You may have been reading all our posts and have finally decided to join the fun and become a VFX artist. Not only is this possible, but it is also less stressful than it used to be. Where you would have had to enroll in years of schooling to pass exams and get exemplary grades, you don’t need all of that anymore. You can learn VFX and all you need to know about starting a career as a VFX artist from home.
You still need to take some courses and take a few tests. But it does not have to be the full-blown classroom feeling anymore. Here is an article explaining how you can go from an amateur to a VFX artist in training without leaving your house.
Watch Some YouTube Videos
Note that you need some background knowledge of creativity before you can become a VFX artist. If you love maths or chemicals, there might be a better place for you. But even if you love the arts, VFX can be difficult for someone who is just getting into it without prior experience. But you don’t have to look for a job or ask for an internship at a VFX company to acquire expertise. All you need to do is watch as many YouTube videos as you can about VFX and VFX artists. This is where you can get a background knowledge of what to do and how and what the VFX world is all about. Remember to watch only beginner videos for easy comprehension.
Get started by downloading a software
Some say that the fastest way to learn something is to do it. Check out VFX software and get started. If you don’t know which one to pick, you can also try out a couple of them to see which of them you are most comfortable with. Since you have watched multiple videos, the software should be familiar to you. As for the software used in VFX, here are a couple of the most popularly used software in the system.
- Adobe After Effects
- Autodesk Mayo
- Blender
- Cinema 4D
- 3DsMax
- Nuke
- Houdini
- Photoshop
- Natron, and so much more.
However, the most suitable software for beginners is “Blender“. It is open-source, free software, and its interface makes it easy for beginners to catch on fast.
Watch Tutorials and Repeat Them
This step is self-explanatory. After downloading the software, the next thing is to watch tutorials online, either on YouTube or any other video-based platform. Watching these tutorials by certified personnel and on the software, you are familiar with is highly recommended. This is so that you can follow the steps as the video unravels. Then you can experiment on your own to see if you can find what you like after you’ve learned the basics.
Enroll in a course
Though you might not be applying to school or college, you do have to undergo professional training. Not only will this help to certify your experience, but a professional certificate will also boost your standing as a VFX artist. Not to mention that if you can get into a high-level VFX company, you need an impressive CV, and a certificate from these courses can boost your CV. The courses can be taken online or in a class-like environment. While the latter is more effective, both can provide you with the basic idea needed when working or learning from experts in the field.
Create a Portfolio
The final step to kicking off your career is to create more and more jobs that land in your portfolio. Your portfolio represents not just your work but also your resume, which should accompany your CV. It needs to contain only the best of your work and must be arranged to convince viewers of your work. We have a whole blog post dedicated to creating a professional portfolio as a beginner. Check that out to solidify your footing as a VFX artist in the making.
Conclusion
The world of VFX is broad, and it is almost impossible to know it all after one read. We have a catalog of blog posts about everything you need to know in the world of VFX, so check out your posts. Also, you can contact us if you have requests for topics you’d like a detailed post on. We would love you to check out our many posts and hope to see you again.