FXPHD

Introduction to Massive - 3 months

DESCRIPTION: Core concepts: Fuzzy logic, creating an AI brain for a Massive agent.
Instructor: Geoff Tobin - King Kong, I, Robot, The Lord of the Rings: Trilogy, Eragon, X-Men 3...

Massive in Production - 3 months

DESCRIPTION: Pipeline and workflow - from planning the mocap sessions and importing and processing the motion through to designing the brains, running the sims and finally rendering with a Renderman. Advanced features: Ddynamics and Cloth, Integration with Maya.
Instructor: Geoff Tobin - King Kong, I, Robot, The Lord of the Rings: Trilogy, Eragon, X-Men 3...

Motion Capture Demystified - 3 months

Course description: Principles and techniques of motion capture, Autodesk MotionBuilder's auto-rigging technology, motion capture data cleanup methodologies, smoothing and enhancement of capture data, keyframe-based animation in Motionbuilder, development of hardware slider rigs using off-the-shelf MIDI hardware.
Professor: Damian Allen

Particles and Dynamics using RealFlow - 3 months

Course description: Making simulations do what you need for a shot, and what the agency approved in the boards. All about control, making the sim do what you need it to. Control the simulations in RealFlow. Achieve great particle and other dynamic effects. Create an accurate and realistic result in RealFlow.
Professor: Mark Stasiuk - G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, National Treasure: Book of Secrets, Poseidon...

Digital Cinematography - 3 months

Course description: Camera Testing: Testing a new camera before using it on a real job. Settings, ASA equivalents - how all this plays out through post. Camera Movement: Tricks and techniques of camera movement. Motivation, pacing, moving with the subject, counter-moves and moving with a static subject. The Secrets of Colour Grading Digital Footage: Concepts and techniques. Colour grading in practical terms.
Professor: Mike Seymour - Red Dwarf, Miracle Fish, I Love Sarah Jane...

RED Camera Project - Shoot through Post - 3 months

Course description: Using the RED camera, from filming a piece, to editing that piece and doing some effects for it. Latest approaches to using RED. Practical tips and post production with Scratch, REDCine and REDAlert, combined with FCP and AVID.
Professor: Mike Seymour - Red Dwarf, Miracle Fish, I Love Sarah Jane...

After Effects: Advanced - 3 months

Course description: Creating UI graphics for feature films, 3D, expressions, scripting in AE.
Instructors:
Mark Coleran - The Bourne Ultimatum, The Island, AVP: Alien vs. Predator, and The World is Not Enough...
Danny Princz
Mark Christiansen
John Montgomery - Red Dwarf, Back to Earth: Part 1, I Love Sarah Jane.

Intermediate Fusion 6 - 3 months

Course description: Keying, tracking, roto, 2.5D matte painting, plate cleanup, particles, 3D, motion graphics and stereoscopic workflow.
Professor - Matt Leonard

A Guerrilla Filmmakers Guide to After Effects - 3 months

Course description: Breaking down of the shots, techniques, and workflow used in the actual production of "Atilla the Hun". In-depth coverage of the real world project and producing a complex visual effects shot. Full recreation of the techniques used in one of the signature shots of the film.
Instructor - Gareth Edwards - Atilla the Hun

VFX and Indie Films - 3 months

Course description: How to make a high-quality film with little to no money, but with few to no compromises. From theory to tech, prep to post, exploring the crucial, yet oft-neglected interrelationship between production and post. Fundamental principles of digital filmmaking.
Instructors - Michael Scott and Ryan Wieber

The Digital Image Technician - 3 months

Course description: Work on-set, up close and personal with the camera, pipeline from pre-production to post. From editing to resolution, frame rates and colour grading. Film workflows, move into the digital era, transition into the workflows for various cameras such as the Red One, Panasonic P2, SI2K, Genesis and Phantom. Colour spaces, LUT's, RGB, YUV. Video signals, sampling and compression. Workflows and optimizations for multiple scenarios - the pros and cons.
Professor: Allen Chesser (first Red Camera data wrangler in Australia) - The Nothing Men.

