somesmores

Trying to decide between art school and LACs. I would love to work for Pixar afterwards but worry that Yale may not prepare me as well as say, CalArts in terms of an art education.

Cheer007

CalArts would definitely be the more appealing school to Pixar. Not that they would scoff at Yale by any means. But Disney and Pixar but recruit directly from CalArts.

T26E4

First things first: are you even a competitive applicant to schools like Yale or peer LACs?

Secondly, what level of attention has your work garnered so far? Pixar isn't looking at your college diploma -- it's looking at your portfolio. Yale diploma < artistry. Why would you think otherwise? What sort of person do you think they hire?

gibby

You might also want to consider Dartmouth, where you can learn from one of the Pixar masters: // Faculty & Staff // _- Digital Arts at Dartmouth College -_

Fabio Pellacini is an Assistant Professor in Computer Science at Dartmouth. He received his Ph.D. in Computer Science from Cornell in 2002, specializing in computer graphics, after completing an MS in computer science there, and a Laurea Degree in Physics from the University of Parma, Italy. His primary research interest concerns the development of computational tools for digital artists. Prior to joining the Dartmouth faculty, he spent two years at Pixar Animation Studios, followed by a year at Cornell as a Visiting Assistant Professor. Pellacini's work is well published in the computer graphics literature, including several papers at SIGGRAPH and book chapters on cinematic lighting. Pellacini has received screen credits for "Finding Nemo", "The Incredibles" and "Cars" to reflect his research and development contributions at Pixar.

somesmores

T26E4: I would hope so. (I sense some artist stereotyping here...not everyone artistically inclined has mediocre grades.) Of course Pixar would value artistry over a sheer diploma, but I was considering Yale for its strong studio art department and strong community with the residential colleges, not to mention the caliber of students I would encounter there and learn from, students who I would not meet at some random art institute.

Gibby: I was considering Dartmouth too! I would love being in the country (think of all the potential landscapes!), but the isolation is also a worry - what if I tire of the campus/Hanover? But the Brown/RISD dual degree program seems really great too - even if I don't do that I can still take classes at both schools should I attend one.

somesmores

However, the worry is that some of these LACs may not have as strong a connection with Pixar/Dreamworks as schools like CalArts that are especially geared towards a career in animation. For example, it would be comparatively easier to obtain a Pixar internship through CalArts than at Yale, however strong Yale's fine arts department may be.

Wheaty

Somemores,

Yep, Yale's art department is terrific and they turn out world-class artists every year. In your particular case I would jump at a Yale chance but I would also add summer classes at USC's School of Cinematic Art, CalArts, and/or Art Center (Pasadena) to strengthen your skills and portfolio. All three of these schools have strong ties to Pixar. USC's jobs and internships board for students is second to none in this field and as a summer sessions student you would have access to this.

So go to Yale, spend your summers in SoCal, build a killer portfolo and *poof* you are golden.

Best Regards,
Wheaty

PS. Penn is really stacked in this department as well. Not just Penn Design (top notch) but also their comp sci / art cross-over program (I forget the name).

johnwesley

Wesleyan is well known for its connections in "the business": Rachel Kate Miller | LinkedIn and apparently, Connecticut is home to a number of satellite companies: http://newsletter.blogs.wesleyan.edu...s-to-wesleyan/

gouf78

If you want animation rather than traditional illustration, head towards those schools with strong animatiion departments. CalArts, Ringling come to mind. Those are the schools where Pixar and other animation companies interview. A portfolio for animation will be a reel (short movie).