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I love teaching! I started my teaching career when I was eighteen years old in Tehran by teaching old, illiterate homeless in a state run evening school how to read and write. Nobody else wanted to teach this class of so called “criminals!” In the first session I learned that using the official text book would have no success in this class. Therefore I presented to the class with a Farsi version of "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers". Using the lectern as a camera, I directed the students to act out the play as though it were being filmed. I was, of course, the director. Songs and dances were from our native folklore traditions. Each of the students was instructed to write down his or her parts. In this way, I got them started on a path towards literacy! It was not surprising that after finishing the course, a few of the ladies actually wanted to marry me. This is how I fell in love with teaching; I would go on to teach in different countries around the world and at different locations within the U.S. as well.
Almost eleven years ago I started to teach at the Art Institute of California, Los Angeles, and I’m still there. What made me stay at this school for such a long time was the excitement of discovering new talents and helping them flourish.
There are two major factors about the Art Institute that sets the school apart from the fray. Students that are trying to enter the school do not face immense admissions hurdles of requirements and pre-judgments, as they would with most of the other art schools. That is why many of them discover strengths and talents within themselves that they would otherwise never find had they not received an opportunity at the Art Institute of California, Los Angeles.
Another important advantage for AICA-LA students comes with the valuable experience they can gain. Besides a reasonable number of theory and lecture classes, the students receive hands-on training to aid in their learning experience. By finishing a program at the school, they are ready to join the industry as a professional in their field of choice.
The school’s department chairs are all professionals of their own fields and the Art Institute’s policy demands all faculty stay up to date with the latest in educational technology and achievements in related industry.
After years of teaching at the Art Institute of California, Los Angeles, it’s rewarding to see my students as working professionals in the animation and gaming industry.
Payam Magazine:How do you characterize the Art Institute of California, Los Angeles?
Laura Solloff (President): The Art Institute of California-Los Angeles offers a unique culture to artists interested in media, design and culinary fields. Our mission is to prepare graduates for entry level positions in their field of study in very practical, ‘hands-on’ way. Our programs feature faculty that are currently active in their fields so that students participate in ‘real world’ experiences through their studies.
PM: What kind of degrees do the students receive? What are the different fields taught at the Art Institute of California, Los Angeles?
Shelley Glickstein (Dean of Academic Affairs): The Art Institute of California-Los Angeles offers Diplomas in The Art of Cooking and Baking & Pastry, Associate of Science Degrees in Culinary Arts, Graphic Design, Web Design & Interactive Media, and Video Production We also offer Bachelor of Science Degrees in Audio Production, Culinary Management, Digital Filmmaking & Video Production, Game Art & Design, Graphic Design, Interior Design, Media Arts & Animation, Visual Effects & Motion Graphics, Game Programming and Web Design & Interactive Media .
PM: The background and practical experience of the Culinary Arts instructors is very important. Please tell us about the main administrators and instructors of your Culinary Arts department.
Chef Christophe Bernard (Department Chair – Culinary): Our entire faculty has a minimum of 10 to 15 years of industry experience in their area of specialty. Many of our faculty members still run catering businesses or bakeries or restaurants as their full time jobs and teaching is a part time job. Other faculty may be involved in consulting on a full time or part time basis.
PM The Art Institute is known for its hands-on teaching methods; how does this work with the Culinary Arts department? Do the students get real-world job experience?
CB: Definitely, in a lab situation, the students are getting hands on experience working with food as their medium. Our International Culinary Schools specific curriculum covers foods from all over the world. We also offer a study abroad program where students can study abroad in a short term situation (about 10 days) to studying a full quarter (about 90 days) in an off-campus situation. So, they have the opportunity to show what they have learned in a classroom situation and to seek out an externship in study abroad situation.
Quite often they may be involved with certain functions with chefs who are handling unique events such as the Golden Globes event or the Academy Awards after party events. Career Services and our externship program are two other ways for our students to get that real world job experience. Industry chefs will also be invited to critique our students’ food from time to time and also during our finals’ week.
PM: How current and close is the Game Arts training of the Art Institute of California, Los Angeles to the needs of the game development market?
Nick Marks (Department Chair, Game Art & Design / Game Programming): We are as current as you can get. We cover everything from creating games for the Xbox 360 to iPhone. As emerging game markets pop up, we add to our program and try to meet those new demands. So when iPhone development took off, we quickly added it into our curriculum.
