CalArts: School of Film and Video
Last Updated on Monday, 16 May 2011 05:45 Written by Marc Spess Tuesday, 18 May 2010 07:33

Cal arts is a school that has an experimental animation department. Here is what I currently know from an actual student from this school.:
What they have:
"A stop-motion workspace (The Butler Building) that includes 3 shooting studios for stop-motion, each stocked with a nice grip cart, and a rehearsal cage with a lunchbox for doing tests.
A motion control rig! donated by image G along with a 35mm camera, but has also been used with 16mm, digital still cameras, and even Imax for Mark Osborne's film "More".
An excellent stop-motion faculty of super nice and talented folk that includes:
Mike Johnson, directed 'Devil went down to Georgia" as well as animator on nightmare, James and Giant Peach, Monkeybone. Mike is a new edition and has filled the spot left by Mark Osborne, he has brought in guests such as Mike Belzer and has given workshops on mold making, flying rigs, and armature construction, as well as teaching beginning stop mo.
Stephen Chiodo- animated Tim Burton's 'Vincent' as well as the 'Large Marge' sequence in Pee Wees Big Adventure and directed 'Killer Clowns from Outer Space'. Stephen works with students toward realizing a film, he has also given classes that focus on performance and character.
Jamie Caliri- music video director, I think Jamie was the guy who made the first really amazing KCRW add. he is one of those hardcore visionaries like Berthold Bartosche who do the 18 passes per frame in camera effects. Jamie helps students become cinematographers, lighting specialties, and has even helped solve that flicker problem caused by digital stills.
'Larry'- the hard on the outside/soft on the inside head of the 'equipment cage', but a stop-mo guy deep down. Larry has taught motion-control as well as beginning stop-motion and has all kinds of knowledge and can build just about anything/ fix what we break. He has even written a lunchbox program that you can buy for $40 cheap. he also checks out the film/video equipment that includes: a nice 16mm Mitchell, Bolexes with intervalometers, good assortment of lunchboxes/frame grabbers including the new sync sound ones, and even some little specialty things like micro-flos- small lights great for miniatures."
And here is what the Cal Arts web site says about it's program:
"Program in Experimental Animation
Submit examples of your recent work. The experimental animation committee is interested in receiving examples of animated films and other visual material, such as flip books, paintings, drawings, and photographs that might suggest motion or animation. If you do not have a film or video to send, it is especially important to submit visual material indicating creative work. Creative visual work in other fields may be submitted if you believe it will help faculty to understand the kind of filmmaker you may be.
The portfolios of prospective students will be reviewed in the order of their reception. The earlier a portfolio is submitted, the earlier it will be reviewed and decided upon."
California Institute of the Arts
24700 McBean Parkway, Valencia, CA 91355-2340
Click here to visit the Cal Arts web site


