3D Animation & Visual Effects
DIPLOMA | 12 MONTHS | FULL TIME | ON CAMPUS
OPTIONAL HYBRID LEARNING MODEL
Learn to build 3D shots end-to-end 鈥 from 3D modelling and surfacing to animation, compositing,
and FX 鈥 in an accelerated, 12-month studio pipeline.
Program Overview
Learn from industry VFX and animation supervisors while developing a studio-ready demo reel showcasing character animation skills, texturing, rigging, lighting, compositing, and FX work.听
Duration:
12 months (6 terms, full-time)
Location:
Vancouver, Canada (Campus)
Credential:
Diploma, 3D Animation & Visual Effects
Grad Deliverable:
Polished, studio-ready demo reel/portfolio
Specializations:
Animation / 3D Modeling / Visual Effects
Core Tools:
Maya, Houdini, Nuke, ZBrush, Redshift, Substance Painter, MotionBuilder
What You鈥檒l Graduate With:
A multi-piece production portfolio, with a polished short animated film serving as your signature piece.
Start Dates:
Jan / Mar / Jun / Aug / Oct annually
Tuition:
Domestic students: C$35,950
International students: C$54,000
Career Paths:
3D Animator, 3D Modeler, Compositor, Character or Asset Artist, Look Dev, Lighting Artist, Junior FX Artist
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START YOUR TRAINING
Program Specializations
Master Your Choice of 3D Animation, Modeling, or VFX
During the program, you鈥檒l build full pipeline literacy starting in the very first term, giving you a real understanding of how shots are made. In term three, you鈥檒l choose your specialization, allowing you to focus on crafting your powerful demo reel that demonstrates a proficiency with real studio practices.
Choose 3D Animation if you want to perform through movement. You鈥檒l focus on:
- Body mechanics, timing/weight, arcs/silhouette
- Acting for animators (reference, pantomime, performance choices)鈥ˋdvanced motion challenges
Your reel includes: dialogue acting shot + action/body mechanics + creature/stylized performance.
If you鈥檙e interested in building characters/props/worlds with production-ready topology and surfacing:
- Sculpting/detail (ZBrush), clean edge flow
- UVs, baking, textures/materials, look-dev presentation
- Building assets other departments rely on
Your portfolio includes: hero character & environment/modular set & prop set with look-dev & lighting.
Choose VFX if you鈥檙e interested in creating 鈥渕ovie magic鈥 through CG integration & simulations:
- Nuke compositing: layers, keying, roto, grading, integration
- Houdini FX: particles/volumes/destruction, exported + integrated into final shot鈥∣n-set thinking: plates, tracking, HDRI/reference for realism鈥ㄢ
Your reel includes: full VFX shot with breakdown & Houdini sim & comp integration example.
Explore Student Portfolios
杏吧直播间 students focus on creating studio-ready portfolios that prove they are ready to work within modern production pipelines.
What You鈥檒l Learn
- Master the 3D pipeline in Maya 鈥 from asset to final shot
- Work 鈥渞eference 鈫 proxy 鈫 final asset鈥 under deadlines, reviews, and studio-style approvals
- Create 3D models (props, environments, characters)
- High-poly / low-poly workflows + retopology + clean topology
- HUV mapping + baking + production-ready asset prep
- Build textures/materials (surfacing/look dev) and present assets professionally
If you鈥檙e interested in building characters/props/worlds with production-ready topology and surfacing:
- Animate objects and complex scenes
- Animate characters (walk/turn/lift/run/pose) + body mechanics
- Acting for animators: shoot reference, stage performance, polish shots 鈥
- Procedural/crowds concepts (where relevant) and advanced motion challenges 鈥
Your portfolio includes: hero character & environment/modular set & prop set with look-dev & lighting.
Choose VFX if you鈥檙e interested in creating 鈥渕ovie magic鈥 through CG integration & simulations:
- Rigging foundations 鈫 constraints/controls, production-minded setups
- Character rigger pathway awareness (some graduates target rigging roles) 鈥
Your reel includes: full VFX shot with breakdown & Houdini sim & comp integration example.
If you鈥檙e interested in building characters/props/worlds with production-ready topology and surfacing:
- Nuke compositing: layer CG/live action, keying, roto, grading, integration
- Houdini FX: destruction/volumes/particles; export + integrate back into shots
- On-set data acquisition thinking (plates, tracking, lighting reference) 鈥
Your portfolio includes: hero character & environment/modular set & prop set with look-dev & lighting.
