Schools and Online Trainings for Visual Effects

There’s a growing number of online and live trainings regarding Visual Effects. Visual Effects are a mix of technologies, among them Multimedia, Compositing, Pixel based graphics, 3D Animation and Cinematography.

Search Visual effects facilities and schools

The Visual Effects facilites database is being built right now. Here you’ll find Motion Graphics and visual effects trainings. Most visual effects trainings revolve around an handful of softwares, but the key points are the technniques rather than software operativity, as well as the core art of VFX production.

Job Opportunities in the Visual Effects and Multimedia areas

Multimedia production and visual effects have known a phenomenal growth over the last twenty years. In part this is due to the natural evolution of technologies, and the creation of a new market -something that is bound to create new jobs and new companies more than any other factor.

The growth however can also be related to the raised interest in visual and fine arts. Fine arts are essential if are going to use a software such as zBrush, a sculpting tool that resembles virtual clay and has been employed in all of the most recent Hollywood’s blockbusters. Find out more in the corso zbrush page (italian language) or google zBrush for english results. Most high paying jobs in those areas were confined to the occasional artist or advertising marketplace. Nowadays, a new generation of talented artist that also possess technical skills has become the main workforce.

A reasonable amount of skill and commitment is required to gain the necessary skills in visual effects and 3D animation, forcing a mix between math knowledge and traditional fine arts.

More and more colleges and universities provide degrees in fine arts and multimedia labs to match the technical and artistic sides. Many other companies opted for a niche education, that is software-centric. This is the kind of training courses that deal only with the operating aspects of a single software (After Effects, Shake, Maya…) rather than with the techniques (Motion Graphics, Compositing, Character animation…). This kind of education is generally regarded as lower end.

Most widespread softwares for visual effects production

3D Animation

• 3D Studio Max
• Lightwave 3D
• Maya
• SoftImage XSI

Compositing

• Apple Shake
• Autodesk Combustion
• Adobe After Effects