"I loved studying animation," says Schiff, who earned his master's degree in fine arts from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts (New York, NY). Tisch is well-respected amongst  

computer animation schools

"Granted, you have to take all the same prerequisite courses -- your basic math and English courses, and you'll have to write a paper occasionally," Schiff adds,"But, for example, instead of a term paper at the end of an animation class, you'll get to create a Film. It's much more fun to sculpt characters and build sets than to study for a final exam."

Schiff can't say enough about his job to those considering a career in computer animation or related specialties. Although he's spent his career working on such projects as NFL commercials and MTV's "Celebrity Deathmatch," Schiff began his collegiate career at Central Missouri State (Warrensburg, MO) just like many other young students -- confused. "After a few semesters, I went into a funk and tried to figure out what I wanted to do," he says. "I knew that getting a business degree and living in St. Louis wasn't for me."

One evening, while sitting with a friend, he began casually playing with a piece of clay and molded it into a human head. "My friend was so impressed, he made me show it to one of the art professors. The next thing I knew I was enrolled in the art program." His GPA soon soared from a 2.0 to a 4.0.

Schiff's specialty is stop motion animation, a process in which animated sequences are created using inanimate objects. In order to attain the illusion of movement, the characters are filmed frame by frame, with animators moving them into new poses between frames. "The characters on 'Corpse Bride' are kind of like puppets," he explains. "They are made of foam latex, so they are moldable. None of it is actually clay, like some people think. Puppet technology has advanced, and clay has gone by the wayside."

Before you think that Schiff is getting paid to play with puppets he has this to add. "It's fun but it's a lot of hard work," Schiff says. "We work every day from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., and very often later. We need to do 200 frames a week, and 24 frames equals one second of time."

You do the math -- that's a lot of puppet-posing! "I'm a pretty impatient guy. I hate waiting in line and there are many things that drive me nuts," admits Schiff. "But I can be patient when it comes to my work. It's immediate gratification -- at the end of the day you press 'play' and see all of your work come to life."

Computer animation schools across the country are now developing their programs to include coursework on video game development, game design, and stop motion animation. As the demand for savvy designers increases, so does the availability of computer animation schools as well as degree programs designed for those interested in adding some "special effects" to their career.

In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment in the motion picture and video industries to grow 31 percent through 2012 -- that's roughly double the 16 percent growth projected for all industries combined. Not only that, but if you wind up studying at top computer animation schools, you'll be happy to know that artists skilled in digital filming, editing, and computer-generated imaging are expected to have the best job prospects.

Whatever field you decide to pursue, be it a career in computer animation, traditional art and design, or another area, Schiff advises you to stick with it. "Don't get discouraged," he says. "Keep doing little projects and working on your craft. The opportunities will come. People don't get truly lucky -- they create their own luck." And computer animation schools can help you get there.

Facebook | del.icio.us | Digg

Sound Off! Post Your Comments

You are not currently logged on. Please login to add a comment.