Explore digital animation techniques through project-based programs. You’ll strengthen your understanding of movement, design, and storytelling through visual art.
Learn to create compelling video content with Adobe After Effects. This course covers the basics of animation, text effects, and file integration needed to start creating impressive visual content from scratch. Get hands-on experience with real-world projects taught by an experienced instructor.
Learn motion graphics and visual effects with Adobe After Effects and Premiere Pro. Develop your skills in animation, video editing, and special effects, and create a motion graphics demo reel to showcase your work to potential clients or employers.
Learn how to use Adobe Premiere Pro to create professionally edited videos in this comprehensive class. From importing and organizing footage to advanced editing techniques like multi-cam editing and green screen removal, this course will equip you with the skills to create compelling video content.
Dive into the dynamic world of Adobe After Effects with this advanced course, designed to elevate your animation and motion graphics skills. From mastering 3D layers and custom shapes to optimizing animations with expressions, you'll create captivating visuals that stand out in any project.
This course unlocks the power of Adobe After Effects, teaching you to create stunning visual effects and professional-grade motion graphics. Master techniques like motion tracking, compositing, and time remapping to take your video projects to new heights of creativity and impact.
Become a skilled Video Editor and Motion Graphics Designer by learning Adobe Premiere Pro, and After Effects. Develop creative techniques and concepts for editing videos, and showcase your skills by creating a professional demo reel.
Animation is the process of creating the illusion of motion by displaying a rapid sequence of images or frames, each showing a slightly different position of characters or objects. In traditional animation, pictures are drawn or painted on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed. Early cartoons are examples of this, but today, most animated movies are made with computer-generated imagery or CGI.
The earliest forms of animation can be traced back to ancient Chinese shadow puppetry, which used cut-out figures to tell stories. James Stuart Blackton’s Humorous Phases of Funny Faces in 1906 and Émile Cohl’s Fantasmagorie in 1908 are considered the early pioneers of animated film, forging a path for the much later development of industry giants like Disney, Warner Bros., Nickelodeon, and Cartoon Network.
Currently, animated movies and TV shows are popular, with many of them achieving critical acclaim and box office success. Animation isn’t just for children anymore either; interest in animated content for adult audiences has drastically increased with the popularity of shows like Bob’s Burgers*, Rick and Morty*, and The Simpsons*. Innovations like motion capture technology, computer graphics, and visual effects are all being used to create more lifelike characters, environments, and action sequences, contributing to the rising interest in animated films and television.
What you can do with animation will largely depend on which type of animation you pursue. There are five types of animation:
Animation allows you to explore your creativity, fine-tune your artistic skills, and potentially pursue new career paths. The type of animation you choose to learn will determine what you can create: maybe you’ll create eloquently handcrafted traditional animations, develop logos or work on commercials, or design truly terrifying monsters or FX.
For each section, include the name of the skill you’ll learn and then write a paragraph explaining what that skill is and why it is applicable to animation. Most of the focus should be on technical skills you’ll learn (for subjects like animation, graphic design, or data science, these should be things like After Effects, Photoshop, SQL, etc.), but at least one skill mentioned should be a ‘soft skill’ (programming teaches you logic, Photoshop teaches you composition).
The animation process is a series of steps that turns ideas into a visual and auditory sequence. This will be one of the first things you’ll learn in an animation course. The animation process is typically broken down into eight essential steps:
Figure drawing and composition are crucial in animation because they provide the foundation for creating believable and visually engaging characters and scenes. Figure drawing enhances knowledge of human anatomy, including skeletal structure, muscles, and how they interact. Composition in animation is the arrangement of visual elements in a scene to create an attractive, engaging story. Being able to accurately depict the human form in motion, understand anatomy, and strategically arrange elements within a frame helps you convey emotion and story effectively. Essentially, you will be able to translate ideas into compelling visuals through precise drawing techniques and thoughtful spatial arrangement.
