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You may think that a university or college is the only way to get into animation, but that’s not true. If you know what you’re looking for, you can learn everything I did in my Computer Animation degree, online for free.
The internet has changed how people learn, offering a huge amount of high-quality, free educational materials online. Since the animation industry cares most about proven skill and a solid portfolio, using free resources wisely can be a smart and effective path for anyone serious about working in animation.
Animators Are Specialists, Not Generalists
The animation industry has changed a lot from the old idea that animators are just people who draw. Now, the production process is more complex, with different jobs requiring specific skills. This change pushes animators to focus on one area, especially if they want to work for bigger studios.
When learning animation, beginners get to try different parts of the process, like lighting, rigging, and modeling. This helps them figure out what they enjoy most. Specialists become experts in one area, such as 3D modeling, effects work, or character animation. Some even focus on very specific things, like programming how hair moves.
By specializing, animators can develop strong skills, create portfolios more quickly, and may earn more money because clients often prefer deep expertise. Big studios for movies, high-budget games, and visual effects mostly hire specialists because they want people who are exceptional in one specific role. The most popular jobs in animation are:
The difference between game and film animation also shows why specialization matters. Film animators only need to make things look good from the camera’s view so that they can take shortcuts. Game animators, though, have to make characters and objects look good from every angle because players control the camera. So you want to know what you want to do before you try anything.
YouTube Can Be Your Teacher
YouTube has become a strong, often better, alternative to traditional animation degrees, offering extremely useful learning opportunities. My own experience supports this, as teachers often suggested YouTube videos that gave clear explanations of what was being taught. This easy-to-access content lets people who want to learn animation gain professional skills without the heavy costs or long-term commitment of formal education.
For example, I was given plenty of videos fromExtra Creditsto watch. It’s essentially about finding a channel that can tell you about the industry, and from there, you can do the work. Animation is a lot more about practice than formal learning.
Animators can find all kinds of content, from educational videos by channels likeKurzgesagtto step-by-step guides on animation basics and how to use software. Well-known animators likeLucas Ridleyteach core animation principles, highlighting how they apply to any style of animation.
Videos likeAlan Becker’s12 Principles of Animationgive clear explanations and real-world examples. I was assigned this, so I know it will help you. Basically, use these resources to fill in knowledge gaps and learn basic exercises that are key to building muscle memory and artistic instinct, such as bouncing balls and character walk cycles.
Also, don’t forget foundational books likeRichard Williams’sAnimator’s Survival KitandFrank Thomas and Ollie Johnston’sThe Illusion of Life,which explores the mechanics, principles, and storytelling of animation.
In the end, the animation industry cares more about a strong portfolio or demo reel than a formal degree from a big university. While a degree offers organized learning and connections with teachers, the self-taught path, heavily supported by free online resources like YouTube, gives direct, practical skill-building that will get you freelance work fast.
Practice, Practice, Practice
Mastering animation, like any art, depends on steady, focused practice. This helps build important “muscle memory” and “artistic instinct.” Early animation leaders like Walt Disney and Chuck Jones learned by trying things out and making mistakes, which shows that teaching yourself, guided by organized practice, works very well.
Learning animation starts with basic exercises. These fundamental drills, like an athlete doing push-ups, help develop core skills by concentrating on one principle at a time. In school, we were taught to do the classic bouncing ball exercise that teaches timing, spacing, squash and stretch, and anticipation.
Flour sack animations help with understanding weight and character performance. Other key exercises include animating moving text, basic walk cycles, simple character gestures, and short 5-second loops.
The important thing is to start small, keep it simple, and focus on quality over quantity. Even a badly done bouncing ball teaches you more than just knowing the theory perfectly. As skills improve, practice moves on to more advanced areas.
The most important thing you can do is practice, because even if you were to go for a degree, there’s not a lot of time to keep improving. That’s all done on your own, and you’re expected to keep up, so practice is essential.
Getting and using feedback is also very important. Online groups like animation subreddits and Discord channels let you get critiques from peers and professionals. Keeping track of progress by saving dated versions of your exercises and celebrating small successes helps keep motivation strong.
Remember that a director will be very blunt and not care at all about your feelings. Take any feedback and be appreciative of it, because even professors are hard on your work, and I rarely got a “good job,” even when I did it right.
Making a Demo Reel for Job Interviews
A strong animation demo reel or portfolio is the most important part of your career. Whether you have a degree or learned on your own, it means nothing unless you have a good animation reel. The animation industry cares more about showing your skills and that you can actually do the work than about where your degree is from.
Basically, unless you have a great demo reel, you’re not getting hired. This visual introduction lets you show off your technical skills, creative ideas, and how well you understand the basic rules of animation.
Keeping your reel short is very important for making it effective. Hiring managers usually only watch a reel for 10 to 30 seconds, so attempt to keep yours under two minutes total. If you are just starting out, aim for under 60 seconds. This makes you choose only your best work to include. Good quality matters more than how much you show. A really strong 10-second clip is much better than two minutes of average animation, and adding weak work just to fill time can hurt your chances.
What you include and how you present it also matter a lot. Always start with your best work, putting your most impressive pieces first. Have multiple reels to match the job or studio you are applying to. For example, a game studio will want to see gameplay and combat animations, while a movie studio will look for character acting and storytelling. For character animation jobs, studios want to see acting, showing emotions, and lip-syncing.
That’s one of the biggest parts of school, and every good school will make sure you’re making a reel and will be asking for it often. Schools need you to get a job after so they look better, so if you’re not going to one, just get that important part done.
I honestly regret getting a degree in animation because of how much could have been learned online, but you can learn from it. A focused, self-taught method, using the right resources, is a great way to start working in the industry.
While universities give you organized learning and networking opportunities, there are many free online resources, from tutorials to open-source software, that let aspiring animators develop professional skills and create impressive portfolios without heavy costs or time commitments. The idea that a formal degree is the only valid path is becoming as outdated as the idea that you need to learn traditional art, so take the time to learn what you can online and make your portfolio stand out.
