Explore the world of Adobe Animate and learn how it can be a stepping stone to a lucrative career in animation, video gaming, advertising, and more! This guide provides insights on various ways to learn Adobe Animate, the types of careers that commonly use this application, and the salary range in this field.
Adobe Animate is an application used to create animation and interactive vector graphics. Animators use apps like Animate in a variety of different fields. If you’ve always wanted to learn Adobe Animate but can’t figure out how to get started, this guide is for you. Here, you’ll learn more about the various ways to learn Adobe Animate, free resources to take advantage of, and the types of careers that commonly use Adobe Animate.
Adobe Animate is an Adobe application used to create 2D animation. With it, Animators can produce animation and interactive vector graphics for a variety of media, including television, games, apps, and online video. They can export their work to multiple platforms, including Flash/Adobe AIR, WebGL, and HTML5 Canvas. Animate has been used to create a number of popular cartoons, including My Little Pony and The Amazing World of Gumball. It was previously known as Adobe Flash Professional, a top-rated program in the late 1990s and 2000s.
Animate has numerous tools that allow Animators to create complex and detailed animations. For instance, its virtual camera feature can pan, zoom, and rotate animations. Audio synching lets Animators sync the audio in their animations. Vector brushes make it possible to resize, move, color, and animate brush strokes. Animation apps like Animate give Animators the tools to create things that would be difficult to draw by hand.
Read more about what Adobe Animate is and why you should learn it.
People have been using animation for more than one hundred and fifty years to entertain and communicate a wide variety of content. Animation can grab an audience’s attention, tell stories, simplify complex content, and communicate ideas quickly. As a result of its versatility and universal appeal, animated content is used in many professions. Early animation featured hand-drawn content. However, today’s Animators use computers and animation applications such as Adobe Animate.
When people think about animation, many think of cartoons, which are indeed one thing many Animators create. Animation is in countless forms of media, and much of it develops from applications like Adobe Animate. Adobe Animate, in particular, is frequently used to generate cartoons and 2D animated television shows. The application can be used to create characters and add effects and audio, and it has developed many well-known shows and movies, including My Little Pony and The Amazing World of Gumball. However, cartoons are only one of the things that Animators create with animation apps. Apps also help to create video games for computers and mobile devices, educational content, and a wide variety of advertising and animated content for the internet.
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics explains that Animators typically choose a specific medium to work in, such as television or video gaming. In addition, they often specialize within that medium. For example, some video game designers specialize in creating characters, while others focus on scenery. Animators who specialize in this way are typically part of a larger team, with each team member working on one part of a project.
The word “animation” often makes people think of television shows and movies, and while this is a common place for Animators to work, there are many other things that an Animator can do. Animators work in many different industries. Some create animation for video games and websites, while others work on visual effects. Animators create educational content that teachers use, and they design medical imagery for the public and people in medical professions. They also work as software designers and for advertising firms. Overall, being an Animator can lead to a wide variety of jobs.
Employment statistics from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show that animation is a good field to work in, in terms of salary and job opportunities. The agency reports that the median annual wage for Animators and special effects artists is $78,700. It expects about 6,700 new job openings each year for the next ten years in this field. Many of these openings will be for animation and visual effects for movies, television, and video games. The agency explains that ongoing demand for Animators will be related to the continuing need to create new animated content for mobile devices such as smartphones.
Adobe Animate and other animation applications are valuable tools for people who want to work in animation or motion graphics. Animation is created by generating a series of images, each slightly different from the one before. Viewers see the illusion of movement when the images move in quick succession. In traditional animation, all images are hand-drawn, which takes a lot of time. Applications like Animate eliminate the need for hand drawing, saving countless work hours.
The majority of Animators now use computer applications like Animate. This means that anyone planning to work in animation will need to learn at least one animation app. Not only do apps like Animate eliminate hours of hand drawing, but they give Animators a number of new tools that they can use to manipulate their animations in ways that would be difficult or impossible when drawing by hand. For instance, with Animate’s puppet animation, users can manage a character rig without redrawing it.
Read more about why you should learn Adobe Animate.
There are several ways to learn animation and motion graphics. One of the most common is taking an in-person class. In-person classes are popular because students don’t have to watch a recording on a screen but instead receive live training from an experienced instructor who can keep students engaged and answer their questions in real-time. Many students feel this is the best way to understand animation or motion graphics topics. Those who don’t have access to in-person classes can sign up for live online classes, where they still attend a live lecture but have the freedom to watch from any location.
While live online classes are more flexible than in-person ones, some people need an even greater level of flexibility, and for them, on-demand classes can be a good fit. The on-demand format lets students take the course material at their own pace, working whenever and from wherever they choose. Many on-demand classes still include opportunities to interact with instructors and other students. An advantage of some of these classes is that classmates may live all over the country or the world, adding a diversity of perspectives. Finally, on-demand classes often cost less than live ones.
Noble Desktop offers a Classes Near Me tool that shows the various options for learning animation and motion graphics topics, like Adobe Animate or After Effects, for students who are unsure about which class format is best for them.
Free online resources can be an excellent way to start learning about animation and motion graphics for students who need more time to be ready to sign up for a formal class. Noble Desktop’s Learning Resources library has information about animation and motion graphics, the types of careers they can lead to, and how to learn them. There are also many free animation tutorials on YouTube, such as how to use Premiere Pro. Another way to get free animation and motion graphics information is to watch a free animation seminar from Noble Desktop.
Read the full guide on how to learn animation & motion graphics.
