If you're an aspiring data bprofessional-looking to enroll in a bootcamp in Microsoft Power BI to prepare for a career, you may wonder if enrolling in classes is worth your time and money. Although the answer to this question varies from person to person, enrolling in animation classes is worth it for those whose goals require learning it. If you're interested in beginning a new career in animation or upskilling to advance your current career, animation classes are worth it. However, if you're only concerned with completing personal projects or deepening your hobby, you may not find an expensive, in-depth animation class to be worth the cost. Learning animation tools, techniques, and skills in a class is the best way to develop the professional skills that you'll need to succeed in creating high-quality projects. This article will help you put into perspective the many factors you'll need to consider when determining whether or not animation classes are the best option for you.
Consider the Costs
Taking an animation class can be costly. Tuition and fees vary from facility to facility, but the cost of an animation class will largely depend on how in-depth the course is and its duration. If you're enrolling in a course to gain professional-level skills that can be applied to a career in animation, expect a significant price tag. Remember, classes are an investment in your future, your future earning potential, and your career. Cost is going to be a deciding factor when choosing an animation class, so establish a budget and choose a class within your set budget. You'll find less expensive options, including on-demand classes, free online tutorials, and shorter classes; each has its trade-offs, advantages, and disadvantages. With so many options available, you'll want to judge what is and isn’t worth the cost when comparing different classes.
Advantages of Taking an Animation Class
There are many advantages to taking an animation class. While they can be a costly investment, many students choose in-person or live online classes to learn animation skills that are useful and in-demand professionally.
General Benefits
The biggest benefit is learning a new skill or skill set that can be applied to your career or personal projects. Live animation training classes offer students a real, live instructor to guide them through the course curriculum. This is preferred by most students because it provides real-time feedback, personalized instruction, and step-by-step guidance through course material. Many students find that enrolling in a class keeps them accountable, helping them stay focused and engaged while also helping them better understand the course material.
Access to Software Programs
Enrolling in a course also grants many students access to software programs at a discounted rate while guiding them through how to use them effectively. Several animation tools and programs are commonly used. If you're looking to attend an animation class to deepen your hobby, you may not want to pay for the programs. Some training centers offer software programs to students at no additional fee. After Effects, Premiere Pro, and Cinema 4D are a few industry-standard tools used in animation. You can learn to use these programs confidently and efficiently with a dedicated, expert instructor helping you understand the ins and outs of these programs. You'll be given practice exercises to gain hands-on experience with real-world animation tasks.
Learning Theory and Practice
Gaining a foundational understanding of design and composition theory helps you understand the various animation techniques you'll be learning to use. Learning the "why" behind the work is vital to becoming a great Animator. Visual design theory helps you understand the rules so that you can effectively break them when necessary and best apply them in other projects. When enrolled in a class, your instructor can help you understand animation theory and how to apply it to various animation techniques.
Collaboration
Oftentimes, animators work as part of a team. Teams can consist of many different people, including video editors, writers, directors, audio editors, and motion graphics designers. There is a complex and collaborative process that takes a project from concept to a polished, finished product. Each part of the team plays a vital role in the creation, and animators need to learn how to be a team player. This skill can be taught, and a class can help you gain a better understanding of the animation process, how others are involved, and how you fit into the team by allowing students to work together on real-world projects that mirror the types of work they need to master in a professional context.
Personalized Feedback
There is no substitute for personalized feedback. It enables you to improve your work, ask questions, and deepen your understanding of animation. Personalized feedback is invaluable for those who want to use their education for professional gains. As you build your animation portfolio, this feedback helps develop strong pieces that demonstrate your command of animation and style.
Building a Portfolio
An animation portfolio is crucial for building confidence and demonstrating your command of animation skills and theory. If becoming a professional Animator is your goal, you'll want your portfolio to showcase your professional skills and style. Your portfolio must be well-rounded and sell you as an Animator.
Considerations to Make When Looking at Animation Classes
While animation classes aren’t always the best option for everyone interested in animation, if you decide to explore whether or not classes can help you achieve your goals, there are key considerations to keep in mind as you research classes.
General Considerations
Some general considerations include whether the class is in-person or online and whether it is full-time or part-time. There are multiple learning formats available, and you'll find that a certain format better suits your needs. If you have a tight schedule, you may need to enroll in an online course to skip the commute and participate from anywhere. If you're a social learner who thrives in a classroom setting, an in-person animation class will be better. Live online classes operate more like traditional in-person classes, but on-demand or self-paced online courses are pre-recorded and require dedication and motivation. On-demand online courses are easy to procrastinate on and may not be completed due to low accountability, and you choose when to learn animation. Check if there are prerequisites, and consider using free learning resources to satisfy them, or enroll in a more introductory class before the one you're interested in.
