3D Animator Specialization
3D Animator Specialization
Advanced online 3D animation course to prepare you for a career in film and games
Overview
Online 3D animation classes taught by industry pros
Build the confidence and skills to become a 3D animator! By learning directly from professional animators, you'll gain valuable industry insights, build critical job skills, and graduate with a polished portfolio to show employers.
Why study 3D animation with us:
- Learn advanced industry skills studios are hiring for
- Gain speed and proficiency in Maya
- Additional career support and a focus on job skills
- Choose 1-on-1 or small group classes
Take your skills to a higher standard with our advanced career training. You’ll master complex character and creature techniques and learn how to create compelling scenes that captivate your audience.
|Qualification |Duration|Commitment|Skill level|Delivery Mode|
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|Industry Certificate|9 months|20 hrs weekly|Advanced|Weekly live online classes|
| | | | |Video lectures |
| | | | |Mentor feedback |
| | | ||Access to vibrant community|
Curriculum
Industry-approved curriculum to help launch your career as a 3D animator
.Term 1: 12 weeks
Advanced Character Acting
Learn how to get two characters interacting in a fun and realistic way. Discover how to analyze dialogue, shoot reference video and set up scenes using professional workflows. Watch your animation come alive as you apply your new knowledge of shot composition, cinematography, layering, acting beats and body mechanics to your scene.
What You'll Learn
- How to animate a two-person dialogue shot
- Use editorial tricks to develop story
- Work with timing and spacing to enhance story
- Focus on detail to polish your work
Weekly Breakdown
- Advanced Character Acting Overview
- Comedy Scene 01: Planning & Keys
- Comedy Scene 02: Breakdowns
- Comedy Scene 03: In-betweens
- Action Scene 01: Setup & Keying
- Action Scene 02: Breakdowns
- Action Scene 03: Polish Pass
- Multi-character Scene 01: Setup & Keying
- Multi-character Scene 02: Breakdowns
- Multi-character Scene 03: Overlap & Follow-through
- Multi-character Scene 04: Polish Pass
- Character Acting: Review & Final Pass
.Term 2: 12 weeks
Creature Animation
Expand your versatility as an artist with creature animation. From quadruped walks, runs and jumps, to animating winged creatures, you’ll gain a solid understanding of creature animation, and have a great time breathing life into your creatures.
What You'll Learn
- How to animate 4-legged creatures
- Create believable movement
- Source the best reference
- Polish your portfolio piece
Weekly Breakdown
- Quadruped Walk - Research
- Quadruped Walk - Inbetweens and Splining
- Quadruped Walk - Polishing
- Quadruped Run - Research and Reference
- Quadruped Run - Inbetweens and Splining
- Dragon Flight Part 01: The Rig
- Dragon Flight Part 02: Keys and Breakdowns
- Dragon Flight Part 03: Polish Pass
- Creature Confrontation Part 01: Introduction and Keys
- Creature Confrontation Part 02: Keys and Breakdowns
- Creature Confrontation Part 03: Polish Pass and Conclusion
- Creature Animation: Final Thoughts
.Term 3: 12 weeks
Mentored Studio: 3D Animation
This final term is dedicated to getting you job-ready! With your mentor’s guidance, you’ll polish your best pieces for your portfolio and learn how to develop your competitive edge, market yourself, and make the best possible impression in front of employers.
Students in this course receive additional 1-on-1 career support, portfolio reviews, and industry insights from CG Spectrum's Career Development Manager.
What You'll Learn
- How to polish your portfolio to impress employers
- Interview and negotiation strategies
- Effective networking and self-promotion
- Accessing the hidden job market
Weekly Breakdown
- Career Pathways
- Industry Overview
- Portfolio Upgrade
- Networking and Online Presence
- Resume and Cover Letter
- Job Hunting
- Freelance Work
- Interviews and Pitching
- Personal Projects and Challenges
- Working in a Studio
- Contracts and Negotiations
- Personal Roadblocks
Course structure
Your pathway to the industry
The 9-month Specialization Course is the second half of our Career Track, preparing you for your first day in the industry. Your future awaits!
Want to take your education higher?
Did you know that the subjects you complete in the career track courses can be used to apply for credit toward our accredited degrees and diplomas in the same discipline?
The skills and knowledge you build in any industry-certificate course can be transferred into academic credits through our Advanced Standing and Credit Transfer process. So, if you decide to take your studies to the next level, know that your prior learning will be recognized.
Compare your options and find out which course is right for you.
FAQs
Learn more about the prerequisites for this course and the animation careers you could explore in the future. For general questions about studying at CG Spectrum, visit the main FAQ page or contact us.
What are the prerequisites for this 3D Animator Specialization?
This course requires the successful completion of the 3D Animation Foundations career track or a portfolio submission demonstrating professional experience and an accompanying reel/resume.
