___________About DigiPen_________
Q: How long have you been at DigiPen?A: This is my third year (currently spring 2001). I was in the programming department for one year, prior to my two years in the art department.
Q : What's it like in the programming department?
A: It's brutal. The programming department is difficult. You deal with so much math and logistics that you fry your brain on a weekly basis. However, if that's your bag, then this is the place for you. There are three types of students at DigiPen.
First, you have your underachievers. They are great students to even get into DigiPen, however, they give up at the first sign of trouble. Seeing how there is now less than half of the class that I was in, a lot of the students fall into this category. Second, you have the achievers. These guys (and gals) stick through and obtain their goals. For programmers, it would be those who do take care of their classes, and go home for half the day and play games and watch TV to relax their stressed minds. These guys meet the requirements and pass the classes, going home sane. Then you have your overachievers. The overachievers take the summer classes so they cut their four years down into three. They stay at DigiPen the full 10-13 hour day, working like dogs on their projects. Their stuff usually comes out the best because they put the most into it. They don't play games that much because they are too busy making them. The chances of someone being an overachiever in the programming department and staying that way for the full three years is very slim.
Q: How do I get into the programming department?
A: First step is to apply. =^) If you give up before you start then you've already lost the race. The programming department is not too difficult to get into, as long as you get some killer grades and you concentrate on math, science, and computer science. Don't enjoy math? Do not bother with this then. DigiPen's FAQ gives specific classes you should pursue.
Q: What's it like in the art department?
A: It's like the programming department only ten times worse. While you won't see too many artists going crazy from racking their brains, you also won't see too many artists spending less than ten hours a day at DigiPen (most often a full twelve). Why? Because while the programming department has one true project a semester, the artists have many (for instance our 4th semester we must create our website, make our demo reel, create portfolio pages and a resume for our portfolio, design characters through 2D media, and model/texture/animate several 3D projects by capping off our last one and then doing three more.) All those projects mentioned are mostly done outside of class (we of course have many weekly class related assignments in addition to these projects). The reason why so much time is put into it is because with projects like these, (especially the 3D ones), you can never truly be finished: There's always more you could do. While we choose to be here and do school work for these hours, we honestly have no choice to put in these hours if we wish to pass (most of us struggle through as it is). Again, there are three types of students.
The underachiever is the one who gives up. The art department does a fairly solid job of weeding those people out before they start school at DigiPen. The achiever is the one whose objective is to get a job in the gaming industry. His/her goal is to not necessarily graduate, but to get a job. The overachiever is the one who doesn't stop and who lasts through the two years. The overachiever came to get everything possible out of DigiPen and won't leave until it's over. (There are now nine art students graduating in spring 2001 out of the original twenty students in our class; many of those eleven are now making names for themselves in the industry.)
Q: How do I get into the art department?
A: DigiPen molds the students into well-rounded artists. They want you to already be a developed 2D artist before even applying to their school. So, that means for you to take art courses. Learn basic drawing, cartooning, and maybe some computer art, but concentrate on life drawing and character drawing. The majority or our drawing is of some kind of alive or made up creature (human or otherwise). (Did I mention that one of the assignments for our third semester was to draw 70 pages of life drawing a week?) Take life drawing classes. Take anatomy drawing classes. The art department is difficult to get into (I was accepted after my fourth year applying while going to college and learning how to draw, so perseverance prevails).
The main software we currently use is 3D Studio Max, Maya, Photoshop, Flash, AfterFX, and Dreamweaver (although some are bypassing Flash and Dreamweaver through html and Java knowledge). Learning that software first will make it easier to get through DigiPen and will translate into better projects. However that knowledge will not improve your chances of getting into the art department. DigiPen's FAQ suggests that you study "art, drawing, photography, sculpture, and story writing". Hmm, well, you'll take DigiPen classes on photography and story writing, but it won't help you get into the school. Also, sculpture isn't even taught here and matters not for admittance. Learning how to draw original videogame characters and draw realistic life portraits and gestures is what gets you through the doors. Funny how the information for the preparation of the programming department is so detailed while the art preparation information is rather vague. Hmm.
Q: How do I prepare for DigiPen?
