Online Animation & Visual Effects Courses in Canada

CG Spectrum Online Film & Game School:
Based in Vancouver, CG Spectrum is an industry-leading online school for Animation, VFX, Modeling and Concept Art. With a faculty featuring industry heavyweights working in feature film and AAA games, we strive to give you the most personal training available. We provide a range of online Diploma courses and short courses in subjects such as 3D Character Animation, 3D Modeling, Concept Design, Visual Effects, and more. At CG Spectrum we bring studio quality training to you by collaborating with industry leading artists to develop industry driven curricula. If you are serious about a career in film and games, don’t settle for an online school that is just concerned with producing the most number of graduates each semester. Invest in your future and join CG Spectrum where you can focus your skills and hone your craft by getting the attention you deserve.

Animation / Visual Effects Online Diploma Courses: 

Houdini FX Diploma (240 Instructional Hours)

MFX100-Introduction to Visual Effects using Maya
Introduction to Visual Effects using Houdini will cover 3D theory and pipeline process as well as simulation theory and techniques introduced in the context of Houdini particles. Students will also learn procedural techniques taught in the context of modeling and animation and the intermediate level functions of Houdini.

MFX200-Intermediate Maya FX
Houdini Simulation Techniques will expand upon simulation techniques learned in “Introduction to Visual Effects using Houdini” by including Houdini dynamics and introducing rigid body, wire and volumetric simulations. This course will also cover workflow flexibility, speed and detail.

MFX300-Advanced Maya FX
Refining Images and Photorealism using Houdini will help students make their VFX shots look photo realistic by teaching them how to massage simulation data, refine shaders and tweak composites to produce more effective results.

PFL DEV-Portfolio and Career Planning
Portfolio Development will cover:

- The creation of new portfolio pieces or polishing existing portfolio pieces with the guidance of a mentor
- Presentation & interview skills along with networking skills
- Employer expectations
- Resources available for artists seeking employment.

Maya FX Diploma (240 Instructional Hours)
MFX100-Introduction to Visual Effects using Maya
Introduction to Visual Effects using Maya will cover basic visual effects principles that will help establish a solid foundation of knowledge for students to build upon. Students will also be introduced to the related topics of Lighting, Rendering and Compositing utilizing the software Autodesk’s Maya and The Foundry’s Nuke.

MFX200-Intermediate Maya FX
Intermediate Maya FX will cover advanced visual effects principles that will continue to establish a solid foundation of knowledge for students to build upon. Students will also be introduced to the related topic of scripting in Maya.

MFX300-Advanced Maya FX
Advanced Maya FX will cover subtle details and advanced techniques used to produce visual effects. Students will also be introduced to related topics of Mel Scripting, Python Scripting, and Digital Molecular Matter. Students will also begin pre-production for their demo reel. The software Autodesk’s Maya, Mental Ray and The Foundry’s Nuke will be utilized.

PFL DEV-Portfolio and Career Planning
Portfolio Development course as above.

Animation Diploma (360 Instructional Hours)

ANM 100-Introduction to Animation
The Introduction to Animation term will cover the basic animation principles that will help establish a solid foundation for students to build upon while learning intermediate functions of Autodesk’s Maya software. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to reliably demonstrate animation basics from a bouncing ball to basic posing to basic body mechanics.

ANM 200-Physical Animation
The Physical Animation Course will introduce students to the principles of bipedal locomotion by having students animate various types of walks and runs. Walks and runs are very commonly used in the production environment. This course will ensure that students are well prepared for these common situations.

ANM 300-Advanced Physical Animation
The Advanced Physical Animation course will cover how to animate advanced character locomotion, inertia and physical actions based on applied forces and action. Students will finish the semester with an advanced physical animation shot that they have taken from the planning to polishing stages, which they may use as a portfolio piece.

ANM 400-Character Animation
The Character Animation Course will introduce the principles of acting for animation and how to breathe life into a 3D character. Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to reliably demonstrate the ability to animate the basics of breathing life into a character through emotion and acting.

