franky~~*

HM well to be honest I think the requirements have changed, but either traditional or digital is good. And yes they probably mean 25 frames of animation, but I would say do more if it’s allowed! 25 is only about one second haha

Thanks! I think looking at cool art is the best... and its nice to have friends too that you can talk about art with. you can all be nerds together! watch films! go to galleries! flip through art books! get inspiration from everything...!!! I don’t read books or tutorials much, mostly because I'm bad at reading hahaha

HAHAHHAHA the horrid video introduction that i refuse to look at ever again... that took forever... 

Honestly mine was so boring and normal and somehow it got me in. I sat in front of the built in camera on my 2012 mac and recorded myself talking in my poorly lit room. Just make sure you show that you love love love what you do and talk about makes you a different artist than everyone else. You can talk about your goals and what inspires you and what you are trying to say with your art. Stuff like that. But yeah, it’s pretty short so don’t sweat it!

I actually just finished my gumroad today..... let me know if the downloading process goes smoothly!

Hi! Sorry I don’t remember which standards you’re referring to, but my sketchbook was actually just 60 pages and 7″x10″. I don’t think they would have a problem at all with your sketchbook! As long as it’s doing its job of showing off your art you should be good :) 

YIKES! Sorry i’m answering so late, I don’t go on tumblr too much nowadays. I check my instagram dms more!

Okay theres kind of a lot to consider. But at a very basic level, (from what i can tell) they mostly care about good observational and figure drawings, unique style, willingness to experiment, and ability to show a character’s personality and motivation in a narrative setting. If you’re wondering what to put in your portfolio, I included character designs, films, a demo reel, observational paintings and drawings, storyboards, illustrations, character turnarounds, and background layouts. You can also do stuff like sculptures, 3-D work, fine art etc. Let me know if you have any other questions B^)

Hey! Honestly, you can draw anything around you. Like, definitely don’t go meticulously setting up a still life on the dinner table or anything haha. Here are some places/things that people draw a lot:

Their room, their house, restaurants, cafes, parks, beaches, zoos, their friends, the car from the backseat, their classroom and classmates. Etc etc etc.

As for what mediums and compositions to use, you definitely want to check out other artist sketchbooks. Accepted CalArts student sketchbooks are great because there’s so many and you don’t have to pay for them. OCSA isn’t looking for a specific style of art, but most of the CalArts sketchbooks are a great model of a possible Digital Media portfolio (not Visual Arts, by the way). Search “Accepted CalArts Sketchbook” on YouTube and Gumroad and check out what other people do in their sketchbooks! Hope this helped :^)

Hey! Sorry this is late. Ok I know you asked about Digital Media, but this is also applicable to CalArts for anyone else who’s wondering. In my opinion, sketchbooks are super important because ideally they show these things:

1. You’re working on your technical skills. This is definitely everyone’s least favorite part but the most important! Drawing from observation is so, so important. But I want to remind you that doesn’t mean just a bunch of perfectly rendered, photorealistic pencil drawings. Be sloppy! Use crayons! Use funky colors! Stylize it however you want. I absolutely love seeing artists that can breathe new life into an observational drawing.

2. You draw a lot. Sketchbooks ideally should be messy and filled up, showing that you have a lot of ideas and that you just can’t stop drawing! Adding things like observational drawings and journal entries on what you do during your day really strengthen your sketchbook.

3. You experiment. It’s rare for your finished art pieces to be conceptually or technically out there because it’s risky to devote so much time to a project that might not work out. Sketchbooks are there for you to try these new ideas out on a smaller scale first. And it’s very important to experiment with new mediums, concepts, and styles in order to improve.

4. You’re always coming up with ideas. Character designs, comics, storyboards, setting designs, story ideas, film ideas, game designs - whatever you want! I used to make characters out of candy wrappers. Some of my friends write deep personal stuff in theirs. Some even have short song compositions! That’s super cool but definitely unnecessary. Just make it your own! 

Ok that’s what I can think of right now. Hope it helped :^)

Hey! oh man I'm really sorry I didn't answer this sooner... I really don't know. I think what I would do is try to sell some stuff or get a small job? Unless you have one already! hmm.... or like you could get a gofundme? I dont know if thats the best site but those funding sites seem to work. If anyone has suggestions please leave a comment!