Additional Information
There are many post-secondary education programs for those wanting to study
visual effects. Russell Heyman heads a digital animation program at a technical
institute. He says that having an art history background can also be an asset.
After all, visual effects technicians are, in the end, artists.
Your education will depend on the kind of studio you hope to work for and
the area of expertise you wish to specialize in. "You can take the basic animation
course as a start or you can take, if you wanted to, a four-year animation
program and get a degree out of it at one of the many schools," says Heyman.
"That would definitely be an asset."
Tom Bertino says knowing how to draw is an important skill. Bertino currently
heads an animation and visual effects program at an arts university in San
Francisco. "You want to learn how to deal with 3D media in the computer efficiently,
but you really want to sort of open up your eyes and your mind from a generally
creative standpoint," he says.
"Learn how to draw, learn how to deal with the proportions of the human
figure," says Bertino. He adds that students may never need to draw again,
but the importance of that skill is not the actual drawing. "It's more about
learning how to see," he says. "That 'developing your eyes' is essential to
this business."
"Education is only a small part of the puzzle though," adds Mark Breakspear.
He is a visual effects supervisor at a post-production company. Breakspear
says client skills and knowing how to talk to people are a big part of getting
ahead in this career.