CATO – Outstanding Education or Just Another Pretty Website?

A review of the Centre for Arts and Technology (Kelowna) - 3D Game Animation program.
By anonymous who graduated in 2009. ASR has verified his/her identity for this review. 8,467 views.

Prior to attending the Centre for Arts and Technology (CATO), I had taken 5 semesters worth of high school animation. During that time, I had also won a team film award for which I did an animated intro for. CATO’s Kelowna campus was local to where I lived and after speaking to the student advisors, it seemed like they would deliver the highest level of education. The school boasted that it would teach all aspects of 2D and 3D animation, character design and personal development. With all of the promises, I naturally expected for the school to fully prepare me for a job in the video game industry.

The Program

The school had excellent 2D programs taught by former Disney animators which really improved my drawing skills. The instructors were very knowledgeable and more than willing to help.

Unfortunately, the school’s 3D and personal development programs fell desperately short of the mark.

Unfortunately, the school’s 3D and personal development programs fell desperately short of the mark. The 3D modeling program was taught largely by a graduate of the school and another 2D Disney animator, neither of whom had worked as a 3D modeler professionally. Because of this, they never taught us how to properly rig a character, despite the promise of doing so on the website and having a skilled technical artist on staff. By the end of the program, most of the students had a higher knowledge of modeling than the instructor who taught the first few modules. The 3D animation part of the program was good, but plagued by faulty software, as it was taught over a video conference unit.

The other portion that disappointed me was the personal and professional development program or PDP for short. PDP was similar to high school CAP classes, often covering a lot of the same curriculum. It also focused strongly on some form of spirituality, teaching students how to “send thoughts out into the universe”. Many students, myself included, believe that this class was put in place to fill the required number of instructional hours per week, as they had no instructors to teach relevant 3D curriculum.

Some of the classes were sorely overpriced. One class, which was called Anpro (a class where you would plan your demo reel) cost $1,500, or roughly $45 per student per hour. The class was essentially a lab, with each student spending approximately ten minutes per class with the instructor and the rest of the class was spent on homework.

Classes were often canceled and then scheduled to be made up at times that did not work for all students. Some classes were not even made up, or were made up without giving notice to students, making it impossible to attend. When confronted about this, the faculty simply said that we were wrong, and did nothing further to look into the situation.

The diploma was printed out on the schools laser printer, and the pixilated border was cut off on one side.

Lastly, the diploma that I received at the end was of poor quality. It was printed out on the schools laser printer, and the pixilated border was cut off on one side, showing the schools lack of attention to quality and detail.

The Campus

Although the school did have some high end computers and software, a lot of the computers were sadly outdated and would crash whenever working on advanced projects. Furthermore, the internet was constantly not working causing frustration and canceled classes. There were even rumors afloat that the schools ZBrush licenses were pirated.

The student lounge’s fridge was cleaned out maybe 3 times in the two years I spent there, so it was no surprise that it was constantly moldy. The sinks would become plugged and the floors covered in coffee spills for weeks at a time. Only after complaining and having a student take pictures and emailing them to the campus director was the problem ever solved.

Would I recommend the program? I would say no, as do at least one of my former instructors and many of my classmates.

The Verdict

Would I recommend the program? I would say no, as do at least one of my former instructors and many of my classmates. It is probably more suitable as an introduction before going into another program. The school seems more interested in making money than delivering a suitable education. Furthermore, many members of the staff do not have the necessary levels of expertise to adequately prepare you for a job in the industry.

Make sure you shop around prior to starting school, and contact some alumni while you’re at it. Although the school has made some improvements since my time there, I feel that it’s too little too late. I was disappointed in the school’s lack of willingness to improve while I was there.

I have been out of school for approximately 2 months now, and although I did graduate with an A grade average and have applied to dozens of studios, I still haven’t landed a job yet. I plan to keep working on improving my skills, and am developing a new portfolio in my spare time. If I had to do it over again, I would have probably attended a different school, likely VFS or something similar.

(25 votes, average: 4.32 out of 5)

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53 Comments

Mike

3.15.10

I attended a CATO campus back in 05.

We actually didn’t even get any zbrush courses, despite a big zbrush icon on the school’s website at the time. I fully agree that this school is overpriced, and filled with some pretty horrible courses that are a waste of time and money (especially the PDP classes). There are plenty of sketchy stories too; at one point the IT head even uninstalled Photoshop on the computers and replaced it with GIMP in order to try and save money – that caused quite the uproar among students given the price we were paying. He was later replaced by one of his IT students, a trend that I guess continued in other programs (student teachers are cheaper).

Though I will say that I was very lucky to have the 3D instructor that I did have at my campus, as he has had major experience in the industry and still works in it to this day (even being a developer for the very program we were learning). He knew the program inside and out, so we were in good hands when it came to more technical topics such as building custom character rigs. I spent more than a year afterwards working with graduates from NBCC, NSCC, and other CATO graduates, and it did seem that the CATO students had an edge as a result of this teacher and the wide variety of topics we covered (there even seems to be a big gap in the demo reels). It’s just a shame the extra knowledge came at a pricetag 5-6x the amount.

I don’t think he still teaches at this school now, moving on to better things. And I heard that CATO is making the push to have even more classes using video conferencing (these classes were very hard to follow along in, made the class size 3x bigger, and if anything should have meant a discount for what we were paying).

Dooley

3.19.10

When I attended in 2003 the school was just stretching it’s legs on the Game Art and Animation program.

The department heads wear too many hats, the school has too much administration, too much money is being spent on advertising, and not enough attention or dollars are being spent on getting capable instructors in place.

The 3D Art department head when I attended was responsible for Game Art and Animation and headed our Game Development Workshop. This was the primary reason for my attendance. I had no idea that he had never actually successfully published a title, but he had been involved in several productions. Subsequently I found out why.

I was booted from this school three separate times on misdemeanors. The last and final time, I wrote a nice long letter appealing the school to realize their mistakes, but no go, so I threatened to report the fact that they were pirating my damned Steam account for the Level Design class because they didn’t want to afford the investment on more than five copies of the ‘Source engine’ (and we had more than five students). Yeah, I got my diploma in the end. Same laser printed schlock. What a waste.

