should You Go To College for 3D Animation?

[@markmui]

44yo, freelanced my entire life. What Ducky says here is 100% true, for these 2 two groups of ppl. I did a hybrid. Spent 2 yrs in Uni studying Psy. and Eco. Left my degree program half way in and went to design college. I applied "how to learn" from Uni to "what I learned" in college. I was memorizing 1 textbook every 2 months: photoshop, 3d animation, print, programming, web, etc, you name it, doing YT tutorials everyday all day long, all while doing college. By the time I graduated college, I had so much experience and work under my belt, my college hired me for projects. I knew business already so I started marketing myself and have been freelancing ever since. It was F’ing tough in the early years, but worth it if you can handle it. Ducky is spot on, if you want to be a freelancer: “Discipline”, never spot learning. The moment you stop learning is when the world will pass you by.

[@bigorstojanov184]

I am 41 year old and three wasn't any KZbin beck then when I got my degree

[@GoodWisher69]

​@@bigorstojanov184 wait _ about 20 years ago he studied from KZbin _ I don't know it's me or is time travel possible 🤧🙂

[@sandrahart6195]

[ ...if the world passes by to make ( you) put post-it notes on walls, that's called being a 'placated over worked ' adult.]

[@thefruitofaliens]

I didn't go to college for 3D, but most of the other animators I work with did, and I will say that most of them have a noticeably more solid foundation than I do. Additionally, most of them were able to break into animation professionally sooner than I was. That being said, I do work with them now and I'm self taught.

[@3dmotionz179]

what colleges did they go to?

[@path541]

what colleges did they go to?, do you know?

[@vettima1035]

Do you work with them professionally? Did you get hired?

[@whitlermountain7198]

I'll answer my version before watching: No, it's mostly for building connections. You're better off following online courses, honing your skills by doing so, taking part in projects that you can do by yourself (or with friends or other artists), and making a portfolio of things you've done.

[@fullyleaded]

No, it's mostly for building connections? Why would you not want to build connections?

[@derekvizuals]

Honestly I can say I prefer this than college

[@honcrf450]

This is great perspective. My experience working at bigger companies like Sony Imageworks and Sony PlayStation (in a position to hire artist), I’ve noticed a great reel will always outshine a degree 10/10 times. This obviously doesn’t apply to more technical roles like TD’s, programmers and engineers. The mindset of someone who wants to work for themselves also has the mindset/discipline to teach themselves, so college makes less sense. I also agree with the importance of social skills. People want to work with people they enjoy, and if two people are equally qualified but one person is awkward and the other is friendly and nice, well you now who’s getting the job.

[@tiredguy2753]

I think the question one should ask is “do I believe I can get my portfolio to a hireable level on my own or do I need school in order to get to that level ?” Some folks may be able to create that killer portfolio largely through self learning and some may need the more hands on classroom approach- I don’t think either way is wrong. Just remember for the 3rd artist jobs (heck for really any creative job) not only are you competing against all the people going to school for 3d art, game art etc… you are also competing against all the hobbyist as well- so your portfolio has to be better than all those other people.

[@Spacesiren777]

you can only compare yourself with yourself. competition is an illusion designes to keep us away from seeing our own uniqueness and value

[@Bans1997]

Thanks for the advice. Thats a lot meaningful for me. But, without college in 3D, I've finishing a lot big project in my country and I've 3 years experience as a 3D with real job.

[@Bans1997]

Because I think, of all that is field practice and always upgrading a skill. Because even going to college would be meaningless without it.

[@ryanrivas2427]

Or, do all of it! Go to college and work for a company (doesn't have to be so large scale like Marvel or Disney) and also dedicate time to learning these programs and developing your work and have your own clients. There are plenty of companies that are headed in the direction of improving their ads and social media content with motion graphics and 3D work. You can work for a company and open up your own business and have your own clients. Obviously, you will have to weigh number of clientele when working for a company but it is possible to do both!

[@eastenwest4812]

I really liked your options A) work for self B) work for company. my answer. I want to work for myself. What about getting involved in the community? There's not too many art events nearby. Does it really just come down to digital networking?

