Before you register for an animation program (or school) there is much to consider. But no matter what type of program you get into, there is one very important thing to remember…
photo courtesy of Aron Balogh
What you put into the program is what you’ll get out of it.
As I’ve mentioned before, learning animation takes a lot of commitment and dedication. If your serious about becoming an animator you will have to really apply yourself, and you’ll likely go through some (or a lot of) frustration before you reap the rewards.
Old School – Brief History
Before computer software – when there was only classical animation, finding a school that taught animation was a bit more difficult than it is now. Some film schools had animation programs that taught classical (or hand drawn animation), and animation was done on a light table.
There’s a few beaten up old light tables hanging around the studio where I work now. They’re fondly regarded as vintage pieces of animation history.
As computer software was developed, mostly during the 1990′s things really started to change. More and more aspects of animation production were going digital and schools could hardly keep up with the rapidly changing industry.
Animation studios have now gone completely digital with 3D Animation – and Classical Animation has now been replaced with Digital 2D Animation. It’s all done in computer software.
Today, animation schools teach 3D animation and Digital 2D. Many schools will teach classical animation and digital animation all combined in one course to give students a full knowledge and background in the art.
Because computer software can be learned by the masses, animation schools and programs are popping up all over the world, they seem to be in every college in every city, town, village…(I think there’s one in my attic!) 
And because software can be taught to almost anyone, drawing ability is not necessary in order to become an animator but it’s important to remember that quality animation still requires mastering of the necessary skills – animation principles. It really helps to have a classical animation background because you get a really solid understanding of the animation principles when you have to draw every frame.
Choosing A Quality Animation Program
Choose your animation program carefully. If your going to take an animation program you should know who your teachers are going to be. This is particularly important with animation….
Before you register and pay for your animation program ask for some information about the instructors. A quality animation program should employ instructors who have relevant industry experience in the classes that they teach.
I know this sounds obvious but there are some schools out there that employ recent graduates to teach classes – and if your paying good money for an education you should have industry experts who can give you real world advise. (which is what I’ll continue to do in this blog
Another thing to consider when choosing an animation program is the length. There are many different types of programs that run at different lengths.
Since there’s so much to learn and practice, especially with character animation I suggest a full 3-4 year diploma/degree program so you get the full background and lots of time to develop your animation skills. By “full background” I mean skills like classical animation and life drawing (learning human anatomy), even film and acting classes geared toward animation. The school I attended also had lighting and photography workshops.
However, there are 7-8 month programs that may work better for you. Many of these programs have a great curriculum and employ high quality industry professionals as instructors. Most of these shorter format programs tend to get straight to the point and skip the background knowledge.
Which ever route you take, be sure to choose the program that’s right for you and make sure the instructors have at least some industry experience.