This review is not an original one. It’s the same sort of story I hear from anybody that I ask regarding the school. It is a very well crafted review though. Very nicely put together.

Once upon a time it was overpriced education from an industry hack. Nowadays, it’s overpriced education from a television set. What a farce.

Save your money, buy a DVD set from 3D Buzz, and pay your mom/dad/dog/ friend to tell you to sit and work, or sit and read. Then just watch demo reels on YouTube. You’ll get the idea, and you’ll be a success without a damned art school.

Oh and remember, just because a school has an industry contact, doesn’t mean You have an industry contact or access to those contacts. You will always need to make your own contacts. Join online communities, utilize social networks, etc. Be smart, be 2.0 smart, and you’ll make it just fine, and remain debt free.

Melissa

5.29.10

I attend CATO Fredericton Campus now and sadly it is a joke of a school. I say that coming with 5 years of post secondary education all ready under my belt. The school is very unorganized and unprofessional. They care nothing of their students and only the tuition. Our one class paid them over $375,000 in tuition and we do not even have a lab, or ‘barrow’ the photo class’ lab (When convenient for them)… I would never recommend that school, and I am only counting down the days until I am finished… Sadly I wasted $22,000.

Ian

6.30.10

After reading your review of the school I am concerned. I am set to begin the Graphic and Digital Design program in October. If there is anyone who has taken this program or others at CATO I would appreciate a second opinion to the quality of education of this school because this is the only review I can find.

Thanks.

Raz

8.26.10

Does anyone else have advice on the 3D Game animation program Fredericton. Very limited amount of student feedback, nothing good yet.

Ellen Tapir

9.4.10

Raz, make sure you talk to other students. While I agree with the reviews of CATAC above you have to know that most of the time only disgruntled post reviews but positive reviews could be from the school itself so online reviews are not how one shoudl chose a school. Besides, in Fredericton, I hear there is another game in town.

Original Poster

9.5.10

Just to give an update. I am the person who wrote this review nearly a year ago. Since I have graduated I have applied for almost 150 jobs, and still remain unemployed. Out of my grad class, the one before mine and the one after mine (about 30-40 students), only one is employed in the video game industry. From what I understand, The program has changed very little, and the one really good instructor in Fredricton (Carl Callaweart) has moved on to another school. In the Okanagan Campus, the school has continued to employ its graduates as instuctors, and has made even more classes done through the Video Conference centre. I dont think it is so much that the students who were happy with the school are not posting, there are just very few students who are happy with the school. I strongly encourage you to cosider other schools if you are sure that this is what you seek to do as a career. Also, understand that there are very few people out there who are willing to hire new graduates into a full time position, and there are hundreds of new grads looking for work.

Steve

9.23.10

I would never recommend this school to anyone. It is just a business that is focused on making money.

Jeff

10.18.10

I agree it is a waste of time. I attended the Film program in Kelowna. They really do care nothing about anything other than your tuition. I am still waiting for a textbook that none of us got. They said that it wasn’t available from their suppliers but I found multiple copies available at Chapters. When I let them know this, they did not respond and did not get our books. We went 3 months without printer ink and when I offered to go buy the cartridge at Staples and give them the receipt for reimbursement they declined.

It has been a few years since I have graduated, there is a new film instructor Graham, who is good and teaches well but the school still has many of the same flaws and no one will do anything about them. I even offered to work there as a problem solver, to resolve the many issues that are always happening, they laughed.

It has been awhile now. I have trained myself in all the aspects of video production that they did not teach me. I can now make a decent video.
The $23 000 dollars that it cost me was worth it for the friends I made, but my advice is to learn how to make movies from free online sites like filmriot and videocopilot and use the money to buy equipment. You can seriously learn everything yourself, easily, by making a bunch of little movies. It will be fun and when you need to know something the internet will teach you. If you need someone breathing down your neck to force you to learn things, then you do not really want to be a filmmaker.

Cato has improved but for 23 thousand dollars, not enough. There have been lawsuits, everyone I graduated with 15 of us feel severely ripped off and they will not help you.

Just as a final note. One friend of mine (who is very talented) graduated the 15 month program and did not know that the cameras we used had a widescreen 16X9 setting.

john s

10.18.10

I am currently in the digital film program at the kelowna campus. (sadly) It’s hard to put the anger i have towards this school in words. the fact they have a 15 month program baffles me. They could have this course wrapped up in 11 months easily. but there must be something that says they need to be over 12 months because the courses they offer are not heavy in material. Don’t expect feedback on your projects and don’t be sucked in by they’re new production stage. They built it next to a highway with thin walls lots of windows and the most ridiculous floor layout. The green screen is not looked after by anyone and actually the production stage which could be extremely useful for your films is actually a classroom for other programs.

I can’t express how much i hate this program at this school. I just urge you if you want to go to film school please do your research check what cameras are being used, they’re course load and shooting space also check they’re equipment, lights grip gear, computers etc. please please just do the research.

Dani

10.23.10

I have to disagree with everyone that says this school is shit. you get what you want out of this school. I’ve done 2 programs from this school and both have been a great experience. Everyone is so focused on the shitty parts of the school that they forget the good.

Kel

11.4.10

I have to disagree with these comments however most seem like they are from the Kelowna and Fredericton campuses and I can only speak for Halifax.

I graduated over a year ago from the 3D Game Animation program in Halifax and i found a job along with most of my classmates in the industry right away. It might not be EA or Disney but it is a local animation studio and it does pay the bills and is my first foot in the door. The teachers I had here were all awesome, easy to talk to and very knowledgeable. That sucks, that they had past students teaching classes at the other camupes but the guys we had all worked in the industry. They might have had their favorites but it was always the students who tried hard and got their assignments in on time.

I would recommend this school based entirely on my experience but If you wanted to learn then they gave you all the tools to get you a job. Honestly, the friends, teachers and entire experience I had at the CFAT in Halifax was GREAT except for that bird course PPD and the Microsoft Office in the first quarter.