Students who want to learn more about animation applications like Adobe Animate, but aren’t ready to commit to a paid class, can start by reviewing free introductory online courses and seminars instead. Most free resources don’t teach users everything they need to know about animation apps, but they can be an excellent way to learn some basics. YouTube is a great place to find free animation resources. The site has lots of free tutorials about using Adobe Animate to create various types of animation.
Noble Desktop is another excellent free resource. This website has numerous free seminars on a variety of topics related to animation. For instance, Get Started in Motion Graphics provides an overview of motion graphics and video editing and includes an introduction to animating with Adobe After Effects. Intro to Cinema 4D Lite is another free Noble seminar. It gives students an overview of Cinema 4D Lite, which creates animation through Adobe After Effects.
For students who need help with specific features of Animate, the Adobe website can be helpful. Adobe offers many short, free tutorials that answer common questions about Animate. These include Using Layer Effects in Animate, Design Social Media Content, and Create an Animated Infographic. Adobe’s Animate Support Community, also on the Adobe website, is another place to answer questions about the app. The Support Community is a place for users to share questions and answers about various topics related to Animate.
Read about more free Adobe Animate videos and online tutorials.
How quickly a student learns Adobe Animate or another animation application depends on many factors. According to most experts, learning the basics in a few days or weeks is possible, but mastering an app could take months, and creating professional animations might take years. Apps like Animate have lots of advanced features, and learning how to use all of those features takes time and practice. Students who already have some knowledge of animation or design will likely have an easier time, and so will users who have some experience with computer animation.
Users who want to learn an animation application may need experience using specific design programs. For example, Noble Desktop offers a number of classes for the popular animation app After Effects. Still, some of them require that students know how to use design programs like Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop. Students who don’t meet these prerequisites can get them relatively quickly. For instance, it only takes a few days to complete an Illustrator bootcamp.
Adobe Animate is part of the Adobe Creative Cloud. The subscription price is $20.99 for Adobe Animate only or $54.99 per month for access to all Creative Cloud apps. Adobe offers a free seven-day trial for all of its apps. After that, users need to pay a monthly subscription fee. For businesses, Adobe Animate is only $35.99 per month per license or $84.99 per month for all Creative Cloud apps.
Read about how difficult it is to learn Adobe Animate.
Adobe Animate is just one of many computer applications that Animators use. Some Animators also use Adobe After Effects. While Animate can be a good choice for creating interactive content, 2D animation, and character animations, users who want to create motion graphics, visual effects, or compositing often opt for After Effects. Some Animators say Animate is better for beginners because it is easier to learn, while After Effects has more features and is a better choice for professional Animators.
Cinema 4D Lite is another tool used by Animators. Cinema 4D Lite is a streamlined version of a program called Cinema 4D, a 3D modeling, animation, and simulation program. Animators typically use Cinema 4D Lite with After Effects. It allows them to create 3D content and import it into After Effects projects. For those who already subscribe to Adobe After Effects, Cinema 4D Lite is free.
Premiere Pro is a video editing application. While Animate and After Effects generate content, Premiere Pro assembles that content into a finished video. It allows users to cut, enhance, and arrange the content they have already created. Because Premiere Pro is an Adobe product, it integrates easily with Animate or After Effects.
There are a number of ways to learn animation programs like Adobe Animate. However, students can narrow their options by considering factors related to their educational goals and learning style. Students should think about how much time and money they can invest in a class, how much personal attention they need from an instructor, how much they already know about the subject, and why they want to learn this particular skill. The answers to these questions can help them pick from the many animation and motion graphics classes available.
Free classes are a good option for those people who want to learn more about animation or motion graphics. Noble Desktop provides a long list of free animation and motion graphics seminars. These include Get Started in Motion Graphics and Intro to After Effects. Adobe also offers numerous free short tutorials for its programs, including Animate and After Effects. These tutorials can be a good resource for users who need help with using specific features of these programs.
Students will need to enroll in a paid class for a more in-depth understanding of a particular facet of animation or motion graphics. Shorter courses focused on specific skills can be a good option for those who want to develop a working knowledge of a program like After Effects to fill a skill gap or grow within their current role. For instance, a bootcamp like Cinema 4D in After Effects only takes a few days to complete and leaves students understanding how to use Cinema 4D Lite.
For some students, a bootcamp is not comprehensive enough, and a certificate program is a better fit. Certificates like the Motion Graphics Certificate take months rather than days to complete. However, they cover a more comprehensive array of content and include mentoring. A certificate program can be an excellent choice for somebody looking to switch careers into animation or motion graphics.
At Noble Desktop, students can learn animation and motion graphics with hands-on classes that fit many schedules and learning styles. Every class is small and interactive and led by expert instructors. In addition, Noble always provides a free retake option. The free retake allows students to retake the same class once within a year without paying for it again. Students can gain additional animation or motion graphics skills using the free retake without investing in another class.
The After Effects Bootcamp is a popular option among students who decide to study animation at Noble Desktop. Students in this bootcamp learn After Effects, a program that professional Animators commonly use, in just 18 hours. Bootcamps like this are popular because they provide quick, intensive training that gives students a good understanding of the subject matter over only a few days. Many pick a bootcamp when they want to add one skill like After Effects to their resume.
However, bootcamps are not the best option for everyone. Some students prefer more in-depth training and opt for a certificate program instead. Certificate programs take longer to complete, but they cover more subject matter. For instance, Nobel’s Motion Graphics Certificate takes two months full-time or four months part-time to finish. During that time, the curriculum covers animation programs, including After Effects, Cinema 4D Lite, and Premiere Pro, and how to use these programs to work on multiple animation projects.