ANM 500-Advanced Character Animation
The Advanced Character Animation Course will introduce advanced acting techniques used in creating believable performances of your characters. Students will learn advanced acting techniques as they apply to 3D characters and, upon successful completion of this course, will be able to competently stage and animate an acting scene with two characters interacting.

PFL DEV-Portfolio and Career Planning
Portfolio Development course as above

3D Modeling Diploma (300 Instructional Hours)

MOD100-Introduction to 3D Modeling
The Introduction to 3D Modeling term will cover workflow methods that will help establish a solid foundation of knowledge for students to build upon while learning intermediate functions of Autodesk’s Maya software and intermediate painting skills in Adobe Photoshop. Upon successful completion of this course students will be able to reliably demonstrate 3D modeling basics.

MOD200-Advanced 3D Modeling
During the Advanced 3D Modeling term we will cover the creation of realistic and appealing organic 3D models, including human characters and environments, as well as learning advanced 3D modeling workflow methods. We will also cover advanced painting and texturing skills in Adobe Photoshop.

MOD 300-Digital Sculpting
The Digital Sculpting in ZBrush term will cover how to bring 3D models to life by adding detail with intermediate production techniques of digital sculpting using ZBrush and beginner to intermediate level functions of ZBrush.

MOD400-Advanced Digital Sculpting
The Advanced Digital Sculpting term will cover advanced production workflow techniques of digital sculpting using ZBrush and Maya, as well as advanced level functions of ZBrush and Maya. Students will learn how to refine their skills, apply skillful techniques and add detail to their models.

PFL DEV–Portfolio and Career Planning
Portfolio Development course as above 

Concept Design Diploma (240 Instructional Hours)

CDE100-Design Foundations
During the Design Foundation term students will learn workflow methods that will help establish a solid foundation of knowledge to build upon. Students will learn the important aspects of human and animal anatomy along with colour and lighting theory. By the end of the term, students will have learned intermediate painting skills in Adobe Photoshop.

CDE200-Character Design
The Character Design course will take an in depth look at the different stages of character design that are geared toward the entertainment production pipeline. The course will cover the generation of ideas through to final production design as well as proper design breakdown for production. Students will also learn how to approach various genres and styles, how to design heroes, villains and supportive characters.

CDE300-Creature Design
Creature Design will cover the conceptual creation of new creature designs through the study of real world animals, taking concepts from ideas to finished illustrations. Students will also explore effective design pipelines.

CDE400-Environment Design
Environment Design will cover the visual exploration and painting of final concept art for environments, advanced painting and finishing techniques as well as value and composition.

PFL DEV-Portfolio and Career Planning
Portfolio Development course as above 

Online Short Courses:

Visual Storytelling and Cinematography
Visual Storytelling and Cinematography is an introductory film course focused on film theory, previsualization and layout. Successful students will be able to composite visually powerful scenes and create a higher quality demo reel after learning composition, camera, lighting and colour theory, staging, scene flow and many other cinematography topics and techniques as they apply to great story telling.

Portfolio and Career Planning
Learn how to put together a complete a portfolio and what it takes to be a successful artist in the industry.

Introduction to Maya
Introduction to Maya will cover jargon and terminology, basic navigation and user interface, scene setup and manipulation as well as the creation of a render and playblast.

Lighting and Rendering
The Lighting and Rendering course will cover basic lighting principles that will help establish a solid foundation of knowledge for students to build upon. Students will also be introduced to related topics of shading, rendering and compositing utilizing the following software: Autodesk’s Maya, Mental Ray and the Foundry’s Nuke.

Compositing and Rotoscoping
The Compositing and Rotoscoping Course will cover basic compositing and rotoscoping principles that will help establish a solid foundation of knowledge for students to build upon. Students will also be introduced to the topics of matte creation, time and temporal manipulation and tracking utilizing the Foundry’s Nuke.

Matchmoving
The Matchmoving course will cover the technology, techniques and puzzle solving involved in tracking real cameras and translating them into virtual 3D scenes to be used for accurately placing visual effects into live action images. Students will utilize the software Autodesk’s Matchmover.