Understanding the principles of 2D animation is essential to understanding how to work in 3D animation, and those 2D animation fundamentals are entwined with learning how to use the most ubiquitous graphic design tools Adobe’s Photoshop and After Effects, two of the most potent 2D animation tools to manipulate images and create wholly new images. Most animators start learning After Effects for post-production to create 2D animation, especially on Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) courses in 3D Animation; the capability to composite visual effects, and alter images to develop digital storytelling skills. However, both Photoshop and After Effects have substantial 3D features to create 3D motion graphics and visual effects.
So Adobe can be thought of as the basis for training and practice to move to more advanced 3D animation tools with Maya for animated movement, timing, weight, and character development (
https://www.autodesk.com/products/maya/overview); ZBrush for advanced rendering, visual effects, advanced rigging techniques, compositing in Nuke, and NURBS hard surface modeling. These principles of animation including using Maya to progress from modeling, motion, and rendering exercisesto create beautiful short 3D animated film all ties back to Adobe Photoshop skills for animation and visual effects to craft greater depth. HostJane is proud to host animation freelancers both third-party and in our FBH program that have done programs and workshops at the following schools:
*Gobelins (Paris, FR):
https://www.gobelins-school.com/
*Frameboxx 2.0 Animation & VFX training:
https://frameboxx.in/
*California Institute of the Arts:
https://filmvideo.calarts.edu/programs/character-animation
*Chungkang College of Cultural Industries:
https://www.ck.ac.kr/
*Savannah College of Art and Design:
https://www.scad.edu/academics/programs/animation
*School of Visual Arts, New York:
https://sva.edu/academics/undergraduate/bfa-animation
*SAE Animation School - Brisbane:
https://sae.edu.au/animation/brisbane)
*Rochester Institute of Technology:
https://www.rit.edu/study/film-and-animation-bfa
*Brigham Young University Center for Animation:
https://www.animation.byu.edu/