Many animation schools are set up with a rigid structure that moves you from one class to the next, either pushing students through to more complex material before they’re ready, or leaving them behind to struggle with the same exercises over and over again. This workshop solves this problem by using an approach tailored to each student. Got your bouncing ball down but still struggling with overlap? We’ll have you spend a few exercises getting overlap down before you work on more complex shots like walk cycles. By allowing students to truly go at their own pace, they can push forward to new challenges knowing they’ve built a strong foundation of knowledge.
No! This is a very common misconception. Since 3D animation is all about manipulating characters in a computer in 3D space, you don’t actually draw as part of the process of animating in 3D. That said, there are myriad ways to use drawing in the animation process, and many animators do know how to draw. Drawovers are one of the main ways that animators receive feedback so I personally recommend that you do develop your drawing skills alongside your 3D animation skills. Being better at drawing will make you a better animator and vice versa.
At this time, yes. The workshop is currently only accepting intermediate to advanced animation students who already have an understanding of the animation fundamentals and are very comfortable using Maya.
Alternatively, you could use an equivalent software like Blender but Janel will not be able to offer any tips/tricks, or dig into your files as she would with a Maya user, she can only offer animation notes.
Very soon we’re planning to launch beginner course offerings meant for complete beginners who have never touched Maya, or animated at all before. So sit tight and keep and eye on this space.
Not at this time.
However, if you’re enrolled at a qualifying educational institution, you can obtain an educational copy of Maya for free, which is identical to the commercial version of Maya, but you cannot use it for commercial purposes. In other works, you can’t use it to create anything you may profit from, but you are free to use it for personal work, like you would do here at the workshop. You can learn more here.
If you’re not enrolled at a qualifying educational institution, Maya offers an Indie License for $305/year, which is much more affordable than a full commercial license. There are a few restrictions on how much can earn from projects using this license, and some restrictions based on where you’re located but for most folks this is our recommendation if you can’t obtain an educational license. Find out more here.
Now don’t get me wrong, YouTube is a fantastic resource. Animators absolutely love YouTube. But in terms of learning it can be a bit of a mixed bag, some it is really great but some of it isn’t the best use of your time, and it can be hard to know which is which. Plus, it can be a bit tough to learn all your own with no feedback or community.
At the workshop we aim to take that DIY attitude and supercharge it, helping you improve much faster than you would on your own.
Not necessarily! This is another common misconception. What matters most is your demo reel. A strong demo reel from someone with less formal education will look better to potential employers than a weak demo reel from someone with an elite degree. The strength of your animation is the most important factor by far.
That said, having a bachelor’s degree or higher can sometimes be necessary for immigration purposes if you are hoping to work in a different country from where you reside. But even then you still need to have a very strong demo reel.
Not at this time.
Since I’m an animator, I only teach the animation portion of the 3D pipeline, as that’s the part I have professional experience in. There are many other great educational options if you’d like to learn other parts of the pipeline, so I encourage you to explore and find an awesome mentor to guide you down that path.
