[Soundy]

I used to work at CDIS/Art Institute, I know we HAD Max back then, but almost all the 3D work was done on Maya and SoftImage XSI. Granted, that was about 8 years ago... dunno just what everyone is using these days. But like everyone else says, your actual artistic skills and your portfolio are what will really land you work.

Thing is, your software skills are really only useful to someone who is using that software - if they're not using Max (which I don't think a lot of local production houses are), they won't care much that you know Max. If you demonstrate a knowledge of drawing and 3D modelling *in general*, you should be able to pick up most different software.

Honestly, a BIG part of what you get from these kinds of schools are the contacts, opportunities and experience. There are numerous CDIS students that went on to work, and then helped bring in other students who were coming up behind them (later semesters, etc.) Most of the instructors were also working, or had previously worked, in their industries as well, and always had good contacts and would regularly help hook students and graduates up with work (or at least, with the opportunities for work - it's still up to the person to land the job). Some employers would even come to the school looking for interns, temps, and so on - chances for students to generate their own contacts.


Fortunately it's not nearly so much of a "not what you know but who you know" industry as some others, so if you know your stuff and can demonstrate it, you have a pretty good shot even without having inside contacts.

My advice would be to look for some other software (like Maya and XSI) to practice with - see if you can get student or demo versions, for example; pirating software is bad, mmmkay? Work with that as well, to expand your portfolio. Maybe even create the same models and animations from scratch in all of them, to show that you can use different packages to end up at the same results. Not a necessity, but it would help show that you're versatile and not limited to one (relatively obscure) software package.