ANIMALS Animation

Animate like a master!

Play Introduction Video

Date 14. - 25. 8. 2023

Occupancy 6 / 10 participants Last Seats

Language English

Duration 10 days [80 hours]

Skill Level intermediate to advanced

Location Český Krumlov, Czech Republic

Price

1 700 EUR

per participant

Status Open call

Join the Course Funding for Czech Artists

So you know how to make your characters walk, jump, and run? Then it’s time to learn how to animate quadrupeds.

The main goal is cultivating the animator’s creature animation instincts and skills. This advanced course in CGI animation style will expand your job prospects in film, VFX, and games. It is crème de la crème in our training catalog. Don’t miss your chance!

Upon completion of the course, you will

develop advanced skills in 3D creature animation and boost your eligibility to work on animated films/series and game project
gain a stronger understanding of physicality and action in animation of creatures so that you can take on animation of virtually any type of animals
boost your job prospects, expand your knowledge, and meet new colleagues and professionals in the field

Your mentors

Matteo Sanna

Lab's introduction

How it works

Before jumping into making the animal move, an animator needs to know/decide as much as he or she can about the natural behavior of the creature from video referencing. Nailing down these attributes and sticking to them will inform everything about how they will be posed, gestures they will make, and how they will ultimately move. Direct/indirect, strong/light, sudden (quick) / sustained, etc.. These are clear choices we can make for every animal before a pose is created. Taking a look at lots of live-action references, you will use this language to describe and interpret action acting for ourselves.

You will then use Maya and focus on animating the animal action itself as a real animated shot in 3D.

Lesson plan

How to work with the references, study and analysis to bring back in our animation that realism. Find the right reference and blend different videos to create original content
Learn anatomy and body mechanics of the main quadrupeds and animals
Create a walk cycle that works 360 degrees
Micro assignment to focus on detail bits of the animation such as: tail, footroll on back feet, weight shift etc.
Create a camera that will help our animation stand out
Move into space our cycles through the help of a path or tools
Working with locators
Blend different cycles and animation together
Introduction to birds / Creatures flight
Share tips and tricks to speed up your workflow

Who is it for

Intermediate 3D character Animators seeking to boost their creature animation skills or character animators hoping to move into creature animation segment.

Requirements

Working knowledge of Autodesk Maya with particular focus on animation tools
Prior experience animating CG characters (minimum 2 years)
Openness to learning new approaches and topics
Communication skills in English

Selection criteria

Portfolio 3D character animation works
Working knowledge of Autodesk Maya

Where will this get you

All participants will get well-respected qualifications within the industry, demonstrating they’ve studied an industry-based course and have the practical, hands-on skills studios seek.

Our students go on to work in many areas of the industry. See some of their success stories.

You can consider junior-level opportunities as a 3D character animator upon completion of the course.

WHY THIS IS A RESIDENTIAL AND NOT ONLINE COURSE

The advantage of this course, as compared to online training, is that you will get direct interaction with the mentor, with dedicated answers, tailored to your needs. This will not only give you the chance to build on your own strengths quicker, but also to lean out and clarify immediately the concepts that would otherwise take days to grasp.

You will also benefit from a strong interaction with other students. Having different views on how to tackle a problem is key in learning this software, as more often than not, there are many different ways to achieve the same thing in Houdini. So this will give you the chance to challenge yourself with each other and learn faster and more efficiently.

Fees and Funding

Fees: 1 700 EUR

The fee covers the fee of the course and 21% VAT. It doesn’t cover accommodation, meals, and travel.
Approximate living costs during your stay in the Czech Republic:

Accommodation at the venue: 12 EUR / night
Breakfast at the hotel – 5 EUR
Restaurant meal between 5 – 10 EUR
Grocery in general – 50 EUR per person a week

Funding for Czech employees and freelancers

Czech Labour Office (Úřad práce) offers to cover up to 85% of the course fee within the so-called POVEZ II project (Support of Vocational Training for Employees II). See the details and conditions here.

Cancellation Policy

The fee of 50% off the course price applies when canceling 45 days before the start of the course into which one gets accepted.

COVID-19: Be creative. Be safe!

We would like to assure you that our courses are just for small groups of people and we care about all hygiene recommendations. If the courses have to be canceled for reasons related to COVID-19, your money will be refunded. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that nothing will stop us!