Thanks for your views.....I agree some or most of us have this feeling of wanting to contribute or to teach young guns....It's a great feeling of accomplishment if someone you teach have become so successful and being a part of his/her success.....

robcat2075 wrote:

I would say it's a sign that great work opportunities are diminishing for them and teaching is a way to keep some money coming in.

Artists have been doing that for centuries.

The guys teaching generally aren't scraping by trying to make ends meet, at least not at the top schools we're discussing. They're working for Dreamworks, Pixar, Disney, and other top studios.

I'm sure having a bit of extra cash doesn't hurt, particularly if you live on the left coast, but I don't think most are teaching because they're hurting for cash. Most of my instructors truly seem to want to share their knowledge.

Well, for the top online schools you're talking about. AM, from my understanding is that the teachers don't have to be working in the industry. they just have to have the experience. So they use to work at top tier studios. iA, all teachers MUST be working in the industry. So it's just a part time thing for them.

I think the only reason it seems like people are "jumping on the wagon" is because there is more opportunity for them now, and since the schools are there now, and online, you actually see where they are working, as opposed to them going to teach at a vanilla college, where they arent being advertised as a teacher.

Lots of people in the industry love to help others and teach others. That's why forums like these exist. Because people like helping each other and sharing their knowledge.

I, for one, plan on eventually becoming a teacher (years down the road). Partly because it's much more of a stable job, with better hours. Better for starting a family and what not. Not saying that you can't do that while in the industry. Plenty of people do. but ya.

robcat2075 wrote:

I can tell you that when I was at Animation Mentor there definitely were some staff that were "not currently attached to any studio" (the way one phrased it :D) other than whatever free-lance ventures they might have had going on.

And the ones who did work at "Dreamworks, Pixar, Disney and other top studios" would typically deflect any inquiry about what such a job might pay with something like "well, I'm not getting rich at this..."

Dreamworks does pay well, from what i read; it's a union shop.  The others, based on all the accounts I've read, pay just enough to keep someone on board.  All seem to be looking at ways to replace animators here in the USA with lower-paid ones in other countries. That movement will only grow as animators in other countries become more accessible and more competent..

There very well may be, personally I'd be kinda pissed if I were paying the same money for an instructor who was unemployed that my fellow classmate was paying for a top studio animator.

I've been able to have some honest conversations with a few studio animators about salaries and you can also look up a lot of information on sites like glassdoor. Animators aren't getting rich (unless you're Glen Keane) but the guys with several years of experience are living pretty comfortably. Cost of living doesn't help folks on the west coast, unfortunately, particularly those without much experience/

Personally, I'm in the process of paying off all my debt while in iAnimate so i'll eventually be able to relocate with less to worry about there.

extra wrote:

figdigital wrote:

...personally I'd be kinda pissed if I were paying the same money for an instructor who was unemployed that my fellow classmate was paying for a top studio animator.

Really?  If the instructor has the experience and the chops and can raise your game from where it currently is, what difference does their current employment status make?  I haven't worked full-time at a studio for over two years, yet I have friends with major screen credits who consider me a terrific animator.  Would you not want to learn from me simply because I'm not currently at one of the "bigs"? 

It's what the instructor brings to the table that matters, not where they're currently working.

You're reading too much into what I said, that's not how my comment was intended.

By "unemployed" I was referring to someone who isn't good enough to find work going to teach instead, not someone who has the chops but isn't currently working at a big studio.

Prominent employment gives credibility, but the main reason someone is employed is that they can gets lots of footage done and get it done well.  It's not a sure sign that they can explain to someone else how to do it.

The mentors I had at Animation Mentor were all employed on significant productions but they varied widely on their ability to diagnose things and explain how to fix problems and make suggestions on how to plus stuff.

Teaching and Doing have rather different essential skills.  It's entirely possible that someone who is not at a major studio may be a superior teacher.

Too bad you can't try out a hundred teachers and pick the best one.  The timeline of all these schools limits you to contact with just a handful.

figdigital wrote:

That's actually one of the brilliant parts of iAnimate, you can watch lessons from other instructors both to gain knowledge in your current workshop and see who you want to take for the next one.

too.........much...........stuff........to.....watch.............

Seriously, If iAnimate offered a handful of classes to watch I would feel like I would be getting my money's worth.  But because there is an infinite amount, I'm never satisfied.