SPEAK WITH A 杏吧直播间 ADVISOR TODAY
Career Outcomes After Graduation
杏吧直播间鈥檚 signature, hands-on training starts from day 1. By the time you graduate, you鈥檒l have developed an industry-ready skill set that will prepare you for a variety of careers:听
- FX Artist 鈥 Film
- 3D Animator
- Character Rigger
- Look Dev Artist
- VFX Lighting Artist
- Compositor
- Digital Matte Painter
- Character Artist
- Environment Artist
- Arch Viz 3D Artist
- Previs Animator
- 3D Modeler
- Asset Artist
- Texture Artist
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Faculty
杏吧直播间鈥檚 Faculty consists of the most highly trained professionals in the creative industries. While our full-time instructors provide more one-on-one time with students than any other school, our part-time instructors are pulled right from the heart of the industry, equipped with the most current, relevant industry experience and credits.
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Course Content
- History of Animation + VFX
- 3D Modeling 1
- Surfacing 1
- Lighting 1
- Animation 1
Outcome: Model, surface, and light a simple asset; animate basic motion studies.
- Previs/layout
- 3D Modeling 2
- Surfacing 2
- Rigging 1
- Animation 2
- Compositing Foundations
Outcome: Contribute to a small 3D sequence as a team (layout, assets, basic rig/animation, and compositing).
- Choose your specialization: Animation, 3D Modeling, or VFX
- Plan your final reel project (animatic, design, and research)
Outcome: Approved plan and clear specialization direction.
- Dailies cadence
- Milestones
- Mentor feedback loop
- Reel production starts
Outcome: Project is in active production, with weekly notes.
- Animation: Acting and facial/dialogue focus
- Modeling: High-detail sculpt and advanced look-dev
- VFX: Advanced Nuke and Houdini FX integration
Outcome: Reel starts looking 鈥渉ireable鈥.
- Final polish
- Edit and breakdown
- Industry Mentor
- Showcase
Outcome: Final reel and launch plan.
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SPEAK WITH A 杏吧直播间 ADVISOR TODAY
Program Delivery
ON-CAMPUS
Our 1 year, fully in-person production-based experience, preparing you for the industry鈥檚 current practices and technologies.听
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杏吧直播间鈥檚 School of Animation Production Centre is located at 151 W. Cordova Street in Vancouver, BC, Canada. Our state-of-the-art facilities include a 64,000 cubic ft. motion capture volume, a 280-degree green screen room, a render farm, and much more.听
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HYBRID
Access our 3D Animation & VFX program through a combination of online & on-campus learning. Curriculum is divided into three stages, with select stages available entirely online OR on campus.听
Portfolio Outcomes
Your Portfolio by Graduation
Every reel includes a breakdown mindset: what you did, how you did it, and how it fits a real pipeline.
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Book a 1-on-1 Portfolio Review
Have you ever wondered about your true creative potential? Book a review to get valuable insight into your creative work and find out if you鈥檝e got what it takes to go to 杏吧直播间.
Find Out MoreAdmissions
杏吧直播间 Advisors are here to answer any questions about the applications process, help you book a tour, or set you up for a free portfolio review with our industry faculty.
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For more about听language requirements听and other information for international students, visit the听International Students page.
Tuition
On-Campus delivery
Domestic: $35,950 CAD
International: $54,000 CAD
Start Dates: Jun 29 | Aug 31
- A portfolio of your work, max. 8-12 pages. Portfolios MUST include at least 2 examples of finished 3D work (Blender or Maya) and each page must be labeled explaining how and why this work was created. Additionally, portfolios can include examples of life drawing, digital art, traditional paintings, Fan Art, and edited photography. Submissions can also include demo reels examples of 2D or 3D animation or motion graphics. OR
- Completion of 杏吧直播间鈥檚 Foundation 鈥 Animation OR Foundation Visual Art & Design programs
Students who do not have sufficient 3D experience may receive conditional acceptance based on the strength of their other computer听animated听artwork (such as Maya, Blender, Photoshop, Illustrator, etc.) combined with their drawing skills.
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Hybrid Delivery
Tuition is broken down by individual stages and differs for on-campus and online learning.
Production Fundamentals
On-Campus | 2 Months
Domestic: $5,992 CAD
International: $9,000 CAD
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Online | 3 Months
Domestic: $3,500 CAD
International: $4,500 CAD
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- A portfolio of your work, max. 8-12 pages. Portfolios MUST include at least 2 examples of finished 3D work (Blender or Maya) and each page must be labeled explaining how and why this work was created. Additionally, portfolios can include examples of life drawing, digital art, traditional paintings, Fan Art, and edited photography. Submissions can also include demo reels of 2D or 3D animation or motion graphics, OR
- Completion of 杏吧直播间鈥檚 Foundation 鈥 Animation OR Foundation Visual Art & Design program
Production Studio
On-Campus | 6 Months
Domestic: $17,975 CAD
International: $27,000 CAD
- Completion of Production Fundamentals, OR
- Software knowledge (Maya, Nuke, etc.)
