Intro to 3D Animation
This online short course is an introduction to learning 3D Animation in Maya. During this course, you will learn some of the fundamental principles of animation, with an emphasis on how to make that process creative and fun. Classes will cover universal animation concepts including “keyframes”, “timing and spacing”, “overlapping action”, general storytelling and acting performance skills. You will also learn the software skills needed in Maya.
Intro to 3D is recommended for students with beginner to intermediate 3D animation skills and experience.The most important requirement is the desire to learn and create, using new software.
This 12 week online course runs concurrently with Flinders University semesters. Including the two-week mid-semester break, it runs for 14 weeks in total. The course will consist of:
- 12 weekly pre-recorded lectures & demonstrations that will guide you step by step through your projects
- 6 assignments over the course of 12 weeks (one submitted each fortnight, prior to feedback session)
- Live fortnightly 3hr feedback webinars where you will receive feedback on your progress. (see below)
Topics covered over the 12 week course include:
- Introduction to Maya
- Universal principles of Animation
- Blocking & timing
- Posing
- Using reference
- Creating animation from scratch
- Creating polished animation
Tuition Price: $950 AUD.
Hardware requirements for the course are:
- Laptop or Desktop PC or MAC (MacBook Pro or i7 PC/laptop with 16GB RAM are recommended).
- Wacom tablet is recommended not required. Any size is good.
- Headset/Microphone so that you can chat with the instructor in fortnightly webinars.
- Notepad and pens/pencils for note-taking.
Software requirements:
- Autodesk Maya - https://www.autodesk.com/education/free-software/featured
*As part of the course you have the option to participate in Live Streamed Feedback Sessions. These are live feedback webinars, held fortnightly, with your industry instructor will provide you with direct feedback on your work. If you can’t attend the session via webcam when it’s live, you will still be able to watch the recorded sessions in your own time. Times listed are ACST (UTC +9:30).
Instructor Bio: Joe Helmore
Joe Helmore is an experienced 3D animator with five years of tertiary education including a Bachelor of Visual Communication Design and a Diploma of 3D Animation. As a character animator, he has worked for Assembly LTD, Animal logic, Fuel VFX, Mighty Nice, Plastic wax and Blockhead VFX. He knows what it takes to be an industry professional and is keen to pass on his knowledge to hungry artists!
Student Work
Showcasing some work by previous students. There is no prerequisite to take our online short courses, and there can be a variety of skill level among our students. Our goal is to help them create some solid pieces for their portfolio.