University Application

Well, I am actually planning on going for an art university, focusing on 3D Game Design. I have been looking into a specific university, but now I'm worried.

They only choose 250 applicants for an interview, and only 60 of them get accepted into the school. I checked this year's application, and there is an assignment, to model an automoblie.

I really wouldn't know how to make a decent model, a detailed, realistic one anyway. Luckily I still have until next year to actually apply, but this is worrying me that I should probably start practicing and developing my modeling skills.

Has anybody here ever used Maya? That seems to be a very important program in the game and film industry, along with 3DsMax. I am currently downloading the Personal Learning Edition of it to check it out.

So basically, for the guys who really know what they're doing, do you have any tips? I just really want to go into this industry, and would like to stand a fair chance against other applicants when the time comes. So I'm really going to try to get into this Modeling schtick, and no, not for Warcraft.

University is mostly about learning. Sure, it is a huge platform for launching careers, but while many people do degrees simply to get a piece of paper to credit their ability, others do it to learn.

From experience:

Don't apply for just one 'ideal' course. As awesome as it may seem, you don't want to limit your options. Try several courses and locations. Many universities are quite flexible. This way you are pretty much guaranteed to end up *somewhere*.

Prepare as much as you feel required, but don't shy away from content that is new or daunting. The first year is a mass piss-up to make sure everyone is equally bladdered. The second year sheds some light on applying professional approaches and using real systems. It's generally not until year three that you have to prove you can spell your own name. So, you have 2 years to prepare :)

Maya is like 3ds max only with different names for the same things, different viewport navigation system, different scripting language that's basically like maxscript but again with different names for same things, a much more daunting and complex interface, but with better animation features as far as I've heard though. Oh, and more expensive. As far as rendering goes they both have mental ray built-in from the start so it's the same thing.
In the film industry it's usually Maya or XSI for animation and some modeling and 3ds max for particle FX (ParticleFlow + Afterburn & FumeFX & Glu3D is the shit) and modeling, especially for environments as far as I noticed. Lightwave is used too (Ice Age) and Cinema 4D (Open Season). Of course ZBrush or Mudbox (but I prefer ZBrush...by the way, ZBrush 3 is just about to launch and it will be the best thing to ever happen to CG) are indispensable for extreme detail. And for post production there's Shake, Combustion, After Effects, etc (by the way you'll have to render in different passes, like diffuse, ambient occlusion, shadow, sss, specular etc. so they can be composed together in post-production)...

I think I got a little carried away here...

I can't really give you any university advice since I'm in first year of uni myself and the educational system here is much different from western Europe I think. If you want tips on modeling though, I'm all yours. I am only self-taught though (and I'll always be; if I'm taught by a teacher I suddenly lose interest, for an unknown reason) so you'll pwn me after your first year, but I may help you before you enter.

Thank you guys, I appreciate the input. And I might be taking you up on that offer more often than you'll want TDR, just to warn you.

I thought I'd mention, since you brought up Ice Age, thay my uncle was the art director of that film, or product director, I can't remember exactly. Google Brian McEntee.

holy shit! (about your uncle) You're extremely lucky to know someone who's in the industry.

My Dad sells stuff on ebay. I win.

Could you ask him to make paypal work on more contries? it sure hates mine.

mine too

My uncle retired early, he's in his late 40's. But he obviously made enough to live on.

Also, TDR, would it be okay if I asked you questions in that model talking thread? Or should I make my own.

Post there. I should make that thread a sticky.

Cool. :)

Oh dude, I just remembered about something. I really thing Animation Mentor will suit you better. Check it out: www.animationmentor.com

I'll look into it. Though, I think I would prefer a more person to person based course, not through cyberspace. But I'll check it out, thanks for the link.

tons of people say it's better than any regular animation school. And you get to interact with your mentor via webcam n' shit live.

I've used Maya in earlier times and it is what TDR said, as far as I can remember.