Animation. How to get in?

gapmunky

I wish to apply for animation this year in IADT, the requirements are 635 points whihch includes a portfolio of a maximum possible 600 points.

i have a decent portfolio built so far with my best drawings, sketches, digital work, life drawing, hand drawings, feet drawings, even some flash animations such as walk cycle and bouncing ball and leaf fall.

the only problem is the competition, apparently 600 people apply every year to a class of 25, and since the points have gone down from 800 to 635 im guessing that means more people will be applying!

ive already taken a year off to work ony portfolio, and couldnt bare another year of waiting so any tips anyone? especially if you're a current animation student?

p.s im also doing a portfolio preparation class every saturday in IADT, and a FETAL LVL5 multimedia course twice a week which apparently links in to animation.

thanks,
Zenith:p

Rhyme

Not in animation myself but i know a few people in 1st, 2nd and 3rd year of the course so i can ask a few questions tomorrow and get back to you then. Hopefully might get some word back from some of their tutors as well, fingers crossed.

What i've seen though, details like line quality in drawing (both imaginative and from life) is important and some of the folks that i know in the course had a leg up by having storyboards and the like in their portfolio.

With those flash animations you've done, you have a nice advantage as a lot of those cycles appear in first year and are the basis for much of the work then and in second year.

gapmunky

Rhyme wrote: »

Not in animation myself but i know a few people in 1st, 2nd and 3rd year of the course so i can ask a few questions tomorrow and get back to you then. Hopefully might get some word back from some of their tutors as well, fingers crossed.

What i've seen though, details like line quality in drawing (both imaginative and from life) is important and some of the folks that i know in the course had a leg up by having storyboards and the like in their portfolio.

With those flash animations you've done, you have a nice advantage as a lot of those cycles appear in first year and are the basis for much of the work then and in second year.

yeah i forgot to mention i have 2 storboards done, and they're pretty well sussed out, one of them i even coloured out on photoshop and the portfolio preparation class teacher/past student, johnathan byrne thought they were good and told me what mistakes to fix! thanks again

Sammag

I did animation in DLCAD - now IADT - back in '94 (showing my age )
To sum up, long story short etc.. just make sure to have tones of (good) life drawing in your portfolio - at least 50-60%. They're looking for candidates with a strong eye for observation and being able to translate that onto paper, not for people with a book full of the stuff they're going to teach you how to produce properly. Don't waste your time photoshopping stuff, whilst they may look good and of a good standard, realistically they aren't interested in showing you how to use a computer program, knowing IADT they'll be keener to instruct you in the hands on basics and introduce computers at a much later date.

Best of luck.

Mad - just re-read your original post - Johnathan Byrne was in my class back in '94...

gapmunky

haha cool yeah john showed us the videos of his classes final year, which one was yours??

Sammag

gapmunky wrote: »

haha cool yeah john showed us the videos of his classes final year, which one was yours??

Unfortunately I have no final movie as I moved to Graphic Design/Design Communications aka 'DL009' after realising peg bars and watching Manga cartoons every lunch weren't quite part of my grand plan in life

Tell me - is John still tall and skinny with light brown curly hair?

gapmunky

haha well hes not skinny anymore and his hair is disappearing rapidly.. in fact id class him as a monk if he wore robes and sandals!

Sammag

Yeah - that's the same guy alright. Even when he was tall, skinny with short-ish floppy curly light brown hair - he always looked like he's make a perfect monk

If you get talking to him again - ask him if he remembers Trevor from Ballinteer from his original '94 class?

Also - do you know is the head still there - can't for the life of me think of his name now - he was an old-ish dude with a grey beard. Came across as a really decent sort but was a pr*ck underneath... *God am now wrecking my head trying to think of the bugger's name*

gapmunky

i dont think so! if is he i havent seen him ! yeah ill be seeing John tomorrow ill ask him!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2BCVQWODP0

thats johns youtube!

gapmunky

Kevin Rafteris the head now,

benjyboo

Are the points expected to go up/down in this course or to stay roughly the same??

gapmunky

they went down from 800 to 635 in the last year so i doubt theyd go down further

atgate

gapmunky wrote: »

they went down from 800 to 635 in the last year so i doubt theyd go down further

The fall in CAO points was partly due to them taking more students in last year. I'm not sure how many they're taking this year but I suspect the points may go up a little.

