Expert: Andre Hickman - 3/4/2009

Question
QUESTION: Hello Andre,

I am interested in going for postgraduate studies on the field of Computer Animation. Before I make any more detailed search on the several possibilities I'd like to ask you some things about the subject.

Which part of the matter do the university courses mostly focus on? Is it the artistic (drawing etc.) aspect or is the approach a little more computer related? I am currently studying computer science so I am more interested in the programming part and I would like to know what I'm stepping into.

Thank you for your time.

ANSWER: Hey George,

That is a LOADED question!  I'm not exactly sure what post-graduate studies look like in computer animation.  Most people that I know in the industry do have Bachelors degrees in animation (whether 2D or 3D), but then everything goes wierd after that.  It becomes more of getting the experience/exposure than it does getting another degree.

Now that may be totally different on the back-end of software development, but doing the actual animation and character development is primarily a function of creativity, more than it is a function of computer science.  I actually have a degree in Mechanical Engineering, and have NO degrees whatsoever in animation.  That does not stop me from doing animation on a professional level, and working along side of, and learning from animators in one of the nations largest studios.  Once you have the basics, it is a lot of on the job learning and enhancing abilities.

If you are interested in the programming, whether it be game engine development, or animation software development, or even script writing for animation it would be good to understand what the artist needs in a certain toolset, but to get a degree in motion graphics or animation might be overkill, and not your "bag of chips" especially if you aren't artistic and don't want to deal with that aspect.  If that is the case, I would be looking into software development, and trying to get behind the scenes of companies like Adobe and Autodesk, instead of being the end-user animator...

I hope this helps.  Let me know if you have any further questions.

Cheers,
Andre

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Thanks for your quick response which made things more
clear.

I am interested in both developing the character and script
writing for animation but I have no experience on the first
one plus I am already in the field of computers, that is
why I was wondering what the courses are like.

Does a professional animator deal with both sides of
animating, character development & programming the
animation? I assume there is a different expert on each,
but is that so?

Thank you again.

Answer
Yes animators deal with both character development and programming.  The character design is more creative modelling, and the programming is more code oriented.  In big animation houses, they have people that specialize in various aspects.  One group may model, while the next does the textures, and another does the bone/motion rigging and scripting, and another group does the actual animation (i.e. moving the charater around).  Then they may send it of for Post FX.  

The thing is, none of those guys went to school just to learn that one function of animation.  They had to learn it all, then sort of developed a nitch as time progressed.  They may have started working at a small production company, or freelanced, where they were responsible for doing all of the above functions by themselves. Then when they got a job at a large company, the art director realized what the person was REALLY good at, and used them to do that one function most of the time throughout various projects.

There is no real "a la carte" education for animation.  You would have to learn it all, and then work yourself into a nitch.  Or you could simply be self taught, and work on that nitch with models and components already created, like getting a hold of an open source gaming engine, or start by making a "mod" for a popular pc game, and gain exposure that way.  

Sorry, but there is no easy answer, and no easy way to get to the  goal that I believe you want.  I think it's a matter of knowing what you want to do, tinkering to find a solid route, and then going for it with everything inside of you!

Cheers,
Andre