3D Animation Course | CG Spectrum Online 3D Animation School

Learn 3D animation from the best and discover what it takes to become a professional animator. Once you've mastered the foundational skills, you'll get your characters interacting with their environment and dealing with physical forces. Put this together to design powerful combat animations for games.

Why study animation at CG Spectrum:

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At CG Spectrum online animation school you'll receive the highest level of personalized training. You'll learn the latest tools and techniques used by top studios and be guided every step of the way by your industry mentor. With online classes you can learn from the comfort of your own home, in your own time.

Certificate

9 months

20 hrs weekly

Intermediate

Basic computer skills

Weekly online classes, feedback and support

Autodesk Maya and animation rigs

Aug 1, 2022

Whether straight out of high school, changing careers, or upgrading skills, our specialized expert-led animation programs help you build practical job skills that serve throughout your career

Learn from experts who have worked on major films and games

Plan your studies around your work and family commitments

Build practical and relevant job skills that studios are looking for

Pursue your passion and start working sooner with flexible payments

Starting with 3D animation basics, you'll dive head-first into industry software Maya and discover how to create believable animation using the classic principles of animation. As you learn the theories, you'll put them into practice, giving you a better understanding of body mechanics and locomotion.

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

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 character dialogue piece complete with lip sync, facial and body expressions - and have a polished piece for your demo reel.

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.

For this 3D animation course, you will need basic computer skills and a computer that meets the minimum specifications (see next question).

Please note: Term 1 of this program is the same curriculum as the   Introduction to 3D Animation Certificate. So if you've already completed the introduction course, you may skip to term 2.

Software:

Students can sign up for an educational license for Maya.

Hardware:

You will need a dedicated graphics card and a computer that meets the minimum requirements for Autodesk Maya. 

This course gives you an excellent understanding of 3D animation fundamentals and depending on your level of commitment, skills, and portfolio pieces, you may be ready to start applying for entry-level artist positions.

To increase your hiring potential, the Advanced 3D Animation Course is recommended. It  covers more complex techniques and includes an entire term dedicated to career development and portfolio preparation to get you industry-ready.

Some of the junior 3D animator jobs you could pursue after completing the full study pathway include:

Discover more about these 3D animator jobs, tips, and salary expectations on our careers page:

All 3D animation classes are taught by artists who have worked at major animation studios on films and video games.

Mark has held lead positions at Rainmaker, Sony and Weta Digital working on films like Avatar, The Adventures of Tintin, and Night at the Museum.

Dept. Head of 3D Animation

Known for Avatar

Spectra has been animating for almost a decade at Playstation, Digital Domain and Ubisoft on projects such as Far Cry 6, Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, and Advantageous.

Mentor of 3D Animation

Known for Uncharted 4: A Thief's End

Film and game animator CJ Burbage has worked all over North America at MPC, Rodeo FX, DNEG and now 31st Union. Credits include Godzilla: King of the Monsters, It 2, Jumanji, and Wonder Woman: 1984.

Mentor of 3D Animation

Known for Godzilla: King of Monsters

Martin's been in the industry for 20 years working as an animator, pre-vis and VFX artist on projects like Vikings, Pacific Rim, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, three Resident Evil films and Shazam!

Mentor of 3D Animation

Known for Resident Evil

Delano's credits include Ready Player One, The Walking Dead, Deadpool and Independence Day: Resurgence from his time at top studios Zoic, Digital Domain and Mill Film.

Mentor of 3D Animation

Known for Deadpool

Roland has worked his way across the globe at major studios like Weta Digital, where he worked on two Planet of The Apes movies, The Hobbit Trilogy, and Avengers: Infinity War.

Mentor of 3D Animation

Known for Avengers: Infinity War

Jacob is an award-winning director, writer, and animator who now works at Walt Disney Imagineering. Credits include Red Dead Redemption, God of War III, Batman: Arkham Origins, The Jungle Book, and The Flash.