Jake

12.4.10

Dani, you’re missing the point here. You can not justify $30k+ in tuition for a school that can /only/ offer “you what you put into it” (by buying dvds/books and teaching yourself at home). Without any doubt students are currently paying thousands of dollars for what a $40 dvd from Eat3D more than covers (we’ve all been there, we know). You could easily be doing the same work at home for free, instead of doing the same the work at home and paying to do it. There are some positives at this school such as some friendly people, and really it’s going to be fun to do this kind of stuff no matter where you’re doing it. But that by no means justifies the sheer amount of money you’re spending for is offered in return.

Kel, I know for fact the school in Halifax has a policy that bars students from making negative comments about the school, so I’m not surprised if students and teachers are smiling there as there have been lawsuits in the past. The teachers they get may have once worked in the industry (something tells me nothing too experienced), but do they still do? Fredericton had that, apparently the only teacher this side of Quebec that was certified and still works with major companies. He now has his own school though. Halifax isn’t immune to hiring previous students as instructors, or giving them to you via video conference. Now that you have a small job you’re probably eligible.

Jody

12.13.10

I’m glad I decided against this school. I have been considering it for a long time (the Kelowna campus) but I had bad instincts whenever I thought about it.

Hopefully this institution (if thats what you can even call it) will become more serious and help the students.

Kel

12.20.10

Jake, I understand where you’re coming from about justifying the whole expensive tuition thing but all I can honestly say is that I loved my time as a student, loved the school and would do it all over again if given the opportunity. I’m sure I can speak for my entire class when saying this. Did you attend the Halifax campus for 3D?

Peter

12.28.10

I may as well come out and give some words and confirmations about this school. As information on the internet is suspiciously lacking.

I left it for legitimate medical reasons which I kept classified. To say the least no matter how good the school was or not, that single reason alone was enough. Apparently I was the first to ever leave on these terms and despite that they still held me to about 15k of my tuition. So they took advantage of me. That says a lot about the “all about the money” mentality going on there. Talk about kicking a guy when he’s down.

Before I left, I was roughly 5 months into the Graphic/Digital Media Design program. To say the least mostly everything was a joke. For one, the course material is 80% focused on how to create websites and databases. You can learn this all yourself and please don’t go to school for it, get some books and online training instead. If there’s anything I learned from CATO, it’s that you can’t teach this in a classroom environment.

All of the students learned on there own and got nothing out of the classes. There were also lots of classes where you just worked on stuff. Yes, let’s spend thousands of dollars to do what I could be doing at home!

It’s true that most of the instructors are graduates of the same school. Yes there are lots of classes which are a waste of time and money.

I would also like to say that for people looking at the film/digital video program, expect to work with terribly outdated computer hardware and cameras. A big part of video is keeping up with the latest technology trends and this school falls way below the bar. I was considering this program going in, if I had I would’ve left in the first quarter in disgust.

I could go on, but I won’t. To say the least I got many student opinions in my program and outside of it. Very few people were happy and most were just learning on their own from Lynda. Last I heard from a student at least 10 people had already left and most of those were the people putting out the best work.

I was stupid for not doing my research. Don’t be like me and give this school a pass, I can’t speak for anything but Kelowna CATO.

shar

1.10.11

I was just wondering if anyone had feedback on the interior design progam. Of course everything they tell you at the school is good but i would like to hear from student who have graduated or who are currently taking the course.

Adam

1.14.11

The Audio Engineering program at the Halifax campus is actually more than I expected. I would recommend this course to anyone. Lil and Tony know their stuff!!!

Alysha

1.23.11

Hi I just recently discovered that this school offers a veterinary assistant training program at the kelowna campus, and was kind of excited it was so close, but now with all these comments im wondering if anyone knows if all the programs are of poor quality. Has anyone taken the veterinary assistant training program?

mike

2.1.11

**** this school is terrible ****

I recently dropped out from the 3D program in kelowna because most of the teachers have little to no experience in the field, and offer no valuable feedback (even though they think they are). half of the classes are COMPLETELY useless, and are just there to extend your stay at the school, thus sucking more money out of you. all they care about is collecting money, and i truly feel sorry for anyone who attends this school. I have heard good things about the audio program, but everything else is a waste of time.

to alysha- the vet school was not originally part of CATO. they bought another building to have more classrooms, and that building happened to have a vet school in it. they decided to keep the vet school, probably because they can get more money (i’m sure you’ve wondered how a vet program fits in with a bunch of arts programs). lastly, the department head for the vet department is one of the teachers i had in my 3D program (need i say more). there is no way he has any qualifications and i highly doubt any of the other teachers do either. i would not trust this, sorry for the disappointment.

you could try to talk to the school and find out who the instructors are and what their qualifications are, but get this signed in writing because they will tell you anything in order to get your money, i’ve been through it.
good luck

Adam

2.16.11

I graduated from the Digital Media Design program in 2007, and I have to agree with all of the negative comments here. I was extremely unhappy with the quality of my education during my time there, and I only feel more cheated as time passes. It was a colossal waste of money and time, I deeply regret attending this school.

Lana

2.19.11

My comments are from a parents point of view who had saved money since our son was a baby for his education. I agree with the reviews. Our son was in the Cato Kelowna school. Don’t be fooled by appearances, they can be very deceiving. The school certainly has a good website, nice campus and friendly front office staff but look beyond that. I cannot tell anyone what to think or opinion they should form, this is my own experience and opinion. I firmly believe you should have all the information before making such an important decision. Our advise is do your research well, this is an expensive program, (3D) that in our families experience does not deliver what it is selling. Ask to meet all instructors and the department head for your specific program. Interview them, after all you are hiring them to train you on getting a job in the field. Ask to see examples of work they have done professionally, what was the last project they worked on, what they have produced or published. Ask how up to date their education and any upgrading they have done to meet current industry standards. Find out what programs they are using and if the instructors are certified by the software company to teach the program. Ask to see their demo reel. Check them out on Google and LinkedIn and make sure they can provide the professional level education they are promising. Find out how many instructors are local for hands on and how many classes are taught by video conference. Do some research as to what is required knowledge to compete for a job in your chosen field. For example for the 3D ask if you learn how to completely rig your own character. How can you create a game or character and then not know how to make it move. Downloaded free rigs will not get you a job, or your demo reel looked at. Check out the school website, see if your department head is featured. If not how long has he or she been at the school. Ask questions. Look into who owns the school (tecglobal). Check out the Tecglobal founders & key personnel page, look them up on line as well. Form your own opinion everyone has that right.