[@samxd_tv]

Its 17th April 2023, I'm from India (soon going to Canada, Calgary) and I'm 18 now, I started using Blender in December 2022 just for fun but after 1 month of using it, I started to feel like that i wanna make something out of it, i saw my renders that actually impressed me as well as my school teachers. My heart says that i will make my life better if I become a 3d artist and for that purpose i wanna know if I should go to a college and get a job or just start deep learning through online free or paid courses. My parents are not so supportive, they want me to do a job and i will never blame them for that i just wanna know if i will be able to make enough money to live a dream life and make my parents to feel proud and satisfied. Thanks. :)

[@shalyadolfina9816]

That's wonderful did you choose your college?

[@artificialacapellas]

If you do begin work, don’t be afraid to take on big projects and charge a lot. You’ll learn through the process and surprise yourself with your abilities! In my experience if your doing freelance work it’s all about the portfolio more than the degree.

[@mkt._]

I will say, one thing to consider about the benefits of college/uni regards them giving you industry related info that you wouldn't have known to ask about - it really depends where you go and the quality of the teaching. And Im not saying you should only go to top rated Uni's - because even then if you have a crap set of tutors or bad module structure you will suffer from it - just that you need to be able to identify when you're NOT being given this info. If it seems too streamlined it IS. Push for info and be prepared to fill in the gaps with resources on KZbin etc. Somehow despite supposedly being the best uni for graphic design in the country we were not taught anything about the basics or fundementals at all, a lot of the work relied on sticking to what you already could do and doing it again rather than preparing you for the future, while also being wildly disorganised to the point of us not having time left to spend on additional learning. It can be important to get that bit of paper at the end, but be aware that you could end up with gaps in knowledge left at the end that need filling in.

[@Chhexxy]

What i think is in 3D line your Certificates don't matter that much what matter is your Skills if you have amazing skills anybody is gonna hire you and paid you as much as you deserve.

[@SCUMMY4205]

This goes for most things: Unless the job toy want requires a degree, just go online and learn it from someone who has that degree. They'll answer most if not all the question tou may or may not have. You'll save money doing it this way. You also don't have to take extra classes to meet a college curriculum. Finally, you won't *technically* be as qualified, BUT you'll have the skills you need to follow your dreams.

[@koketsok1513]

Here is my input,I see it less a s a "choice" ,but more damage control so let me list what going to colleg has done for me #1 I originally signd up to do game dev,I wanted to go indie dev...F**** that after a year of trying ,failing,pushing myself,extra classes I realized 2 things #1 even if I got better I did not like how long it took(remember this) and #2 I was honestly more outcome driven rather than process driven which meant even if I got good I probably would not have liked making games.I had to stick to the program for a solid year and I bombed.but their was a silver lining the fact that I commited meant I had an answer if I wanted to pursue that,its easy to do a tutorial and think"I could go pro at this"but when results are needed you panic.So after giving it my best at that time I knew game dev was not for me(take a workshop if you are unsure) #2 after realizing game dev was not for me I went on with motion design/3d generalist program...I sucked at 3d,like really bad I had to repeat a year bad,but I got better.The thing is I struggled with motivation,so looming deadline always encouraged me to improve my work and as I was result driven with quicker turnaround time I kept making more and more stuff and at some point my standard had risen well above what I thought I could. #3 finding my career in Motion design,beacuase I was doing 3D I was signed up for Motion design I was doing it for 2 years and still had no real idea what it was,when I was going to quit it I was told your college bill will be the same regardless so I decided to just finish it...By god did I fall in love after that one more chance ,turns out after combining the skills from game dev+3D and my new found motivation to learn I learn I actually want to make motion graphics as it had the best of both worlds,quick turnaround time,complex systems to implement and I could explore multiple solutions and do many projects. so whats the tldr: I think going to college if you want to explore is a good thing(I recommend taking a workshop to see if its for you).it allows you to find aspirations/careers you may not have known about -the deadlines work well for people who are not driven to develp a workflow *the most valuable thing college can offer is pacing,its easy to get discouraged learning a new skill when you are surrounded by people more talented,but in college even if said people are more skilled you can ask them,you have a reasonable goal to reach as many of your peers are also starting from zero,plus you are encouraged to bring your failures so they can be critiqued. -go if you want this a career(but know you most likely will change in college/after leaving) -fore me college helped me see what jobs I didnt want to do through constant work(I have not picked up unity in years),and leaned to jobs I didn't even know existed(motion design) Dont go if: -you already have portfolio ready skills(lots of people start college at a level zero if you have more skills and believe they are pretty sharp you will benefit from feedback ,but not by much ,at that point sign up for a 3-6 month certificate program,refine your reel and lead with that refined portfolio -you want an easy career( even landing a simple internship your portfolio needs to be above board) -you cant afford it ( since late 2019 I have seen more options online for people to learn if you arent concerned about a degree shop around ,some people even have dedicated patreon groups for self learners *if you are in a mentally bad place,trust me taking a term off instead of lunging into a career is good for your long term financial and mental health *if you dont like feedback,this is the one thing they really offer,feedback getting feedback from your lecturers/teachers and peers is the one thing they are their for,so ask as much as you can as the more you improve the better the feedback becomes. anyways I feel like I have said enough,not sure anyone will read this much text but thats my side,good luck