AnimationMentor.com

18-Month curriculum in advanced character animation studies

Class 01 - Basic Foundations

DESCRIPTION: In this Class, beginning students will discover the fundamental principles of animation while the more advanced students will find a deeper understanding of the foundation upon which our art form is built. More importantly, they will learn how to exploit these fundamental principles to create convincing character motion. Students will also be pushed to not only recognize the more common animation mistakes involving timing, weight issues, and body mechanics, but will learn how to avoid and conquer them. Animation students must plant deep roots in the basics if they hope to grow into the artists they aspire to become, and this Class will guide them through that process.

MINIMUM TOTAL HOURS OF INSTRUCTION: 118 Hours

Class 02 - The Principles of Body Mechanics

DESCRIPTION: Here students will learn how to best apply the principles learned in Class 1 to the type of character most commonly found in animation work - the biped/human. Students will be diving even deeper into the advanced concepts of motion and body mechanics and learn how to combine the many principles into a single, powerful tool set that they can use to create ever more believable motion in their characters.

MINIMUM TOTAL HOURS OF INSTRUCTION: 118 Hours

Class 03 - Introduction to Acting

DESCRIPTION: This is the beginning of what the students are waiting for. All of the principles they have studied will be fully implemented in this Class. Students will begin exploring the ideas and concepts that will truly add life and originality to their character animation. Adding emotion, non-cliche acting choices, and carefully timed and planned gestures to their shots will truly lift their work to an entirely new level.

MINIMUM TOTAL HOURS OF INSTRUCTION: 118 Hours

Class 04 - Advanced Acting Techniques

DESCRIPTION: As with any other animation idea, acting has many levels of understanding and many layers of meaning to our work. Here students will truly jump feet-first into advanced acting techniques, exploring the similarities and differences between acting for animators and real world acting, as well as examining the common mistakes and the inherent challenges of translating a meaningful and powerful performance into the animated world.

MINIMUM TOTAL HOURS OF INSTRUCTION: 118 Hours

Class 05 - Short Film Pre-Production

DESCRIPTION: This is the first of our short film studies Classes, and where students will take all of their animation training and fold it into a solid storytelling foundation while creating the foundation of their own short film! Any good animation studio knows that a carefully planned story is the single most important key to a successful film, and some of the world’s top story people will guide our students through the process of molding their ideas into the most entertaining and original story it can be! Students will also explore ways to overcome “roadblocks” when creating story ideas, to help them understand how to pull from their vast library of experiences and imagination that each one of us has inside. Step-by-step processes will help students understand how to get the best possible ideas from their story and characters while bringing them to life in cohesive and exciting ways.

MINIMUM TOTAL HOURS OF INSTRUCTION: 118 Hours

Class 06 - Short Film Production (Currently in Class 5)

DESCRIPTION: This is it! This is where it all comes together, and where the students will truly be immersed in a production environment, giving them not only a stronger understanding of animation in general, but invaluable production experience. Students will be animating the story they created from the previous Class, and mentors will be reviewing their work in a production-like setting to better prepare them for the challenges they will face in a studio setting.

MINIMUM TOTAL HOURS OF INSTRUCTION: 118 Hours

CGSociety

Hollywood VFX for Live Action Integration - 2 months

DESCRIPTION: From the initial preproduction stages to the end product. Modeling, camera mapping and projection, dynamics, reiggid body simulation, particles, rendering, compositing.
Instructor: Allan McKay - 2012, Blade: Trinity, BioShock, Superman Returns, Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed...

3DBuzz

Advanced Digital Production - 24 months curriculum in animated short film production

DESCRIPTION: Intensive course on creation of a complete animated short film - From initial conceptualization and pre-production all the way through to compositing and editing the final render. Wide range of topics including concept art and storyboards, modeling, texturing, rigging, effects, lighting, rendering, and much more!
Istructor: Zak Parrish