Classes are dragged out over 2 years for 3D that most other schools can cover in 1 year. Very little is taught in some of the most important area’s. Time is wasted on classes like the PDP. This class should be on networking and marketing yourself taught by someone in the field that can supply direct and relevant advise. Instead you get bunch of useless high school CALM classes taught by a high school teacher. Even in high school they can cover the program in 1 semester not drag it out over 6. Ask if there are instructors in the labs for your program. I have heard there are only other students you can ask questions to the only other person is someone that takes attendance (to make sure students are present that have student loans). What are you paying for if instructors are not physically present at all the labs? Ask if anyone is working who has completed the Cato course. This should not be a secret as they should want to promote students success. Make sure to get anything they tell you in writing.

Make sure to ask all your questions prior to paying or signing anything. You cannot get a direct answer to any questions regarding qualifications of department heads or examples of their work, or any detail explanation of marks after they have your money. They say they are answering, but the only answer they give is that the instructor is approved by their accrediting body and they send you the course syllabus or rubic. They refuse to give anymore detail or information. You cannot even get a response from the instructor. I am not saying the whole school is bad, I have heard there are some very good programs just make sure you have done your research into the program you are interested in. Make an informed choice. Sadly we have wasted 26,000.00 of hard earned money over 20 years of saving and cannot get a straight answer. This is how parents are treated I can’t imagine that students would be treated any differently.

Kaddy

2.23.11

Does anyone have anything to say about the digital photography program at the Kelowna campus? or even the Halifax one? I’m looking to go to the Kelowna one, as much as I’d like to move to the eat coast and go to the one in Halifax and I’m just wondering if anyone has any input on the DP program.

Peter

2.28.11

Kaddy, when I was there one year ago (at Kelowna) I was told that students were suing the school in that program. I also saw that the school was not properly supplying the text books. These and the numerous other comments about the school here should be taken as serious warning signs. There is nothing that has lead me to believe that this school is focused on providing quality education. All facts point to them being swindlers first.

In addition, the tuition is overpriced like everything else at that school is. You will also be forced to take many useless classes. If you want quality photography education, the best thing you can do with all that money is get some good books and get a nice beginner camera. Then you should practice and practice until you are good enough to make money at it.

There is so much information about photography available for free or for a small fee. What would you expect to learn from studying photography at a college/university which you can’t learn yourself? In the end all that path will provide you is paying somebody to motivate you. If you can’t do that yourself, you don’t want to learn photography.

Becky

3.1.11

has anyone taken the interior design program in kelowna? Im looking for reviews, if its worth it or not.

Tom

3.3.11

I went to the Centre in Halifax, I had the exact same experience. A stuent successfully sued them for his entire tuition, they swindled me out of a terms worth of money, $3300. There were 11 guys in my class, many of them never found work. These school sell dreams and dump kids into an already flooded market. If you’re going to go to a school I would recomend one in a place like New York, LA, maybe Toronto, not halifax or fredricton or kelowna. Or just buy the gear and the books and get out there and make the connections, it costs much less and is more fun.

Calee

3.8.11

I took the DP program at CATO Kelowna October 2009-October 2010 and i have to say i agree with all the negative comments being made.

I moved from Saskatchewan to BC for this schooling. I was told tuition cost were so high because we were being taught in small class sizes (8-10) and by experienced industry professionals. My class had 23 students making classrooms counter-productively full. After our first semester our lead instructor quit, leaving us with no instructor. The lead instructor from the graphic design program teaching some of our classes.

Before i started school i received a list of classes i was to take, it said the basic info about how classes were subject to change to adapt to current industry standards blah blah blah- long story short we never received 6 of the listed classes, we were not given substitute classes, nor were we refunded for any tuition money for these unfulfilled classes.

The school states that most photography classes (per class) are around 500 dollars, so that’s 3,000 per student in my class of 23. Do the math, that’s $69,000 from our one start date alone the school ripped us off.

On to the classes we did receive, many of which were a joke and taught by unqualified instructors. Many classes were cancelled and never made up. Classes were scheduled to be 3 hours, often times the instructors didn’t have enough material to cover and as such we were dismissed early. So classes we would be dismissed after a mere 45 minutes.

The website boasts about how each photography student will leave with a website, business cards, etc. and be completely ready to join the industry. Umm Yaa.. at the additional expense of each student!!

In addition to the 18, 000 plus dollars paid in tuition we each had to pay for either a template or designer for a website, buy our own hosting, domain, business cards, designed and professionally published albums, the list goes on..

This however was mandatory to pass the course.

So having already paid thousands of dollars for our bullshit program, when we got to last quarter when were then confronted with many other things we had to pay for- to insure we could graduate.

When i reflect on my time at CATO my blood literally boils.

We had numerous meetings with head of faculty they promised to make changes and nothing was ever done. Taking to past graduates and even current students the consensus is clear, CATO is an overpriced scam or an institution where they see you as a dollar sign, not a student.