benjyboo

Yeah i think the points could go up too, apparantly the number of applicants to Art and Design courses(through the CAO) went up by about 70% this year... :eek:

Saruwatari

I'm heading in tomorrow to have my portfolio assessed.
What do they expect out of you storyboard wise? What size are they meant to be?
Also, I hafta' stay from 9 till 5 later tomorrow, its gonna be a draining and boring day...

atgate

Saruwatari wrote: »

I'm heading in tomorrow to have my portfolio assessed.
What do they expect out of you storyboard wise? What size are they meant to be?
Also, I hafta' stay from 9 till 5 later tomorrow, its gonna be a draining and boring day...

I don't think they look for a set size. In film we like to see them laid out left to right landscape with like 6 panels on a page, but there's no hard or fast rules (except that they're not cr@p )

If you have an urgent need to make a train, oral exam, dentist appointment etc.tell them when you drop it in and they might rush it through

irishmonkey

Saruwatari wrote: »

I'm heading in tomorrow to have my portfolio assessed.
What do they expect out of you storyboard wise? What size are they meant to be?
Also, I hafta' stay from 9 till 5 later tomorrow, its gonna be a draining and boring day...

Get the dart into town, then return later in the day

Saruwatari

atgate wrote: »

I don't think they look for a set size. In film we like to see them laid out left to right landscape with like 6 panels on a page, but there's no hard or fast rules (except that they're not cr@p )

If you have an urgent need to make a train, oral exam, dentist appointment etc.tell them when you drop it in and they might rush it through

Ah, thanks for the prompt reply! I better get cracking on it then...
I don't really have an urgent need to go anywhere though.
Also, what bus route from O' Connell street is it that takes you pretty much straight up by IADT?

Rhyme

Saruwatari wrote: »

Ah, thanks for the prompt reply! I better get cracking on it then...
I don't really have an urgent need to go anywhere though.
Also, what bus route from O' Connell street is it that takes you pretty much straight up by IADT?

46A.

Catch it from the Talbot Street side of O'Connell St.

The 746 leaves from the same place and goes the same route as the 46A by Bakers Corner.

Saruwatari

Thanks a bunch Rhyme! I couldn't remember it nor work it out through IADT's map directions...

Rhyme

They're a little vague on the site and they don't take into account where you get off the bus and the numerous stops involved.

I dropped a map into another thread in case it's needed (i got off at the wrong stop two days in a row myself)



If you're coming from town, you'll be coming from the right fork.

gapmunky

now to play the waiting game.. tick..tock

benjyboo

Oh good luck, when will you know if you've been accepted?

gapmunky

i find out what grade i get in my portfolio early May,
and i dont know if i get into the college till August ..
T_T

benjyboo

Have you applied for anything else or is that your one and only?
Oh and are you applying through the Fetac award or with your LC results?

Sorry if i seem nosey... i'm just really interested in doing animation!:)

gapmunky

im aplying through leaving cert results and the fetac is going to be included,
and ive applyed for animation in a place called cholaiste dhulaigh in coolock and they just told me straight away im in at the interview, but id rather not go there tbh!

benjyboo

Yeah iadt is a lovely place,i was up for the open day and i fell in love with it!!Oh yeah cholaiste dhulaigh...you'd have 2 years at iadt if you went that route wouldn't ya?
What about ballyfermott?

gapmunky

benjyboo wrote: »

Yeah iadt is a lovely place,i was up for the open day and i fell in love with it!!Oh yeah cholaiste dhulaigh...you'd have 2 years at iadt if you went that route wouldn't ya?
What about ballyfermott?

yeah ideally i should've applied to ballyfermot i think i can apply in a couple of months as a late applicant im not sure, dont know why i didnt apply really! i want to go to iadt , nowhere else really!=s

Rhyme

gapmunky wrote: »

im aplying through leaving cert results and the fetac is going to be included,
and ive applyed for animation in a place called cholaiste dhulaigh in coolock and they just told me straight away im in at the interview, but id rather not go there tbh!

Dhulaigh is a nice place but is more of a transition in my opinion. I did the portfolio course there and it's served me really well.

Good luck with the application, hope all goes well.

gapmunky

I got 600 points in my portfolio so very happy! But i still haveto wait till August to see if i get accepted! Is it likely i will?

atgate

gapmunky wrote: »

I got 600 points in my portfolio so very happy! But i still haveto wait till August to see if i get accepted! Is it likely i will?

