The Best Place to Learn Computer Animation in the Philippines

Posted on April 14th, 2011. Written by Rico.

Visual effects powerhouses like Industrial Light & Magic (Star Wars) and Weta Digital (The Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Avatar) use computer graphics to turn storyboards into artificially-generated reality. For those considering a career in computer-generated imagery, here’s the Philippine university for you.

The School and The Course

Ateneo de Naga University (ADNU) offers a Bachelor of Science degree in Digital Illustration and Animation (DIA). The four-year course starts with the basics, educating freshmen on the finer points of story conceptualization, storyboarding, image manipulation (Adobe Photoshop), and digital illustration (Adobe Illustrator).

Sophomores will harness their illustration skills, turning their digitized drawings into 2D animations (Adobe Flash). The second year of DIA also covers ActionScript, Flash’s programming language that makes interactive animations possible. Students will also acquire video editing and post-production skills (Adobe Premiere and After Effects respectively), and become acquainted with the in-house blue-screen room. The department also starts flying in industry veterans to share their wisdom and experience.

Third year takes things up a notch. This is when students enjoy their first introduction to Autodesk Maya, which the industry-standard for computer animation software—used by Lucasarts and Weta Digital. At the same time, students learn advanced post-production techniques such as Foley. The workload becomes much more demanding. To meet deadlines, students start spending sleepless nights at the computer lab, or convene with their respective desktops at one of their apartments.

The last year is where everything comes together. Seniors are taught the importance of maintaining high-quality production values, and they concentrate on creating solo projects integrating everything learned. All these happen while students produce a portfolio reel, compiling all their work into a creative presentation for prospective employers.

A Good Record

The DIA curriculum sounds good on paper, but what kind of people does the course produce? Many graduates have worked with well-known organizations such as ABS-CBN and Roadrunner, and Glow Animation. At least one DIA alumni was involved in the production of RPG Metanoia, which won 3rd Best Picture at the 2010 Metro Manila Film Festival.

Here’s more proof: DIA students have won multiple national and international awards. A recent victory was during a 2009 regional competition sponsored by Autodesk, Maya’s developer.

Still not convinced? Here’s the portfolio reel of a pioneer graduate, May John Amilano:

Some Caveats

A disclaimer: I’m very familiar with Ateneo de Naga’s DIA experience because I graduated from the course back in 2006. Having seen people like Mr. Amilano in action makes me biased. Why should I say bad things about my own education after all? So in the interest of balance, here are some reasons why you shouldn’t study Digital Illustration and Animation at ADNU.

For starters, Ateneo de Naga is located in the Bicol Region. Students not from Naga City or nearby areas like Pili will have to rent an apartment or pay for boarding. The slow-paced provincial lifestyle will easily bore those who’ve grown accustomed to the fast-track urban lifestyle. Students whose home desktop PCs broke down had to wait days, even weeks, for replacement parts to be shipped from Manila.

On the technical front: there’s a sore lack of updated information on the course, at least online. The official website is hopelessly outdated. The curriculum’s focus on Adobe Flash may become obsolete sooner than later, with the increasing popularity of HTML5. (Yes, those were suggestions for ADNU’s Digital Arts and Computer Animation faculty, the department responsible for DIA)

Still Worth Consideration

However, again from personal experience, the apparent issues with studying at Ateneo de Naga were ultimately positives. Living away from my family as a bachelor taught me some independence. Naga City’s smaller size means much less road traffic and an easier commute—I biked and sometimes even walked to school. Last but not least, those technical shortcomings don’t require extraordinary solutions.

I also met my fiancé at Ateneo de Naga. That alone made my stint in Ateneo de Naga worth it, even if my undergraduate degree isn’t compatible with my current career as a writer.

You may contact Fr. Danilo Isidro, SJ, Chairperson of the Department of Digital Arts and Computer Animation, at +6354 4722368 (ext. 2811). Tell him Rico Mossesgeld referred you!