If submitting a portfolio, it should include:
-
A demonstrated understanding of the 12 Principles of Animation.
3-5 pieces that showcase work that provides evidence of an understanding of the basic animation 'rules.'
2. ##### A demonstrated understanding of general aesthetics and design.
Evidence you have an understanding of how to compose images and present actions clearly and in an artistically pleasing way.
3. ##### Examples of completion of basic animation exercises covered in beginner courses.
Show proof of abilities to create a basic bouncing ball, flour sack, walk/run cycle, weight and timing, make basic acting choices and be able to turn key poses into fully-realized, fluid animation work.
4. ##### The ability to show some sense of entertainment value in your work.
More than just a basic understanding, your work should showcase some flair and a sense of confidence in your general understanding of timing, motion and performance in basic animation exercises.
5. ##### A body of work (1-3 pieces at least) that show a range of skills you currently possess.
There should be enough examples in your body of work for us to make an assessment of where you are currently at and where you might be going.
If you are unsure if your skills are sufficient, send us your portfolio when you apply, and we'll arrange for the department head to review it and, depending on the circumstances, a student interview.
Age Minimum
The general minimum age to be able to enroll in our industry certificate courses is 16. We require parent or guardian consent during the enrollment process for applicants under 18.
Students under 16 will require a further assessment before they can officially enrol. This may include an interview with a course advisor and the creation of a study plan to ensure they have considered how they will manage a college-level workload.
English Proficiency
We expect our students to have a good understanding of written and spoken English. There’s no specific ’level'; however, you must be able to understand video tutorials in English (no subtitles) and speak with your mentor in English during your live Q&A session.
Computer Literacy
To be successful in this program, you will need basic computer skills and a computer that meets the minimum specifications (see next question).
What are the software and hardware requirements?
Software:
Students can sign up for an educational license for Maya.
Instructions for how to obtain an educational license for this software will be provided upon enrollment.
Hardware:
You will need a dedicated graphics card and a computer that meets the minimum requirements for Autodesk Maya.
What's the difference between the 3D Animation Foundations course and this Specialization course?
This 3D Animator Specialization builds upon the skills offered in the 3D Animation Foundations course and completes our career track offering. Students who are serious about pursuing a career in animation have an opportunity to explore the world of animation art more deeply, study character acting more intensely, and progress further with creature animation.
The Specialization course also offers an entire term dedicated to getting students career-ready. This includes building necessary job skills while working on your professional portfolio, with support and feedback from your mentor every step of the way.
What 3D animation careers can I explore post-graduation?
On completion of the 3D Animator Specialization course, you will have greater confidence in your technical and creative abilities and a polished portfolio to show prospective employers.
You will also have access to our career coach and personalized career services (including interview preparation, CV/resume assistance, and portfolio reviews), which can assist your efforts when applying for junior 3D animator jobs such as:
The CG Spectrum community is another great resource. Through graduates and mentors already working in the industry, you can network and learn about relevant job vacancies.
Discover more about these 3D animator jobs, tips, and salary expectations on our careers page:
EXPLORE ANIMATOR JOBS
Will taking this specialization guarantee employment?
While CG Spectrum's advanced students have a high job success rate (83%), we cannot offer guaranteed employment as the film and game industry is competitive, and there is no way of knowing what the market will demand when it comes to animation.
The students who experience the greatest success are those who take responsibility for their careers, put in the hard work to raise their skills to industry standards, leverage their mentor's invaluable expertise, and take advantage of every opportunity to excel.
Taking an advanced 3D animation class not only keeps students focused while they grow as artists and build their portfolios, but it also increases their social scope as they make more contacts with more time and work, a key component in securing a job.
To help students find employment, we have a range of career services and a dedicated career coach who regularly hosts exclusive career-focused webinars, Q&As, artist interviews, and workshops for CG Spectrum students and graduates and is available to answer career-related questions.
The Specialization course also dedicates a full term to career and industry preparation. With your mentor's guidance, you'll refine your professional portfolio, build essential job skills, and learn how to market yourself.
If you have any questions about our career services as they relate to your personal career goals, please don't hesitate to get in touch.
I have been working in animation and feel my work is strong—is a specialized class worth my time?
As with any venture, it will be what you make of it! The best animators are constantly growing, evolving, and learning new skill sets.
A specialized 3D animator course is an excellent way to sharpen one’s skills, open doors to exciting new methods and practices, refine your showreel, and continue to grow and network as an artist and member of the animation community.
The benefit of doing the 3D Animator Specialization at CG Spectrum is receiving mentorship from an industry professional who can share their workflows and techniques with you. If you choose the 1-on-1 private mentorship option, there is also some flexibility to customize the program to meet your particular needs and career goals.
You can also get additional support from our career coach if you are looking to take the next step in your career, whether that be a promotion or switching your specialization.