[@alekskroskin6101]

Yes, somebody read this haha. Thanks for you opinion

[@rondemkiw4492]

In the late Eighteenth Century they had these Art Academies, founded by Joshua Reynolds, and sponsored by King Georg III. They had fee paying students, but if a kid had a good portfolio, and got an endorsement from a famous artist, they could attend for free, and only had to pay for their own artistic materials. That is how William Blake got in. It seems society has gone backwards.

[@DaellusKnights]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on the matter. It's something that's been on my mind for a long time now. I'm well aware that I need to work on my discipline side of the equation (I have a tendency to "dabble" intermittently). I'm doing my best to lesrn on my own, but I'm presently limited by my hardware, which is something I'm working on. I've finally reached a point where I'm somewhat financially stable with a job I don't hate 😁 But I do want to go back to school (even though I'm 46 😱) Online schools like Fullsail and others have degree courses that fit my future goals, so that's an option including other schools that have come on the scene lately. But more I find I'm learning much through channels like yours, default cube, polyfjord, etc. In the end, I'll probably still go with Fullsail or something, because I wouldn't mind working for a game developer or animation studio, but I also wouldn't mind having a side hustle that let's me just enjoy what I do. I'm rambling, but that's my thoughts. Thank you again for your input. I love the knowledge you share! 😻👍

[@rayarroyos1733]

This sounds exactly like me! Just turned 45 and I'm looking at Fullsail or Bryan U. Wishing you the best in your endeavors!

[@DaellusKnights]

@@rayarroyos1733 Bryan U? I'm not familiar... 😮

[@Metarig]

As a seasoned 3D artist, I’d say going to college for animation is essential. Creating appealing animation isn’t something you can easily learn on your own. It’s not a big deal, but the truth is, there aren’t many resources available for self-teaching. The industry has managed to keep their tips and tricks well-guarded, so you have to pay to access them. Just look at the evidence: compare the showreels of self-taught animators with those of animation school students. It’s clear that if you want that Disney or Pixar-level charm, you’ll need to invest in formal education. No disrespect, but if someone who claims you don’t need college has a portfolio filled with high-quality animation, their opinion holds more weight. However, for freelance work where clients only want simple 3D product rotations or basic tasks, college isn’t necessary for that.

[@MeInfinity]

Perfect video which I have been waiting for.

[@husnainanwaar1992]

college fees could be spent on a powerful computer and you learn from Google

[@olympic8504]

appreciate the advice ducky :)

[@mauricioventura1901]

My wife and I left the USA for this very reason and she got her masters here and is now working for a company that allows so much flexibility and work life balance. I’m heading back to school myself for Digital Media cuz I need a more structure learning approach. I get to focus on courses based on my interests for a fraction of the cost. Best part, I’m another year, I’m be a resident and tuition will be cut in half making getting another masters even cheaper. ❤

[@peterpui7219]

Enthusiasm about design is shown on your daily attitude. Self-learning are the group of people who really know what they want, not looking for something.Those go for college not exactly they have natural talented, just they hop for design because they know are lacking of such skills, doesn't mean they know it and they will learnt well and do well in future of their works. Enthusiasm about design doesn't needs any college learning to boost.