Mike

3.17.11

I attended centre for arts and technology kelowona from 2006 to 2008, i would agree with most of the comments not recomending this school for 3D animation. I will say that jeff sterns, graham morris and sean ridgeway were great influences in my artistic development. However the head of the program was pompus and one of the laziest teachers ive ever met. He believed that it was inappropriate for students to ask instructors questions, he believed that “figuring out problems on your own” was the solution, he also proved to be small minded and ignorant to anything out side his life experience. I entered the program with zero 3D experience but a strong 2D traditional back ground. The head of the program openly omitted that he went to school from from 2000-2002 and was unable to find employment for himself until 2006. I started the program in june 2006 so i doubt he worked in the 3D animation field prior to becoming the head of the program and if he did it was short lived. He frequently stated during critic reviews “I dont reconize or understand this subject and dont like it” He frequently singled myself out for being unorthadoxed and wrong for thinking that creating unique and insperational pieces wrong and uncalled for. He also stated that he was the 3d animators equilvalant of Gordon Ramsey. I saved up money for 5 years and was sorley disappointeted in the head of the program. However the 2D animation instruceted by jeff sterns was superb, character creation and digital painting by graham morris was insperational and the character design of sean ridgeway was amazing. I have found employement in 2D animation advertising and other fields, but not enough to justify the amount i spent on schooling.

Colin

4.4.11

I realize that this is a website for art school reviews, but I wanted some opinions or feedback about the Audio Engineering program. I’m currently set to attend the Fredericton campus for the AE program, but I spoke with Carl Callaweart, formerly of the Center, who urged me not to go to CAT. What has been said and or experienced?

Mitch

4.6.11

In response to Kaddy and anyone looking into the DP program in Halifax. I graduated the DP program in the summer of 2010. It was the second class to graduate since that particular program started at that school. So, there were some “growing pains” in the begining. The first DP instructor we had was an older gentleman who was self taught and had been in the photojournalism and stock photo business for most of his adult life. He knew what he was talking about, but couldntt quite make the material last over the whole quarter. Now, eventually, he was fired by the school for multiple reasons, and the other instructor who was there took over. This instructor, Steve, is still there and will be for some time. He is awesome, and to be honest I don’t think we could have found a better instructor in Halifax. He is still self employed as a photographer at the same time he is teaching at this school, which is awesome because we get to learn from all his recent jobs and see all his recent work. Most of our class even got the chance to assist with his shooots at least once, and there were 14 of us. His TA was a grad from the first DP class. He is a great photographer to start with and knows every aspect. He was a bit snippy at the start, but he’s better now. Now so far my review has been mostly positive and I should include some negatives that I witnessed to even it out. However, none of these things had to do with the core photography program itself, but all the other classes. We went through three different PDP instructors, one of whom was awesome, though sadly we only had her for one quarter. Our last one came from a very impressive background, but treated us like high school kids at the start, but we took a class to discuss all our issues with her and it was smooth sailing from there. She is still employed there, the other two have left. When most of us started the program, we had been told alot of things. Most of these things didnt come to fruition until our last quarter (its a twelve month, 17k program). This was obviouly frustrating but the classes after us seem to be doing great under Steve and with all the gear we (now) have. ( Nine studio lights, four extra DSLR’s four Nikon lenses to rent out and a good selection of softboxes, grids and gel’s for the lights). So in summary of this rambling review, my class of 14 did feel like guinea pigs in the begining, but halfway through our program improved ten fold, and remains that way as I type. Hope this helps.

Ben

4.6.11

I went to the Centre for Arts and Tech in Fredericton and I took the Graphic and Media Design course. I enjoyed my course there, the instructors were down to earth and they weren’t just instructors, they actually worked in the field, so they knew what you needed to know. For the most part most of the courses were laid out pretty good, really with any colleges there are always ways to improve some. Probably the last few quarters I was there, they seem to be making a push to improve the my program there, and I believe they kept on improving after I left. Really no college is Perfect, but they tried their best to give you what you need to find a job.

I got a job pretty much right out of school and now a year later I am also starting my own business.

I can say I was happy with my experience there.

One big plus of the school was that most the time we did real world projects for real clients, that their is the priceless experience that you wouldn’t get any wheres else.

When I was there I actually came up with an idea to create a company within the school, and we get clients to come in with real world projects and as a college every program works together to meet the clients needs.

This place helped me get to where I am now, and it could be the same for whoever goes there.

James

4.7.11

Wow! As a graduate from the Centre for Arts and Technology digital film program (class of 2004) I am shocked by some of the opinions presented here. While I admit my time here as a student was not perfect I am surprised at the number of individuals willing to pass all the blame for their lack of professional success onto the school where they trained. Where is the personal accountability? While part of me would like to address the numerous inaccuracies (I encourage the reader to look into the real story behind the existence of a VHA program), I choose to write about my own experiences and perspective rather than stir up further negativity.

I will say that since graduation I have been working in one capacity or another as a filmmaker. I chose to stay in contact with the Centre and I have never been shy about asking for their assistance with my film work. Since graduating I have built sets in their soundstage, held casting calls on campus, and I have even gained employment through contacts at the school. If there was a way to advance my career with CATO resources I have pursued it.

The general assumption is that attending school and passing your classes is all you will need to do to achieve your goals. The prevailing attitude is that if I spend all this money on an education, then surely I am entitled to a good paying job, and that no one needs to start at the bottom, and no one has to earn their shot anymore. Sorry to burst your bubble folks but this attitude is definitely holding some of you back.

Remember Post secondary is for adult learning so you should be prepared to be accountable to yourself. I personally chose to stretch myself by volunteering on anything and everything I could. Before I ever left school I had a portfolio as well as film and television credits.

If you are not interested in volunteering or starting at an entry level don’t be perplexed by your lack of film credits. Leading up to graduation I was concerned that I had not done enough or learned enough to be ready for the film industry. I managed to leverage my relationships from my volunteer work to get my first paid job within 12 hours of graduating. I have done every kind of film work imaginable since graduation, stretching my skill set, broadening my experience, and networking with other filmmakers.

If you are not willing to move to where the opportunities are don’t be surprised when you don’t find work. I choose to stay in Kelowna because this is where my children are. I have not worked on as many feature film projects as my peers who moved to bigger film centers but I have managed to keep busy and relevant within the film community that exists here by participating and adding my own vision.

I decided to combine my love of live music and the documentary genre with contacts I have made since graduation to start up a burgeoning film company focused on shooting live musical performances. I have worked with all kinds of acts including Alexisonfire, Pennywise, Bad Religion, Dragonette, D12, Deadmau5, and Skrillex just to name drop a few. More importantly I have a blast doing it.

