A really good teacher is a rare find. Too often a really good teacher will not teach because the institution and its structure are not conducive to good quality training. There’s an old adage that those who can’t do the job end up being masters. It may actually be the other way around. Why should someone put themselves in a situation where they might be subject to criticism, vulnerable to scandal, and sometimes even have to justify themselves to their students’ parents? This leaves a real learning gap for students. If students cannot find a good teacher or mentor, they are forced to try to learn on their own.
On the other hand, there are some very special people who are not only willing to handle the stress of academia, but also fiercely value and nurture the next generation of animators and visual artists. When searching for an animation school, ask past students about their instructors and look for the following descriptive qualities of the staff:
Credentials, Portfolios and Awards: I suppose that if a person is going to teach in an animation school, they should have some kind of accreditation or certification. That said, recognition can come in other forms, like purses or awards. In my opinion, an instructor should have a combination of two out of three of these things. I graduated from Sheridan College’s International Classical Animation program, so I think if a teacher has been through an academic system, they are more likely to know how to get students through the system. Instructor portfolios showcase a body of work and can give the student an idea of what to include in their portfolios. Prizes are nice, however they don’t pay rent. Festival attendance and participation should be seen as a marketing strategy and prizes should be seen simply as a by-product or bonus. They are often the luck of the draw, depending on the number of other entries and how the judges felt that week. That said, great work strikes a chord with most people and is more often than not rewarded.
Technical skills: This goes back to portfolio or having a body of work. A student should be inspired by the quality of the work of the instructors. The instructor should have a command of most of the skills required to produce animation. Sometimes an instructor will have a specialty in some areas. The student must learn as much as she can from these specialists. You can help the student decide which areas she wants to pursue.
Experience: There are many kinds of experience. I feel that if an instructor has had experience in various positions within the animation business, she will be able to help guide a student into the field of business that fuels that student’s passion. A teacher’s experience can also help a student avoid some of the pitfalls of the industry and entertainment predators.
Enthusiasm: An instructor must love animation, and more importantly, must love teaching animation. It seems a bit of a cliche, but really if a teacher doesn’t love the medium or business of animation, he shouldn’t be teaching it.
Discipline: This is something that is taught by example and is associated with passion. If an instructor is undisciplined and too laid back, students follow suit. If an instructor is passionate about what she is teaching, discipline and focus follow naturally. The fire and desire to create really good works means that the attitude and discipline to practice art will be ignited in students.
Ego: When an instructor truly believes that he is the adoring focal point of his students and lives so much for that narcotic that controls the artistic and academic development of those students, he must be removed from the system as quickly as possible. The instructor should never make a student’s artistic development a personal competition between himself and the student. In addition, the instructor (and the school) should never use the student as a prize or centerpiece of their academic program. The risk of pressure on the student’s ego and the potential for future career damage to her cannot be measured.
A great instructor has enough self-confidence to be able to engage in creative discussions and explorations that push the student to discover their talents and develop those talents to higher levels. Such an instructor also teaches those values and ego traps to the student so that she can deal with other creative individuals in a positive and beneficial way.
A sense of history: An instructor must be able to relate past history to students. Understanding the roots of art helps students ride the waves of feast and famine in the animation business. As many experienced animators know, the media machine is a fickle beast. There are years when most of the commercials and movies are live action and then others when animation, graphics and special effects are the flavor of the decade. It is important for teachers to prepare their animation and graphic arts students for those peaks and valleys.
Open to new ideas: If the instructor understands the history of the animation industry and the art form, they will be more inclined to understand and support new ideas and the continuous need for innovation. Innovation is one of those things that we are all told that consumers want, but consumers are actually reluctant to accept it until they are told they can accept it.
Innovation means being open to using traditional and non-traditional techniques and technologies and being able to combine these ideas. A great teacher will help the student develop those new ideas and push creative boundaries without threatening the audience or decision makers, or shutting them out of the industry and potential future employment.
Conclusion: Such instructors are out there. I know I had some really great mentors and I appreciate the time and conversations I had with them. They impacted my world in many ways over the years. The best instructors often never admit that they are that good. Learn all you can about them. Show them the respect they deserve. One day you will pass the torch to the next generation.