Have you ever found yourself wondering what the job opportunities and benefits can be when you study animation,3D architectural design or Game Development?
In this article we will discuss the job opportunities, benefits to study animation, architectural design or Game development and we will also take a look at the software and extra’s that we offer exclusively at Learn 3D.
Animation
What does an Animator do? Where does an Animator work?
Animators create animation and visual effects for films, video games, television, mobile devices, and other forms of media using illustrations and software programs.
Animators also create graphics and develop storyboards, drawings and illustrations. They create, plan, and script animated narrative sequences, and assist with background design and production coordination.
Job Opportunities
3D Modeler, Art Director, Film and Video Editor , Flash Animator, Graphic Designer, Stop Motion Animator – Career, Video Game Designer, Animation Director, Cartoonist, Character Animator, Character Rigger, Color Key Artist, Compositing Artist, Concept Artist, Digital Painter, Effects Animator, Forensic Animator, Independent Filmmaker, Key Animator, Lighting Technician, Render Wrangler, Storyboard Artist, Texture Artist, Visual Development Artist.
3D Visualization Design
A 3D visualization Artist depicts designs in 3d perspective. They model 3D objects and spaces from CAD drawings, or use 3D models from BIM programs like Revit.
3D Visualisers show what a design will look like, as if it is a finished product.
Working with designers and developers the 3D visualization artist uses the software tools to develop materials, create virtual cameras, add lighting to scenes, and render images or animated walk-troughs.
Some fields that design visualization applies to are: architecture, urban design, product and furniture design, urban design, tranport and interchange design, industrial design, and various other fields.
You might design homes, offices, university buildings and healthcare centers on the software. Job duties include marketing, consulting with clients for new and existing projects, estimating project costs, designing structures and preparing scaled drawings. You might also direct other workers, visit worksites and manage contracts.
Currently, the trend in the field is turning toward sustainable/green design services. As a green architectural designer, you would use sustainable derived building materials and incorporate design features that conserve energy and water as well as reduce waste generation.
Game Developers
Game developers design and create video games for computers and video game consoles. They are involved in the conception as well as the execution of the game creation. While education requirements vary based on employers.
Game developers, more specifically known as video game developers or video game designers, are software developers and engineers who create video games. Game developers may be involved in various aspects of a game’s creation from concept and story writing to the coding and programming. Other potential areas of work for a game developer include audio, design, production and visual arts.
Many components are involved in the development of a video game. Designers, producers and graphic artists all contribute to the final product. However, programmers and software developers turn the idea into code, which provides the game with its operating instructions. Game and software developers create the core features of a video game.
Duties of a game developer may include:
• Creating story lines and character biographies
• Conducting design reviews
• Designing role-play mechanics
• Creating prototypes for staff and management
• Documenting game design process
Entry level and junior game programmers typically use basic tools and languages, such as C++, to add small elements to games. They are also expected to keep up with changing technology. Lead developers and programmers write more complicated code and manage other programmers.
Our Courses
Our full-time 2D Concept Design & Animation course is one year long. Students will be exposed to 2D illustration concepts and animation techniques with the help of Adobe Photoshop, Toon Boom Storyboard Pro and Harmony.This course aims to improve the students understanding of characters and their environments, the creation of such worlds and the effective communication of them through 2D art and animation.Course content includes:
Basic to intermediate Illustration Techniques
Colour Theory
Adobe Photoshop
Concept Art
Matte Painting
Character Development
Storyboarding with Toon Boom Storyboard Pro
Background & prop design
Principles of Animation
Animation in Toon Boom Harmony
After finishing this course, you will have a complete understanding of the different pieces of software and the workflow required to use them successfully. You will also get:
Internationally recognized Toon Boom Certificate
Show-reel stills and animation
Interaction and classes with industry professionals
Our full-time 3DS Max course is geared towards Design Visualization and Game Asset Development, including animation principles that apply to both the visualization and motion graphics industry.The aim of this course is to provide students with a functional working knowledge of Autodesk 3ds Max & Mudbox, V-Ray, Adobe Photoshop and After Effects. V-Ray is covered in depth as it is the physical lighting engine adopted by the majority of the industry.This course has been designed to equip students with the knowledge of current solid industry work-flows, focusing on both the technical and creative approaches, with the goal of confidently applying these tools in production.Subjects include:
Modelling & Sculpting
Texturing
Advanced Lighting
Rigging
Dynamics & Simulation
Animation
Compositing
By the end of this course you will be able to create realistic visualizations from small interiors to complex exterior scenes as well as create a purely artistic image or animation, making you ready to enter the workplace at the end of your studies. You will master the art of low-poly modelling with an emphasis on game environment and asset creation.