The main purpose of an animation storyboard is to map out the story's flow, scene timing, and character positioning. Storyboarding ensures everyone involved in the project understands the storyline and creates a cohesive final product. By identifying potential issues early, storyboarding saves time and resources during the animation process, ensuring that the final animation is well-structured and engaging for the audience. Storyboarding typically involves Animators, Directors, Producers, Writers, Editors, and Marketing Professionals.
3D modeling is a three-dimensional representation of objects, animals, machines, and humans. In animation production, all the settings and characters are composed of a 3D model. 3D modeling is used in different kinds of fields—from engineering, game industry, film and animation, business advertising, and architecture, to special effects. There are two main types of 3D modeling: organic modeling includes natural objects in the surroundings such as characters, animals, and plants; hard surface modeling includes man-made objects such as buildings, vehicles, and other manufactured items.
Visual effects (VFX) are computer-generated or manipulated images that are used to create animations and enhance the aesthetics of a project. VFX can be used to create characters or environments that are difficult or impossible to shoot in real life; enhance action sequences with explosions, fire, smoke, and water simulations, and improve the storytelling and immersion of an animated project by adding a touch of realism through animating fabrics like curtains, dresses, and tablecloths.
The level of difficulty in learning animation depends on the kind of work one wants to do, the required detail and professionalism in the animations, and the individual's prior knowledge of digital design skills. Animation is a specialized field that combines artistic expression with practical applications and often involves skill sets from related fields like graphic design, UX design, and UI design. The variety of skills needed can be challenging for those entirely new to the field, but with the right amount of dedication and passion, anyone can become an expert in animation.
Perhaps the most challenging part of learning animation is mastering the wide range of software programs used within the industry. Professional software like After Effects, Premiere Pro, Photoshop, and Cinema 4D are crucial tools for Animators. Each program has a specific function such as motion graphics design, video compositing, image generation, or special effects development. Additionally, most animation studios use some form of product management software to manage workflow. Each of these software programs has its own learning curve and challenges.
The time it takes to learn animation depends on several factors such as the skills you want to acquire, the amount of time and effort you invest, and your other commitments. Professional-level animation can take anywhere from months to years to master, although this duration can be shortened depending on the learner's prior experience and goals. Previous experience in digital design or knowledge of animation theory can accelerate the learning process, and attending a professional training course can also help you reach your new career more quickly.
There are many factors to consider when answering this question. First, you’ll need to decide what learning environment is best suited for you. Do you excel in a collaborative environment that allows you to interact with your peers and receive instant feedback from your instructor? Or do you prefer a more solitary learning environment, perhaps one where you can learn at your own speed?
You’ll also need to decide how much time you can commit to your education and what level of flexibility your schedule requires. Are you looking to dive deeply into an intensive program? Do you work full-time and need classes scheduled in the evenings or on weekends?
In-person classes offer face-to-face interaction with your fellow students and your expert instructor. This collaborative environment is available for both full-time and part-time classes and provides structure and accountability—two things that can help you succeed. Online courses may lack this in-person interaction, but they make up for it with increased flexibility. Live virtual courses still offer instant feedback from your instructor and interactions with other students, while on-demand virtual training allows for the most flexibility since you can decide where and when you learn.
The good news is that, no matter which format you choose, you can obtain a quality animation education with a top-notch curriculum and expert instructors.
The internet is a great source of free animation tutorials. From blogs to YouTube videos, there are nearly endless free tips and tricks available. There is also the possibility to use free trials of online training programs to try your hand at learning animation before committing to a paid course. These free training materials are great for dipping your toes into the basics of animation and can help you further explore whether animation is truly the right path for you.
If you’re hoping to learn up-to-date animation skills or do a deep dive into this creative field, then a more structured class or course could be the better choice. Experienced instructors, a high-quality curriculum, and a more traditional learning environment will help you become an expert in animation in record time. Whether you enroll in an on-demand or live online course, both options offer a breadth of knowledge that you won’t be able to access through free resources.