I am thankful I was able to attend a school that supported me in following my dreams. I own my accomplishments and my setbacks. Success or failure… it is mine!

One final note: As a parent with a child about to graduate I feel for, and I agree with the Mom who suggested doing a thorough job of researching any (and every) program before investing in post secondary education. I would add- do some hands on research about the industry so you know you are suited for the actual work. It is also good to know how much work there is projected in the future and where that work exists. That being said there is no guarantee your child has the aptitude work ethic and everything else it takes to be successful. As for myself- I will never regret taking a chance on my dream or the countless hours of work needed to make it happen.

Lana

4.8.11

James, I am glad you attended one of the programs with good instructors. I do realize that adult students need to have personal accountability, however if you have an unqualified department head it is very difficult to feel inspired. The instructors and department head set the bar for the quality of the program and knowledge students have aquired prior to graduating. If the bar is set high students will typically reach higher, if the bar is low or the department is not aware there is a bar the students are left on their own to figure it out. Students who have real talent can be left frustrated and in huge debt. 36,000.00 for the 3D animation and gaming program. I realize that the school cannot guarantee jobs when finished, but I feel that for that amount of money you should be able to demand quality and knowledgeable instruction. Our son left the school and is now in an excellent program with the best instructors I have seen. They all currently are working in their chosen field and can provide the proper training to compete in the industry. They inspire their students they do not treat them with no respect. Our son is thriving in the new school and very excited about his future. What a change in this new school compared to Cato.

“The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim to high and falling short, but in setting our aim to low and achieving our mark”
Michelangelo

Kim

4.11.11

I am a bit worried when I’m reading all this negative feedback towards the 3DGA program at Kelowna. From all the teachers that I have had, so far, I find that they are able to answer the questions I need as long as you are willing to ask them. If you don’t then how are they to know if something is wrong or not? It is an adult environment and something you have to learn to, well, ‘grow up’ into. While the loans seem to control the school and how it functions which raises the fact of money it’s still a risk you have to take.

Seeing as people are going on about the PDP course from when this was posted I will agree that within the first few quarters I agree, it’s exactly like my CALM class from high school days. With that said and done, I do believe that it also is a great course to take to help build your network relationships, bring confidence in yourself, and ‘get your foot in the door’.

These courses are not like high school. They aren’t meant for you to have someone hold your hand the whole way through. What you learn in this school is meant to be a stepping stone, the basics, that will one day, if you push for it, get you where you want to go.

This career is a competative one, as you may know, so the chances of finding a job right off the bat are difficult. If you take the time to ask the companies about what they are looking for, see if you have the right qualifications instead of just seeing an application they posted it might help.

I’m not trying to sound like the ‘oh-so optomistic’ person, I am just speaking my opinion and if that doesn’t match what you have to offer then that is fine. I just want to get what I have to say out in the open.

This course, while it has had it’s tough times and can become frustrating when you are given a task but are not sure how to go through with it, also helps you to learn some social skills that you will need in the real world; whether it be with your classmates or teachers. It helps you to learn to problem solve something; try to figure it out to the best of your abilities before getting help.

Lana, I am happy that your son has found the schooling that is helping him take his steps into the career of his choice. Please make sure that he continues to love what he is doing.

“Don’t be afraid to ask a question; it doesn’t make you an idiot. You are not the only on thinking about it.”
- Jonn Baird

Jenn

4.13.11

Thank you very much for posting what I have never had the guts to say.

I attended the Centre for Arts and Technology, 3D Game Animation (Modeler and concept artist) graduating class of winter 2008. I chose “CATO” because of it’s location. Kelowna was were my family lived, and I could not afford to move to Vancouver for other art schools.

I had no other education besides high school, so at first I assumed the facilities were fine. By the end of the first year, I was sorely mistaken.

I was also very unimpressed by the general knowledge of some of the instructors. Those in the 2D section of the faculty were very experienced and passionate about art, but the 3D instructors were below average. Not to mention, the head of the 3D department at that time was not even a modeler, but the head of the Interior Design department! This did not impress me.

The costs were only an issue once I realized where the money was going. It wasn’t going to better facilities, nor was it going to better instructors. I would have happily paid the priced I did IF it was worth my time, but it was not.

To make matters worse, I am close friends with a graduate of the Audio Engineering course at the same college, and he shares precisely the same feelings as I about his CATO experience.

After all is said and done, I would not recommend this college to anyone. They could do much more for themselves spending the money elsewhere.

Thank you again for posting this review. I hope many people consider it before making a decision.

4.17.11

i did my 1st two semesters of fashion design, didnt go back, i found the program was advertised really well, it was made out to be a great DESIGN program like AI in Vancouver, or a school of that level. but i was very disappointed when it turned out to be a poorly organized, merchandising program. ( the business side of fashion) not what i had signed up to do. the foundation art course was basically grade 9 art, and creative individuality was frowned upon, and while doing some of my very basic computer projects the computers would always crash. among many other disappointments,
not the kind of school i want to be at.

not to mention when i left the tried to rip me off not once but twice, not following their own contract and policies,
what kind of school tries to STEAL from their own students? the financial office isnt there to help. Bring someone who knows how to read a contract, so you dont get screwed

be very VERY careful when dealing with this school, i am not the only one unhappy with the education , and more importantly not the only one who’s been cheated financially, make sure you do you research before attending OR leaving

McDoolz

4.21.11

CATO Sucks! DO NOT GO TO CATO!
It’s is a business, and run like a business.

Whatever you want to learn, you can learn by taking an equivalent loan and buying the necessary equipment from a pawn shop (comparative equipment for the price).

Education and knowledge in any of the fields offered for training at this drain hole of hopes and dreams is available online for free.
Just search, and you will find it all.

The only steps involved in getting a job in ANY industry is as follows:
Step 1 : Create
Step 2 : Promote

The steps in between are all up to you, posters, flyers, handouts, mail outs, spam, word of mouth and anything else you can think of.