Studio Collaboration
On-Campus | 4 Months
Domestic: $11,983 CAD
International: $18,000 CAD
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Online | 4 Months
Domestic: $9,500 CAD
International: $12,500 CAD
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- Completion of Production Studio, OR
- A certificate/diploma in animation from an accredited school/program
Program FAQ
Yes. Prior 3D experience is not mandatory. You apply with a visual art portfolio. Portfolios must include at least 2 examples of 3D work (Blender or Maya), and each page must be labeled explaining how and why this work was created. If you have limited 3D experience, strong traditional art fundamentals can compensate. In some cases, applicants may receive conditional acceptance requiring them to strengthen certain skills, and one option mentioned is completing a Foundation Visual Art & Design program first.
Students will build in a foundation in Maya, Nuke and Substance Painter and then may specialize in:
- Autodesk Maya (3D modeling, animation, rigging; introduced Term 1 and used throughout)
- ZBrush (high-resolution digital sculpting; especially in the Modeling stream)
- SideFX Houdini (advanced FX simulations: particles/fluids/destruction; later terms for VFX stream)
- Foundry Nuke (compositing: layer CG with live footage, keying, rotoscoping, integration)
- Adobe Photoshop (texturing / matte painting use-cases referenced)
- Adobe Premiere Pro (editing animatics and reel editing; used in previs workflow)
- Redshift (or Arnold mentioned as possible exposure) for lighting/rendering
- Substance Painter (texturing)
You will spend about 40-50 hours per week in class and working on project work outside of class.
You choose your specialization in Term 3. The first two terms expose you to all areas (animation, modeling, lighting, compositing), so you can discover what you enjoy and do best before selecting a stream.
You graduate with a demo reel / portfolio showcasing your contributions to studio projects and extended assignments.
Typical reel/portfolio content by specialization:
Animation Specialization:
- Polished dialogue/acting shot
- Body mechanics/action shots
- Creature/quadruped or stylized performance shots
Modeling Specialization:
- Hero character (sculpt, topo, surfacing, beauty renders)
- Environment sets/modular builds
- Prop set with look-dev and lighting
VFX Specialization:
- Complete VFX shot with breakdown (plate, CG, comp)
- Houdini FX sim (destruction/volumes/particles)
- Nuke comp showing integration + grading
- FX Technical Director
- FX Artist 鈥 Film
- FX Simulation Artist
- Compositor
- VFX Lighting Artist
- Digital Matte Painter
- Roto Artist
- Character Rigger
- Look Dev Artist
- 3D Animator
- Previs Animator
- 3D Modeler
- Character Artist
- Environment Artist
- Asset Artist
- Texture Artist
- Arch Viz 3D Artist
Yes. Vancouver is described as a major hub (鈥淗ollywood North鈥), with 60+ animation/VFX studios mentioned, including large companies such as Industrial Light & Magic, Sony Imageworks, MPC, Digital Domain, and Electronic Arts, as well as local studios like Bardel, Mainframe, and Atomic Cartoons. Studying in Vancouver places you close to industry, networking opportunities, and potential recruiters.
- Intensive one-year model (12 months/6 terms) with an accelerated studio-style pipeline
- Early specialization so you graduate focused (Animation/Modeling/VFX)
- Live industry mentorship embedded in project development (mentor feedback/dailies cadence)
- Access to professional motion capture volume on-campus
- Career preparation (resume, reel packaging, networking, interview prep)
- Emphasis on professional work ethic and simulating real production pressure
The program is 12 months long and delivered across 6 intensive terms of full-time study.
Tuition varies by residency status:
- Domestic students: C$35,950
- International students: C$54,000
Application fee is C$100.
Delivery options include on-campus and hybrid. Contact Admissions to confirm availability for your start date.
Students studying on campus in Canada may require a study permit. Requirements for hybrid or online cohorts vary depending on how much in-person study occurs in Canada. An Admissions Advisor can help determine the correct visa pathway.
Graduates receive a Diploma in 3D Animation & Visual Effects.
Yes. Applicants submit a visual art portfolio including 8-12 pieces. Portfolios must include at least 2 examples of 3D work (Blender or Maya), and each page must be labeled explaining how and why this work was created. Portfolio can include drawings from life, life drawing, fan art, digital art, traditional art/paintings, motion graphics, editing, and photography.
Applicants should be high school graduates (or at least 19 years old), submit a portfolio, and meet English language requirements if applicable.
Yes. Students who register for Hybrid training will be able to study outside of Canada for parts of the program.
Many parts of the curriculum are delivered through a studio-style production model that includes live instruction, critique sessions (鈥渄ailies鈥), mentor feedback, and collaborative project work. This structure can be supported remotely for online cohorts.
For Hybrid cohorts, some portions of the program may take place on campus in Vancouver, for example short intensives, production milestones, or showcase events, while the rest is completed remotely.
If you plan to remain outside Canada for the entire program, an online option may be suitable if available. If you plan to attend any in-person components, entry requirements will depend on the length and nature of your stay.
Best next step: Speak with an Admissions Advisor to confirm whether your preferred intake supports fully remote participation and to understand any travel or entry requirements for hybrid study.
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