Life in the Animation Program

The BYU Animation Program is one of the best programs you can be part of in terms of student hire rates, recognition from major studios, student problem-solving skills, and preparation for the industry. While it is a smaller program in comparison to major art schools and does not have the same resources in faculty and number of classes, it is structured in a way to give you maximum freedom to mold it into what you specifically need or are interested in. Please know that this program is not designed to teach you step-by-step processes and that teacher instruction is minimal—it is just enough to get you started, and you will be expected to put in the time and work to learn the programs and create your work. While many students find this hard at first, after a couple semesters they tend to become very grateful for this structure and eventually become very valuable assets to the studios that hire them. Learning how to problem-solve for yourself, whether with design or computer problems, is one of the core fundamental aspects of this program that make our students successful. In short, you get out of the program what you put into the program. Success comes to those who work the hardest!

We would also like to stress the fact that the best students are the ones that are motivated by faith and not by fear. Our goal as an Animation Program is to put more good and wholesome media into the world, and those who are motivated out of faith and love for what they do are the ones that make the greatest impact and generally do the best. Animation students can often become fear-driven and overly stressed when they lose sight of this perspective, and we hope that you keep this in mind as you become more involved in the program.