What is the Fastest Way to Learn Animation?

There are many ways to go about learning a new skill quickly. When the need arises you have several options at your disposal. To make your choice easier, consider the reason why you need to learn quickly. Animation is a technical skill that can take many hours of practice and weeks to months of education to master at a high level. How deep of an understanding you wish to acquire and your learning goals will greatly impact the amount of time it takes you can learn animation. Other factors that will impact your animation learning timeline include your style of learning, your ability to retain and apply information, how many practice hours you devote, and the course you choose. This article is intended to help you learn about the fastest ways to learn animation at multiple levels of proficiency so you can make a more informed choice when evaluating animation courses.

Free Resources: The Very Basics

When your learning goals are small or topic-driven, like solving an animation challenge for a personal project or expanding your knowledge to better tackle a professional project, free resources are a great tool to help you learn fast. When a problem comes up, it’s very efficient to do an Internet search and come up with a quick solution. You’ll find that there are many free training resources available, including free tutorials, seminars, articles, YouTube channels, and vendor sites. Learning the After Effects or Premiere Pro basic interfaces are just some of the animation basics you can learn with free resources from Adobe and other sources can help you become more confident with exploring these animation tools and others. Many tech training companies like Noble Desktop offer free course samples to give prospective students an idea of what training is like and offer short videos that address small topics on platforms like YouTube. There are even free online animation classes that can be helpful to aspiring animators.

Introductory Classes: For Students Looking to Become Comfortable with Animation

If you’re looking for a fast way to get a semi-immersive introduction to animation, introductory courses can be a game changer. Having guidance and structure is instrumental in becoming more comfortable with exploring animation tools and techniques. In general, introductory classes are very short. Some last only a few hours while others can take a few days, and they usually focus on a single topic like Premiere Pro or After Effects. These classes are great for busy professionals who are looking for a fast education without a major time commitment. Since introductory classes are so short, they are frequently scheduled and offered regularly. 

You can expect the majority of these short classes to be tech-forward, covering foundational skills that Animators need to know. Depending on the course you choose, you can expect to learn how to use various software, create simple animations, and add transitions. There are also introductory classes that focus on animation style, theory, and history for those who are interested in using it to break rules, guide their animations, and develop their animation aesthetic.

Certificate Granting Programs: For Aspiring Professionals

Certificate granting programs and bootcamps aren’t the fastest way to learn animation, but they are the fastest, most in-depth, and most immersive options for those who want to become professional Animators. They’re often accelerated and condensed into a few weeks to several months depending on whether students choose full-time or part-time learning. These courses are the perfect balance between introductory courses and college degree programs. Instead of advanced theory, the curriculum will center around the professional skills that are needed in professional animation. You won’t have as broad and immersive of an education as you would experience in a college or university, but what you lose in curriculum, you gain in time.

The certificate courses offered at training centers like Noble Desktop are designed to teach you the most in-demand skills very quickly and prepare students for entry-level positions in animation in a fraction of the time it costs to earn a college degree. A career-focused education makes certificate-granting programs ideal for individuals who need professional development assistance, technical training, and help to prepare for becoming certified in animation and design applications. If you’re looking for a quick path to a career in animation and professional development, consider a certificate-granting program.

On-Demand Courses: It’s Hard to Tell

Enrolling in on-demand courses allows you to control how fast you learn animation. On-demand courses are measured in hours because the actual length of time each student takes to complete the course material will vary from student to student. It’s important to understand your needs, goals, schedule, and study habits before enrolling in an on-demand animation class. Without this assessment, you may find yourself lacking. It’s difficult to stay motivated and avoid procrastination with the low level of accountability these pre-recorded online classes come with. To take advantage of the advantages on-demand courses offer, you’ll need to be a self-starter and stick to your plan. 

Students who need to quickly learn a specific skill or beginner to intermediate skills are best suited for on-demand learning. Once you enroll, you can begin taking in the course material. When you already have some experience or a strong background in animation, you’ll find that on-demand courses on platforms like Skillshare and Coursera are helpful in learning skills on the fly. For instance, if you want to learn how to convert 3D models into 2D pictures using scan lining, Masterclass might be just what you need to quickly learn the skill and add it to your professional toolkit. But if you’re a complete novice, you should expect things to move a little slower. Not only will you be learning foundational animation skills, but also various tools and techniques. Although gaining the skills that will help you start a professional animation career in an on-demand course is possible, you will likely better benefit from having a live instructor.

Learn Animation Skills with Noble Desktop

Noble Desktop has animation classes of varying lengths 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 class that’s going to help you establish a career in animation quickly, consider the Motion Graphics Certificate course which 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. This beginner-friendly, 96-hour, project-based course is great for students with no prior animation knowledge. When time is of the essence, Noble Desktop can move you closer to becoming an Animator in just five weeks with full-time enrollment or four months part-time. 

The 126-hour Video Editing & Motion Graphics Certificate teaches video editing principles, how to work with animations, and advanced After Effects and Premiere Pro techniques in one month full-time or four months part-time. You can expect to learn animation and motion graphics concepts, best practices, and workflows, how to animate text using After Effects, and make 3D models and animations with Cinema 4D Lite. This course also offers a bonus lesson in either AI for Video & Motion Graphics or Adobe Photoshop Bootcamp. Proficiency in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop is recommended but not required for this beginner-friendly course that allows students one free retake and 1-on-1 mentoring sessions outside of class. 

For a less intense class that goes beyond the basics, consider After Effects Bootcamp. This bootcamp covers creating animated motion graphics with professional techniques in three days or three weeks. You’ll learn foundational animation techniques, basic techniques like dynamic transitions, add audio to animations, and incorporate video footage, and advanced techniques like motion tracking and green screen removal during this beginner-friendly, 18-hour, live, project-based bootcamp. Students can take advantage of a free class retake, class recordings, and a 1-on-1 mentoring session. If you only need to learn the basics of After Effects quickly, After Effects in a Day may be a better choice. 

Do you want to enhance your Adobe After Effects skills with Cinema 4D? Enroll in Cinema 4D in After Effects Bootcamp to learn how to integrate Cinema 4D Lite with After Effects to animate 3D models and motion graphics in as little as three days. The part-time schedule spans three weeks. After completing this bootcamp, you’ll have the skills to create and work with 3D models, assign textures, create animations, and use the Cineware effect for seamless integration. Students can view recorded class sessions to reinforce their understanding and can retake the course once within a year if needed.