Are you planning to take an Animation degree course this year?

Are you planning to take an Animation degree course this year? top places to seek advice from

A degree course in animation is an excellent option for those who are interested in making a name for themselves in this field. ‘Conventional’ degree courses like those of Science, Engineering, Medical, Architecture, Law, etc. were the so-called ‘norm’ in India until recently. Now there is more emphasis on efficiency, passion, and functionality. For instance, a friend of mine was a die-hard fan of motion cartoons like Tom and Jerry, Swat Kats, etc. in his childhood like most of us. He was always passionate about such types of animated films, and he was always in awe of the Visual Effects (VFX). I knew he wanted to be an animation professional deep down. But like most others in our country, he buckled down to peer and parental pressure to take up engineering, something he was not passionate about.

Fortunately, things have changed now for the better. Our society has gradually learned to see beyond Engineering, Medical, and Law. The focus is on individual interest and passion now, which is great for the upcoming generations in our country. After all, if you don’t pursue what you are genuinely passionate about, you are bound to either not excel or not have job satisfaction in the long run.

Okay so, let’s say you have decided to pursue the career of your dreams, i.e. Multimedia and Animation. Since it is not as widespread as, say Engineering, your options will still be comparatively limited. Or so they seem due to lack of proper information and advice channels.

Let’s take a quick look at the anatomy of a degree course in Animation and Multimedia.

A B.Sc degree in Multimedia and Animation/ VFX is generally a 3-year course offered by Universities or Institutes recognized by authorized bodies like the UGC. Course modules include 2D and 3D animation (be it in movies, games or advertisements), photography, graphics design, VFX, audio, and video editing. Prerequisites for such courses are not very different from those of other 3-year graduation courses. Generally, a 10+2 pass-out certificate from a recognized Board of Education with a minimum % of marks (which varies across universities or institutes) suffices. 

Now that you know who this course is for, are you ready to dive right in already? Maybe. Maybe not, you might have many doubts. If the latter is the case, here are the sources you can refer to for further professional advice about this.

Multimedia Professionals

There’s hardly anyone better to provide advice than actual animation professionals who have had some experience in this industry either directly or indirectly. If you can talk to someone who has entered the industry after acquiring the relevant animation degree, then you’re in even better luck. Nothing beats personal experience, and these are the guys who can provide you with the best one-to-one professional advice with a personal touch. 

Quora

This is the next best thing to talking to professionals in person. Quora is a great platform to get your queries answered, and it can actually be about anything under the sun. You can ask for career advice or guidance when it comes to Animation, Graphic Designing, VFX, or just about anything related to this field.

Quora started with a question-answer format initially, and even though that is still the primary mode of interaction, articles and blogs have been introduced as well. You can ask questions and expect answers anywhere within a few minutes to a day. Although if you are in luck, your exact query or similar types of queries would have already been answered. For even faster replies, you can use the A2A (Ask to Answer) feature to get your questions directly answered by experts or professionals who you can handpick yourself.

There is also something called ‘Spaces’. It’s like an exclusive club, so to speak about a particular topic/ subject where people share posts, links, and opinions about the topic/ subject in question. Go check out Quora spaces related to Animation, Video Editing, and Multimedia now!

Reddit

This is slightly similar to Quora as it also features a question-answer format. It also features exclusive groups called subreddits which are similar to the ‘spaces’ of Quora. Although it is not very popular in India, it is extensively used by people in Western countries. As such, you can get an international picture of animation and multimedia/ VFX courses and get valuable information in case you want to venture out abroad.

The Animation Society of India

The Animation Society of India is a non-profit society established solely for the purpose of increasing mass awareness about animation both as an art and as a viable full-time profession. It also aims to serve as a platform for the exchange of creative ideas and technical know-how among the “Indian art and animation fraternity”. 

You can head over to their website http://tasionline.org/ to take a look at what all they offer. Like most other organizations during this pandemic-induced lockdown, they have also been hosting relevant webinars on the concerned topics at hand.

YouTube

YouTube is another great platform to look for relevant advice about the animation industry. There are many career guidance channels like FreshersWorld, among others that present well-researched information in an audio-visual format for your perusal. There are individuals as well, and although not everything is a verified animation professional dishing out advice there, it doesn’t hurt to hear them out in the process of your research.

How can TGC Multimedia help you? Now that you know where to look for valuable advice about animation degree courses, you won’t have to look far if you have made up your mind to pursue it after you’re done with your 10+2. Here at TGC, one of the best multimedia and animation institutes in India, we offer comprehensive 3-year animation degree courses, the complete details of which can be found here.