With 600 in you portfolio you stand a very good chance. What did you get in your mocks? And what are your (realistic) expectations in the LC?

gapmunky

i did my leaving last year i took the year out to work on portfolio as i bever did art in school! i got 440 points

atgate

gapmunky wrote: »

i did my leaving last year i took the year out to work on portfolio as i bever did art in school! i got 440 points

OK so if you got 600 for your portfolio and 440 for your leaving you have a total score of 1,040 which as you can see from the points below would easily get you in over the last four years.

2008 630 Points
2007 645 Points
2006 699 Points
2005 645 Points

If the 600 you mentioned was a you score already combined (i.e. 440 from LC and 160 from portfolio it wouldn't be looking good).

Just for the record, no one can tell for sure what will happen with points so there are no guarantees. I have a feeling that points in general may go up this year as more people lose their jobs and decide to go back to college. Although this may be more apparent in level 9 (Masters and Post Grad Diplomas) and Level 10 (PHD).

Bottom line - if you're sitting on 1,040 I'd be very surprised if you weren't on campus come September.

gapmunky

Nope wasnt already combined, my total was 1,040!you dont pass a portfolio if you dont get over 200 points in it! hope i do get in!

atgate

gapmunky wrote: »

Nope wasnt already combined, my total was 1,040!you dont pass a portfolio if you dont get over 200 points in it! hope i do get in!

Honestly, it would take something ridiculous to happen not to get in on those points.

zeroonetwothree

Oh sh!t 600 points on your portfolio, that's like... O_O
Would you mind showing us some of your works? And what course are you taking?

Just a question, on Monday I'm going into IADT for 2 weeks for the animation portfolio preparation course, and I was wondering if I got the bus (from Cavan) to Dublin Bus Station OR O' Connel street, how do I get to IADT?

Rhyme

zeroonetwothree wrote: »

Just a question, on Monday I'm going into IADT for 2 weeks for the animation portfolio preparation course, and I was wondering if I got the bus (from Cavan) to Dublin Bus Station OR O' Connel street, how do I get to IADT?

With your back to the river, there is a bus top on the right-hand side of O'Connel street, the 46a. It'll take you to Bakers Corner which is just down the road from IADT.



Congrats on the score gapmunky, 600 in your portfolio gives you a great chance to get in. Good luck.

zeroonetwothree

Thank you very much for your help!!
Does the DART also take you there? And it's much faster right?
How would you get there with the DART? >_<

Because when I arrive to Dublin it'll be already 9am and the course starts at 10am, so I'd want to be kinda early~ Damn Dx

Rhyme

zeroonetwothree wrote: »

Thank you very much for your help!!
Does the DART also take you there? And it's much faster right?
How would you get there with the DART? >_<

Because when I arrive to Dublin it'll be already 9am and the course starts at 10am, so I'd want to be kinda early~ Damn Dx

The 46a should get you there on time unless traffic is particularly bad. The DART only goes into Dun Laoghaire town unfortunately and is another bus journey (the 46a again) from there to IADT.

Do you know where in the college your class is on?

[edit]: If you don't know where the room is where you're doing your course, drop the question in here and someone will help you.

[edit2]: Did up a map to the main animation area. In through the main Quadrangle doors, turn left, past the bathrooms and through two sets of double-doors, turn left, up stairs and left again. That's the 1st, 2nd and 3rd year animation studios.



If it's there, great. If it's not, drop a question.

zeroonetwothree

Ah thanks Rhyme! About how long will the 46a take? I'd want to get there about half an hour early or something >_<
Ah thanks a lot for the map! And yes it's in the aniimation studio ^^ When I get in the college, would there be a map there to show me how I get in the studio?

Also I want to ask about the animation portfolio, you know the visual diaries, how many would you need? And is it only rough works/how your ideas develope that they're looking for?

Rhyme

zeroonetwothree wrote: »

Ah thanks Rhyme! About how long will the 46a take? I'd want to get there about half an hour early or something >_<
Ah thanks a lot for the map! And yes it's in the aniimation studio ^^ When I get in the college, would there be a map there to show me how I get in the studio?

Also I want to ask about the animation portfolio, you know the visual diaries, how many would you need? And is it only rough works/how your ideas develope that they're looking for?