[@Akka3]

Yes, you should to go to college. Your persperctive is only technical way and some AI stuff... if you want to learn animation as animator or you want to be designer or art director or someone like that. You should go.

[@isbakernation]

thank you!

[@ninjagirln1288]

Thanks for this video!

[@pessoaaleatoria9137]

I'm Brazilian, and I'm interested in 3D but I don't know what to do about college. I'm 18 years old and there aren't many animation colleges here, the closest option would be to do design, but they won't teach animation, the course is more focused on graphic design and this is an area that pays very poorly here. I'm thinking about doing computer engineering, I already have a little knowledge in programming and robotics and I like it, but my biggest passion is animation, but I'm not sure if I'll still want that in a few years. Anyway, I'm going to do computing and then maybe take some 3D courses and maybe even try for foreign scholarships in the future. What do you think?

[@TheDafyddDuck]

Almost 10 years self taught 😎 thinking about it if i wanna expand to work in other countries

[@matedamasta9287]

Wait, isn't 30k per year basically the lowest amount paid for a 3D Artist? From what I've seen average salary is about 70-80k, with it going up to 120-150k per year. Also, here college is 15-16k for 3 years :D (Would be free if it were owned by our country, but it's a campus for a university of west London, so gotta pay)

[@edemanyaemeka8429]

what school is that

[@TRAITTALKS]

May I know bro if how to become character and like for gaming online games and like left 4 dead and ml valorant are having character so how to become like this

[@ernestosanchez2942]

You can still have a good job and no need to go to a university for 3 D animation there’s plenty of courses you can take online or your local college but of course theirs poeple that can afford to go to a university and some poeple don’t ever get the chance but still learn from local college

[@jei-el2139]

Perhaps I’m playing devils advocate but all those things you mention that need to be known, questions didn’t know to be asked. KZbin,Skillshare and Domestika pretty much can do that now. It might be just a matter of knowing what videos to view.

[@The-Broken-Ghost]

if I take courses on Udemy or SkillShare will some companies hire? The software I plan to use is Blender. I wanted to learn Maya but it's too expensive and I don't have any experience with 3d animating and modeling so im choosing Blender to start. I want to be a 2d + 3d animator and maybe game designer.

[@baldpolnareff7224]

What if I want to work with 3D art, but I happen to have a MoS in Aerospace engineering? 🤔

[@Ecaddy]

Idk what to do anymore, stuck i am in college failed all subjects ,have to repeat a year 🤦🏻‍♂️ , am interested in 3D but am only interested in asset modeling like environment/props am not good at human modeling. So idk what to do now .

[@slash.m.b]

Thanks

[@nilavodebnath980]

Now it is easy for me to select what to choose

[@path541]

hi, i would like to ask you a question, do you think it is worth going to college if i want to work as an animator at disney, i am now 15 and i think i can learn to animate myself and make a decent portfolio

[@shivendrapawar9618]

Hi, I'm doing my degree in business, but I'm good at design and want to pursue as a career. Can i get hired by some big corporate. Also I've done some design internships.

[@TheDucky3D]

Oh definitely you can

[@qubafootbag]

100% agree

[@NickyTaylor90210]

My son is brilliant with computers art etc. but also on the spectrum. Do you think companies have issues hiring people on the spectrum for this kind of work? He's off to college next year and he wants to do 3D

[@av.yana_]

Would you plz advise good 3d (hard surface modelling and texturing in SP) colleges online or real. Or courses

[@xxsaru]

Mi brother ..que tú hagas un canal con todos estos videos traducido al audio latino ..sería la veerga mi brother .....y sería una entrada .para más dinero para ti ...ojala lo hagas Mi brother

[@NadixCornu]

40y.o. I spent 6yrs for a college , than has work about 12yrs for a big company, and than became a freelancer have changed the professional profile. Win win. 😁

[@MF_CURRY]

you mean in 3D animation?

