Three Types of Beginner Animation Courses Pros and Cons
If you want to learn how to animate, how do you decide which kind of course is right for you? Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of pre-recorded animation courses, live online animation classes and in-person animation classes to help you decide.
Pre-Recorded Beginner Animation Courses
YouTube Tutorials
The first place I look when I’m trying to learn something new is YouTube. It warms my heart to see so many generous people freely sharing their experience and knowledge. These videos can be a great addition to your educational journey teaching you tips, tricks and problem solving. And best of all, they’re usually free! Who doesn’t love free? The problem is that there are just SO many tutorials on how to start animating. It’s difficult and time consuming to filter out the irrelevant ones. Then of course, there’s the distraction of the YouTube feed. It’s rare that the suggestions lead me to a perfect match for what I’m looking for, but it’s really good at feeding me distractions like old “Night Flight” videos. Additionally, if you are looking for a video on animation for beginners finding one that matches your current skill level is challenging. Often the videos are too slow and basic or too fast and complicated. The teachers usually know what they’re doing, but let’s face it, not everyone teaches well.
2. Subscription Based Online Learning Communities
Online subscription based learning communities such as Skillshare and Domestika do the filtering for you. The course descriptions are easy to find and extra downloads are often included. There’s a lot of beginner classes to choose from and the material is usually presented well. This is a good option for people who are able to keep themselves motivated to learn the material and have time to research questions on their own. It may not be the best option for beginners who need more feedback from instructors and connections with peers. Also there’s limited offerings beyond the introductory level.
Live Online Animation Classes
Live-online refers to a regularly scheduled online meeting with the instructor and peers. There are several heavy hitters in the live-online animation class category such as Animation Mentor and Gnomon. They offer beginning to advanced animation classes and are often taught by people working in the entertainment industry. Classes are well structured to keep students motivated and the learning material can be top notch. The drawbacks are the cost and the narrow focus. A beginner animation course can range from $700-$2000. The schools are great at delivering animation instruction for people wanting to animate in the style of major studios like Disney or who want to go on to study animation at a college or university. But they are lacking in providing instruction for people interested in animating outside of industry aesthetics.
In-Person Animation Classes
Traditional in-person classes are a great way to get your feet wet in the world of animation. You meet with your instructor and peers in real life and have a lot of opportunities to ask questions. The classes are a great way to connect with like-minded people, get out of the house and learn techniques and software. The main issues are accessibility and content. I live in Los Angeles, the second largest city in America and the home of Hollywood. But finding a beginning animation course that is affordable and high-quality is still a challenge. There are several entry level classes for kids in outschool and the majority of the others require enrollment in a college level program.
Summary
In deciding which type of course is the best choice for you, think about your budget, motivation and whether you prefer self-paced or structured learning. If you’re looking for a live online beginner animation course, Galaxy Art Lab offers affordable classes in animation fundamentals and experimental techniques. Sign up for our newsletter to learn more about upcoming classes.
