California Institute of the Arts
Valencia, California
If you are serious about having a career in music, dance, performance, videos, films, or filmmaking then CalArts is for you. In fact they have over 70 different programs in visual, performing, media, and literary arts, and they are in the top 10 for programs in filmmaking. They’re not playing around either. This is the alma mater of Tim Burton, Dustin Hoffman, Sofia Coppola, Alison Brie, Don Cheadle, and for those Baywatch lovers out there, David Hasselhoff. Animators from here include the makers of Sponge Bob, last year's Spiderman Into the Spiderverse, Iron Giant, Toy Story, Wreck It Ralph, The Incredibles, and many more. It was founded by Walt Disney himself and a host of folks go on to work in their studios as well as Pixar, Marvel, and others.
CalArts is a very serious school for the arts. Going here is akin to declaring that you will be making your living off your art and you understand what that takes: a lot of hard work, dedication, and side gigs. You will be immersed in your program here from day 1 so if you’re the kind of person who isn’t sure exactly what you want, this is not the school for you. CalArts is the school you go to because you want to be a jazz musician and have always wanted to be a jazz musician and have no desire to do anything other than be a jazz musician. You eat, sleep, breathe, and dream jazz music. You are one with the jazz. You are jazz. Or harp. Or percussion. Or world music performance. Or voice arts, experimental animation, acting, digital art, composition and experimental sound practices, music technology, or character animation. There are some other options as well. But all of these programs are hard core.
Let’s look at the Film and Video Program in particular. This is a four year program that requires 46 semester units of credit to pass. In addition to that there are requirements that students must successfully pass a mid-residence review and a graduation review as well. In the first year, students will take only classes in this program for both semesters. There is no time to take any other kinds of classes at all. At the end of their first two years (second year allows for some choice and flexibility in taking related classes but still has many required ones) students begin to develop and experiment with their own style and method of filmmaking. During their first two years, students work closely with faculty mentors to help to design their own films and projects. At the end of their 3rd year, the mid-residence review will be made to assess the ways in which they have learned from the program and have developed as filmmakers and to present their final thesis proposal. Students will use the 2nd half of 3rd year and all of their 4th year to work on their senior thesis project which is what will be reviewed in their graduation review. The program is an intensive hands on nuts and bolts program and also deeply grounded in theory and criticism which students need to internalize and synthesize in order to find their own voice in their work.
This is true for every program offered from dance to graphic design, acting to piano/ keyboarding. Every program offered at CalArts is designed to challenge students to take their art to the next level and to understand how the discipline functions in the world today, how it is received, what the state of it is, and how people discuss it and react to it. This kind of combination of critical theory and applicable practice creates artists who are able to be successful in the art world.
So how do you apply to a program like CalArts? It’s competitive and they don’t take everyone. Like most arts schools, CalArts requires an audition or a portfolio for every student. It also requires letters of recommendation and transcripts of course. For letters of recommendation, one must come from someone who knows your art (a band teacher, dram director, vocal coach, etc.). You can apply early or at the regular time. They only admit about 230 first years and the total number of undergrads is under 1000. It’s a very selective school with about 25% of applicants accepted every year. And once you’re in, it will set you back $75,000+ a year unless you qualify for financial aid.
Living on campus at a place like CalArts though is like living, well in a world created by Disney, which is what CalArts is. That’s not to say it’s Disney World. Mickey isn’t hanging out and blowing bubbles and Elsa isn’t “letting it go” next to you. It’s more like Idina Menzel is your roommate and the person who is inventing the next level of animation lives next door. The place just kind of crackles with talent. Music, visual arts, dance, creativity of all kinds thrives in one central 500,000 square foot space in the center of campus that Walt Disney intended to be the heart and soul of the place: a space where all forms of art came together to share their common mission of creativity.
Students live in a variety of student housing options. For first and second years, the housing consists of doubles with shared bathrooms between 2-3 rooms, and for third and fourth years, it’s apartment style housing. All housing is heated and air conditioned. There are outdoor pools and also tennis courts as well as large sprawling lawns with plenty of outdoor seating to enjoy. It is Valencia after all. You might as well take advantage of the nearly perfect California weather.
It’s an arts school so it should come as no surprise that folks are not coming here to play sports. Sports here are casual and pick up games are played on the grounds as the fancy strikes. But there are clubs and student organizations. Soccer is one of them and as you’d imagine in the gorgeous weather, getting out and kicking the ball is a great past time when you need to blow off some stress. So is Improv and comedy. There are others as well like Mi Gente, the Latin Students’ Association, HeArt Christian Fellowship, and Materials Collective who aim to limit the use of single use materials and reduce waste.
Is CalArts for you? If you’re a serious artist and this is what your future should be, then yes, you should take it seriously. We’re more inclined to have heard of Julliard here on the Right Coast, but if film in particular is your jam, CalArts should be on your radar.
