Are Animation Bootcamps Worth It?

If you’re interested in learning animation skills, there are many paths you can take to achieve your goal. It doesn’t matter if you only want to work on personal or passion projects or if you want professional-level skills that can help you earn a living, you’ll find many learning options. Bootcamps are one popular option to learn animation without investing too much time and money. If you’re unsure of whether or not an animation bootcamp is worthwhile, keep reading. This article will explain the differences between bootcamps and other learning paths and how an animation bootcamp can be used to help you meet your goals.

What is Animation?

One of the first things that comes to mind when thinking about animation is cartoons for most people. But animation can be much more than Moana and Looney Tunes. Animation is an art form that creates the illusion of a still image in motion. Most modern animation is done using computers, and you’ll find animation skills in use in a wide range of industries to tackle a variety of tasks that require a little creative and interactive flair. Early animations were a long and laborious process. Animators would have to draw the same picture repeatedly, each picture in a slightly different position so that when each of those pictures were shown in a rapid succession, they would appear to be moving. Beyond movies and television shows, animations are also used for websites, video games, visual effects, and marketing materials. 

What Can You Do with Animation?

There’s a lot that you can do with animation beyond working on shows like Craig of the Creek, although the most obvious option is filmmaking. Whether it’s for television or the big screen, animation is used to produce visual effects, develop computer-generated special effects, and create images for all media types. Movies, television, the Internet, applications, and games all rely on Animators to make projects successful. Alternatively, Animators are also found working as Medical or Mathematical Animators, Illustrators, Games Developers, and Visual Effects Artists. Animation is also useful to Graphic Designers, Motion Graphics Designers, and UI Designers. 

While many tools can be used in animation, After Effects and Premiere Pro are the go-to for many who use animation. By layering multiple software, Animators can create jaw-dropping animations that capture audiences. After Effects has an affinity for video compositing and motion graphics design. Photoshop is often used to generate images. Cinema 4D is great for developing special effects. And Premiere Pro can bring all of these together to create a seamless and stunning project. 

Why Learn Animation in a Bootcamp

There are many advantages to learning animation in a bootcamp. When you enroll in a bootcamp, you’ll be learning at an accelerated pace to fast-track you into job readiness. Not only do bootcamps offer a relatively fast education solution, but they are also career-focused. This combination puts you in a position to be a more attractive hiring candidate. Getting a career-focused animation education in a matter of weeks or months is a bootcamp’s biggest draw. While bootcamps are immersive and can be somewhat intense for some learners, they are one of the best ways to enter a new career efficiently. Typically, students can choose between part-time and full-time schedules, which allow them to better pace their learning with their existing schedule. Finally, students find the career support services that bootcamps offer to be extremely valuable. Whether it’s job boards, job fairs, mentoring, or mock interviews, most bootcamps are centered on students entering the workforce. 

Bootcamps Compared to College

Many Animators start their careers in college or an arts and design school by earning a bachelor’s degree. They will often major in animation, film, visual effects, or motion media design. Each school will have a unique course catalog to choose animation learning pathways. What drives most people to enroll in college and earn a four-year degree is its in-depth and immersive education. Students will cover a broad range of topics that are not always related to animation but are designed to teach students how to think critically, be analytical, and make interdisciplinary connections. Colleges also offer students powerful networks to leverage in their personal and professional lives. There are a host of career services available to students from tutoring to career services to counseling. With so many services to take advantage of, college graduates are often more prepared to begin a career in animation or a related field than those who don’t. 

But there is more than one way to skin the proverbial cat. Bootcamps are a popular alternative to college degree programs. While completing degree programs can take two to six years (maybe more depending on the path taken), completing a bootcamp can take a few weeks to several months. That’s a fraction of the time it takes to earn a college degree in animation. Of course, you won’t get as in-depth or as broad of an education in a bootcamp, but you will learn what you need to know to find an entry-level position and get your foot in the door. You’ll learn the in-demand skills that will help you complete routine tasks and animation projects successfully on a professional level. Bootcamps focus on job readiness in a way that most colleges do not. While bootcamps do address design theory and animation principles, the main focus of the program is to teach the practical skills that will bolster your career.

Cost is another glaring difference between bootcamps and college. Not only does college take up a lot of time, but also costs a lot of money. A college degree can cost tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars to earn. The cost of bootcamps is a small fraction of that, with the most expensive options typically costing less than $20,000. It should be noted that some colleges do offer bootcamps and certificate programs outside of their traditional degree options. Bootcamps are far more cost and time-efficient than degree programs, but there are more financing options available to college students. 

Another difference is that colleges are very exclusive. Prospective students must apply for entry and are not guaranteed to be accepted. While some bootcamps do have admissions processes, there is generally a low entry threshold that is far less exclusive than that of colleges and universities. Bootcamps pride themselves on their ability to graduate successful working professionals, so naturally, they want people to have easier access to achieving their learning goals. Bootcamps offer immersive learning experiences with lots of hands-on exercises and real-world challenges in a condensed timeline that is better suited to individuals who can’t realistically take years off to learn a new skill.

