PORTFOLIO// GETTING-IN// SO MANY QUESTIONS

READ THIS IF YOU’RE INTERESTED IN THEORY AND KNOWLEDGE INTO THE SHERIDAN ANIMATION PORTFOLIO APPLICATION PROCESS.

There are so many questions about how to prepare a portfolio in order to get into Sheridan Animation.  Before I get to those specific questions about the portfolio submission and portfolio standards, I wanted to throw out some basic ideas and concepts about the whole process.

Here I will be discussing more the theory of the portfolio application and a bit of my experience with it. Maybe this discussion will help you understand why the process is so challenging and why its so difficult to get in. I wanted to give this backdrop to prospective students rather they give specific answers to questions because this is type of things I learned AFTER I got into Sheridan Animation. Obviously, everyone has many questions but these are some all-encompassing ideas and concepts everyone should consider.

EVERY YEAR, THE STAKES ARE HIGH

First and foremost, let’s look at the portfolio process. The Sheridan Animation portfolio is a professional (make it look professional*, treat it as a very serious process) portfolio submitted annually from a wide variety of students ranging from different art streams and age groups. Some individuals are already producing work on a professional level (freelance), most are not, however, the more successful individuals are obviously ones coming from other art streams. It all depends on your skill level. The truth is, all people come from different walks of life. As my mentor put it, some students are ordinary people from small towns and aren't really connected to an art network of some kind. Therefore, staying connected and in loop is one of the best things to learning more about the portfolio process.

So, we have students across seas submitting portfolios, high school students from art highschools, people who have already finished art degrees, people from design backgrounds, people from small towns and many different types of artists all-together. They all have something to say with their art and they are all quite good. With a wide range of students applying it is obvious that the stakes are quite high and the bar is set very high year-after-year. That being said, from what I’ve heard, Sheridan Animation receives about roughly six to seven hundred applicants each year (I've estimated 700 applicants, between me and my colleagues) and they only accept roughly 150 students into their program. The result is that the instructors who are doing the evaluation take considerable time looking at each portfolio and making sure they are choosing the best student for Sheridan Animation.

Furthermore, the instructors looking over the portfolios are highly trained in designating marks and allotting points for the portfolio grade. The mark you receive is pin-point accurate on the scale of where you are in the evaluation of all the applicant portfolios in that year. All that being said, it’s a game of very high-stakes and this process is meant to push you really hard. Every year is a constant battle of pushing your skills, meeting the deadlines, and really exploring the projects/requirements of the Sheridan Animation portfolio.

HOW GOOD DOES THE PORTFOLIO HAVE TO BE? REALLY FRICKIN’ GOOD.

Every year close to 1000 applicants submit portfolios to Sheridan Animation. Let’s say more than 75% of these applicants are not even close to being ready for Sheridan Animation’s standards. For the people that DO get in, they show considerable talent or are quite accomplished artists compared to the people that don’t get in.

As my friend Kat (a Sheridan Animation 4^th Year, straight A-student) put it, had described the hardest part is really "getting into Sheridan Animation" because the rest is simple. Do the work. Get the degree. Ultimately, I would agree because after you’re into Sheridan Animation it’s a whole different ball-game in terms of work load, time-management, and simply getting the work done.

Even though I’m not necessarily giving any advice in this post, I wanted to say if you are determined to getting into Sheridan Animation you must make a portfolio that obviously shows a great amount of skill. That means you should be at a very competent level with some of your artwork (which might be stretching it a bit*) but considering the talent that is in Sheridan Animation and especially because I've seen a lot of art I must say I'm impressed with the artists here. Students are amazing in all different mediums such as painting and life drawing. In the end, your artwork should show not only experience and skill but originality, brilliant creativity, variety, and something that will separate you from the rest.