[@amechanicalsheg5578]

I want to go but my parents wont let me, I want to do 3d computer animation and not cellar dwell on Winthrop St

[@santhoshm4240]

Hey! i'm planning to study my postgraduate degree in graphic design .Is that a good idea? ps: i haven't studied about graphic design in my undergraduate. But i know the basic elements..

[@technobridge7136]

great topic

[@samuelscreechpowers2796]

He said nitty gritty.

[@olpscott9798]

Can you do the same for vfx and most importantly game development please🙏

[@themeshproduction]

I learned these abstract designs from you and i have started to make my own tutorials on them , i would love it if you check them out ...

[@pirateshadesproductions]

I'm going to say no u don't need to because of these nice people with tutorials u can learn from them... I did. BUT.... There are a lot I still don't know and to be a 100% professional, I'll say yes, but if you are cheap I'll say no, just use your imagination. The first animators never went to 3D school 😋

[@udaykiran5044]

Bro im from india , i would like to complete an degree in vfx in foreign countries. Can you suggest me some best collages or institution's for international students and also tell me is that worthy doing degrees in foreign countries? Especially in usa .

[@Esteflozada]

Pretty face ☺️

[@english_5359]

We can learn pretty much anything for free now. So don’t go to school of any kind. Just my opinion.

[@rezouknorddine8378]

True , nowadays in this century you can Learn anything from anywhere

[@x.ocodexx2701]

true true

[@Ratteler]

No. There is only one industry that LOST $14 Billion dollars and got million dollar retention BONUSES!!!! Study finanse, and you'll have enough morey to whatever the hell you want. Like tech yourself 3D animation off KZbin!

[@faranell7481]

@@MercuryRisingFast And if they invested that money into bitcoin about a year ago, they would've lost half of it. So... not a good idea.

[@YourBoiSevin]

im a huge fun, pls notice me man XD

[@hi_its_jerry]

you do seem quite fun, yeah

[@gabrielegagliardi3956]

I'm a 84 years man and I've noticed you, it's enough?

[@sicfxmusic]

What kind of fun can you provide?

[@Scotsloch]

Great overview 3D Ducky Sounds cliché I know but, Anything is possible, you only get out what you put in whether in school or on your own.. The more you strive the better you get. 3D art is like anything else, just takes time to fine tune skills through repetition and, fortify the mind set to stay with it. Experiment and have fun with it. Be open to ideas and advice form those that have been there and be humble in your approach. I do agree with the formal education however if one wishes to enter employment with collaborating minds in a field of high demand. I personally had a decade and a half of surgeries to rebuild my C_spine after a 42ft fall, so I truly wanted to follow my group and enter into a professional field but,.. life had other planes for me. :) anyhoo,...Many people I worked with in our Halo group, forums went on to complete their formal education and eventually or, even some immediately, went to work for Bungie, 343.. etc... I'm nothing special for sure but, I enjoy the hell outa 3D art modeling animation and the entire ball of wax.. I challenge myself daily to reach higher levels of detail, smooth keyframing ,Lighting, modeling, animation, loop motion graphics.. There's so much to experiment with that soon, your ideas will take shape via the experience in practice. I can't even begging to recall the tuts I've taken for Blender but, I can say 90% have been right here at 3D Ducky. Whatever path one takes, I feel it shouldn't matter too much about formal training as long as your curriculum Vieta is solid and professional all the way through.. Last note; Good personal track record of self motivation is another thing employers seek to find. In school most can float by but, in the grit of the world, Self starters and self motivators that have a track record of said devotion will find the same in employment as one with a degree.. If you can succeed on your own? Yah! that's better then a person that may not have studied as hard having been in a class room :)

[@anyichiechristopher502]

For someone who wants to go to college and their require a portfolio to submit as part of their application. How do i develop the portfolio.

[@marios_dimar]

3:05 Except if you are a 14-year-old fucking lucky teenager who accidentally got into sony animation studios because of an incredible lego trailer of the spiderman across the spider verse... 😅😅🥲