3D Animation Courses

As a kid, you must have felt fascinated by cartoon shows on TV and wondered how those animated characters come alive on our screens! Animation creates an optical illusion through which one can see still images or draw as moving visuals. This happens through a simulation procedure that creates the movement of a chain of drawings or images. But animated cartoons have come a long way since the earlier times as the 3D animation software applications emerged. This blog brings you a comprehensive guide on what 3D animation is, the courses offered, top universities as well as career prospects.

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Whats a 3D Animation? 

In simple terms, animation is the art of applying motion to objects like vehicles, characters, props, and bring them to life within mediums like films, TV shows, and games. 3D animation artists are usually involved in various basic steps of the VFX virtual functions in order to create a smooth form of video as an end product. 

What Does a 3D Animator Do?

The everyday tasks of a 3D Animator depend on the types of video production jobs they pursue. 

• They are the people who create three-dimensional moving images and place them into a digital environment. 
• The process for giving movement and life to the objects is divided into three main parts: modelling, layout and animation, and rendering. 
• Being solely responsible for the animation projects, the animator can use their creative ways to improve the format and also make live-action videos. 
• The animator has to constantly give updates of the projects to the clients or supervisors. 

List of Top 3D Animation courses 

Scores of prestigious universities around the world offer a varied range of 3D animation courses at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. There are also many short-term courses offered in Animation that one can explore to get a basic understanding of how animated videos are created. Here is a list of major 3D animation courses and universities you can choose from:

Course	Institution Name
Diploma/certificate Animation – 3D	Centennial College
BA (Hons) Animation MA 3D Computer Animation	University of the Arts London
Bachelor’s Animation MSc Animation & VFX	University of Dundee
Bachelor of Media Arts in 3D Computer Animation	Emily Carr University of Art and Design
BFA in Digital Painting and Expanded Animation	Ontario College of Art and Design, OCAD University
Bachelor of Science in Animation	The Los Angeles Film School
BA (Hons) Animation Foundation Course in Animation (Year Zero)	University of Derby
BA (Hons) Animation	Solent University
Bachelor’s in Computer Games (Art and Animation) Bachelor’s degree in 3D Animation and Visualisation (year 3 entry)	Glasgow Caledonian University
Master’s in Animation	Aalto University
MSc in Computer Animation	University of Kent
BA (Hons) in Digital Animation	Bath Spa University
Bachelors in Animation and Visual Effects	Bucks New University

Check out the complete list at Top Animation Colleges Around the World!

Other than the aforementioned programmes, let’s also explore some of the commonly offered 3D animation courses in further detail:

Diploma in 3D Animation

The diploma in 3D Animation programme by Centennial College is amongst the popular animation courses offered at the diploma level. This course encompasses the study of animation in the field of Film, Television, Games, Broadcast and Design. The duration of the course is only 16 months.

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BFA in Digital Painting and Expanded Animation

BFA in Digital Painting and Expanded Animation is a 4-year full-time undergraduate level course offered by Ontario College of Art and Design or OCAD University. Pursuing this animation course, students get to learn about digital media techniques and various design platforms that are related to Painting Programs, Media, and Drawing projects. Apart from Drawing and Painting specialization, the curriculum also encompasses the concept of painting and digital media consisting of various traditional painting techniques, painting, animation, and digital tablets.

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Bachelor of Media Arts in 3D Computer Animation

ECUAD’s Bachelor of Media Arts is a specialised 4-year degree programme in 3D computer animation. The course curriculum incorporates the study of a wide range of animation techniques and different methodologies to impart students with the essential knowledge and skills to create innovative video game development projects. It also encourages students to experiment with virtual technologies such as augmented reality and virtual reality.

MSc Animation & VFX

MSc Animation & VFX by the University of Dundee is designed with an interdisciplinary blend of 3D Animation and VFX. This course aims at exploring the intricacies of technical visual storytelling. As a 1-year postgraduate programme, it is a full-time course that helps students explore a wide range of training opportunities animation, film, television, video-games and comics industries.

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Eligibility Criteria

If you are looking forward to applying for 3D animation courses abroad, then, here are some of the important prerequisites that you need to fulfil to get admission to the university of your choice. 

• For Diploma/ Bachelor’s Courses: Formal education of 10+2 from a recognised board with minimum 50 % marks 
• For Master’s Courses: A UG degree in related field with a minimum required GPA
• A good score in language proficiency test like IELTS, TOEFL, etc 
• LOR and SOP 

Popular 3D Animation Softwares

For all the budding animators willing to pave their way through the field of 3D animation, the most essential requisite is to have good animation software. Being equipped with the right software will help candidates achieve their desired level of creativity. Tabulated below are the popular 3D animation software free and paid along with their supported operating system. 

Software	Price	Application	Operating System
3ds Max	Paid	Motion Capture, Keyframe Animation	Windows
Blender	Free	Motion Capture, Keyframe Animation	Windows, macOS, Linux
Motionbuilder	Paid	Motion Capture, Keyframe Animation	Windows
Cinema 4D	Paid	Motion Capture, Keyframe Animation	Windows, macOS
Daz3D	Paid	Motion Capture, Keyframe Animation	Windows, macOS
Clara.io	Free	Keyframe Animation	Browser
Houdini Apprentice	Free (Limitations)	Motion Capture, Keyframe Animation	Windows, macOS, Linux
iClone	Paid	Windows, macOS, Linux	Windows
MakeHuman	Free	Motion Capture, Keyframe Animation	Windows, macOS, Linux
Maya		Motion Capture, Keyframe Animation	Windows, macOS, Linux

Top Institutions for 3D Animation in India

Here are the top institutions for 3D Animation in India.

• National Institute of Film and Fine Arts, Kolkata
• St. Xavier’s College (Autonomous), Kolkata
• Maya Institute of Advanced Cinematic (MAAC)
• Arena Animation
• Mayabious Academy – School of Animation and Visual Effects, Kolkata
• Toonz Academy, Thiruvananthapuram
• Zee Institute of Creative Art (ZICA), Bangalore
• Whistling Woods International Institute (WWII), Mumbai
• FX School, Mumbai

Online Courses

The following are the online courses students can choose to pursue 3D Animation.

• CG Spectrum: Introduction to 3D Animation.
• Udemy: Learning 3D Animation: The Ultimate Blender Guide.
• Coursera: Unity Certified 3D Artist.
• Udemy: 3D in After Effects CC: Working & Animating in 3D Space.
• Future Learn: Explore Animation.

Career Prospects

As animation is being widely used in the media and entertainment industry, there are several career opportunities available for those with a degree or diploma in animation. The major career prospects you can explore after completing a 3D animation course are as follows:

• Game Designer
• Concept Artist
• Storyboard Artist
• Animator
• Character Animator
• Visual Effects Artist
• Special Effects Artist

Salary After 3D Animation Courses 

Upon completing the aforementioned or likely courses in 3D Animation, candidates can earn estimated job profiles in various industries. Many leading organizations require professionals with animation skills and offer an average salary of 3,50,000 to 5,50,000 per annum.

Want to know more? Explore our exclusive guide on building a Career in Multimedia and Animation!

FAQs

Hence, 3D animation has a plethora of career opportunities on offer and demands excellent creative skills and knowledge of advanced animation software applications. Planning to pursue a career in animation? Sign up for an e-meeting with our Leverage Edu experts and we will guide you in exploring the best combination of course and university that can equip you with the required skills, knowledge and exposure to build a successful career in this field!