If you’re looking to complement your animation skills, consider learning additional creative skills like visual design principles, and anatomy and gesture drawing. These skills will help you expand your artistic skills, improving the quality of your animations. Additionally, ‘hard’ skills like basic coding, video editing, and software tools like 3D modeling or motion graphics programs will enhance your ability to create compelling and technically proficient animated content.
Revered for its natural beauty and rich history, Virginia is becoming equally well known as an ideal location for working in animation. Several industries are thriving in the region, each of which will have a need for investment experts for a variety of roles.
Healthcare and social assistance consistently have the highest employment of any industry in the Commonwealth, according to QCEW annual averages. The industry is responsible for 13.1 percent of total employment in Virginia, with an annual average of 488,927 jobs in 2020. This sector also accounts for 11.1 percent of total wages at $27.1 billion. Additionally, wages have risen steadily over the last five years, showing continued demand and growth for healthcare professionals.
This industry has the second highest average annual employment in the Commonwealth, accounting for 446,738 jobs in 2020, or 11.9 percent of total employment in Virginia (a 10 percent growth in employment since 2015). Additionally, professional, scientific, and technical services account for more than $50.7 billion in total wages, approximately 20.8 percent of total wages in the region. Computer systems design and related services account for roughly 38.1 percent of all employment in this industry, and have added more than 16,700 jobs over the last five years. The management consulting services sub-sector has also contributed to the growth of this industry, seeing an increase in employment of 18.8 percent during the last five years.
The retail trade industry accounted for 10.4 percent of statewide employment in 2020, approximately 390,953 jobs. Grocery stores are one subsector that has seen impressive growth in employment. Since 2015, grocery stores have added over 6,000 jobs, an increase of 8.4 percent. Employment growth in some specific subsectors of the retail trade industry has helped to offset the losses of traditional department stores and clothing stores, helping sustain this large and constantly evolving industry.
This industry employs around 279,000 people and accounts for 2.4 percent of Virginia’s total wages at just over $5.8 billion. The full-service and limited-service restaurant subsectors alone are responsible for 78.0 percent of the total industry employment. Wage growth, coupled with an increase in the number of establishments, indicate that accommodation and food services is likely to continue to be one of the largest employing industries in Virginia.
Animation is often used in movies, television shows, video games, websites, and other media. While job titles may vary, these professionals usually report to a Creative Director or Animation Director while working closely with writers, other artists, and technical staff. On larger projects, Animators may be part of a team assigned specific roles such as Character Animation, Background Animation, or Special Effects Animator.
It can be tricky to know which job titles are best for your job hunt, so a few of the most commonly found roles are outlined below.
Gameplay Animators work with techniques like key-framing and motion capture to bring digital creatures, humans, vehicles, and props to life in games. They are hired to maximize a game engine’s technology and the opportunities for interactivity and gameplay in the gaming experience. These individuals work alongside Designers and Game Programmers to generate initial character movements while adhering to technical constraints. This requires maintaining vast libraries of character movements, which can be revised as animation cycles for each character. As a Gameplay Animator, you can expect to make $81,000–$118,000 in Virginia.
Storyboard Artists are visual storytellers who transform written scripts into 2D images that comprise a storyboard that serves as a visual guide for how the animated feature will play out. A strong storyboard shows not only the logical progression of action in a film but also the story’s emotional impact. Storyboard Artists are mostly involved with pre-production tasks, including camera angles, timings, and sequence points of view. A Storyboard Artist can earn $60,000–$75,000 in Virginia.
2D Animators create traditional animation and cartoons in which backgrounds and characters are drawn by hand. On a daily basis, 2D Animators perform tasks like collaborating with writers, clients, and directors about stylistic elements and how they’re being executed through animation, preparing rough sketches, creating illustrations and models, selecting color palettes, and setting up exposure sheets. They also sync audio and voiceover tracks with visual elements. Salaries in Virginia range from $74,000 to $81,000 for a 2D Animator.
