University degrees: Courses
Course city: Vancouver
Small class sizes help our industry-professional instructors get to know you on a personal level and work one-on-one to develop your style, ethics, and goals. With their guidance, you will develop an eclectic demo reel that spans multiple fields, opening a universe of opportunity in the hottest city for visual effects and 3D animation.
Diploma
In term 3, choose your field of specialization: 3D Modeling, Animation, or Visual Effects.
As a 3D or VFX artist, your demo reel will be your most important tool in showcasing your skills to studios. Our projects are shaped to create the most stunning portfolio possible, and advanced industry mentorship will allow you to build a reel designed specifically to catch the attention of employers in your field of specialization.
Immediate employment opportunities for graduates may include Compositor, VFX Animator, Render Wrangler, 3D Modeler, 3D Animator, Character Modeler, Environment Modeler, Texture Artist, and a host of other entry-level positions.
This course will teach the fundamentals of 2D digital imagery, the classic cartoon style of animation that we’re used to seeing in shows like the Simpsons or the Vancouver-based production: Rick and Morty. You will learn how to create basic images and compositions while utilizing cinematography and colour theory for digital 2D animation. You will also learn retouching and texturing as well as the basics of video editing, cutting your drawings into naturally flowing scenes and clips.
3D imagery differs substantially from 2D. Where 2D is essentially flat images on a screen, 3D adds dimension, creating a more lifelike feel to what we see. The idea was first unleashed with the timeless classic, Toy Story, in 1995.
You will use the industry standard 3D program, Autodesk Maya, to learn the basics of creating 3D imagery. This includes transforming geometric shapes into life-like subjects (otherwise known as modelling,) scene assembly, object manipulation, and shading, which all attribute to that real-world feeling on screen. You will also delve into concepts such as rendering, rigging, and simulation.
This class puts a focus on the art of bringing a character to life. You will not only broaden your understanding of character design, but you will also get them to move and interact with their surroundings in interesting and dynamic ways.
As a compositor, your job is to seamlessly and artistically blend visual elements from previously crafted materials such as rendered computer animation, special effects, graphics, 2D animation, live action and static background plates. This is often achieved through the manipulation of lighting, shadows, colours and other elements to trick the eye into seeing these separate entities as interacting with one another in the same scene.
This course will teach the basics of compositing in The Foundry’s Nuke. Students will learn the basics of keying, objects tracking, and other foundational skills required in Term 2.
During this term, you will learn advanced techniques for the creation and presentation of 3D Models, such as how to bring life to a character through colours and realistic, life-like textures. You will also be introduced to Zbrush, a digital sculpting tool used in order to create highly detailed models. Finally, you learn how to be an efficient artist when being part of a studio environment, and how to make sure your work lives up to industry standards.
Continuing from the last term, you will advance your knowledge, learning compositing techniques such as particle creation, relighting, depth compositing and scripting in Nuke. Your problem-solving methods will be put to the test when you must work with camera projection, advanced keying, and cleanup techniques to deal with difficult shots given to you by the production team. Your efficiency, as well as the ability to adapt and overcome production issues, are necessary skills to thrust you ahead in developing your career.
Sometimes, you need more than artistry to get the job done. Scripting is a way to simplify repetitive tasks and save time to get your job done efficiently. At the same time, you will be learning dynamics and simulation, which is the process of digitally creating scenarios that would be impossible or unbelievably expensive or dangerous to do in real life. This includes the act of causing explosions, crumbling buildings, and other scenarios that cannot be replicated with ease. It also includes the creation of accurate details, such as fabric fibres and building textures.
This course explores the 3D animation aspects and techniques that will help your work stand out. You will not only be showcasing detailed animated models, but they will be real characters in action. You will cover advanced character animations, including lip sync and body mechanics, allowing your subject model to truly come to life as they speak, move, and interact with their environment. Movement is achieved through rigging, a skeletal system used to control characters. By the end of this class, you will have a deeper understanding of many tools in your trade and how to make the most of them.
During these weekly sessions, you will have the chance to interact with people currently working in the 3D, animation and entertainment industry. You will receive tips on how to present yourself and your work, and learn what kind of artists the studios are currently looking for. Networking is one of the absolute most essential parts of getting a job in the industry, and these important sessions will create the opportunity to connect with industry insiders and build the knowledge of how to leap into the real world upon graduation.
The course will cover the thorough process of developing VFX shots and 3D animation from the very early ideas on paper all the way to a final rendered shot. Throughout the course, students will not only work on the overall concepts that are required to advance the project to the next step, but they will also learn the specifics of the software they need to execute the tasks.
Throughout the course, students will decide on the specialization they wish to pursue, develop a concept with the help of their instructors, and then procure the necessary assets, such as live footage. They will then build the 3D elements of their shot, work on any necessary animation, and finally composite it into the cleaned plate of the live footage.
