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Home > Animation Programs > Be Like Dreamworks and Pixar Animators
Be Like Dreamworks and Pixar Animators
By Dan Grushkindan.grushkin@theanimationschooldirectory.com
Animation School Directory Columnist
In Madagascar, DreamWorks Studio's latest computer animated film, animals from New York's Central Park Zoo escape the city and make their way to wild and exotic Madagascar.
Madagascar has been generating a lot of buzz for its stylized animation and sharp-angled design, but before writer and director Eric Darnell took on the project, he studied animation in school. If you dream of making feature length animated movies, then consider his path.
DreamWorks
After earning a bachelor degree in broadcast journalism at University of Colorado, Darnell studied animation in graduate school where he earned a master's in fine arts in experimental animation from CalArts. During that time, he applied for filmmaking grants and was award two. Darnell's directorial debut was in the animated move Antz, years after he graduated from animation school.Pixar
Pixar animator Sanjay Patel had a different course that also started with animation school. He started animating for Pixar in A Bug's Life, and went on to work on Pixar classics like the Toy Story movies. He began at Cleveland Institute of the Arts, and then at California Institute of the Arts. Unlike, Darnell, Patel never graduated. He picked up the skills to develop his career and eventually ended up at Pixar.And You
If you're interested in a career in animation it's worth considering animation school. These two top animators did, and their careers have been stellar ever since.In school, your professors will teach you the professional know-how to one day get a job with major animation studios like Pixar or DreamWorks. You'll also join the ranks of animators with whom you can develop and soundboard your creative ideas. With a network and know-how maybe one day you'll be the next Sanjay Patel or Eric Darnell.
