Can I Learn Animation For Free?

Yes, it’s possible to learn animation for free. You’ll find plenty of self-taught Animators in the field like Lwazi Msipha. Many of them are doing amazing work and have strong and compelling reputations and bodies of work. While it’s true that you can learn animation for free, it’s much easier to gain foundational knowledge of animation techniques and software than it is to delve into more advanced skills. Learning animation on your own is a long and arduous undertaking that is full of challenges and avoidable missteps. If you’re interested in becoming an Animator, acquiring more advanced skills will be far more efficient with advanced training. There are advantages and disadvantages to learning animation for free, but there’s no substitution for the guided instruction and personalized feedback that you get from enrolling in animation classes.

What Free Resources Are Available for Learning Animation?

There are a lot of free resources available to those who want to learn animation. Some of the best places to find free resources include software vendor sites, training center sites, on-demand learning platforms, and YouTube. You can find videos, video tutorials, articles, case studies, free software trials, and seminars to help you gain a better understanding of animation, animation principles, design theory, and using animation software like Adobe After Effects. While free resources are in abundance online, you have to be discerning on which you take advantage of as free doesn’t always equate to high-quality learning materials that will move you in the direction you want to go. These free resources help build a solid animation foundation that you can build on with more immersive educational options that are more efficient. If you are interested in gaining professional-level skills, you will most likely need to enroll in more advanced classes with guidance and structure for the most complete and efficient animation education.

On-demand learning platforms and YouTube can be very helpful, but they can sometimes be misleading. There is not always a vetting process for these platforms, so you may come across low-quality or outdated content. If you’re new to animation, it may not be clear whether or not the content is truly helpful. When you’re learning how to use various animation software for free, one of the best places to go is the website. Many software vendors have short video tutorials that help guide users through using their products. These videos are often short, single-topic tutorials that can help you solve an animation challenge you may have or get you acquainted with the interface to get you more comfortable with it. If you’re considering enrolling in a course, you can get a feel for what the class will be like by going to training center sites and watching some of their free sample courses. You’ll also find written material on animation that can help you get a better understanding of the 12 principles of animation, visual communication, design theory, and other concepts that are taught in animation classes. 

Check out Noble Desktop’s YouTube channel or free seminars to get a headstart in animation. If you want to Get Started in Motion Graphics, you’ll find this seminar useful in understanding the different uses for Premiere Pro and After Effects. It’s an introduction to the world of motion graphics that covers all of the basics. Intro to Cinema 4D Lite highlights how you can use the software in conjunction with After Effects to improve the quality of your motion graphics. If you’re interested in all that Adobe has to offer, Intro to Adobe Creative Cloud teaches you about the apps so you can decide which you want to dive into first. Once you’ve explored these free classes, you can find animation classes that go on a deeper dive into your preferred topics.

How to Make Use of Free Animation Resources

Free animation resources like free software trials and tutorials are great tools to leverage when you’re preparing to take an animation course. They can familiarize you with terminology and vocabulary, software interfaces, and animation techniques. Getting a headstart on your animation journey can help you feel more comfortable in courses, and give you the chance to prepare questions for your instructor that can make a difference in your understanding of course material. Another way you can use free resources to prepare for taking an animation course includes gaining experience to cover course prerequisites. Although there are many beginner-friendly animation courses like Motion Graphics Certificate courses available, they sometimes have a few prerequisites. It’s in your best interest not to discount the prerequisites. If you do, you will have a much steeper learning curve and you may always feel behind or lost during lectures and classwork. Free resources help avoid this discomfort. 

If you’re not sure whether or not animation is the career path for you, free resources should be your go-to. The last thing you want to do is spend money on an animation course only to find out that animation isn’t a great fit for you. Consider diving into free resources to learn whether or not animation is a fulfilling career path for you. You can learn about common job duties, the types of software you’ll be using, and what kinds of projects you can work on. Free resources can help you immensely in making a huge decision that can significantly change your future. You can also use free resources while you’re enrolled in an animation course as supplemental materials. When you need an alternative perspective or explanation of something, you can go to some of these resources to gain clarity. They can help you work through animation challenges and give you alternative ways to solve your problem. They’re also helpful in reinforcing what you’re learning in a course to help you achieve better retention and understanding. 

Limitations of Free Resources

If you’re only looking to learn animation basics for personal projects, free resources can be enough to help you achieve your goals, but if you’re interested in gaining professional-level skills free resources aren’t likely to be sufficient. Although free resources are a valuable part of learning web development, they can only take you so far. At some point, you’re going to want to have more structured and interactive instruction. The personal guidance you’ll receive from a live instructor or mentor will help you fill in the learning gaps that free resources tend to leave and help you build on what you learned using them. If you’re serious about becoming an animation professional, then you’re going to have to make a significant investment in your education and your future. Free resources tend to be generalized and don’t offer in-depth and immersive instruction. With feedback being limited, or non-existent in some instances, it’s difficult to know how well your practice is going and whether you’re being efficient in your animation or not. Another limitation is quality assurance. Some free resources are not high-quality, can be misleading, or are sometimes outdated. 

What to Do After Utilizing Free Animation Resources

If you’ve exhausted all of the free animation resources available and you want to go further, it’s time to enroll in paid, live training at Noble Desktop or another reputable training center. The classes offered at Noble Desktop will help you take your animation skills to the next level and even build an animation career if that’s what you desire. Free resources are not intended to get you job-ready, so enrolling in a bootcamp or certificate program is helpful. There are different learning formats to help you realize your animation dreams, including in-person and live online classes. Both have their merits and can address student-specific needs. And both will help to accelerate your learning because you’ll have more structured guidance. Consider enrolling in a Video Editing & Motion Graphics Certificate course to get an in-depth education in animation. This course covers Premiere Pro, After Effects, Cinema 4D Lite, Audition, and demo reel development. You’ll also have access to eight 1-on-1 mentoring sessions in which you can get additional help, demo reel help, job application help, and resume polishing assistance. 

The learning format that most people are familiar with is in-person classroom instruction. It is generally viewed as the most effective and efficient way to learn a new skill. Some of its many advantages include a structured and guided learning experience with an expert instructor, access to real-time personalized feedback, peer networking, mentorship, and student support services. Whether you choose a degree program at a college or university, or you decide to attend a certificate program or bootcamp, there are many perks to in-person learning. While courses at a reputable training center like Noble Desktop only cost a fraction of college and university tuition, there is still a cost. When choosing in-classroom animation courses, you’ll have a limited selection of the facilities that are in your area.

Live online classes allow you to bypass commuting to class and have more choices in training centers. By removing geographical barriers, students have more options and flexibility overall. Students and instructors meet online at the same time from their respective locations. Live online classes are similar to in-person classes, offering hands-on exercises, personalized feedback in real-time, peer interaction, and instructor guidance. Noble Desktop offers animation courses both in-person and live online in part-time and full-time schedules that make learning animation more convenient. You can use live classes to jumpstart a successful career in animation. They’ll help you become a more confident Animator with the in-demand animation skills that employers need. When you enroll in a reputable program, you’ll find that it becomes easier to build an impressive demo reel that highlights your skill and animation style.