Demo reels should be done while in school. That’s something you’ll want to check out. Some places provide no means for putting student’s work to tape! Avoid these places, as digital to video transfer can cost a fortune! It also shows that they aren’t as “hip” to the business as they claim to be. Also understand that a good demo reel takes more than a couple days to put together. Good work takes time. Some folks spend years refining their reels.

If you interested in Animation, then don’t go to a school that _doesn’t_ offer a program in Animation, electives don’t count. A lot of schools offer electives in using animation software, and that’s not the same thing as being educated in Animation.

Get in contact with schools and ask for a free info packet, they should be more than happy to provide you with one and this will give you a good opporunity to see what they offer and teach. If you can, visit these schools and get in touch with former students. There’s nothing like seeing a school first hand and touring the facilities, but if you can’t do that, contacting former students will give you a good idea of what the school is like. Just make sure you talk to more than one person…different people have different experiences!