Pros:
Cons:
Valencia, California
If you are serious about having a career in music, dance, performance, videos, films, or filmmaking then CalArts is for you. In fact they have over 70 different programs in visual, performing, media, and literary arts, and they are in the top 10 for programs in filmmaking. They’re not playing around either. This is the alma mater of Tim Burton, Dustin Hoffman, Sofia Coppola, Alison Brie, Don Cheadle, and for those Baywatch lovers out there, David Hasselhoff. Animators from here include the makers of Sponge Bob, last year's Spiderman Into the Spiderverse, Iron Giant, Toy Story, Wreck It Ralph, The Incredibles, and many more. It was founded by Walt Disney himself and a host of folks go on to work in their studios as well as Pixar, Marvel, and others.
CalArts is a very serious school for the arts. Going here is akin to declaring that you will be making your living off your art and you understand what that takes: a lot of hard work, dedication, and side gigs. You will be immersed in your program here from day 1 so if you’re the kind of person who isn’t sure exactly what you want, this is not the school for you. CalArts is the school you go to because you want to be a jazz musician and have always wanted to be a jazz musician and have no desire to do anything other than be a jazz musician. You eat, sleep, breathe, and dream jazz music. You are one with the jazz. You are jazz. Or harp. Or percussion. Or world music performance. Or voice arts, experimental animation, acting, digital art, composition and experimental sound practices, music technology, or character animation. There are some other options as well. But all of these programs are hard core.
Let’s look at the Film and Video Program in particular. This is a four year program that requires 46 semester units of credit to pass. In addition to that there are requirements that students must successfully pass a mid-residence review and a graduation review as well. In the first year, students will take only classes in this program for both semesters. There is no time to take any other kinds of classes at all. At the end of their first two years (second year allows for some choice and flexibility in taking related classes but still has many required ones) students begin to develop and experiment with their own style and method of filmmaking. During their first two years, students work closely with faculty mentors to help to design their own films and projects. At the end of their 3rd year, the mid-residence review will be made to assess the ways in which they have learned from the program and have developed as filmmakers and to present their final thesis proposal. Students will use the 2nd half of 3rd year and all of their 4th year to work on their senior thesis project which is what will be reviewed in their graduation review. The program is an intensive hands on nuts and bolts program and also deeply grounded in theory and criticism which students need to internalize and synthesize in order to find their own voice in their work.
This is true for every program offered from dance to graphic design, acting to piano/ keyboarding. Every program offered at CalArts is designed to challenge students to take their art to the next level and to understand how the discipline functions in the world today, how it is received, what the state of it is, and how people discuss it and react to it. This kind of combination of critical theory and applicable practice creates artists who are able to be successful in the art world.
So how do you apply to a program like CalArts? It’s competitive and they don’t take everyone. Like most arts schools, CalArts requires an audition or a portfolio for every student. It also requires letters of recommendation and transcripts of course. For letters of recommendation, one must come from someone who knows your art (a band teacher, dram director, vocal coach, etc.). You can apply early or at the regular time. They only admit about 230 first years and the total number of undergrads is under 1000. It’s a very selective school with about 25% of applicants accepted every year. And once you’re in, it will set you back $75,000+ a year unless you qualify for financial aid.
Living on campus at a place like CalArts though is like living, well in a world created by Disney, which is what CalArts is. That’s not to say it’s Disney World. Mickey isn’t hanging out and blowing bubbles and Elsa isn’t “letting it go” next to you. It’s more like Idina Menzel is your roommate and the person who is inventing the next level of animation lives next door. The place just kind of crackles with talent. Music, visual arts, dance, creativity of all kinds thrives in one central 500,000 square foot space in the center of campus that Walt Disney intended to be the heart and soul of the place: a space where all forms of art came together to share their common mission of creativity.
Students live in a variety of student housing options. For first and second years, the housing consists of doubles with shared bathrooms between 2-3 rooms, and for third and fourth years, it’s apartment style housing. All housing is heated and air conditioned. There are outdoor pools and also tennis courts as well as large sprawling lawns with plenty of outdoor seating to enjoy. It is Valencia after all. You might as well take advantage of the nearly perfect California weather.
It’s an arts school so it should come as no surprise that folks are not coming here to play sports. Sports here are casual and pick up games are played on the grounds as the fancy strikes. But there are clubs and student organizations. Soccer is one of them and as you’d imagine in the gorgeous weather, getting out and kicking the ball is a great past time when you need to blow off some stress. So is Improv and comedy. There are others as well like Mi Gente, the Latin Students’ Association, HeArt Christian Fellowship, and Materials Collective who aim to limit the use of single use materials and reduce waste.
Is CalArts for you? If you’re a serious artist and this is what your future should be, then yes, you should take it seriously. We’re more inclined to have heard of Julliard here on the Right Coast, but if film in particular is your jam, CalArts should be on your radar.
Pros:
- Top film acting program
- Small classes with top educators
- Great networking and location
Cons:
- Highly selective
- Expensive
- Far away