You will also get:
Internationally recognized Autodesk Certificate
Internationally recognized V-Ray Certificate
Show-reel stills and animation
Interaction and classes with industry professionals
Our 3D Animation & Visual Effects full-time course is one year long. Students will be exposed to all aspects of 3D animation and compositing techniques with the help of Autodesk Maya & Mudbox, Adobe After-Effects and V-Ray.The aim of this course is to provide students with a functional working knowledge and thorough understanding of these applications within the different markets such as broadcast TV & film, product design & game development.Subjects include:
Modelling & Sculpting
Texturing
Advanced Lighting
Rigging
Dynamics & Simulation
Animation
Compositing
After finishing this course, you will have a complete understanding of the different pieces of software and the work-flow required to use them successfully.
You will also get:
Internationally recognized Autodesk Certificate
Internationally recognized V-Ray Certificate
Show-reel stills and animation
Interaction and classes with industry professionals
Our full-time Games Development course is one year long, focusing on the casual games market. Students will be exposed to programming in C#, game theory and development techniques with Unity 3D, as well as work with the latest Virtual Reality technology by developing games compatible with the Oculus Rift.Course content includes:
Learning to code from scratch (no previous experience necessary)
Fundamentals of game programming, such as AI, physics, etc
Importing and optimization of game assets/animations
Basic mathematics principles, including geometry
Storytelling techniques in games
Game design in terms of good and bad practices
Game Development following the Oculus VR standards
After finishing this course, you will have a complete understanding of the different steps required to make a game.
That involves:
Intimate knowledge of game design principles
The know-how of how to create your own games from scratch and the entire process involved
The process of getting your game onto the market place
Developing a playable game to be presented at the rAge expo in October.
About the software that we use
We offer the best leading software of the market for all our animation/3D architectural and Game Development courses:
1. Adobe After Effects
Adobe After Effects is a digital visual effects, motion graphics, and compositing application developed by Adobe Systems and used in the post-production process of film making and television production. Among other things, After Effects can be used for keying, tracking, compositing and animation.
2. Adobe Premiere
Adobe Premiere Pro is a timeline-based video editing software application. It is part of the Adobe Creative Cloud, which includes video editing, graphic design, and web development programs.
3. Autodesk3ds Max
Autodesk 3ds Max, formerly 3D Studio, then 3D Studio Max is a professional 3Dcomputer graphics program for making 3D animations, models, games and images. It is developed and produced by Autodesk Media and Entertainment.
4. V-Ray
V-Ray is a commercial rendering plug-in for 3D computer graphics software applications. It is developed by Chaos Group (Bulgarian: Хаос Груп), a Bulgarian company based in Sofia, Bulgaria, established in 1997.
V-Ray Showreel
5. Autodesk Maya
Maya is an animation and modeling program used to create three-dimensional , full-motion effects. Maya incorporates the natural laws of physics to control the behavior of virtual objects in computer animation. Maya can produce videos that are more life-like than has been possible with less sophisticated programs. Versions are available for both IBM-compatible and Macintosh operating systems.
6. Unity
Unity is a cross-platform game engine developed by Unity Technologies and used to develop video games for PC, consoles, mobile devices and websites. First announced only for OS X, at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference in 2005, it has since been extended to target 21 platforms. Nintendo provides free licenses of Unity 5 to all licensed Nintendo Developers along with their software development kits (SDKs) for the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS Family
Unity Showreel
7. Toon Boom
Toon Boom Harmony. This software is used in the film and TV animation industry for its professional-quality 2D animation production capabilities. … When used as a paperless animation solution, users can draw animation directly into the software, using a graphics tablet.
International well known companies that use Toon Boom:
• Disney
• Cartoon Network
• Dreamworks
• South Park Studios
• Fox
• Ubisoft
That’s just to name a few and did you know that we are the only Toon Boom accredited company in South Africa.
Our student’s also have the opportunity to not only work on our computers but also draw or render using a Wacom Tablet.
Wacom Tablets:
Wacom provides interactive pen displays, pen tablets, and styluses to equip and inspire everyone make the world a more creative place.
I hope that we answered all of your questions and that we will see you next year in class.
Just remember that “All your dreams can come true if you have the courage to pursue them”