Integrating 3D models with photography
Interested in integrating your 3D work with the real world? This might help
# 1 03-11-2006 , 02:45 PM
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how...

I was just wondering how all of you guys learned 3d animation and if you went to school for it where? I was thinking about going to Full Sail college in florida to get a degree in animation!! If anyone knows how that school is plz let me know. For the most part just describe how you learned the program you are using and how lnog did it take you to get decent with it!! Thanks guys

# 2 03-11-2006 , 03:02 PM
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I'm not much of an animator, but if you mean learning maya, you can learn a ton just from books. Also trail and error.

# 3 04-11-2006 , 08:04 AM
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# 4 04-11-2006 , 05:28 PM
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Be very careful about your degree choice, if you want to be an animator make sure a universitys teach it properly.
Very few universities in the UK teach animation very well, and often go down a very very technical direction which is fine ...but just be wary that just because a course has ANIMATION stapled to its head doesnt mean it has much animation in.

Being a good animator is not a software thing, you need to know very little of the software to actually go in and animate somthing. If you want to animate pick up a pencil ! user added image

# 5 04-11-2006 , 05:36 PM
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thanks

Well I was reading up on this school in Florida and they go over many things that have to do with human interaction, human psychology and so forth. They go over mathematics, physics, and writing composition. If you want I can write down the list of courses. I was just wondering if anyone has heard of full sail and knew if it was any good!! Thanks for your guys help and keep posting your comments!!!!! Thanks

# 6 05-11-2006 , 10:08 PM
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...

So if anyone could help I have heard mixed biases on Full Sail . If anyone could help me out it would be greatly appreciated. Also if anyone knows of any other great schools for learning 3d animation please tell me!! thanks

# 7 06-11-2006 , 11:33 AM
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# 8 07-11-2006 , 02:51 PM
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I am in the uk and can hardly give you any advice on schools in the usa. The most impressive 3d student animations I've seen come from the Supinfocom Valaciennes in France. Students coming from that place are not only good animators but also good directors/filmmakers. Downside of it is, if you don't speak french you godda learn it or go elsewhere.
For me tha main questio would be do I want to be an animator working for a director or do I want to be the director. Both make animation.

# 9 07-11-2006 , 09:13 PM
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im not sure what school it is in florida but when i was at siggraph, this school in florida was there and their work was unbelivable. hmm sorry i forgot their name or i would help you out. I go to arts institute and its pretty ok i mean they teach you alot but like someone else said, be careful about the animation. You will take alot of 2d corses and drawing perspective crap type courses. you dont spend half as much time in 3d unless you choose to take them as your electives so when choosing a animation shcool, make sure they offer what ur looking for in every way

# 10 07-11-2006 , 09:54 PM
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even though 99GsTurbo said that 2d courses and drawing courses were considered crap, you've got to understand that after you can animate your own drawings fluidly it makes creating an animation in 3D that much easier... there's so many kids out there that take a straight-forward approach to their animations because they don't know that keying the major poses and in-betweening are still a major part of the animation process. they don't learn that when performing a 2D animation there's keying (drawing the major poses during action sequences) and then in-betweening (completing the frames that connect the major key frames). this is what helps us 3D animators (with 2D experience) in not only making sure our animations are fluid and believeable, but also in retaining a fast turnaround.


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# 11 08-11-2006 , 04:19 AM
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I so agree with neoStrider 2d animation is not crap. In computer animation you can alwas undo mistakes. In handdrawn animation you cannot, so you have to think more about timing and were to place your keys beforehand. Imagine if you can do it properly on paper you'll know how to do it in the computer intuitively. That doesn't necessaryliy work the other way round.
If you look at recruitment criteria for example at pixar, you'll see that you can get a job by just sending 2d stuff, you don't need to know how to animate in 3d at all. In fact most of their animators are trained traditionally.

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