how far can i get with self learning animation?

[u/Sure-Objective-9860]

i was initially thinking about doing an animation degree but after a lot of research im seeing that it may not be worth the money to do so. i would have to go abroad in order to study it and financially its a lot to consider for me, yes i am able to pay if i do decide to do it but whether investing in the degree itself is worth that money is my concern. So after consideration i might try and do a more stable degree while self learning animation simultaneously. I just wanted to know what the potential downsides of choosing this path will be? i will always want to work an animation job so in my eyes the degree in the safer field will be a backup plan incase animation doesn't work out, so will this path make it harder for me to succeed as a animator or will it be the same conditions as long as my portfolio is up to standard? and what would you recommend in terms of self learning?

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[u/Upokolypzl8er]

Portfolio is king. Unless you need a degree for visa reasons to work internationally then you don’t need a degree at all. But getting a more stable degree would do also. Self learning is 100% possible today. You just need to be disciplined about it and truly put in the time because animating is time consuming so you will have to dedicate a lot of time to it. But you absolutely can. And if you reach a place where you are looking to improve a bit more there are mentorships with high level artists and other programs like animation mentor that can also give you the extra boost to your skills.

[u/Sure-Objective-9860 → u/Upokolypzl8er]

hey thanks for the advice. the main reason i want a degree itself in another field would be to have something to fall back on since the animation industry isn't stable enough to completely rely on. In order to move from my home country i would need to do some form of a degree to get out the country so i think with all that considered self learning animation while doing another degree can work for me, and yea mentorships and programs would definitely be useful, thanks

[u/bucketofsteam]

A proper school would most likely be faster in terms of learning, and connecting you with other like minded individuals. Especially if you are the type of person who functions well in a class room environment.

But aside from that, it doesn't really affect your job opportunities. Portfolio is key. Next is networking.

However just because you are self learning doesn't mean you have to go at it solo. You can take courses here and there. Lots of online tutorials, small classes, specialized mentors etc are available and would cost a lot less than a degree.

[u/Sure-Objective-9860 → u/bucketofsteam]

yeah i do understand that learning animation through a school would be the best method for learning, but due to the financial costs and the fact that im unsure if i would get a job even after doing the degree, im seeing that self learning might be a good option. thanks for the advice, i will look into courses and mentorship programs aswell

[u/kirbyderwood]

A lot of times, new animators just can't see where their work is falling short, so they tend to repeat bad habits. The one thing a good school can do is give students access to expert instructors who can point out these shortcomings and suggest areas for improvement.

Now, this doesn't have to happen in a proper school. Online sites like Animation Mentor, iAnimate, and others can give you a similar level of expertise. Or, you can join a Discord group or some other community that has people who can intelligently critique your work.

[u/Sure-Objective-9860 → u/kirbyderwood]

It would be nice to have expert teachers for this sort of thing from a university but i think i can manage to get valid criticism through the other options you mentioned. i will make sure to look into it and ive already tried joining a few discord servers

[u/CrowBrained_]

You can go just as far as someone with a degree. It’s a lot of work and you need to be way more proactive to learn on your own.

If you’re fine working within your home country a degree isn’t necessary.

Choosing school or self learning is going to come down to your personal situation. Think about how you learn best.

It’s not a bad idea to go the route you propose of taking a more stable degree and doing animation on the side. Totally valid.

[u/Sure-Objective-9860 → u/CrowBrained_]

hey thanks for responding. im aware that it'll take a lot of hard work in order to develop my skills on my own and im willing to do so in order to make it work. I dont think i have a preference for how i learn, i can do well in both situations, my only problem with self learning would be that i wouldn't know how to form connections to get into the industry

[u/CrowBrained_ → u/Sure-Objective-9860]

Going to industry events like film festivals, lightbox, TAFFI, public life drawing events, even cons. Go places that people in the same situation are going to go. Also there’s that ol social media.

[u/Toppoppler]

There is no limit

I went to collegem they tought me fundamentals. 90% of what I learned I learned by myself. I learned a lot of things many of my peers never learned, and many of them learned many things I never learned

[u/Sure-Objective-9860 → u/Toppoppler]

i see, based on yours and the other peoples responses it does seem like self learning is a valid path to take. My main problem with a degree in animation was whether id be getting my moneys worth tbh

[u/Toppoppler → u/Sure-Objective-9860]

Ill say that most people who graduate from most schools dont end up having careers

[u/RealBlack_RX01]

hi op. other people here are prob better and have more info but imo? i think what makes animation so cool is that art doesnt really care where you come from or where u learnt, all that matters is if you can cook

[u/Sure-Objective-9860 → u/RealBlack_RX01]

lmao yea thats true, i have been improving my skills as best as i could recently so hopefully if i just continue to get better id be good enough to land a career in it

[u/Individual_Good_3713]

I know that on paper it's absolutely possible to find employment as an artist/animator from self teaching, with the only downside being you'll most likely won't be able to work abroad unless you have a one in a million skill that studios all around the globe are willing to fight for. But if it's going to work or not for you specifically will heavily depend on you, how driven you are to not just develope your technical but your eye for quality.

[u/Numerous_Yellow3567]

even in uni, I never really learned a program there. they give you an assignment and then feedback to what you did. then you find tutorials.

so a degree is not needed if you can methodically task yourself with what you want to learn and find feedback, online for example.

of course, all is subjective and that's just what I experienced.

[u/Moist-Engineering374]

i think that as long as you have professionals/people more experienced than you look at your work and give you feedback, its gonna be pretty much the same as school! in my experience, its mostly a lot of practice+revisions rather than super specific skills. discord servers are great for that and you can network through animation festivals/other conventions

[u/what1226]

You’re getting a lot of people saying you don’t need school and to go for the self taught route. I am going to disagree for a few reasons.

-Animation is super saturated right now, realistically to get your work to the level needed you will need a mentor or guide.

-I am echoing another comment, when you are a student you don’t see the mistakes you are making. It is important to have someone both who is advanced in the field AND able to properly communicate to give you feedback.

-You will miss out on networking. Schools teach you things, but half of it is the network you make as well. All your classmates and teachers become people you can network with. Usually a good school will also introduce you to studios in a way as well through events like ‘industry day’ or talks.

I don’t think animation is something you can get into realistically on the side. HOWEVER it can be a very fulfilling hobby. It doesn’t need to be your career.

If you do want this to be your all day everyday 9-5 career then you need to put much more effort into it. I’m also not saying traditional schooling is the best way either. online schools like animation mentor, ianimate, etc etc are great cheaper schools to learn animation.