College Recommend school for Scenic Arts and/or set Design

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One of my high school juniors is considering a career as either a scenic artist or as a scenic designer. They are an excellent artist and haven't decided yet which direction they want to go.

My advice is to get a BFA at a school with a lot of hands on opportunities to do scenic painting and design. Opportunities to find work off campus in the local theater community are a plus. Then decide later on designer vs artists (hopefully developing both skills in the process for more opportunities to work).

What schools do you recommend for scenic arts and set design with lots of hands on opportunities?

Thanks!
 
Skidmore here in Saratoga has a great scenic design program that really emphasizes scenic painting and legit art. One of their designers just became an imagineer for Tokyo Disney after working as an in house designer for Adirondack Studios for several years... They are one of the programs where a pallet of Rosco paint shows up on the dock at the beginning of each semester.

I'd probably steer them away from any program with an MFA; they won't get enough shop time.

Make sure though, that they have a backup plan in place. Take graphic design classes. Learn how to do that. Drop painting is quickly becoming obsolete. Many places hire scenic artists at 18-20 bucks an hour. Large scene shops tend to hire and lay off people as the work comes and goes, so many scenic artists, while constantly employed, tend to bounce around a lot. Because it's a skill that doesn't translate well to the corporate side of live entertainment, they tend to get a bit stuck. You can get into 829 as a scenic artist, but that takes some serious time. There is a lot of commercial painting work out there as well... but getting that work is a whole other world to break into.

Have them take a look at this... https://jobs.scenicguild.org/

And I'm not even going to get into being a scenic designer for theatre. That is a job that is extremely hard to get into... and those who do mostly teach and design shows on the side unless they go into commercial work. Think theme parks, retail, concerts, escape rooms, etc.

And, of course, you always have to ask... is there anything else you would rather do? If so, do that instead.
 
I'm unfamiliar with any college programs that specifically provides intensive scenic painting. Only school I know of is Cobalt Studio, upstate NY. Rachel is/was a USA829 painter for many years. I don't think they teach scenic design though. The reality of the business though is the student needs to make a life changing choice - painting or design. If they want to make a living they will need to be union, which is United Scenic Artist 829. It's a tough path being a designer, as you need to be lucky and get work as an assistant to a name designer, then move up as a lead designer. Or find work in TV and movies., where 829 only represents Prod Designers and Art Directors working n the NYC area. Or they can get an MFA, do summer stock and then hope to teach. 829 does have an apprentice program, I would look into that. 829 is somewhat hurting for new member currently, they have a ton of work int he NYC area, between TV, streaming, film, etc.... most members are working.

I could see your student just doing a BA at a college that has some theater program, then look into USA after.

 
Skidmore here in Saratoga has a great scenic design program that really emphasizes scenic painting and legit art. One of their designers just became an imagineer for Tokyo Disney after working as an in house designer for Adirondack Studios for several years... They are one of the programs where a pallet of Rosco paint shows up on the dock at the beginning of each semester.

I'd probably steer them away from any program with an MFA; they won't get enough shop time.

Make sure though, that they have a backup plan in place. Take graphic design classes. Learn how to do that. Drop painting is quickly becoming obsolete. Many places hire scenic artists at 18-20 bucks an hour. Large scene shops tend to hire and lay off people as the work comes and goes, so many scenic artists, while constantly employed, tend to bounce around a lot. Because it's a skill that doesn't translate well to the corporate side of live entertainment, they tend to get a bit stuck. You can get into 829 as a scenic artist, but that takes some serious time. There is a lot of commercial painting work out there as well... but getting that work is a whole other world to break into.
My cousin went to Skidmore and has had great success in advertising, specifically doing VFX for TV commercials. He's now a freelance VFX Supervisor after working at several creative studios in NYC. He has also been an Animator/compositor for CBS for Superbowl XLIV (2010)
 
My cousin went to Skidmore and has had great success in advertising, specifically doing VFX for TV commercials. He's now a freelance VFX Supervisor after working at several creative studios in NYC. He has also been an Animator/compositor for CBS for Superbowl XLIV (2010)
It's a good school but it's only what you make of it. It's probably one of the crunchiest granola schools I've been around. But, if a student owns it they'll let you run with it. The design faculty is really good. It's really an art first program and you do have the NYC bubble connection.
 
Thanks for the thoughts and please keep them coming! Yes we are going to start the conversation with, "If there's anything, else go do that". Followed by a discussion about the hard life trying to have a career in entertainment and have a normal family life. Then we will move on to the wonders of video projection/video walls and the rapid drop in prices of these soon to be standard technologies that will completely alter careers in the scenic arts. We will then take a side trip through a discussion of working in the educational world before concluding the discussion with the difficult path of getting an actual job as a designer. It's not going to be the most encouraging conversation. :rolleyes: But if they make it through all that and still want to proceed...

The more I think about this the more I think about video content design as the training to be seeking for a long term future as a Scenic Artist. Are any universities thinking that far ahead? @ruinexplorer is UNLV doing video content regularly?