Those who work as 3D Layout Artists determine the virtual camera angle for each shot, including its depth, movement, angle, and point of view. 3D Layout Artists collaborate with Directors and VFX Supervisors to determine the camera’s look and feel, as well as the animated sequence’s environment. On a daily basis, these individuals perform tasks like interpreting storyboards, positioning characters, assembling environments, determining the camera path in a scene, and experimenting with various camera angles to find the best shots. As a 3D Layout Artist, you can earn $68,000–$75,000 in Virginia.
Offered by Central Virginia Community College, this online course will train you to become a professional video game artist by developing core skills for jobs related to digital art, 3D art, modeling, character design, and environmental art design. You will learn essential techniques for jobs related to game art, including modeling game props and characters, importing elements into game-specific software, and animating game assets.
In addition to software and game-related techniques, this course also covers topics like general design principles and concept art. You will learn the fundamental principles that distinguish good art from great art and the key social aspects necessary for ongoing growth and professional development in the field. By the end, you will have acquired a diverse set of employable skills and a solid understanding of the key components of 3D art and environmental art.
Offered by Certstaffix in-person in Virginia, this 3-day course on Adobe Animate CC will teach you how to use the Adobe Animate workspace and understand how the tool works. Then, you will learn how to create graphics, text and symbols, animate symbols and transformations, and add advanced motion tweens. At the completion of the course, you will be able to publish your work for Flash or HTML5.
While there aren’t many in-person offerings currently in Virginia, Noble Desktop offers many live online training options that can help offer you more flexibility without sacrificing course quality. Their courses come with many benefits, like one-on-one mentoring and a free retake, in addition to top-notch curriculum taught by industry experts. A few of their courses are outlined below:
Build your skills in animation, video editing, and special effects with this certificate course that prepares you for opportunities in the world of motion design and video production. You’ll learn the art of motion graphics and visual effects using Adobe After Effects, Premiere Pro, and Cinema 4D Lite.
You’ll practice advanced techniques like greenscreen removal, rotoscoping, and motion tracking with Adobe After Effects, learn the fundamentals of video editing with Adobe Premiere Pro, and create 3D models using Cinema 4D Lite. Apply your skills through hands-on projects that mirror industry standards. You’ll also develop a professional demo reel showcasing your work in motion graphics, special effects, and video editing, giving you the tools to impress potential employers or clients with your expertise.
If you’re looking to gain the skills needed to excel in digital design, this program may be for you. You’ll be equipped with the technical expertise and creative confidence to craft modern, professional designs for both digital and print media, setting the stage for a successful career in the design field. This course will teach you to deepen your understanding of design theory by mastering layout strategies, typography, and color schemes. You’ll learn Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign to create stunning designs for print, web, and digital platforms; and explore the principles of user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) design using Figma. By the end of the program, you'll have a well-rounded portfolio that showcases your expertise in web design, digital graphics, and UX/UI that’s ready to present to employers or clients.
This program focuses on building creative techniques and prepares you to deliver polished video projects for professional use. Through hands-on projects, you’ll learn the essentials of video editing, motion graphics, and audio design and transform your abilities in video editing, motion graphics, and audio production using Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects, and Audition.
You’ll learn how to edit video footage using Adobe Premiere Pro, adjusting clip timing, speed, and color to achieve professional results; clean up and mix audio tracks, remove noise, and add sound effects using Adobe Audition for enhanced video production quality; and animate text, graphics, and layered elements from Photoshop and Illustrator using Adobe After Effects.
If you’re looking to provide in-person or online training for your office or team, Noble Desktop can help. They offer a variety of corporate training programs, including programs for the construction industry. You can order vouchers in bulk at a discount, choose which courses are available to employees, and even let your employees choose their own schedule. Plus, you can choose to have your training hosted at a location of your choice, live online, or at Noble Desktop’s Manhattan office.
With a top-notch customizable curriculum and instructors who are experts in their industries, Noble Desktop’s corporate training is designed to cater to your business or organization’s needs. For more information or to schedule a free consultation, you can reach out to Noble Desktop at corporate@nobledesktop.com.