Looking back across your life, do you remember when animation first captured your imagination? Were you thrilled by the velociraptors in “Jurassic Park” or amazed by the candlelit ballroom in “Beauty and the Beast”? Was it the weightless space of “Gravity,” or the Oscar-winning world of “Zootopia”? Whatever your inspiration, 3D animation and visual effects are the not-so-secret ingredient in contemporary storytelling, from Hollywood blockbusters to independent film and even outside of the entertainment industry, and you want to be a part of the magic.
Learn to create 3D art, animation, and visual effects for use in film, TV, games, and virtual reality at the New York Film Academy's 3D Animation & Visual Effects School, with 3D animation classes designed to teach you the theory that every great animator needs to know and equip you with the professional skills that will help you excel as you pursue a career in the competitive VFX industry.
One of the best animation schools, New York Film Academy has an award-winning faculty of professional animators and visual artists who can share a wealth of industry secrets and practical knowledge for the aspiring practitioner. They bring years of experience working on groundbreaking films and games to the table in designing NYFA’s intensive, hands-on VFX curriculum. Their goal is to prepare the next generation of animators and visual effects artists for growing and competitive industry. Our alumni credits include an array of commercial and blockbuster productions from Lipton Tea and Samsung's Galaxy S8, to "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," "Thor," and "Captain America: Winter Soldier."
At NYFA animation school, we set ourselves apart with an emphasis on the practical, technical and artistic skills that are required to bring CG-enhanced stories to life, and actively prepare students for the rigors of a professional studio. As a one of the top animation schools, the New York Film Academy provides professional facilities and state-of-the-art equipment so that our students gain hands-on experience with industry standard software which may include Autodesk’s 3D Maya, Mudbox, MotionBuilder, Pixologic’s ZBrush digital sculptor, SideFX’s Houdini FX, Chaos Group’s V-Ray, and Foundry’s Nuke compositing and editing program.
3D Animation & VFX Courses
As one of the best animation schools in the country, New York Film Academy’s 3D animation and VFX department offers a wide variety of 3D animation programs and VFX courses to suit the diverse individual needs of our students, from short-term intensives to our highly specialized bachelor of fine arts degree program. Students can expect to take many of the below animation courses depending on the workshop or program in which they choose to enroll.
Modeling
Rigging
Introduction to Shaders
Lighting & Cameras
Screenwriting
Materials and Textures
Storyboard
Character Design
Introduction to Animation
3D Computer Modeling
UV Mapping
Rendering, Editing & Compositing
Animation
Lighting
Hard Surface Nurbs Modeling
Acting for Animation
MEL and Python
Particle Dynamics and Visual Effects
ZBrush
Mental Ray
Professional Development in Animation
Compositing with Nuke
Advanced Rigging
Storyboard & Animatic
3D Animation & VFX Classes
Aspiring animators interested in taking an animation program at NYFA’s 3D Animation & Visual Effects School can enroll in animation classes year-round through our rolling admissions policy. To learn more about the start dates and tuition rates for the 3D animation classes, please click here.
3D Animation & VFX Degrees
Students interested in NYFA’s bachelor of fine arts in 3D animation and VFX degree program have the option to complete a one-year program at the Academy’s NYC campus and apply for advanced standing in the BFA program offered at our Los Angeles campus.
The animation school at the New York Film Academy offers two short-term workshops designed for students who wish to obtain a working knowledge of the fundamentals of 3D animation and VFX. In addition, the Academy also offers eight-week VR workshops at the NYC campus to introduce students to the world of virtual reality.
Designed to accommodate students looking to make a longer time commitment to their studies, the 3D Animation & Visual Effects School at the New York Film Academy offers the following animation program.
