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>>One of the things that makes the College
of Art and Design
at RIT so unique and distinctive
is it is a professional college of art
and design,
and quite a robust one, with nearly 2,000
students
nestled in RIT's comprehensive institution
with particular strengths in areas
of technology and the sciences
as well as opportunities across the spectrum
in humanities, social sciences, and business.
This is something that you won't find
at any other professional art college
in the world.
>>I think at RIT, we really do a really good job
at combining left and right brain.
So because we are an art school
within a bigger university, we have the option
to take classes that are science-based or are
engineering-based, if you want.
>>We are where all of the design
and the art and the technology
and the creativity and the innovation--
we all come together.
And we get to do all the very cool things.
And there's really no limits on what we can do
here.
>>We've had opportunities within the College
of Art and Design
to collaborate with graphic design,
illustration, new media,
but also to collaborate with other colleges,
like engineer students, mechanical engineer,
electrical, all of that.
So it's a great opportunity to meet people,
but also learn about a bunch
of different things at once.
>>Each one of our students
is able to focus on a very specific part
of their craft.
But then they have access
to this entire community
and this entire university, really.
And I think that's part of-- it's
those accidental collaborations, those--
the ability
to think you're starting somewhere, seeking
some help from somebody else,
and then finding these amazing connections
in a place that you never even knew to look.
>>There's so much to do here.
And there's so many great opportunities.
Through CREW, I
get to meet all these other different people
and learn about them
and their different majors
and how my major even applies to what they're
studying and learning.
It's kind of nice that sports, but also
my other classes, have allowed me to do that.
>>There's a lot of things that they offer here.
Try new clubs, new classes.
Don't be intimidated by anything.
It'll be worth it in the end.
>>The people here are all extraordinarily nice.
And you can find somewhere to fit in pretty
much no matter what you're interested in.
>>I think the community that we have is--
above all else,
I think it's just really wonderful
to be able to walk down the hallways
and just be surrounded by greatness
within the students themselves
and the faculty and staff.
>>There are just so many opportunities
for both students and faculty.
And there's clubs.
There's activities.
But we also as faculty really
want the students involved in what we're
doing.
We want to share what we're doing with them.
And I'll be honest.
I learn so much from my students
and my other faculty, probably
just as much as they learn from me.
And we're always pushing the boundaries.
And it's just a fantastic place to be.
>>As you walk down the hallway,
you could see the open door after open door
with faculty inviting you into the office,
after-class hours and whatnot,
meeting with students.
And I don't think you get that
in a lot of other schools.
I've taught in other places
where I was an adjunct.
You just come in, punch the clock,
and leave, whereas teachers here-- it's
their passion.
And it's their calling.
They're deeply committed to it.
>>We have access to talk to these professors
that have been working photographers
for their entire lives.
We have Pulitzer Prize winners.
We have very famous celebrity photographers.
And just the care that they give
their students is really--
it's above all else, I think.
It's really wonderful to just be like, yes,
I've taken a class with Clay Patrick McBride.
And then everyone's like, oh, I know him.
It's really cool and exciting.
>>In addition to teaching here,
I'm still running to New York City
or to Los Angeles,
photographing a lot of people
in the entertainment business.
I had a couple great assignments recently.
I worked with Jon Bon Jovi and
the Doobie Brothers, which is very exciting.
They're about to be inducted into the Rock
& Roll Hall of Fame.
And they've had a band for 50 years.
So to be a part of their legacy was huge.
And what's really exciting about that work
is I get to bring it into the classroom
and unpack it to the students
and just talk about all the different avenues,
whether it be location scouting
or the production of the job, estimating,
planning, all this sort of stuff in real time.
I get to bounce it off the students.
>>In terms of MAGIC Spell Studios,
we have a great maker space
for independent projects
that everybody is super excited to get
access to.
We have a very, very large sound stage
for film shoots.
And we have game design labs, animation labs.
So if you're looking to come to school for any
sort of digital media, we have all
the state-of-the-art equipment.
And the spaces are super collaborative.
And everybody just really loves being here.
It's a really great space.
>>MAGIC Spell Studios is just
going to be an amazing place of collaboration,
of ideation, of sharing stories,
sharing disciplines, making stuff that hasn't
existed before.
I'm really, really excited for what our school
specifically is going
to do with those resources.
>>We're able to really use state-of-the-art
equipment and rent these all out and have them
for a day and just be able to do what we need
to do with them, create the work that we want.
So being able to just go to the cage,
rent it for 24 hours,
and then be able to play around with it,
learn it, get good at it,
and then return it is just really wonderful
because I can go to employers and be like,
yes, I've used the Phase One camera,
this $60,000 camera back.
Sure, no problem.
Let me have it.
So it's just really cool
to be able to get that type
of hands-on experience.
And I can see myself fitting in really
well in the industry and
feeling very prepared for it.
>>Just one other thing about our college,
studying photography here,
is the amount of resources you have.
It's unbeatable.
I've taught other places.
And what we have here at RIT just--
it's like a candle to the sun.
We have so much equipment and so much space
for students to work in that really facilitate
a great deal of creativity and--
24/7 here to support the young artist's vision
come to life.
>>I think right now, my senior project
is my favorite.
It's a toy.
It's been a lot of fun.
It's been a lot of fun to see kids play
with it
and get their feedback, quite honestly.
You really get a deep look into its success
and know that it's actually-- it works
and that people enjoy it.
And just to see it bring joy, see a project
that I've done bring joy to some kids,
is really great.
>>I chose RIT.
And I think it's probably one of the best
decisions I've ever made.
Just the work that I get to do
and the people I got to meet and the friends I
made along the way--
I think they really mean the world to me.
And I think that the amount I've grown not
only as a student or someone who's
been learning for most of their life,
but just as a person, as an individual--
RIT has really helped me grow into who I am.
So, I would say it's the best decision that
you can make.
>> RIT is honestly amazing.
I live halfway across the country.
I'm from Seattle, Washington.
But this community has been so inviting
so that even though I am really far away
from my family,
I never really feel not at home.
There are so many opportunities and so
many great resources here that you'll never
really feel alone.
You can always reach out to people,
even if it's walking down the Quarter Mile.
You can smile.
Somebody will probably smile back--
or you can wave.
There's a lot of inviting people here.
And it's really an amazing place.
>>Going to art school,
you've got to trust that small voice
within you that tells you this is
your calling, this is what you need to do.
And I think believing in that thing is--
can lead you down a wonderful path that
you'd-- never would expect.
To be a creative person in this world
this is someone who's contributing,
someone who's actually
a part of the visual landscape
that we see every day walking down city
streets.
To think, oh yeah, I made that poster,
I designed that thing, all that information
being presented to people-- to be a part
of that wave and that momentum, I think, is--
it's an honor and a privilege.
[TIGER GROWLING]