Young people from Bulgaria and Romania attended the Open Day at ARC Academy

The latest edition of the Open Day at the ARC Academy took place on April 16. The founders of the Academy Anthony Christov and Milin Djalaliev welcomed students who are interested in our programs. Among those present were young people from Romania, who pointed out that there is no such school there and expressed their desire to study at the ARC.

The guests had the opportunity to meet with the team, some of the teachers, and students of ARC and learn everything that excites them about the training. They entered our campus and immersed themselves in the creative atmosphere of ARC.

For all those who failed to attend live, we broadcast the event live on our social channels.

“Creating ARC is one of the best things I’ve done in my life,” Tony Christov said at the start of the event.

Milin Djalaliev shared that the third school year is currently underway and the admission for the fourth has already started, which enjoys serious interest from the candidates.

The news of the day was the two programs that we will start next school year – VFX & Animation and Computer Science.

Anthony Christov presented the VFX & Animation program, which prepares students for work in the field of animation and visual effects for films and television. The education lasts two years, starting with an intro semester, and then is divided into two profiles – VFX & 2D Animation and VFX & 3D Animation. The program ends with a practical project in which students use the acquired knowledge and skills to perform a common task.

Philip Yankov, director of the Computer Science program, pointed out that it is unique for Bulgaria for two reasons. The first is that the training is two years, unlike other universities, where it lasts 3 or 4 years. The second is that at the end of the program (fourth semester) the programmers, together with 2D and 3D artists and game designers, participate in Game Lab and develop a video game.

Philip cites research that studying computer science through video game development is much more effective than using theory alone. The program consists of two profiles – Game Development and Cloud Computing.

Over 80% of IT companies in our country develop software “in the cloud”. Our goal is for the students who complete the program to realize themselves professionally “, said Philip.

Borislav Bogdanov, Art Director at Snapshot Games and director of the current Concept Art, 3D Art, and Game Design programs explained that the first semester for all three programs is an intro to the major disciplines. During the second semester, students choose the field in which they want to develop. In the third semester, they deepen their knowledge and skills in Concept Art, 3D Art, and Game Design, and in the fourth, they join forces in creating a common project – a video game.

Three ARC students – Daniela Popova (3D Art), Maya Panova (Concept Art), and Vasil Yovchev (Game Design) shared their impressions and experiences from their training at ARC. Daniela said that she first focused on 2D Art, but at the Academy she found that 3D is an interesting field that offers many opportunities. Maya combines her studies at the ARC with those at Sofia University, and Vasil juggles between studying at the Academy and working full-time. The three agreed that the effort was worth it.

“At ARC Academy you don’t feel like you’re in school or university, here you study with friends from friends. The energy is great,” said Vasil.

After the presentation, the ARC team and students answered all the questions that the Open Door guests had. Here are some of them:

What qualities do students need to have in order to be admitted to the Academy?

Anthony Christov: I think the most important thing is your motivation. Because when I interview I usually try to extract a promise that people will do their own work. We are very proud that 85% of our students are already working in the game industry. However, we can’t guarantee anything, it’s more up to you, as it is at any school or academy where you study arts. We have more and more candidates, the level of students graduating from an academy is rising and we are getting better at what we do. We have a good profile and people know us.

What practical skills will help students during their studies?

Anthony and Milin: It depends. Let’s say about Game Design you need both creativity and discipline. You need to think in a very structured and balanced way so that the person playing the game can easily understand the rules and the idea. If you want to be a Concept Art artist, you have to be very good at drawing, know anatomy, perspective, etc. You should know how to visualize your ideas and draw them, to have a creative imagination. You may have the best idea, but if you can’t visualize it, no one will know. The same goes for Game Design.

When are the lectures held?

Philip: The lectures of the current programs are held in the evening and this is because our lecturers are from the real work environment and work during the day. The Computer Science program is from Monday to Friday, and the teachers will come from the companies. This program generally in other schools lasts 3 or 4 years, as the material is a lot. We make it in 2 years, and we will give our lectures from Monday to Friday during the day so that all the material can be taken within 4 semesters.

The application for the next academic year at ARC Academy is open. If you have any questions, you can contact us and we will arrange an online meeting with you! 

You can watch a full record of the event here: