Animation Classes Near Me

Animation is a dynamic visual medium used to depict stories or convey information by manipulating figures or objects to look like they are moving due to the rapid display of successive images. Many career paths draw on animation skills, including professions such as Animated Film Director, Visual Effects Artist, Graphic Designer, Video Game Designer, and Animation Teacher. Learning animation can be immensely advantageous, as it fosters creativity, hones technical skills, and opens up a broad spectrum of jobs in various industries, thus appearing highly promising in the current digital age.

Top In-Person & Virtual Animation Classes

Animation Courses at Noble Desktop

Noble Desktop is a leading design and coding school in New York City. Founded in 1990, Noble Desktop offers hands-on classes and certificate programs in web design & development, graphic design, motion graphics, data science, UX, and digital marketing. Emphasizing a practical, hands-on learning approach, Noble Desktop provides students with the necessary skills to jumpstart their careers in the dynamic fields of digital design, programming, data science, and online marketing, among others. Noble Desktop offers career-support services for students and all of its classes are available in person or through live online instruction.

Motion Graphics Certificate

• Price: $3,495
• Duration: 2 months
• Locations: NYC, Live Online

The Motion Graphics Certificate at Noble Desktop is a comprehensive program that equips students with the skills to create compelling visual effects and motion graphics using popular software such as Adobe After Effects and Cinema 4D. This program’s curriculum, which covers theory alongside practical applications, guides learners in creating storyboards, animating 2D and 3D models, and mastering various tools to create compelling visual narratives and effects.

UX & UI Design Certificate

• Price: $3,495
• Duration: 24 weeks
• Locations: NYC, Live Online

Noble Desktop’s UX & UI Design Certificate program provides students with a comprehensive understanding of UX research, usability testing, and wireframing. The course empowers learners to design interactive prototypes using industry-standard tools and techniques, preparing them for a successful career in UX and UI design.

Animation Courses at Summer Springboard

Summer Springboard is a distinguished pre-collegiate summer program that enables high school students to explore potential career paths. Offering unique courses in diverse subjects like biotech, business, medicine, and engineering, Summer Springboard creates engaging learning environments where students delve into their fields of interest while also building essential leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills.

UX & UI Design

• Price: $5,698
• Duration: 2 weeks
• Locations: Orange County

In Summer Springboard's UX & UI Design course, students gain a fundamental understanding of user-centered design by immersing themselves in each step of the design process. They're taught to empathize with users, define user requirements, create design concepts, develop prototypes and test their solutions, and they are also given the opportunity to work with actual clients on real-world projects.

Animation Courses at Memorisely

Memorisely is an inclusive learning hub that encourages and nurtures growth in UX/UI design for students worldwide. With this platform, students can absorb valuable lessons from experienced UX/UI professionals, participate in interactive boot camps, and receive personalized feedback, all of which aims to build solid fundamentals and facilitate proficiency in the design field.

UX/UI Design Bootcamp

• Price: $3,950
• Duration: 12 weeks
• Locations: Live Online

The UX/UI Design Bootcamp at Memorisely is a comprehensive and immersive 10-week online course designed to equip students with practical skills in UX/UI design through real-world projects and collaboration with a global community. Students gain mastery of wireframing, prototyping, user testing, as well as reviews and iterations, in addition to understanding design principles, tools, and concepts that are crucial to building user-centric digital product designs.

UX Research Bootcamp

• Price: $875
• Duration: 5 weeks
• Locations: Live Online

Memorisely’s UX Research Bootcamp teaches students to navigate the world of UX by learning to script sessions, source participants, run user tests, and synthesize findings in real time with a User Research playbook. Over six weeks, students master tools such as Lookback, Dovetail, and UsabilityHub, navigate the art of analyzing raw data, and create impactful UX research deliverables.

Animation Courses at The Knowledge Academy

The Knowledge Academy is a comprehensive educational platform designed to equip students with a diverse range of professional and technical skills. Known for their versatility, they offer a variety of courses ranging from project management and IT service management to cyber security and data protection, aiming to develop well-rounded individuals ready to meet the demands of the evolving job market.

UX/UI Design Jumpstart

• Price: $3,495
• Duration: 3 days
• Locations: Several (see school website)

The Knowledge Academy's course, UX/UI Design Jumpstart, is a comprehensive primer for designing user-friendly mobile and web applications. During the 2-day course, students delve into the basics of user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) design while learning how to create effective wireframes and prototype segments. 

Animation Courses at Academy Class

Academy Class offers comprehensive, expert-led courses in a wide range of creative fields such as graphic design, coding, animation, and video editing. It serves as a catalyst for individuals seeking to expand their skill set and become proficient with industry-standard software such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and many others.

UX / UI Design: Zero to HERO

• Price: $1,097
• Duration: 5 days
• Locations: London, Manchester

The UX / UI Design: Zero to HERO course offered by Academy Class is an intensive 3-day training that covers all the essential skills and principles of user experience and user interface design. Students learn how to create wireframes, prototypes, and user flows. They also learn how to master the tools and techniques used in the industry.

Animation Courses at Cyber Patio

Cyber Patio is an engaging educational platform designed to equip students with vital knowledge in the fast-evolving realm of cyber technology. Learners can delve into a wide spectrum of topics, including cyber security, ethical hacking, AI, blockchain technologies, and data analytics, gaining both theoretical understanding and practical skills in these in-demand areas.

Digital Product Design

• Price: $1,350
• Duration: 11 months
• Locations: Live Online

The Digital Product Design course at Cyber Patio is a comprehensive bootcamp that teaches students the skills they need to design and create user-friendly and visually appealing digital products. Students use industry-standard tools and techniques to walk through the entire design process, including user research, wireframing, prototyping, and user interface design.

Animation Courses at allWomen

allWomen is a dynamic, trailblazing educational initiative aimed at bridging the gender gap in the tech industry. With a curriculum curated specifically for women and non-binary individuals, it offers comprehensive, hands-on training in data science, UX/UI designs, and product management, equipping students with the necessary skills to thrive in the dynamic field of technology.

UX/UI Online Course - Part Time

• Price: $2,950
• Duration: 10 weeks
• Locations: Live Online

The UX/UI Online Course - Part Time class at allWomen is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of user experience and user interface design. Over the course of 18 weeks, students learn fundamental principles, design thinking methodologies, wireframing, prototyping, user testing, and more in order to create engaging and intuitive digital experiences.

Animation Courses at Code Labs Academy

Code Labs Academy offers comprehensive coding instruction for students keen on building a career in software development. Classes cover various topics, from the fundamentals of HTML and CSS to advanced programming languages like Python and JavaScript. The academy prides itself on cultivating proficient coders that are ready to take on the demands of the tech industry.

UX/UI Design

• Price: $5,999
• Duration: 12 weeks
• Locations: Berlin

Code Labs Academy’s UX/UI Design course offers comprehensive training on the latest technologies, tools, and methods like Sketch, Invision, and Prototyping. Students will learn about user experience principles, user interface design, wireframing, and prototyping, as well as conducting user and market research to create user-centric designs.

Animation Courses at Constructor Learning

Constructor Learning is a coding, data science, and business academy with campuses in Switzerland (Zurich), Germany (Munich, Bremen), and online, offering a variety of full-time, part-time, and corporate programs for motivated learners looking to enhance their careers with technology.

UX/UI Design Bootcamp

• Price: $9,200
• Duration: 16 weeks
• Locations: Several (see school website)

The UX/UI Design Bootcamp at Constructor Learning is an intensive part-time course where students learn the foundations of user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) design by applying design concepts in real-world projects. Students learn to conduct user research, create wireframes and interactive prototypes, and understand product development processes.

Key Information about Learning Animation

Animation encompasses many topics, including drawing, character design, storyboard creation, 3D modeling, and computer-generated imagery (CGI). Anyone can learn animation, but it takes time, practice, and patience. How long it takes to learn animation varies greatly depending on factors like the complexity of the chosen animation style and the learning method used. It can take someone anywhere from a few months to several years to learn animation. Certain underlying skills can serve as beneficial prerequisites and help speed up the learning process. Such skills include a basic understanding of art, an aptitude for storytelling, and a certain level of computer literacy. In terms of technical setup, students need a high-performance computer with industry-standard software such as Adobe Animate.