Balancing Theory and Practical Skills
Figuring out the right balance of theory and practical skills isn't easy, especially as a beginner. Do you enjoy learning the history of things or prefer to dive right into the action? Why do you want to learn animation? Both practical skills and theory are necessary, but starting with what's most interesting to you can make your learning path smoother. For instance, if your objective is to create animations for your YouTube channel or social media profiles, you probably don't want to be bogged down by theory; you want to get right into learning to create amazing animations and manage multiple projects quickly with Adobe Animate or Adobe After Effects. With so many classes to choose from using the Classes Near Me tool, you're sure to find a class with the right balance between theory and practice.
What Skills Do You Need to Know?
As a beginner, you may not know what skills you need, but comparing classes and considering your goals can help. If you only need animation for personal projects, you probably don't want to spend the same amount of money as someone building a career. If you're not a beginner and already have some experience with animation, you might only need an intermediate or advanced class to accomplish your learning goals. Comparing classes is a great way to see what topics are covered at different levels and which offer the most balanced approach.
Is It Worth Enrolling in Animation Classes?
As previously stated, the worth of enrolling in an animation class may vary. Here's a breakdown of how worthwhile animation classes are for different groups of people. Chances are, you fall into one of these groups, and you'll get a better sense of what animation classes can do for you.
Who Will Find It Worthwhile?
Novice animators who are seriously interested in starting a new career in animation will find the time, cost, and energy spent on an in-depth animation course worthwhile. Not only will they benefit from professional development, but also from the career support services some training centers provide, along with practical training. The upfront costs can be expensive, but the long-term earning potential can balance that out over time. Creatives who want to expand their skill set to better express their visions and those working in professional roles like marketing, human resources, or public health who need to upskill or reskill will also find animation classes worthwhile. They may not need an in-depth class, but could benefit from an introductory course that covers basic animation skills for their professional projects.
Who Might Find It Worthwhile?
Those considering a creative career but unsure about animation's direction might find animation classes worthwhile. Content creators, considering platforms like YouTube and TikTok, can expand their work's reach with animation classes. Platforms have made sharing content with millions easier but have also saturated the market with creators. Therefore, it’s to your advantage to make sure your content is professional and appealing. Mastering animation skills can help you create high-quality work that reflects your aesthetic.
Anyone considering working in adjacent fields like graphic design or video editing, and wants to broaden their skill set, might also find animation classes worthwhile. While these adjacent professions may not require regular use of animation, certain projects will. Having animation skills in your toolkit makes you more marketable and desirable to clients and employers. A few animation classes can make you a better Graphic Designer or Video Editor, allowing you to stretch your creativity without heavily relying on other creative professionals, saving both time and energy.
Who Probably Doesn’t Need an Animation Class?
An animation class might not be necessary if you're a hobbyist content creator or amateur Animator. These groups usually don't have strict timelines and can learn at their own pace using free online resources. It’s probably not worth the cost and time commitment to enroll in a formal class, especially if personal satisfaction is the only gain. Free introductory courses or topic-based free resources may better suit your needs.
If you're already established in animation, you likely don't need to enroll in a class to tackle a challenge. Enrolling in a course might disrupt your timeline, especially if the topic isn't addressed until later in the curriculum or is only briefly covered. Independent research, single-topic free resources, and consulting with other creative professionals may be more effective in resolving issues.
Learn Animation Skills with Noble Desktop
Noble Desktop has an animation class for you, whether you're interested in immersive and in-depth training or something less intense and more practical. If you're searching for an animation course that will help you establish a career in animation, consider their Motion Graphics Certificate course. This course offers students the chance to get started with video editing, animate motion graphics, create visual and special effects, and build 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.
When you enroll in their Video Editing and Motion Graphics Certificate course, you'll learn video editing principles, advanced After Effects, and Premiere Pro techniques, as well as get a bonus lesson in either AI for Video and Motion Graphics or Adobe Photoshop Bootcamp in 126 hours. It’s helpful to be familiar with Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, but not required. This is a beginner-friendly certificate course that also covers post-production and animation. Both certificate programs offer 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.
If you prefer something a little less intense and focused on one topic, consider the After Effects Bootcamp. This bootcamp will teach you how to create animated motion graphics using professional techniques, from basics to motion tracking and green screen removal. This beginner-friendly, 18-hour, project-based bootcamp will help you create dynamic transitions, add audio to animations, and incorporate video footage. The course offers a free retake, class recordings, and 1-on-1 mentoring. If you just want to cover the basics of After Effects, consider enrolling in After Effects in a Day.