In addition to its top-notch curriculum and facilities, the animation school at the New York Film Academy is home to a distinguished and accomplished faculty of professional 3D animators and visual effects artists. Each faculty member possesses a unique skill set that helps to create well-rounded students who are comfortable with the numerous aspects of the 3D animation pipeline. Some of the faculty members at the 3D Animation & Visual Effects School include:
Craig Caton-Largent, Chair LA: Craig Caton-Largent has been creating VFX for the motion picture industry for over 37 years and has contributed to over 100 films. He has created animatronic puppets and worked as a puppeteer on movies such as “Jurassic Park,” “Terminator 2,” “Tremors,” “Batman Returns,” “Ghostbusters,” and “Return of the Living Dead.” Craig has maintained and puppeteered E.T., The Extraterrestrial, for commercials and public appearances since 1992. Craig has also worked as a technical director/visual effects artist on many films, including “Apollo 13,” “How To Train Your Dragon 2,” “Rise of the Guardians,” “Tangled,” “Total Recall” and “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island.” He is one of the eight co-founders of Digital Domain.
Frederic Durand: Mr. Durand has worked on both animated and feature films, in addition over 20 years of commercial work. He has served at such companies as Disney Animation, Sony Imageworks, DreamWorks, Jim Henson’s Workshop, MPC, the Mill, and Digital Domain.
His prior film work includes “Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets,” “Lara Croft: Tomb Raider,” “Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life,” “SharkTales,” “Speed Racer,” “2012,” “Beowulf,” “Monster House,” “Chicken Little,” and many more. Durand also serves on the faculty the Gnomon School of Visual Effects, the Global Cinematography Institute, the Otis College of Design, and the University of Southern California.
Boaz Livny: An instructor in Advanced Lighting and Shaders, Livny is a CG/VFX supervisor for various post-production companies in the NYC area, including Elementary and Recom Farmhouse. Furthermore, he runs his own company called Vision Animations that provides production services, consultancy, and in-house training for studios around the world. He is also the author of “Mental Ray for Maya,” “3ds Max,” and “XSI: A 3D Artist’s Guide to Rendering.”
Gavin Guerra: A 23-year veteran in the creation of award-winning visual entertainment, Mr. Guerra’s work has spanned many formats, including film, television, theatre, and interactive. He has worked on such projects as “X2: X-Men United,” “Vertical Limit,” Radio City Music Hall’s “Christmas Spectacular,” and much more. He currently owns and operates Vram FX studios in Astoria, NY.
Matt Galuppo: Matt Galuppo has been working in entertainment for over 10 years and has worked on 15 films as a pre-vis artist, including “The Amazing Spider Man II,” “Warcraft,” “Poltergeist,” and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.” Matt recently began his directing career, making commercials for fortune 500 companies including Toyota, Fiat, Netflix, and Nintendo.
3D Animation & VFX Alumni
The 3D Animation & Visual Effects School at the New York Film Academy is proud of our alumni many of whom go on to find employment in such diverse industries as animated films, animated series, VFX work, video games, and much more. Read more about our alumni success stories here. Some of the notable films that alumni have worked on include the following movies.
3D Animation & VFX Career Pathways
Curious as to how 3D animation and VFX looks outside of NYFA? The industry offers a number of career paths, many of which are listed in the table below.
Character Animator
Character Designer
Environment Artist
Storyboard Artist
Modeler
Layout/Previz Artist
Visual Effects Artist
Character Rigger
Post Producer
Lighting Technician
FX Artist
Stop Motion Animator
Motion Graphics Artist
Production Coordinator
Texture Artist
Compositing Artist
Roto-Artist
Our past graduates have gone on to work for a number of companies and organizations that include the following beneath the below table.
“Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”
“American Gods”
“Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales”
“Alien Covenant”
“Suicide Squad”
Contact Us
To learn more about the 3D Animation & Visual Effects School at the New York Film Academy, prospective students are encouraged to call us at +1 (212) 674-4300 and follow the links below for more information.
▸ REQUEST INFO
▸ APPLY
1-800-611-FILM | 1-212-674-4300 
Animation Workshops