PM Do the students of the Game Arts program get a chance to design a game as part of their education?
NM: Yes, they do. We have everything from board game classes to flash game classes. Just a few of the classes our students design games in. Our primary focus is on creating games/levels for video games using the Unreal 3 Editor . Students will come up with their own game ideas and then create game plays and levels inside of Unreal. These games are then able to be used as portfolio pieces and played by professionals.
PM: Please tell us about your Animation department. Are both 2D and 3D taught at the school? Because of the increasing number of students graduating from animation schools, it is quite difficult to get into this market. What do you do to increase the chances of your students’ success?
Mike Libonati (Department Chair – Media Arts & Animation / Visual Effects & Motion Graphics): The Animation and Visual Effects departments focus in teaching skill sets which are current to the needs of the studios involved in television and feature film production. Our faculty is a working faculty, many of whom are involved in current productions, which allows us the ability to update the program so that it matches what is needed outside for both 2d and 3d work. We create production pipelines and have studios such as Rhythm and Hues offer feedback on class projects. The great thing about being in Los Angeles is that we can have directors from Disney or Nickelodeon give comments on student projects and this allows the students a glimpse into the life of a production artist once they graduate.
PM Please tell us about your Digital Filmmaking & Video Production department. How do you define the way you teach your filmmaking students compared to other well known film schools?
David Schreiber (Department Chair – Digital Filmmaking & Video Production)
I often say we don’t teach content; we teach form and process. Naturally, we teach the students the relevant hardware/software, and the proper way of producing a movie or TV show, in order to fulfill our mission of preparing students for gainful employment in the industry. Because our students learn so many of the tools necessary to production, employers appreciate the versatility of our graduates. Additionally, because of our mission and because it’s the right thing to do, when our DFVP students graduate, we continue to support them with access to our resources, including video production equipment. Over and above issues of craft and professionalism and material support, we nurture the unique visions of life that our very multicultural student body brings to the program and, as a result, the work that emerges constitutes a crazy quilt of personal expression.
PM: Please tell us about your student housing?
Maya Hernandez (Director of Housing and Residential Life): The Art Institute of California – Los Angeles partners with four local apartment communities to provide housing for students. Students participating in the housing program have the opportunity to live in an environment with other students that is geared toward their academic and social success. Professional and student staffs organize events to build community amongst students at the housing sites and on-campus, assist students with transition into The Art Institute of California – Los Angeles and serve as liaisons with property management and provide resources for students. Examples of programs include faculty and staff workshops, career development and scholarship workshops, video game and basketball tournaments, movie nights and more. Student housing also has a dedicated space for events and social networking, Lounge 31-25, at the Villa Azure housing site. Lounge 31-25 offers a quiet study and mediation space, BBQ, kitchen, large screen TV with gaming systems and several computers with Internet capability for student use. Lounge 31-25 is open daily.
The four apartment communities used for student housing offer nightly or 24 hour courtesy patrol and secured entry. A pool, Jacuzzi, on-site laundry and limited assigned parking per apartment is available at all housing sites. Staff assistance is available on a daily, year-round basis.
PM Please tell us about how the school helps students in attaining financial aid and student loans.
Cynthia Galarza (Associate Director of Financial Aid): The Student Financial Services department at The Art Institute of California – Los Angeles helps students and their families develop a financial plan to help ensure students’ competition of their programs. Specialists from this department help students complete applications for grants and loans applicable to students’ circumstances. Once a student’s eligibility for financial assistance has been determined, the student and the financial planning specialist develop a plan for meeting educational expenses.
PM How do you help your students to get internship and your graduates to get jobs?
Scott Saunders (Director of Career Services)
The Career Services department at the Art Institute of California – Los Angeles takes great pride in assisting students and graduates in realizing their career goals. We take a very hands-on, proactive approach to the career development process through individualized career counseling and group presentations. The service we offer is somewhat unique because we work to establish direct links to employers. With almost 200,000 graduates across the country, we enjoy a robust alumni community that provides the campuses with internship and employment opportunities. Graduates from Ai are eligible for assistance throughout the lifetime of their careers at any of our over 40 locations. We also provide current students with assistance in obtaining part-time jobs, internships and freelance opportunities. To learn more about the services we offer our students and alumni, please visit www.artinstitutes.edu/losangeles/CareerServices.
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