Mentor of 3D Animation

Known for Batman: Arkham Origins

The Willoughbys co-Director brings 17 years of industry experience from Nerdcorps, Bardel, Rainmaker and Lucasfilm where he worked on Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

Mentor of Foundations

Known for The Willoughbys

Ambre has worked as an animator in the UK, Australia, New Zealand, USA, and Canada on projects like LEGO Avengers, Happy Feet Two, Avatar and Where the Wild Things Are.

Mentor of 3D Animation

Known for Avatar

Animating since 2008 in France and Canada, Aniket's work includes Over the Moon, and The Willoughbys, which as Lead Animator he developed the show's unique animation style.

Mentor of 3D Animation

Known for The Willoughbys

With 20+ years in the industry, Michael has worked on countless feature films for just about every major studio around the world including DNEG, Cinesite, MPC, Weta Digital, Pixomondo and Lucasfilm.

Mentor of 3D Animation

Known for Pacific Rim Uprising

Nick's held lead positions at major game studios Relic Entertainment and Phoenix Labs. Credits include Dauntless, Dawn of War 3 and Resident Evil: Operation Raccoon City.

Mentor of 3D Animation

Known for Dauntless

The most affordable way to learn from top industry mentors in a fun, collaborative environment, while still getting plenty of personalized feedback.

Progress faster and enjoy more flexiblity with private mentorship. Ideal for busy schedules, career-changers, or artists upgrading skills or changing specialties.

(9 x payments)

Save 10%

(3 x payments)

Save 25%

(1 x payment)

(9 x payments)

Save 10%

(3 x payments)

Save 25%

(1 x payment)

With a focus on portfolio preparation, we help students build their competitive edge with high quality work that gets noticed. See what they are creating.

With a focus on portfolio preparation, we help students build their competitive edge with high quality work that gets noticed. See what they are creating.

I landed a job immediately after finishing the course.

When I started CG Spectrum's animation program, I wasn't sure what to expect. Now, I can surely tell that choosing CG Spectrum was the best decision I've ever made. My mentors were incredibly knowledgeable, dedicated and supportive.

If you’re looking to enhance your specialist skills to industry level, CG Spectrum is the place to be.

CG Spectrum has been an invaluable learning experience. Having never done an online course, I didn’t expect to receive the level of personalised learning and quality teaching that I have experienced so far. The amount of 1-on-1 is second to none. The techniques I have been taught have not only improved my animation skills by leaps and bounds, they have also taught me to be a better storyteller. Aside from the skills learned, I have also gained a great amount of insight into the industry which will definitely aid in my career as an animator. 

It's been extremely helpful for my portfolio and my confidence as an artist!

I've learned so much about not only animation, but the thought process an artist goes through when creating a piece.

Study options for all skill levels, from short introduction courses to full industry programs

3 months - 20hrs weekly

Learn 3D animation basics with this fun short course - perfect for beginners! Using Maya software, you'll start with the fundamentals, including the 12 Principles of Animation, character rigs and posing, then animate your first walk cycle!

9 months - 20hrs weekly

Master more complex creature and character animation techniques and create compelling scenes. In your final term you and your mentor focus on portfolio preparation and career development to ensure your work is polished and you graduate job-ready.

3 months - 20hrs weekly

Learn 2D animation basics from Disney animators! Focusing on hand-drawn or 'cut-out' style, this online animation course covers the 12 Principals of Animation and classic exercises like the bouncing ball, walk cycle, and character take using industry software Toon Boom Harmony.

9 months - 20hrs weekly

Build on your character animation skills by creating more exciting and complex scenes for your portfolio. Learn body mechanics and anatomy, Toon Boom shortcuts, and other practical job skills that will speed up your workflow and serve you in your career as an animator.

9 months - 20hrs weekly

Learn the fundamentals of 2D animation with an anime focus using Toon Boom, and be mentored by 2D artist Misu Yamaneko (Pokemon Sun & Moon, Vinland Saga, Overlord II and Bleach Brave Souls).

9 months - 20hrs weekly

Get ready for more advanced aspects of 2D: creating appealing characters, solid drawings, expressive acting and FX animation. Increase your technical skills, gain confidence in Toon Boom, and finish the course by polishing your portfolio and exploring career options with your mentor.