Ask what you want to know about Full Sail

Well, I've been bruised, battered, beatup, slammed and generally made uncomfortable by school...but I'm still standing and having fun. Some time ago some of you asked me to keep you updated on what goes on here. For those who have no clue what I'm talking about I'll bring you up to speed.

Full Sail is a school dedicated to those who want to work in the media entertainment industry. They offer degree programs in Recording Arts, Show Production, Film/TV production, Digital Media, Computer Animation and Game Design. The school is on an accelerated scheduled, meaning the classes last for 1 to 2 months each and the degree programs last between 11-14 months. The school itself located in Orlando, Fl and enrollment is monthly. Currently I am enrolled in the Game Design program and am more than half way through it.

So if you have any questions about the school, ask away.

I heard there was alot more coding then you'd think. So what are somethings you learn? Like 3DSMax or SoftImage XSI or is it manly coding. I really want to go there. What are the requirements, like GPA and test scores, etc.

/me crosses fingers. Just 2 more years. hahaha

are there any other locations that this full sail operates from? florida is a bit far for me to travel for school :biggrin:

The degree program is primarily programming. There's one class in 3D Modeling with Maya, it's learning basics and such and used to be apart of the Real-Time 3D Programming class. The only thing you need for admittance is a high school diploma, no SAT's or ACT's required or any other standard test. You are supposedly had to have taken Algebra 2, regardless of passing. They're rather lax on that requirement though, since they have a Physics & Math course.

As far as grades at the school goes, it's a bit more strict policy. 100-95 A, 94-85 B, 84-75 C, 74-70 D 69 and below...well you guess.

The only branch is in Orlando FL, but we have people from all over here. Hell, I came here from Germany(okay so I stayed in North Carolina for a few months before coming here, but still...) There's actually a great deal of people from California here.

Do they help with houseing, finding a job in the area and what not for students?

I am thinking of going to school for computer arts.. And game design.. maybe then I can do my LASER TAG HL MOD with greater ease.. =)

How do you like it? Is it very hard to grab the concepts taught?

($)

What have you learned there that you could not have taught yourself?

Whats the Worm to Soil ratio for the grounds at Full Sail?

Do people make Sailor jokes every day?

I want to go to full sail when im out of high school, but its a bit expensive dont cha think? i heard it was 38,000 a year...Anyway sounds awsome

I wanna go but I don't think the bus floats...

The school has a department dedicated to finding apartments and roommates.

Honestly, the concepts are not hard to grasp. They assume you know absolutely nothing about game design and programming when you come, your prior experience can only help make it go a bit smoother.

I have learned how things work in the industry, the discipline needed to get stuff done on time. I have learned different methods of project documentation, which is nearly impossible to see without being part of a company. I've learned different types of programming architecture and ways of understanding others design. I have learned that sleep is not necessary for a human body. although it is nice. I have learned how to integrate 10 different people's work together into one product. I have learned the true history of D&D straight from the creator's mouth(look up Dave Arneson, he's one of my instructors).

They don't make sailor jokes but for some reason known to few, the symbol of the school is actually a big air plane.

The price right now is $36,000 for the whole degree program. The programs only last 11-14 months depending on the program. You still cover the same amount of content that you would in a 4 year college, just in less time. Basically, missing one day here is like missing 1 week in a standard college.

Well, the bus from Taiwan made it in, and I know one from Greece is coming in soon. If that doesn't work, get some oars and paddle the bus over here.

Vash said:
I want to go to full sail when im out of high school, but its a bit expensive dont cha think? i heard it was 38,000 a year...Anyway sounds awsome

Ummm, that's not unreasonable of a price for a first rate US university either, if you factor in the Room & Board that's typically associated with freshman year. And that's per year for four years, not just 1, 1.5 before you can be out in the job market.

d00d i am not exactly rich CCS..My neighboorhood is about 1 inch of way of being true ghetto =/...

Well, there are scholarships, student loans, work study and tons of other financial aid type things. It's like buying a house, no one puts all the money up front.

What is the exact degree that you get? I would assume Associates of something.

I went to the Art Institute of Houston, for my Associates of Applied Science. (computer animation school) It was an expensive ($28,000) 2 year program - very fast paced quarter system, that crammed ALOT of stuff into a very small amount of time.

I walked out of there knowing a little bit about alot of things. We had a full $800 class for each of the following: drawing(1,2,3), character design, Adobe photoshop, Adobe illustrator, Corel painter, Macro Director, 3dsMax, Flash (optional), Soudforge, all basic studies..math, english..etc.

The finishing point, and ONLY thing you walk out of there with, to help you get a job (besides knowledge) is a 2 minute demo reel, and a portfolio of drawings. The problem is, you only really spend the last 3 months focusing on this demo reel and portfolio development. I felt so scattered, learning so many different programs and then at the end having to rush, and pump out this impressive demo reel! I walked out of there not feeling as confident as I wanted to, and I DIDN'T walk right into a job.