It depends on the time of day. Maybe 35 minutes, maybe 40... the longest it should take is 50 minutes.

When you enter the Quadrangle building from the Atrium/Canteen (chapel on left, big hall on right) on the right hand wall there is a map. It's the same one as the one I linked to (without the scribbles). But pretty much as soon as you go up those stairs I mentioned and turn left through the door, you'll enter a large room separated by partitions. Each of the separate areas is an animation studio (1st, 2nd and 3rd year).

As for the visual diaries, I really don't know. Some of the other members on the forum might offer a better answer but from what I gather, it's how your ideas develop and are maintained through further development and storyboards. Ask whoever is teaching the course, there's a chance that the person teaching you is the person who assesses the portfolios for Animation.

atgate

I'm not sure if the Summer courses are in the regular rooms (they might be). But usually everyone is pointed to a registration desk in the Main Atrium Building and then directed to their workshop.

Rhyme

atgate wrote: »

I'm not sure if the Summer courses are in the regular rooms (they might be). But usually everyone is pointed to a registration desk in the Main Atrium Building and then directed to their workshop.

Ah, I didn't know that.

Go there zeroonetwothree

zeroonetwothree

Thank you very much for the help everyone!

Thanks atgate, ok I'll just hang around in there until 10am xD

Is there a discount on the Dublin Bus (46a) when you travel on it for 5 days? And do they have return tickets?

[edit]
Oh hold on... it said on the website's timetable that the 46a bus takes about one hour to get to Dun Laoghaire! Would I be safer time wise on the dart? (faster?) Because I arrive in Dublin a little past 9am and I'd want to be at least 15 minutes earlier (9:50am) in the college.
Dammit >_<

atgate

zeroonetwothree wrote: »

Thank you very much for the help everyone!

Thanks atgate, ok I'll just hang around in there until 10am xD

Is there a discount on the Dublin Bus (46a) when you travel on it for 5 days? And do they have return tickets?

[edit]
Oh hold on... it said on the website's timetable that the 46a bus takes about one hour to get to Dun Laoghaire! Would I be safer time wise on the dart? (faster?) Because I arrive in Dublin a little past 9am and I'd want to be at least 15 minutes earlier (9:50am) in the college.
Dammit >_<

Dart is deffo not faster (unless you live on the dart line) You'd have to get from Bus station to Dart station 10 mins, wait maybe up to 15 mins, 30 min dart time to Dun Laoghaire, wait 3 mins for 46a and then 10 mins or so to get to college (68 mins approx). The 46a will be working against the traffic so you should be fine and make it in 45 mins.

Haven't got a clue about bus prices - but by the power of google (if you have a student travel card):

Student 5 Day Rambler €15.00 (don't think its good for dart)
Valid for unlimited travel for 5 non consecutive days
Valid on Dublin Bus scheduled services including Xpresso (excluding Airlink, Nitelink, Tours, Special Events and Private Contract services)
Student Travelcard required

If you have no travel card I'd recommend:

10 Journey Travel 90 Adult €18.00
Valid for 10 journeys of 90 minutes unlimited travel
Valid on Dublin Bus scheduled services including Xpresso (excluding Airlink, Nitelink, Tours, Special Events and Private Contract services)
No CIE photo ID required

Dublin Bus don't do return fares (I don't think they do anyway).

gapmunky

yeah i got the 46A about 20 times when i did the portfolio course it doesnt take an hour its about 35 mins, that was from the side of trinity!

zeroonetwothree

Thanks guys!

Well today me and my friends got the taxi LOL (cost €22+ @_@) because a friend was late so the taxi was the fastest option.

I got lost twice on the way to the animation studio TT___TT

atgate

Don't worry. It takes undergrads a few weeks to get the hang of the place. Make sure to take a couple of mins in the new garden in the orchard at the back of the quadrangle building.

Rhyme

Like atgate said, don't worry about losing your way.

The first year VAP studios are some of the easiest to find rooms in the Quadrangle and I still spent time getting lost. Still, the times I was lost was spent finding other places

New garden? I'll have to create a free day sometime soon to see it, sounds good.

gapmunky

that recent basketball court is cool too n__n

gapmunky

got a letter yesterday saying i didnt get in! then after many phone calls it seems there was a big mix up and i got in after all! YAY!