That Cobalt Studios program looks great. I know Santa Fe Opera does internships, which sound to me like an amazing place to really get your hands covered in paint. Does anyone know of any other good internships or non-degree training programs to consider for scenic artists?

Hey, @Lextech what is your scenic arts program like?
 
Santa Fe hires experienced full time staff as scenics, as well as gives apprenticeships in the scenic paint shop. Generally the apprentice program would only take on kids who have some training and skills and a portfolio that shows it. Good program (we are close friends with the scenic head) and there are worse places to spend a summer. Check if Glimmerglass takes apprentices.

My other thought for the OP was North Carolina School of the Arts (expensive I hear), Univ of Delaware, California School of the Arts, to generally get a degree, get some scenic artist skills, work summer stock, then try to get into the USA 829 apprenticeship program. Some very good money to be made as an 829 scenic and its a long term career.
 
Well as a small liberal arts program we have no BFA or MFA program here. Our majors, with very few exceptions, tend to be acting and directing types. We do have students head out once in a while into MFA programs after graduation, but if someone were looking into scenic design, we are not a school I would suggest.

On a related note after my undergrad I worked a WWF pay per view and saw this mash up of rock lighting, theatrical scripting and a lot of big screens. I knew enough about sound and lighting to be dangerous and decided to take a master's in television because I thought that in the future, video would become a large part of theatrical and concert productions. That was 1989. I did my first show, an opera of all things, with video as a back drop on 3/4" tape. Today projection is a common scenic element, I would want any program I would enroll in to have a course or three on it,
 
Thanks for the thoughts and please keep them coming! Yes we are going to start the conversation with, "If there's anything, else go do that". Followed by a discussion about the hard life trying to have a career in entertainment and have a normal family life. Then we will move on to the wonders of video projection/video walls and the rapid drop in prices of these soon to be standard technologies that will completely alter careers in the scenic arts. We will then take a side trip through a discussion of working in the educational world before concluding the discussion with the difficult path of getting an actual job as a designer. It's not going to be the most encouraging conversation. :rolleyes: But if they make it through all that and still want to proceed...

The more I think about this the more I think about video content design as the training to be seeking for a long term future as a Scenic Artist. Are any universities thinking that far ahead? @ruinexplorer is UNLV doing video content regularly?

That Cobalt Studios program looks great. I know Santa Fe Opera does internships, which sound to me like an amazing place to really get your hands covered in paint. Does anyone know of any other good internships or non-degree training programs to consider for scenic artists?

Hey, @Lextech what is your scenic arts program like?

One of my summerstock roommates was a NCSA (now UNCSA) grad. He is one of the bigger video designers out there now... and he ONLY has his undergrad. He got his degree from NCSA in lighting design, but I assume by now they have created a video track even if its not published. NCSA does limit slots for each program so its very much an apply early operation.
 
The more I think about this the more I think about video content design as the training to be seeking for a long term future as a Scenic Artist. Are any universities thinking that far ahead? @ruinexplorer is UNLV doing video content regularly?

That Cobalt Studios program looks great. I know Santa Fe Opera does internships, which sound to me like an amazing place to really get your hands covered in paint. Does anyone know of any other good internships or non-degree training programs to consider for scenic artists?
Yes, any scenic painting should include a heavy dose of digital design work. Many of the rental houses for drops have digitized many of their scenic elements as well (like Grosh bacdrops).
As for UNLV, I can't recommend much. I have only been involved with their Entertainment Engineering and Design program. They offer the projection class about once every four years (I helped them out their first year, but not after).
As for the theater program, I have heard that it is much more in line with traditional programs, and they very much like to stay away from the "spectacle-oriented" EED program. So, my daughter who has interest in building props for shows, but the theater program didn't really let students specialize. So, on the advice of some professionals, she is instead in the fine arts sculpture program, where she is learning probably tons more than she would in the theater program.
As for other internships, I would also recommend Yale. When I interviewed there, I learned about their internship program. They have the interns working on all of the productions (paid) and have the ability to audit the graduate classes as well.
 
Yes, any scenic painting should include a heavy dose of digital design work.
Would a scenic artist be doing the design ?, not likely. They might need to have the skills to manipulate the computer file so as to produce whatever media is needed. USA 829 has a separate category called Computer Artist who handle these tasks. When my wife was at CBS they had the ability to produce video graphic materials. One of the scenics my wife hired had her Scenic card as well as a Computer Artist Card. Useful skills to have. They do need to specifically be a member in this category, they can as well be a member in a different category as they choose (Scenic Design or Scenic Artist).
 
Thanks @SteveB
Would a scenic artist be doing the design ?, not likely. They might need to have the skills to manipulate the computer file so as to produce whatever media is needed. USA 829 has a separate category called Computer Artist who handle these tasks. When my wife was at CBS they had the ability to produce video graphic materials. One of the scenics my wife hired had her Scenic card as well as a Computer Artist Card. Useful skills to have. They do need to specifically be a member in this category, they can as well be a member in a different category as they choose (Scenic Design or Scenic Artist).
Thanks Steve, all of this information from your wife is very helpful!
 

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