Gnomon School or VFS? or any other?
Hi!
I am a 21 year old graphic designer. I want to continue my studies in the VFX field, but i am unsure about which one should i choose. I have read some bad reviews about VFS saying that the price was to high for such a little time for the program (one year). I haven't find anything bad about Gnomon, except that they focus on post-production classes and not production, say motion capture, or green screen and all that, isn't that REALLY important for a VFX artist?
So please anyone who knows about these two schools (or any other that you would recommend) please say something. I don't live in the states and this is a difficult and important decision for me.
Thank you!
tsuperb
Re: Gnomon School or VFS? or any other?
I'm 21 as well facing the same desicion towards schools.
My school of choice would probably be Gnomon, but I have to that's partly because I already live California even if it's still pretty far away. I haven't done my research on VFS, but I've seem some great reels on youtube of their work.
It's true when I visited gnomon I didn't see any motion capture work, but I don't think you have to worry about green work. I've seen some great compositors come out of gnomon, and learned a ton of of green screen material from there training material alone. Pro's and con's of green vs blue screens, all the way down to how boujou triangulates tracking markers, and what are the best ones to use in what situations. Writing down distances of the green screen, the talent, and the camera. I'm at the point with green screen (like many other aspects of 3D/Vfx) that any other school would give me a more diluted education then what I've learned from thetraining material from gnomon, and if I want to go further in my education I actually got to go to that school.
I'm at the point where I have tons freelance jumping at me from different directions Vfx, 3D animation, and film. I'm thinking of taking Gnomon 9-week fast track course get a diploma or something. I admit though I don't know much about motion capture. I plan to ask someone from Expressions college in emeryville, california to show me how all that stuff works.
Expressions is another great 3D/Vfx school in Northern California. If you like motion capture and green screens I also toured there school. They got 2 really great green screens, and a cool looking motion capture room. They also have classes were they put someone studying audio, someone studying film, and someone studying vfx together to make short films. (The team were something like that.) There 3D work is really great two. For me I'm not even really considering that school because it's on like a bachelors program or something, and I don't want to waste my time doing general ed. If you already got stuff like general ed that might be a great school to consider. Same with Academy of Art in San Fransico. They require General Ed too. I don't know about VFS and Full Sail. Full Sail is another school I hear alot, and another I haven't done much research on. I think Gnomon and Full Sail is said to be the biggest Fx schools in the U.S.
More pro and cons of Gnomon.
Pro's- It's in Hollywood. Best place to go for fx work, and networking with the industry. They also have events happening all the time. There now working on a short film with the maker of the movie "9" Any great film or game they usaully have a panel come in and do a complete breakdowns.
Con's- The don't have a motion capture room and they have a giant screen there, but not for student use. Also you probably wouldn't be able to check out any camera's or anything.
(This actually doesn't effect me much since I'm about to invest the money I just earn from freelance work into a $4,000 High Def Camera and a portable Green screen stuff and lights.)
Let me know about any information you find. I'd really appreciate it. Hope this info was helpful.
Thomas
www.TronixProductions.com
