Animation Training Cost

Are you looking to learn animation?After a student has licensed the programs they intend to use, the upfront costs are taken care of. Beyond this, you’ll want to consider the cost of animation training. The cost of animation training is going to vary depending on the kind of training received. Since animation is such a broad and diverse skill set, some students may only need to learn a few tools and be able to attend a bootcamp for only a few hundred dollars. Students looking for a more career-focused education may pay a few thousand dollars. Read on to find out more about how much you can expect to spend on learning animation.

What is Animation?

Most people have seen animated movies or shows, but what is animation? Animation is the process of photographing a still image—typically a drawing—then making slight modifications to the image while taking successive pictures. An animator will rapidly show these pictures to make it appear as if the image is moving. An animator would create a series of pictures to show, for example, a flower on a windy day, each with the flower in a slightly different position. When viewed quickly, one after another, the flower will appear to move back and forth even though it’s not actually moving. 

Animation skills are great to have in many different jobs; they’re just fun! Animators don’t just create movies or television shows. They also create moving graphics for websites, video games, or visual effects. Most animators now use software to create the graphics, though some still use drawings and sketches to bring their imagination to life.

Read more about what animation is and why you should learn it. 

What Can You Do with Animation?

Learning animation opens doors to different fields. The most obvious field is filmmaking: producing visual effects, developing computer-generated special effects, or creating images for any media type. Movies, television, the internet, and (video) games all rely on Animators for their products. Yet, Animators can also work as Medical or Mathematical Animators, Illustrators, Games Developers, and VFX Artists. Illustrators focus on still images, both hand-drawn and computer-generated, while Medical or Mathematical Animators, Games Developers and VFX Artists develop 3D moving images. 

The software that Animators use day in and day out is just plain fun! After Effects and Premiere Pro are the go-to animation software for professionals. After Effects allows users to complete video compositing, motion graphics design, and animation projects. Animators also learn software like Photoshop and Cinema 4D. Each type of software performs a specific function, such as image generating or developing special effects; Animators using multiple types of software can layer them to create stunning work.

In-Depth Review of the Training Cost

Students looking for professional animation training may be intimidated by how much they think it could cost. Professional training can be expensive, but it will be far more affordable than a traditional 4-year university education. In addition, the more immersive the training program, the more students can expect to improve their earning potential.

Students looking to start a new career in animation will want to enroll in a career-focused certificate program. These courses are built to prepare students to work in the animation industry and can often cost a few thousand to just over ten thousand dollars. The trade-off is that these courses give students the best opportunity to shift their career options radically.

Students who want a less expensive training program can consider a skills bootcamp. These courses won’t be as focused on building career-specific skills and will likely only teach a specific tool, but they will only cost students a few hundred dollars. This makes them ideal for students wanting to improve their skills but not ready to make a huge career change.

On-demand courses are cheaper, allowing students to learn animation skills for a few hundred dollars or less. Many of these courses are available through subscription services, such as LinkedIn or SkillShare. They are ideal for students who need more flexibility in their training and aren’t worried about the cost.

Free training options are available, but any student wanting to learn advanced animation skills will find that they need more advanced training. Students should also consider the incidental training costs, such as the commute cost if they are taking an in-person class or the cost of licensing software if they are learning online.

Free Introductory Animation Course Online 

Attending an entire course takes a commitment. If you’re not ready yet to attend a course but want to start learning animation, enroll in a free online animation seminar. In this free introductory animation course from Noble, you’ll learn how to create motion graphics animation from a photo. By the end of the two hours, you will be adding easing and animating with keyframes like a pro. The class allows participants to test out animation. Love it? Then you’re ready to sign up for a full-length course.

Other online providers offer After Effects and Premiere Pro classes. Udemy’s Adobe After Effects: Complete Course from Novice to Expert teaches students how to create motion graphics and visual effects through several projects. They also have courses that move more slowly, covering just beginner skills. Coursera has some free courses and many paid courses that cover animation. Most are specialized, so it helps to know what area of animation you’re interested in. You can find anything from VR to biomedical animations. As always, sites like LinkedIn offer animation courses.

Read about more free animation videos and online tutorials.

Learn Animation with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

Many experts agree that animation is much easier to learn when taken either in a live online class or in person. Noble Desktop provides animation classes, from their live online training taken anywhere in the world to their in-person courses in Manhattan, so students can easily find a class that enables them to gain animation skills. Class sizes are small; students are not nameless faces on a computer screen. Instructors can provide plenty of attention and feedback to students. The school is committed to student learning, allowing students to retake the course free up to a year later if they want to brush up on skills. 

In just a few days, students can learn how to use Adobe After Effects in Noble Desktop's bootcamp. This class is ideal for people new to the field of animation and motion design who want to start creating moving graphics with industry-leading software.

If you have more time, you can learn what it takes to become an Animator in Noble’s comprehensive Motion Graphics Certificate course. This class teaches animation with Adobe After Effects, video editing with Adobe Premiere Pro, and audio editing with Adobe Audition. These three pieces of software blend perfectly to create a polished final product. Participants will leave the course with a solid portfolio demonstrating their skills to future employers.