The more creative you are, the better you will do, and by attending a regimented piss pot like CATO or any similar, overpriced, bloated, administratively anal retentive amalgamation of sadness will only see you crushed as you realize you’re being taught by people who couldn’t make it in the industry.

That doesn’t have to be the reality.
Hundreds of thousands of people are making their livings performing the same creative tasks without attending these establishments.

YOU DO NOT RECEIVE ANY SORT OF FORMAL DOCTRINE FOR COMPLETING ANY MEDIA COURSE IN CATO. THERE ARE NO MEDIA DEGREES, THERE IS NO PHD IN MEDIA. YOU WILL NOT BE BETTERED BY THIS SCHOOL, YOU MAY ONLY BE HARMED.

There are those that would argue the experience is relative. It is ‘relatively’ negative. Relative to the passion like I and so many cohorts who are now successful themselves carried with them. This school will never endeavor to help that passion. You have to have that to begin with.

Do it on your own and if your passion can carry you, you will do fine. Take it from someone who knows. I attended this school years and years ago, and it’s no better today then it was then.
Nobody there will care about you, nobody will make any sort of effort towards your education.

You are paying for access to this repository and if you don’t understand it: Too bad.
Thanks for the ducats, now enjoy several long years of paying very large debts.

Even those who I describe as successful now, some were working for EA for twelve an hour in Vancouver, for nearly half a decade themselves. Are things better now? If you’re curious, look at the wages of the starting employees for most companies. The price of living in a big city is high and companies don’t want to deal remote.
The most successful people I know of, focused themselves on one aspect of their business and developed that business into their career. And then some of them sold that business for lots and lots of money, then went and made new ideas come alive.

Note the pattern. Best of luck.

Xai Avalon Tourney

4.21.11

I owe 14,000$ and I attended 1/4 of a year “Part time”, I could not finish my first section due to Student loans not giving me my living funds. Mind you they where well over a month late. I ended up dropping out as I had no money to live & buy equipment like a portable Hard drive for Recording Arts. Sometimes other people would go up to the front and play teacher hoping the teacher would come in. They could not as there own lives/work came first. There where some aspect missing from the course all of which steered me from completion of my 1st 1/4. In my contract it stated i would be pulled if not in 30 consecutive days of non attendance. If this where true why do I owe the school 3G and student loans 11G its bad enough I had to drop out why do I have to pay for what I did not learn. This was in 2005 and I know several people who left yet they don’t owe what I owe. Someone is stealing money and I want it back please.

bthom

4.25.11

All I can say is don’t believe everything you read on here. A little bit of research and I found some truth about what’s going on here. First of all the great teachers that Lanna is talking about are actually graduates from CAT. Secondly, I found with a bit of digging that a lot of this negativity is being stirred up by an instructor who was let go from CAT because of too many missed classes and student complaints. He then went to work for the competition. Of course he’s going to bash CAT. It’s in his own best interest and he’s probably just out for revenge.

I went to this school and had some awesome instructors. Some of them were better than others, but they all helped me in my classes. Just saying…

4.26.11

If all the great teachers at the school are past graduates of the program, is it because they cannot find other work therefore have to teach?

How can 1 instructor stir up so much negativity in 3 different campuses and in a number of completely unrelated programs? If you think about what you are suggesting you would see how ridiculous it sounds. Just saying…

4.26.11

I heard that the 3d department head from Kelowna is no longer at Cato. Maybe there is hope for the program after all.

Truth

5.2.11

This is not just past instructors or department heads complaining, i am currently enrolled in Fredericton and everyone i talk to at the school (incl. my entire class) feel cheated. Every negative comment above applies. Instructors and heads have no teaching experience, or are past students who really just read the text to you!
I feel like i have taught myself 90% more then the school has taught me by trying to figure out assignments on the WEB. Ridiculous, defiantly regret giving them my money and time.

I recently heard that the school is under a big lawsuit right now, does anyone have info on this?

CAT

5.2.11

We feel that Centre for Arts and Technology must comment on these posts. We first want to state that we very much appreciate you sharing your positive comments, concerns and experience. We recommend to everyone who inquires to Centre for Arts and Technology to research the program, the industry and the job market. However, we are concerned about the disputes that seem to be building; hopefully we can provide some information to bring these conversations to an end.
Centre for Arts and Technology is not the least expensive school, but is definitely not the most expensive. Education costs can range from $12K to $75K, depending on what institution you attend. Programs run from one year, for short technically based programs, to four years, for full bachelor’s degrees with breadth and depth; based on industry feedback through its program advisory committees, the Centre for Arts and Technology has chosen the path that accelerate students into the industry however adds enough depth in its programs for balance and the production of a well-rounded student. We focus on providing value for the cost, and are very proud of the accredited programs that we offer.
We stand behind not only our instructors, but our Department Heads. That being said, the Centre Schools perform multiple student-instructor evaluations where students can give feedback on instructor performance and delivery so that the Centre’s education department can make continuous improvements. Many people do not recognize that the primary role of a Department Head is often an administrative role – to oversee the curriculum and ensure that qualified instructors are in place to deliver the program. You don’t have to be an expert in the field to manage an exceptional department.

The PDP classes included with any of the programs we offer provides great value to our graduates, and topics such as networking and marketing yourself are delivered as part of the curriculum; if the course is completed, students are gain extremely valuable knowledge that will benefit them as they move into the workforce. We work closely with industry in developing our curriculum and have been told that “…the offering of soft skills is an extremely important element to the student’s education” – Gary, PAC Member. This quote is indicative of all PACs for all programs.

We always try to work with our students to ensure that they receive value in their education and, with few exceptions, we’ve been very successful in resolving misunderstandings or miscommunication. Some of the posts contain information that is untrue and is underpinned by personal agendas and we strongly encourage the readers of this website to be wary of the motivations of the writers. We encourage you to invest time researching the facts in order to make informed decisions.
We could at this point counter the specific statements about the instructors, cost, and technology; instead we think it is best to invite any of you who have concerns to contact us. We can answer any of your questions, discuss any of the issues listed above, and provide you with an accurate picture of our institution.