The biggest disadvantage to bootcamps is their accelerated curriculums. Although they are appreciated, they can’t offer a comprehensive education given the time constraints. Students focus on specific aspects of animation which leads to students having to do more work outside of the classroom to fully grasp certain concepts and develop a demo reel that’s comparable to that of a college graduate. Instead of spending several weeks on composite graphic elements, bootcamps may cover it in one day, leading many students to have to spend a considerable amount of time outside of class practicing. All in all, bootcamps are one of the top alternatives for those who don’t have the resources to complete an animation degree program.

Bootcamps Compared to Self-Paced Courses

Moving toward the self-taught Animator are self-paced animation courses typically measured in hours because the time it takes to complete a self-paced program will vary from student to student. These on-demand courses are a great fit for students who have tight schedules and a smaller budget. Self-paced courses teach basic animation skills with pre-recorded class sessions that can be completed at will, as the student’s schedule permits. While some self-paced courses offer students lifetime access to course materials, others give limited access that expires after a few months or a couple of years. Bootcamps have a defined schedule and are usually taught by a live instructor. 

Self-paced animation courses are more cost-efficient than bootcamps. Tuition is generally less because they are not live courses. Sometimes students pay a monthly subscription fee for access to a library of courses or have a flat-rate tuition. While this is great for scheduling flexibility, it is a disadvantage for interaction. You won’t have the advantage of a live instructor to get feedback from in real-time, which is invaluable when you’re dealing with such a technical skill as animation. Ensuring up-to-date information is also difficult when studying and practicing on your own, as is the instruction being up-to-date on the most current version of common animation software like After Effects and Premiere Pro. 

Students who don’t have other training options can benefit from self-paced animation classes, but these programs aren’t typically as in-depth or immersive as a bootcamp. You won’t have directed hands-on training from a live instructor, and you’ll have to be committed and diligent about completing the program. It’s easy to procrastinate due to the low level of accountability self-paced classes have. If you’re serious about starting a career in animation, a more immersive and in-depth education will be more effective in reaching your goal. 

Bootcamps Compared to Free Training Options

To become a self-taught Animator, you’ll likely take advantage of the many free training options available. The Internet has many great tutorials, seminars, YouTube channels, and sites dedicated to teaching animation skills. You’ll also find resources at your local library, in online communities, and professional guilds. Using free resources is a great option for those who have the time and discipline to dedicate to learning animation skills with little to no budget. Another great way to find free educational resources on animation is to go directly to the software vendor sites to get information on how to use the software and what they can do for your animations.

Although free training options are useful, they generally only scratch the surface and don’t provide feedback. These free classes can only take you so far, as advanced techniques are usually omitted. It can be difficult to figure out where to start, and just as hard to find up-to-date information on the most current version of animation software. You won’t have the benefit of instructor feedback or directed hands-on exercises, which makes finding your way difficult. Free training options are best suited to students who are trying to decide whether or not animation is the right career path for them, or they’re hobbyists looking to work through a particular animation challenge.

Learn Animation Skills with Noble Desktop

Noble Desktop has an animation class for you, whether you’re interested in an immersive and in-depth bootcamp or something less intense and more practical. If you’re searching for an animation bootcamp that’s going to help you establish a career in animation, then you should consider their Motion Graphics Certificate bootcamp. This course helps students get started with video editing, animating motion graphics, creating visual and special effects, and building a professional demo reel/portfolio using Cinema 4D, After Effects, and Premiere Pro. It’s a beginner-friendly, 96-hour, project-based course with no prior knowledge required. If you’re comfortable using a computer, Noble Desktop can get you on the road to becoming an Animator with this bootcamp. 

When you enroll in the live, 126-hour Video Editing & Motion Graphics Certificate bootcamp you’ll learn video editing principles, how to work with animations, and advanced After Effects and Premiere Pro techniques. This course also offers students a bonus lesson in either AI for Video & Motion Graphics or Adobe Photoshop Bootcamp. It’s helpful to be familiar with Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop but not required to enroll. This is a beginner-friendly course that allows students one free retake and 1-on-1 mentoring sessions outside of class. You can choose from a full-time or part-time schedule and flexible payment plans. 

For a less intense and single-topic focused bootcamp, consider After Effects Bootcamp. This bootcamp will teach you how to create animated motion graphics using professional techniques. You’ll start with the basics and move through to motion tracking and green screen removal. This beginner-friendly, 18-hour, live, project-based bootcamp will help you create dynamic transitions, add audio to animations, and incorporate video footage. This course offers a free retake, class recordings, and a 1-on-1 mentoring session. If you’re only interested in learning the basics of After Effects, consider enrolling in After Effects in a Day. 

Do you already know the basics of Adobe After Effects and want to tie it into Cinema 4D? Take your animation skills a little deeper with Cinema 4D in After Effects Bootcamp. This course will teach you how to integrate Cinema 4D Lite with After Effects to 3D models and motion graphics. After completing this bootcamp, you’ll have learned the skills to create and work with 3D models, assign textures, create animations, and use the Cineware effect for seamless integration through an 18-hour, live, project-based curriculum. Students can view recorded class sessions to reinforce their understanding and can retake the course once within a year if needed.