We’re Top 10!!!

Did you know that CAT (with its 2D and 3D animation programs) is now considered one of the Top 10 Animation Schools in Canada?

The Animation programs at CAT have finally cracked the top ten!

In May, the eighth annual international rankings for animation was announced by the site Animation Career Review (www. animationcareerreview.com) and CAT animation was ranked #9 in the ‘Top Ten for Animation in Canada’s category.

The website considered nearly 200 schools with animation programs from across the globe in preparing this year’s rankings. For international rankings they divide schools into those which grant formal degrees (4-year degree or equivalent), and those which offer professional training (certificates, diplomas, etc…). CAT fell under the latter category as we offer 24 month and 15 month diploma animation programs.

The criteria they used for the animation rankings consisted, in no particular order, of the following: Academic reputation; Admission selectivity; Depth and breadth of the program; Value as it relates to tuition and indebtedness; and Employment data. (For 2020, employment data was included in the ranking formula. It was not in previous years.)

Sean Ridgway and his team have built an incredible program, and it is very rewarding to see this quality recognized. I fully expect for the program to continue to pop up on lists of this nature, and to track higher in terms of our ratings.”

Matt Redmond, Director of Education, Centre for Arts and Technology

To have CAT considered this year, Animation Career Review reached out during the school year via email to every school under consideration and requested information about our specific programs, as well as our perspective regarding which other school programs we considered to be the most impressive, both nationally and regionally.

Here is the school and program description that accompanies our ranking:

“The Centre for Arts and Technology was established more than 30 years ago by leaders in both media training and educational excellence,” says the school. Today, the school is recognized as one of the few institutions that “continually graduate successful students in the areas of filmmaking, animation, audio engineering, interior design, photography, graphic design, and network security.

The school offers a 2D Animation & Digital Art Diploma that offers an accelerated format that covers all areas of animation in just five semesters (15 months). Students will move from an initial Character Animation course to Life Drawing, then Digital Character Animation and Traditional Mixed-Media. The program ends with a final project, professional demo reel, and portfolio. Graduates of the program can be found working on projects such as Rick and Morty, Rocket Monkeys, Camp Lakebottom, Teen Titans GO, and many others. Some have gone on to establish careers at studios such as Yeti Farm Creative, Bardel Entertainment, and Disney.

In addition, the school offers a 3D Animation diploma that focuses on both modeling and character animation over 24 months. Students are immersed in the fundamentals through the first year and then specialize in the second year, leading up to producing a professional demo reel and portfolio. Graduates of this program have worked on projects such as ‘Lego Movie 2’, the Emmy award winning ‘King Julien’, ‘Detective Pickachu’ and many more. Some grads are now established leads and supervisors at many major studios in BC, Canada.”

“Receiving recognition for the success of our animation programs is exceptional. Sean Ridgway and his team have built an incredible program, and it is very rewarding to see this quality recognized. I fully expect for the program to continue to pop up on lists of this nature, and to track higher in terms of our ratings,” says Matt Redmond, Director of Education.

“I’m very proud to have achieved this ranking and recognition for 2020,” says Sean Ridgway, CAT Animation Department Head. “Onward and upward!”