How long does it take to become a good animator?

Animation is a complex craft and it takes a long time to master.  I have been teaching animation since 1996 and I have spent a good deal of time trying to figure out what should go into a really good animation course. How does a school get its students to a professional level of skill within the shortest possible period of time? Many students emerge from 3 years of animation study at prestigious schools with only basic skills, which most likely says more about the quality of training they received than it does about them.

Until starting at Bucks this year I was teaching at Escape Studios in London where the animation courses were just 3 months long, which is a very short space of time to teach someone to animate. We had very little time to spend on any individual exercise - no more than a day or two. What surprised me about this approach was how well it worked. Everyone worked like crazy and we didn't waste any time. Every hour of every day was precious and the challenge was always to figure out the fastest and most efficient way to get the best work done. In three months almost all of the students had become proficient in the art of animation.

Here at Bucks we'll be applying the same principles, that is to say intensive animation training to get students to a professional standard as fast as possible. By the end of year one everyone should feel comfortable with the medium, able to give a performance and create an entertaining piece of work. By the end of the final year we want to see the students completing high-quality short films, able to compete and succeed at the highest level in the industry.

Anyone interested in learning more about our new animation and VFX course here at Bucks should get in touch with me or Dave Creighton - we're delighted to answer questions.

alex.williams@bucks.ac.uk

---Alex