These schools are expensive, sometimes not very focused, and not a gaurantee that you will find work in the gaming field. I am learning that the real work actually begins after you've spent the thousands of dollars for the degree. It takes much dedication beyond the classroom walls, to get into this industry - lots of staring at that pc screen, continuing to master what you have started to learn. I am determined, though, because I can't really see myself doing anything else, with the same passion (at this point in my life).

All I'm really saying here, is that you should put alot of though into schooling like this. Learn as much as you can on your own, before you spend the money, and see how much you really love being holed-up in front of your PC days at a time.

How is the level design? i looked in a full sail booklet and saw Level Design in a set of courses. I want to know what you learn in that area?

Well, unless they're adding a new course soon there's no Level Design course. You do talk about level design and description in General Design Fundamentals, but there's really no course on the subject.

Course listing right now.

Gen. Ed

Intro to Media Arts(IMA), Behavioral Science Computers Math and the Internet, Entertainment Business, Media & Society, Business Communications.

Core Classes:

C++, Data Structures, Windows Programming, Physics & Math, General Design Fundamentals, Structure of Game Design(DirectX course), Structure of Game Production, 3D Content Creation, Immersive MP Gaming(OpenGL course primarily), AI, Real-Time 3D Programming(studying Renderware), Console Development, Asset Production and Final Project

You'll go through all those classes in 14 months.

You receive an Associates Degree in Game Design, but it's more the experience that is important. Most game companies rely on entrance tests than degrees, although they do help.

Full Sail would definately have been my location of choice had I been an american, but I guess I was kinda lucky being in Scotland, which is one of the few other countries to have a dedicated games tech course.

You say the course you are on is Games Design, yet looking at the course listing it certainly looks more like games tech - the majority seem to be programming modules. Is that the most games design orientated course available at full sail? I often wish I had taken a different course more related to design, as most of my work here is (and will continue to be) coding mostly. As I don't want to be a programmer, I often feel like I'm wasting my time here. However programming knowledge will certainly not hurt for level design or game design, and I guess I'm in the closest thing to my ideal course that there is in the UK.

Design requires creativity, You cant get that in england, or the UK for that matter m8. Your lucky you found what you have, The most I can do here is be a nobody.

You can't get creativity in the UK? Then, by contradiction, I don't live in the UK since I am creative :biggrin:

Hehe, sometimes you speak crap Korn, your not a nobody...and don't reply with a "Not yet, but I'm working on it!" or something answer :razz:

heh, some of us are more fortunate, But tbh as a majority art & any other creative education is poor as anything here.

My art teacher spent all his time throwing away my work & calling me crap.

Luckily, you are plugged into all the resources you need with the internet. Whatever you want to learn, Korn, is just a few keystrokes away. School can give you a certain structure that helps the learning process, but it's not an end in itself. I bet half of the artists out there were mainly self-taught, before they entered the professional world. If you have the motivation, you can do it without school. Get in a routine. Produce or learn something every day, whether you feel like it or not. Hang out in forums that focus on whatever your trying to learn (snarkpit ), and gauge yourself against the best people you can find - no matter how humbling it is.

Most of all, stay focused and positive. Learning comes in waves, and there are times when every artist feels very BLAH and stagnant. I know I do at least once a week, but I recognize that it's just part of the growth cycle; so when I feel like that I don't let it bother me.

KoRnFlakes said:
heh, some of us are more fortunate, But tbh as a majority art & any other creative education is poor as anything here.

My art teacher spent all his time throwing away my work & calling me crap.

That's just one bad teacher. Blame the policy on the Government and the Department for Education, never the teachers :smile:

I am just glad, for once, that I live in florida...It may be hot ass hell, and boring, But Full Sail is only about an hour from my house :smile: !

Edge Damodred said:
Core Classes:

C++, Data Structures, Windows Programming, Physics & Math, General Design Fundamentals, Structure of Game Design(DirectX course), Structure of Game Production, 3D Content Creation, Immersive MP Gaming(OpenGL course primarily), AI, Real-Time 3D Programming(studying Renderware), Console Development, Asset Production and Final Project

Nothing you couldn't learn from the Internet or a few good books. Thanks, I'll pass on the $40000.

It takes more than knowledge to get into the industry. I'm not saying Full Sail's the only way in, infact they reiterate constantly that it's not. You can get all the knowledge elsewhere, that's the easy part. It takes a certain...warped mind to be able to work 80 hours a week for 40 hours worth of pay. One of the greatest benefits to going to Full Sail is the networking opportunities. People from every entertainment industry are here constantly, talking with the students, sometimes just directly looking to hire them. When you're being taught here, you're being taught by those who either are or were in the industry (Dave Arneson, the Co-creator of D&D sadly doesn't design games anymore, but his lectures provide a lot of information about what it's like out there and what makes a good game). The fact that you get through the course says quite a bit. You and a team of 3 others designed a completely playable 3D game in 3 months. You either designed all or most of the technologies. Most of the projects here, students write their own game engines for the project, and seeing the kind of cool and truly innovative things that come out EVERY month is amazing. This is in addition to the various smaller games you design and create on your own or with a team in just a few weeks.

If you look at it as just courses and straight knowledge, then you really do not belong at the school, because it will eat you alive.