Sure. It's a pain as all recruiting is. I would cast the net as widely as possible. If you live in a city with multiple universities, I'd contact them all. You can just contact the department, but I would make sure you called and were charming, rather than just emailing. They'll tell you to email an advert that they can forward, but if you are good with them they will do it quickly, and be proactive in helping you recruit.
Best to go through the secretary/whoever mans their phones, and I would personally say you are looking to develop an ongoing relationship with the university to provide regular opportunities to their students. These guys are judged on their recruitment figures, internships, ability to raise funding etc. Show them there's something in it for them. I used to take a stand at their careers fair once they had helped me out the first time (I hired a bunch of people from this University, full and part time). It was about $300 per year, and a boring 5 hours for me, but they pushed their best people my way, and it was a top engineering university, so supply outstripped demand for me, and I always had people when I needed them.
Make sure they send you a portfolio. I would suggest you are looking for competence across a range of animation types, that shows a basic level of flair and talent. They are going to be nervous about coming to a professional project, and being in a 'business' environment. They will be inexperienced and make mistakes. Better the mistakes are high quality not frustrating and ultimately costly ones for you. Students get expensive if you get bad ones.
Best to go through the secretary/whoever mans their phones, and I would personally say you are looking to develop an ongoing relationship with the university to provide regular opportunities to their students. These guys are judged on their recruitment figures, internships, ability to raise funding etc. Show them there's something in it for them. I used to take a stand at their careers fair once they had helped me out the first time (I hired a bunch of people from this University, full and part time). It was about $300 per year, and a boring 5 hours for me, but they pushed their best people my way, and it was a top engineering university, so supply outstripped demand for me, and I always had people when I needed them.
Make sure they send you a portfolio. I would suggest you are looking for competence across a range of animation types, that shows a basic level of flair and talent. They are going to be nervous about coming to a professional project, and being in a 'business' environment. They will be inexperienced and make mistakes. Better the mistakes are high quality not frustrating and ultimately costly ones for you. Students get expensive if you get bad ones.