Enrolling in an animation class as a high school student is a highly beneficial choice for those interested in the growing field of digital arts.
Animation involves creating motion and shape change illusions, often used in the media and entertainment industries but have applications in various other fields. If you’re a creative teenager who loves animation or filmmaking, you owe it to yourself to investigate animation summer programs for high school students like you.
Learning Animation in High School
Many high schools offer digital arts or multimedia courses that include animation. These courses often cover the basics of animation software, principles of animation, and storyboard development. Often, you’ll find them in your school’s art program, especially if you have a cool teacher who is into animation and film. Taking them early in high school provides you with a/an:
- Strong grounding in foundational animation techniques
- Better understanding of these fascinating subjects
- Chance to learn using free software from your school
- Opportunity to build your techniques before starting college
Animation Courses Outside Your High School
What if your school doesn’t have animation classes? That’s probably not unusual because animation has yet to become as widely available as other types of tech courses, like graphic design summer programs for high school students. Don’t worry, though. There are many options outside your classroom that you can try, including:
- After-School Programs: Additional programs can provide more focused and advanced animation training, often using state-of-the-art software and techniques used by industry professionals. In this way, you can become an even better animator in high school.
- Animation Bootcamps: Teams like NextGen Bootcamps offer intensive programs designed to teach animation from the ground up. These are structured to give you a deep dive into 2D and 3D animation techniques and help you decide which works best for you.
Why Learning Animation Is a Smart Investment for High School Students
- Soft Skill Development: Animation courses cultivate creativity, patience, attention to detail, and problem-solving skills. High school students definitely need these abilities as they get older and transition to more challenging subjects in college and beyond.
- Enhancement of Logical Skills: Although highly creative, animation requires a logical approach to project management, timing, and movement mechanics. Improving logic is never bad, particularly in a world that seems to lack it most of the time.
- Preparation for College: A background in animation is a significant advantage for students pursuing higher education in fields like digital media, film, game design, or computer graphics. In other words, you can use animation in almost any field you choose!
- Job Opportunities: Animation skills open up opportunities in many high-earning sectors, including film and television, advertising, video game development, and web design. Creative teens like you will likely enjoy utilizing your animation in these fun markets.
Popularity of Animation for High School Students
Animation is incredibly popular due to its versatility and the expanding need for animated content across various media. Modern media production often focuses heavily on this type of animation work, providing you with a unique opportunity to stand out in your field. If you’re a creative high school teenager, you might enjoy learning animation for its:
- Creative Scope: Animation allows for boundless creativity in storytelling and visual expression. Even if you don’t start a career in this field, you can use animation in various personal projects, including in YouTube channel production or family video making.
- Unique Artistic Opportunities: Animation courses blend technology and art, allowing you to bring imaginative concepts to life. That’s important to remember if you’re serious about joining an artistic career and advancing as a general animator or director.
- High-Earning Careers: As mentioned previously, professionals in animation and related fields can secure significant earnings, especially in roles related to movie production, advertising campaigns, and specialized design services. Few creative jobs are as rewarding.
Curriculum in Animation Courses for Teenagers
When you take animation classes in high school, you’ll study multiple subjects likely to fascinate you. Even if you don’t have any drawing talent (most of us don’t), animation courses will easily transition you from a novice level to a more professional understanding. Here are the three basic tiers you’ll move through as you complete your animation courses in high school.
Beginner Lessons
In your earliest animation courses, you’ll study the basics of animation, understanding frames, introductory software skills, and simple animations. These important foundational studies prepare you for more difficult subjects. Don’t worry: you’ll still be able to do some pretty fun and interesting work here. But moving on to more advanced courses improves your techniques.
Intermediate Lessons
Through intermediate courses, you’ll work on developing more complex sequences, introduction to 3D modeling tools, and character animation. These classes are often tougher to master because you’ll focus on building on your previous lessons. That said, they’re more than worth taking if you’re serious about becoming an animator or perfecting your skills for your projects.
Advanced Lessons
Advanced animation projects involve full-scale animations, complex software like Autodesk Maya or Blender, and sound and visual effects integration. Learning these important skills can make you a better and more professional animator. Just as critically, you can use these techniques to transform your career and improve your chances of success.
NextGen Bootcamps for Animation for High School Students
NextGen Bootcamps provide comprehensive, project-based learning opportunities in animation. Each course takes place over a few weeks in the summer, meaning you can still enjoy some fun with your friends and family. Just as importantly, they reinforce important skills and techniques through fast-paced lessons and hands-on learning opportunities. Here are a few from NextGen that might interest you or someone you know. Talk with your parents about trying them out.
Animation Summer Bootcamp NYC
Animation Summer Bootcamp NYC covers 2D animation techniques, animation history, design principles, and much more. In just a few weeks, your teen will learn animation and become confident working in various formats, particularly digitally. As you move through this course with your professor, you’ll create various projects that you can add to a portfolio to show off your techniques and highlight your unique abilities to colleges and employers.
Video Editing & Motion Graphics Certificate NYC
Video Editing & Motion Graphics Certificate NYC teaches Adobe Premiere Pro, the industry-standard editing software animators use. Your teen will learn not only 3D layer animation but also motion tracking, masking, and dynamic animation production for film, TV, and games. By the time you finish this course, you’ll have a strong portfolio of work you can use to show off to potential employers. Not a bad thing to have around at all!
Motion Graphics with After Effects NYC
Motion Graphics with After Effects NYC teaches teens how to navigate this powerful software. They’ll learn 3D layering, text animation, and motion tracking in a fun and tight-knit course. With real-world projects and expert instructors, it will get you ready to go! Even if you have no experience with this subject, it’s a great opportunity for you to become a more skilled animator and motion graphics expert in many fields, such as film making and YouTube production.
College Animation Programs for High School Students
While no AP Advanced Placement classes are specifically for animation, many colleges offer robust programs in animation, visual effects, and game design. These unique courses can help you master animation on many levels and transition to exciting careers. As a result, taking these early courses can help you transition to college more successfully with benefits like:
- Stronger Animation Insight: These programs often provide deeper insights into the technical aspects of animation to help you become more accomplished in these difficult areas. As you progress, you should feel more comfortable tackling tougher subjects easily.
- Better Portfolio and Internship Opportunities: During these earlier courses, you’ll build connections to the industry through internships and portfolio development courses. When you’re done, your name will be on the lips of the top animation experts in the nation.
- Amazing Career Prep Options: Pursuing a degree in animation at a college level prepares students for a competitive and flourishing career in various creative and technical fields. Taking early prep courses in high school gets you even more ready for this fascinating job.
Taking an animation class in high school sets the stage for diverse educational and career opportunities. It provides a solid foundation in an artistically rewarding and technically demanding field, making it ideal for creatively inclined students like you who want to turn their passion into a profession. Talk with your parents to learn more about your options.