, I still had no idea what to expect. The first class I attended was 2D Animation, and this was when I realized that I had a lot to learn, and quick. So what I did immediately was get a few sketch pads and a bunch of pencils and erasers. 2D Animation, Sketching, Life Drawing and several other classes in the first three semesters did a lot for me as far as improving my skills in drawing.
When it came to the computer classes, I was pretty much clueless to begin with. I had very limited experience with Photoshop; and had only opened Maya before, always too confused by the interface to actually do anything. The exact class names escape me, but the introductory Photoshop and Maya courses were extremely useful in gaining these skills. The small class sizes and knowledgeable teachers made it so that if you wanted, you could gain a strong knowledge of Maya, Photoshop, as well as Unreal Editor.
The Experience
As for the entire experience, I would say for me it was a success. I got what I wanted out of it, I now know what it takes to make games. However, as for how I would rate the school as preparing students for industry work, I would say that a lot of that is up to the students and not the school. Though we were taught quite a bit about the basics of Maya and Photoshop, it was largely up to us to keep on practicing and continue learning what was new in the video game industry.
We ended up with a great looking game that barely functioned.
The final game team project could indeed be a very useful experience for graduates, as a simulation for working in the industry. In my case, however, the team I was on was unbalanced; having three designers, two programmers, and seventeen artists. We ended up with a great looking game that barely functioned. That was fairly disappointing, but the whole process was still a great learning experience.
Could Have Been Better
There were a variety of classes, such as Storytelling, Motion Capture, Introductory Flash, and several others that though useful, did not really supply enough information to make them worthwhile. I would have liked more class time spent learning what we needed to make current looking game graphics. We were told we would be taught ZBrush, but that never ended up happening. As well, even though all of the 3D packages use similar controls and tools, it would have been useful to know the differences in each, just as a little extra preparation for industry.
Though it is great that the instructors had industry experience, on one occasion the instructor was burnt out and even missed two classes in one semester because of industry work. This was really inexcusable as this was one of the key 3D classes taught near the end of the program. There was also another class where the teacher was replaced mid-semester because he was not able to teach the material. This was troubling, and hopefully the faculty has improved since then. Other than that, on most occasions, the instructors were always very knowledgeable and willing to help at any time.
Conclusion
I would recommend the program to those who have a genuine passion to make games. I will caution that you should only pay the price (which I believe has nearly doubled since I graduated) if you’re a fast and motivated self-learner. Though the program did have some glaring errors, seeing the positions that some of my friends I graduated with are in now, I know it is possible to become a successful game artist upon completion of the program.
I ended up working as a QA tester at Electronic Arts for 4 months.
As for myself, I tried for six months to get a job in the industry, doing several interviews and a couple of art tests along the way. I ended up working as a QA tester at Electronic Arts for 4 months. During this time I realized that it was not my dream to work as an artist in the games industry, so I applied to SFU’s Interactive Arts and Technology program. I got accepted, so I quit EA, and began SFU in September 2007. It was definitely a good choice for me.
In general, I was satisfied with my time spent at Art Institute of Vancouver, and am still glad that I went. For future students, I would hope that they have improved in several areas in the time since I graduated. Issues such as the quality of the computers in some of the labs, seemingly irrelevant courses and overly expensive supplies in the bookstore are areas which should be considered.
(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)
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“Would hope that they have improved in several areas in the time since I graduated.”
Unfortunately, they didn’t.