The animation and gaming industry utilize several different skills for a variety of positions. For example, think of how long the list of credits can be for an animated movie. Positions include animation, concept art, visual development, character design, storyboarding, background painting, 3D modeling, compositing, lighting, texturing, etc. These links will help you understand the production process and these positions.
Pixar in a Box on Khan Academy (a tutorial on the animation process, with exercises)
Think about what part of the production process interests you the most and find a school and major that will get you there. Here are just a few examples at various colleges. This is not intended as a complete list, but rather to give you an idea of what types of programs are available. A comprehensive list of colleges can be found below under "THE COLLEGES".
animation - at San Jose State University at Ringling College of Art & Design, RCAD
entertainment design - at Laguna College of Art & Design at Art Center College of Design
illustration (with an emphasis on entertainment arts) at CSU Fullerton at Art Center College of Design
game art or design - at Laguna College of Art and Design at Otis College of Art & Design
animation & visual effects at Chapman University
When deciding if you want an art school or a traditional college, consider these things:
Degrees - BFA vs BA : Art schools usually only offer BFA degrees, while traditional colleges offer both. There are two main differences between these degrees, and each college applies them differently. On average a BFA degree requires that about 30% of your classes are general studies (history, english, math, etc) and that you have a larger number of hours spent in studio classes (70%). A BA degree implies you have had roughly 40% general studies and fewer studio hours (60%). In short, a BFA implies you've spent more time studying within your major.
The general education classes at art schools tend to be "art focused", while at a traditional college they are generic for any major.
Some art schools have a required freshman foundation year where you train in ALL areas of art and design to make you well-rounded, to hone your skills, and to explore. Other art schools build specialty foundation classes into your major so that you begin working in your major freshman year and are only taking the foundation classes relevant to your major.
Attending an art school is a big commitment because many require you to declare a major when applying,; classes are specific to your major; and it can be hard to change majors. So, if you find you are unhappy at an art school and want to transfer to a traditional college, many of your classes may not transfer. While many classes taken at a traditional college easily transfer to other traditional colleges. For these same reasons, it can be difficult to transfer credits from a traditional college to an art school.
Art schools are private institutions and are very expensive. Many can be stingy with scholarships, some are more generous, depending upon your financial need. In-state public traditional colleges are far cheaper than art schools.
Art schools usually will not give you the "typical" college experience in that they usually don't have Greek life or sports teams, are relatively small, and have little partying.
Traditional colleges offer you a chance to take a broader range of classes outside your major, allowing you to explore other interests and/or change majors.
Many California public colleges have so many students it can be hard to graduate in 4 years, thereby adding to your overall cost of attendance. You are more likely to graduate in four years at an art school or private traditional college.
Class sizes at the art schools and private colleges are much smaller than at public colleges.
Regardless of where you go, expect to spend more time than other majors both in class and on homework. It is A LOT OF WORK! For example, at an art school, each studio class may meet only once each week, for 5 hours each, and you may have 4 studio classes per semester, as well as a general education class. After each class you'll have many hours of homework each night. Some students say it an be 5-10 hours of homework per class. Many students say art schools are more rigorous and push you harder than a traditional college.
Some students prefer an art school because they want to be surrounded by like-minded creative people. They say it is inspiring and gives them the creative and competitive boost they thrive on. Other students prefer a traditional college when they will be mixed among students of all majors.
Which employers (studios) recruit at that school?
What experience the professors have? (Are they retired animators, fine artists, etc.?)
What are the portfolio requirements for each school?
What is the curriculum for your major? Compare between colleges.
What is the quality of their student work?
What is the accessibility to internships/jobs through or near that college?
Do they offer classes in both 2D and 3D animation? (eg: CalArts offers only 2D; others offer both)
What region of the country would you like to go to college in?
Pay attention to the specific portfolio requirements of each school you are applying to. Some schools with the generic freshman foundation year require you demonstrate your skills in various ways, such as fine art paintings, figure drawings, observational drawings, and drawings from imagination. Sometimes your pieces from high school art classes can satisfy some of those requirements; those tend to be fine arts based pieces. Some schools, especially those that do not have a foundation year and require you to specify a major up front, want a portfolio tailored specifically to that major. In most cases, you'll need to demonstrate strong skills in figure drawing. The key to making animation look realistic is to truly understand the body and how it moves. Figure drawing is one of the hardest disciplines, so if you nail that, you demonstrate you've got the skills to do much more.
Consider taking supplemental art classes, especially figure drawing, at a local art college (through their Extension Program) or junior college. The big animation studios and gaming companies frequently bring in figure drawing instructors for their experienced animators so that they can keep sharpening their skills. Many classes are available specifically to high school students. Also consider taking a class in Portfolio Development, Digital Art, Visual Development, or Photoshop. If it's not too late, consider taking a summer residential pre-college program at an art college in animation and figure drawing. Those programs are like a bootcamp for your skills since you take classes 8 hours/day, 5 days/week. It also gives you sense of what art school is like and if that's the right environment for you.
If you search the internet and Youtube, you can find accepted portfolios from students at various colleges. That can be helpful in letting you see what level of skill is required.
Here are a few different lists of good animation programs. Each uses their own criteria to generate the list, but you'll see a pattern where several schools are mentioned again and again.
Keep in mind that many traditional colleges offer outstanding programs; art school is not the only good option.
CSU Entertainment Alliance - this program offers learning, career development, and networking opportunities to prepare students for a career in entertainment
Here are some online resources to give you more insight. Some have helpful Q&A forums, so look around and don't be shy about posting your own questions. People with experience enjoy what they do and are very willing to respond.
Animation Career Review - school, career and technology advice for animators
Wannabeananimator - interviews with people in various aspects of the animation field
Randy Haycock - He is a former Disney animator who created this blog to disseminate information to aspiring animators (so generous of him!). Read the Q&A sections where he answers questions about schooling and the industry.
CG Society - Read the forums, see the galleries and workshops.
Pixar in a Box on Khan Academy (a tutorial on the animation process, with exercises)