5.3.11

Dear L,

Indeed you heard correct! The head of the 3D department has changed, and for the better! I will not name names, but the new head is an amazing instructor, who cares for his students, and has great industry experience! I also believe there is hope now for those who may want to take the course!

Dear bthom,

I dont think I agree, mainly because it isn’t limited to a single course. If this supposed instructor was bashing one course in particular, that would make sense, but like “T” said, if so many have come forward with issues from all 3 campuses, and nearly all courses, it seems improbable. I will agree that there were notable instructors, those who did have unsurpassed passion in what they did, but it was sorely drowned out by other aspects of the courses. I feel for those instructors who are affected by such feedback. I truly want to promote them, but when the courses overall have too many flaws, it seems cruel.

I will be formally vocalizing my opinions with the head of CATO in Kelowna, and I do hope that others may follow suit. You may have left the college, but your opinions may help make it a better place for those who do still wish to attend.

P.S. McDoolz, you could say such things about any art college… I do like what you say about passion, though.

:F :F :F

5.5.11

I am in grade 11 with tons of art skills and little computer skills. For next year I’ll be taking computer animation but I don’t know if that will be enough experience to continue with my dream after I graduate. I’m a little shocked at some of the comments because I guess I’m not too sure what I’m in for. I met with one of the people who run that place and it seemed like a really nice environment. I mean, as long as I can figure out how to use the tools and such I believe I will have what it takes. I’m just wondering if I should take the risk because my family does not happen to make very much money.

Sarah

5.6.11

My son is presently attending the Audio Engineering Course in Halifax and is having the same problems that are mentioned above. Some courses have instructors never showing up, the others just showing movies and not teaching what is required. They took all of his student loan to “keep” for payments in the future. Everytime he tries to speak with them they brush him aside and tell him he doesn’t understand. He wants to quit after almost one year and being out $15,000. By the look at these posts we had better take our losses and run. I am so disillusioned and want to know how to report this school for not coming through with what they promise. Who oversees schools like these? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Can’t afford lawyers to sue after losing $15,000 to them. HELP.

5.7.11

Yeah, he was “let go”. Its sort of a step forward, except they dumped the courses on an already overloaded department head, who know nothing about 3D.

Peter

5.8.11

While I believe the school has the right to represent itself in these comments, it has only proven the points already made. Since this is an open discussion, I see it’s very important to correct the school’s accusations and continual misrepresentation.

What was written is nothing more than a straw man. Misrepresenting us as liars is quite a claim. The only personal agenda’s we have would be to spare people from making the same critical mistakes we did by attending this school. What could anyone possibly gain from lying to people about these matters? What makes you all-knowing of our intentions and thoughts?

This school is not the most expensive out there – that’s not the point. Many of us have said that the return investment has been abysmal, of which the school is at fault. It’s not about comparing the pricing to other schools, it’s about the lack of relevant and quality education being provided (among many other problems).

I know that you stand by the instructors and department heads, that much is clear when you have no history of taking the side of a student. I had a substantial incident from a certain PDP instructor, which I informed the school of. You never did anything to resolve the situation and I simply had to avoid this person. If this happened in a public institution, this person would be fired.

The evaluations you take with students are nothing more than to reassure students of their investment. It isn’t about solving problems, it’s about lying to the students by telling them “we’ll look into it”. Keep in mind, I can only speak for the Kelowna department.

The very fact that you won’t respond OPENLY to the serious and FACTUAL criticisms only makes your reputation worse. You opened up discussions by contacting us publicly, I know you want to improve your reputation. You can start by EARNING your money instead of swindling people. A good way to begin regaining trust in dozens of potential customers would be to have open discussion. There is no reason not to unless you have things to hide.

Bob

5.8.11

@ F.F.F.

Don’t waste your money here. They have a great recruitment team, but thats where the buck stops. Look at others schools on the coast, and see about investing the extra money, its well worth your time. Alternatively, look into online schools like animation mentor, and above all, read reviews like this one before blowing your life savings and every spare dollar you will have for the next 5-10 years.

@ Sarah,

The schools are accredited by provincial accreditation boards. In bc it is the PCTIA. As such they are subject to the bylaws of that board. You could look into filing a complaint with them, or taking it to small claims court, where you wont need a lawyer, and they cant bring one either (and if they do get a lawyer, you cant be forced to pay their legal fees if you lose).

:F :F :F

5.16.11

Well Bob, I can’t exactly travel and I am in kelowna so I’m close to CATO. But it looks as though it may be a trap. Although I AM interested in this online school you speak of. I’m at school and looking into it right now, I can’t tell if theres a price yet though. Is this online school good? Thanx for the advice guys, i’ll be checking in to see if there are any more replys. :)

Anon

7.5.11

I went to the Art Institute of Vancouver for the Film course and I can say that all of these criticisms are just as valid and prevalent there.

As has been said, do lots of research and consider the return on your investment. Lots of “regular” colleges and universities have vastly cheaper alternatives that can be pretty good.

The diploma from one of these schools (CATO/Art Institute) shows that you are willing to stick it out at something, but means little more to an employer than that. Your demo reel is ALL that matters, and *some* people will find better success with self-directed learning (not everyone learns best this way).

Joe Blow

7.20.11

Paid over $ 25,000, now I am moving boxes for $10.00 an hour. Isn’t it great.

E.M.

8.29.11

I enrolled in the veterinary hospital assistant course and graduated in 2009, we were told after they had our tutition in their pockets that this career is easily attained without education.. This course simply “prepares” you.. Instructors were oftain unprofessional, and at times a little too personally involved. Our $12,000 certificates were of very poor quality (as previously stated) they were off center, one side exceeded the bleed of the printer resulting in a cut off border, pixelared and overall “cheesy” I requested a reprint, and received a second one that was not much better. In 2010 I taught the grooming unit I was offered the position on short notice and had little time to prepare my “training” for becoming an instructor consisted of recieving a teaching textbook and partaking in a quick briefing. I would not recommend this school to anybody.