Career Paths & Job Outlook for Animation

Animation skills are highly coveted in various professions such as film and video editing, game design, virtual reality, advertising, and even in educational industries to create visually engaging learning materials. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects 5% growth in the employment of multimedia artists and animators from 2021 to 2031. Further, a 2021 report from the BLS highlights that the demand for animation skills shows staggering growth in recent years, given the surge of digital platforms and increased consumption of video content. 

As per the Occupational Employment Statistics survey by BLS, the median annual wage for multimedia artists and animators was $77,700 in May 2020, indicating ample entry-level opportunities. With increased experience and specialization, the top ten percent of animators earn more than $142,750. 

What Can You Do With Animation?

Animation is a dynamic and versatile application for various industries such as entertainment, education, advertising, gaming, and more. For instance, an artist can create an interactive video game by using animation. This often involves JavaScript libraries like Three.js for developing animated 3D computer graphics within any web browser. To do this, you need skills in 3D modeling, knowledge of animation principles, and coding proficiency.

Animation is still commonly used in the entertainment industry to create movies and shows. 3D animation is an increasingly common medium used for streaming platform content. An artist might use Blender or Adobe Animate, utilizing tools like the timeline for syncing audio and video, and a frame-by-frame editor for detailed manipulation of elements. In addition to animation, those interested in making games, shows, or movies will need a profound understanding of storytelling and an eye for design. 

Equally, animation can be used in the creation of advertising campaigns. Marketers can use animation tools like Adobe After Effects or Canva to create vibrant explainer videos, engaging advertisements or compelling social media posts. Similarly, an Educational Resource Designer might use animation to develop eLearning modules or interactive virtual tours using software such as Articulate Storyline. This would involve combining multimedia elements like voiceovers, interactions, and quizzes amid animation sequences. Here, the required skills range between instructional design, user experience design, and familiarity with eLearning authoring tools.

Top Animation Tools For Beginners

1. Adobe After Effects: This tool is used to create animations and motion graphics. It allows users to animate, edit, and composite media in 2D and 3D space.
2. Blender: This open-source 3D creation tool supports the entire 3D pipeline—modeling, rigging, animation, simulation, rendering, compositing and motion tracking, video editing and 2D animation pipeline.
3. Maya: This professional-grade 3D modeling and animation software enables professionals to create animations, environments, motion graphics, virtual reality, and characters.
4. Adobe Animate: Formerly known as Flash, Adobe Animate is used to design interactive graphics and animations for digital platforms.
5. Cinema 4D: Cinema 4D is a 3D modeling, painting, animation, and rendering software that is user-friendly with a robust toolset.
6. Toon Boom Harmony: This professional-grade software creates both paperless and cut-out animations. It's oftentimes used by big studios in the creation of television and film animations.
7. Animate CC: This animation tool for web designers and flash artists can create interactive animations for games, TV shows, and the web.
8. Moho (Anime Studio): This tool is a vector-based 2D animation software used for creating cartoons, animated movies, and explainer videos.
9. Autodesk 3ds Max: 3ds Max is used for 3D modeling, animation, simulation, and rendering software that helps create massive worlds in games, stunning scenes for design visualization, and engaging virtual reality (VR) experiences.
10. ZBrush: It is a digital sculpting tool that combines 3D/5D modeling, texturing, and painting. It uses a proprietary pixel technology that stores lighting, color, and material information for all objects on the screen. This tool is typically used for creating models for video games and movies.

Animation Comparison to Other Tools & Fields

Animation is closely related to several fields and utilizes various programming languages. Animation correlates with graphic design which involves creating visual content, though graphic design focuses more on still images while animation is about creating moving images. 

3D modeling is another related field where objects or environments are sculpted in a digital polygon mesh, which can then be animated. Python and JavaScript are commonly used programming languages in animation for scripting and automating tasks, enhancing the animation’s interactivity. Python powers more high-level tasks like automating repetitive tasks in animation software like Blender, while JavaScript uses web-based animation to create interactive user experiences.

Animation Advantages

Animation offers unparalleled creative freedom as it is not bound by physical or practical limitations, allowing artists to bring any imaginable concept or storyline to life. It appeals universally across age groups and cultures, enhancing communication and learning experiences. Additionally, with evolving technology, animators can now generate high-quality productions at lower costs, making it a highly feasible and impactful medium.