3D Animation Foundations

Online 3D animation course taught by professional film and game animators

Overview

Learn 3D animation foundations with guidance from industry pros

Become a 3D animator for film and games! Explore the 12 Principles of Animation using industry-standard software Autodesk Maya. You'll learn how to make your 3D characters walk, talk, and interact with their environment as you build your understanding of body mechanics.

Why study animation with us:

• Build important animation foundation skills
• Start creating professional-quality animation shots
• Learn animation from world-class professional animators
• Get personalized training to help you progress faster

This course will teach you how to bring scenes to life, infusing emotion, personality, and movement into your 3D characters through technical and creative techniques used in the film and game industry.

|Qualification |Duration|Commitment|Skill level|Delivery Mode|
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|Industry Certificate|9 months|20 hrs weekly|Beginner to Intermediate|Weekly live online classes|
| | | | |Video lectures |
| | | | |Mentor feedback |
| | | ||Access to vibrant community|

Curriculum

An industry-focused course to prepare you for the dynamic world of animation

.Term 1: 12 weeks

Foundations 1: Essentials of 3D Animation

Start by learning the basics of 3D animation, then dive head-first into animation software Maya where you'll learn how to create believable animations using the classic principles of animation. You'll put theories into practice, giving you a better understanding of body mechanics and locomotion.

What You'll Learn

• Animate from scratch using the 12 principles of animation
• Set up professional workflows using Autodesk Maya
• Create progressively more complex animation pieces
• Work with character rigs to create animation cycles

Weekly Breakdown

1. Introduction to Animation and Rigs
2. Posing a Character
3. Timing and Spacing
4. Overlapping Action
5. Pose Transitions 01
6. Pose Transitions 02
7. Lower Body Walk Cycle 01
8. Lower Body Run Cycle 02
9. Full Body Walk Cycle 01
10. Full Body Run Cycle 02
11. Walk with Prop 01
12. Walk with Prop 02

.Term 2: 12 weeks

Foundations 2: Core 3D Animation Principles

Let's get physical! Learn 3D animation tips and tricks from your mentor while building on your foundation skills. Discover how to get characters to interact with their surrounding environment and see how they deal with external physical forces. Finish the term by learning how to design combat animations for games.

What You'll Learn

• Convey realistic force & weight
• Animate combat action scenes
• Create animation cycles for video games
• Build a believable fight scene

Weekly Breakdown

1. Run and Jump Blocking
2. Run and Jump Polish
3. Parkour Blocking
4. Parkour Polish
5. Forces & Weight Blocking
6. Forces & Weight Polish
7. Weight Lift Blocking
8. Weight Lift Polish
9. Combat Actions Blocking
10. Combat Actions Polish
11. Fight Scene Blocking
12. Fight Scene Polish

.Term 3: 12 weeks

Foundations 3: Professional 3D Animation

Master the subtleties of adding personality to a character walk. Then develop a backstory for your character and have a go at conveying emotions using body language by creating a pantomime piece. You'll finish with a polished character dialogue piece, complete with lip sync and facial and body expressions, which you can use in your demo reel.

What You'll Learn

• Gather & analyze reference
• Create unique character performances
• Stage & animate emotional action
• Convey realistic expressions

Weekly Breakdown

1. Introduction & Overview
2. Personality Walk 01: Keying
3. Personality Walk 02: Breakdowns & Cycles
4. Personality Walk 03: Polish &
   Progressive Walk
5. Pantomime 01: Setup & Keying
6. Pantomime 02: Breakdowns
7. Pantomime 03: Polish Pass
8. Drama Monologue 01: Setup & Keying
9. Drama Monologue 02: Keys & Breakdowns
10. Drama Monologue 03: Overlap & Follow-through
11. Drama Monologue 04: Polish Pass
12. Character Acting: Review & Final Pass

Course structure

Your pathway to the film and games industry

The 9-month Foundations Course is the first half of our Career Track, helping you pave your pathway into the creative industries. Gain foundational skills and knowledge that will prepare you for advanced industry training.