“Although the DAVE School [is] considered a higher education facility, their commitment to excellence in the professional sector is unmatched at their level. With award-winning animation staff and instructors, the DAVE School is surpassing their local and national competition in the field of CGI-animation special effects.” – Michael Attardi, Dream Balloon Animation, Director/Producer
In 1999, Jeff Scheetz, Co-Founder of the DAVE School, was working as an Animator and Visual Effects Supervisor for Foundation Imaging – which was, at the time, one of Hollywood’s pioneering visual effects studios. “For each artist I was able to hire, I would screen dozens of unacceptable demo reels,” he explains. “Even the worst of them showed a great deal of effort, but a terrible lack of direction, coupled with an unrefined skill set,” he adds.
And so, the DAVE School was born, a highly-specialized, industry-relevant school designed to immerse promising animators in both the captivating art and the complex science behind computer animation. Through valuable collaborations with a number of experienced, LA-based industry professionals, The DAVE School was able to specifically tailor a bespoke, digital curriculum devised to give students command of the most cutting-edge tools being used within the visual effects and animation industry.
But what exactly are the areas in which DAVE School students can pursue world-class, applicable training?
About The DAVE School
The DAVE School was founded on June 8, 2000 by two Industry executives looking to create #CareerReady artists with a practical animation school. Today, The DAVE School offers specialized training in Visual Effects and Game Production with extensive practice under industry level supervision.
Located on the backlot of Universal Studios Florida® in Orlando, The DAVE School has an 18,000 square foot facility that includes learning and interactive labs, a dedicated Virtual and Real-Time production stage, a Vicon motion capture system, 3D printing and VR/AR labs and secure student access 7 days a week.
The DAVE School is an academic unit of NUC University (NUC), which is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, 3624 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104. (267-284-5000) www.msche.org. NUC’s NUC University – IBC Technical Division (NU-IBC), Florida Technical College (FTC), and The Digital Animation & Visual Effects School (The DAVE School) are included in this accreditation. The MSCHE is an institutional accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).