A: If you really want to know the best way to prepare for DigiPen, the answer is to take a year or two, keep in contact with DigiPen, and go to a community college. Find out what classes are transferrable at DigiPen and take those classes. The main reason to do this is to save your sanity. When you are at DigiPen (especially in the art department), the schedule is intense and each class that you don't have to take preserves another piece of your soul (it gives you more time to concentrate on your projects).
Q: Are there girls at DigiPen?
A: Yes, of course. There are almost as many girls as there are guys. Hahaha. Bad joke. Seriously, there are about 8 girls here at DigiPen and about 250 guys. That's directly linked to the fact that most gamers are guys to begin with. If you're a guy and you're looking for a girlfriend, try a university. If you're a lady and being surrounded by guys is what you want, you must realize that while the attention might be enjoyable, you might also be treated like "one of the guys", which is something that few women actually want. Either way, come to DigiPen with the attitude of learning your life's passion, and none of this will even matter.
Q: What is food and board like at DigiPen?
A: First of all, DigiPen gives you the hookup with other students seeking roommates. You then get together and look for an apartment. My advice is to find an apartment that is right across the street, because the closer you live, the easier and faster it will be to get to school. Plus DigiPen charges a pretty penny to park in their lot. It's better to just cross the street. There is a cafeteria that is pretty expensive (about $6 a meal prepaid), but it's the closest you'll get to a balanced diet, and it's pretty good food. The alternative is the infamous 7-11 right next door. Or you could leave and eat off campus (what? and leave?).
Q: What are the job opportunities like?
A: As Nintendo's website says, DigiPen is a great way to get into the gaming industry. The faculty here works hard to give us the inside advantages. For instance, it is relatively probable that you can get a summer job working for Nintendo as either a consumer service representative (answering phones helping people set up their Nintendo systems or answering game questions as a game counselor) or a game tester (playing games looking for bugs, a.k.a. unfixed software mistakes). DigiPen offers many opportunities to work for them at the library, as a TA, or to help with the summer workshops. Plus DigiPen hooks you up with interviews with companies that look for summer interns (or you can look on your own). Companies that have participated so far (as of summer 2000) include Sierra, Edmark, Pipeworks, Microsoft (with programmers only), and NST. As those interns prove themselves reliable, more opportunities will develop. DigiPen also gives us the opportunities to get into the GDC and E3 gaming industry conventions (these opportunities are gifts from Nintendo and DigiPen and are not to be expected) along with regular SPUTNIK meetings, also a privilege.
Q: How can I submit my great game idea?
A: Unfortunately, the industry doesn't work like that. I listed this question because everybody has their own great game idea (at least one). Unfortunately the majority of the ideas out there aren't so great (you don't actually play every single videogame do you?). The majority of the games out there are "safe" games with ideas that are not "new" but are proven to sell. After all, this is a business. And in a business, the companies shelling out the money won't take a chance on you unless you've proven with past titles that your "new" ideas actually sell. Will a company buy your great game idea? No. Ideas aren't scripts. If you've got an idea that you want made into a game, you have to become a game designer. You've got to create a game design document (GDD) and supervise the creation of your game from the initial idea down to the final shipped product. Unfortunately, being a game designer isn't an easy thing to accomplish. A few companies hire accomplished authors as game designers (if you want to go that route, your best bet is to get an English degree and start writing). But usually the game designers work they way up by being productive artists and/or programmers. So, basically, you'll have to work hard to either become an artist or a programmer to get into the gaming industry. Then you'll have to continue to work hard and to make your way up to become a proven game designer. Then, and only then, will your game idea be made into a game. After all, it takes one person a few seconds to come up with a game idea, but it usually takes a team about a year and a half to bring that idea to life. So even though games are fun, game production is taken very seriously.
Q: Why didn't you answer all of my questions?
A: I chose questions for this section that aren't answered in other places on DigiPen's website, or aren't answered from my perspective. Here are my links to find some more great answers to your questions:
For some great information on everything from Nintendo sales to why videogames are delayed, check out Nintendo's FAQ.
For information on everything from what the DigiPen tuition is to where some former DigiPen students now work, take a gander at DigiPen's FAQ. Want to see that in yellow?
To find out if Anthony Carotenuto thinks DigiPen stacks up against the the rest, check out his FAQ.
Other student pages have more information about DigiPen that you might want to read about.
You also might want to download the DigiPen information packet for addition information.
