Interested in learning Adobe Animate or another animation program? Understand the costs, career opportunities, and various forms of training available in the animation industry.
Key Insights
- Adobe Animate is an application designed to create 2D animation and interactive vector graphics for various media, including television, games, apps, and online video.
- Animation is versatile and used in multiple professions from entertainment to education. It is increasingly created using computers and animation applications like Adobe Animate.
- Learning animation can range from hundreds to thousands of dollars depending on the program, with specific animation app classes available for under $1,000, while more in-depth certificate programs can cost around $5,000.
- Noble Desktop offers a Motion Graphics Certificate that teaches students how to use After Effects, Adobe Premiere Pro, and Cinema 4D Lite, typically costing around $5,000.
- There are multiple free resources available for those interested in animation, including tutorials on the Adobe website and YouTube, as well as free seminars from Noble Desktop.
- The US Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that animators often specialize in a specific medium like television or video gaming, with varying salaries depending on the specialization and level of expertise.
Are you looking to learn Adobe Animate or another animation program? You’ll need to pay for the software program. Animate or another Adobe app means a monthly subscription to Adobe, which can range from $20 to $85, depending on your type of plan. Beyond this, you’ll want to consider the cost of training to use that program. This can be anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars, depending on what type of training you pick. Read on to find out more about how much you can expect to spend on learning an animation app like Animate.
What is 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.
What Can You Do with Adobe Animate?
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.
In-Depth Review of the Training Cost
There are many different ways to learn animation apps like Adobe Animate. For less than $1,000, students can find lots of classes focusing on specific animation apps like Animate or After Effects. For instance, After Effects Bootcamp is an 18-hour course for $975. Premiere Pro in a Day is only $425.
A certificate program can be a good choice for students who want to learn more than one app or get a more in-depth education on animation techniques. Noble Desktop has a Motion Graphics Certificate that teaches students how to use After Effects, Adobe Premiere Pro, and Cinema 4D Lite. Students use these tools to work on various animation projects. Certificate programs like this usually cost around $5,000.
The overall cost of animation training can also depend on the type of class that a student takes. For instance, with many in-person classes, students don’t need to pay for computer equipment and up-to-date software since access to these is often included. However, self-paced classes can also be associated with cost savings since tuition is generally less, and students don’t need to pay for a commute.
Students who just need help with specific features of an app can find some free resources on the Adobe website. Adobe provides free tutorials explaining some of its apps' most popular features. It also has an online Support Community where users can share questions and answers about problems they have encountered. YouTube is another free resource where Adobe users sometimes exchange tips and tricks.
Free Introductory Adobe Animate Course Online
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.
Learn Animation & Motion Graphics with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop
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.
How to Learn Adobe Animate & Animation
Master Adobe Animate and animation with hands-on training. Formerly called Flash, Adobe Animate is one of Adobe's animation applications.
- Animation classes at Noble Desktop: live, instructor-led courses available in NYC or live online
- Find Animation Classes Near You: Search & compare dozens of available courses in-person
- Attend an animation class live online (remote/virtual training) from anywhere
- Find & compare the best online animation classes (on-demand) from the top providers and platforms
- Train your staff with corporate and onsite animation training