I wanna learn maya , where do i go ?

[m333x]

You can go to plenty of places.. Im new too. Here's what got me started.

Maya Turtorial Database
http://www.maya3d.dk/links/tutorials/

Learnin Maya
http://www.learning-maya.com/tutorials.php

Some Free Video Tutorials
http://www.digital-tutors.com/digital_tutors/index.htm

If you have money to blow, these are GREAT video DVD tutorials.
http://www.thegnomonworkshop.com/title.shtml

Rock on man Maya rules:buttrock:

[leigh]

Originally posted by m333x

If you have money to blow, these are GREAT video DVD tutorials.
http://www.thegnomonworkshop.com/title.shtml


I second that. Gnomon's DVDs are incredible :)

[m333x]

Hehe for sure best tutorials that exsist. I have a few. They went down in price alot, thank the lord.

[Prateek]

thankx guys but i meant going to an institute coz i wanna learn it proffessionally,I have tried the online tuts now i wanna get serious

i am 14yrs and i think fr my age i am quite good but , i belive its not the age its the knowledge so i wanted to know which institute in U.S will be good fr me eg. The gnomon workshop school

[Robken]

www.3dbuzz.com offer classes in the renaissance center.
check it out

[JasonA]

I applaud your tenacity, but you might want to consider focusing on finishing high school before going to 'professional school'. You'd be surprised what you can learn from books, tuts and your high school design courses.

[MadMax]

You would be surprised how many of the animators who work in big studios are self taught.

You don't necessarily need to spend 24,000.00 for a years worth of animation school to land a job at Pixar or Digital Domain.

You do need natural talent though.

[ragecgi]

Free video tutorials, and a LOW price vip video tutorial section, as well as one of the largest Maya-specific communities on the planet:) (18000+ members) Oh, membership is free too:)

http://www.simplymaya.com

[boboroshi]

Originally posted by MadMax
You would be surprised how many of the animators who work in big studios are self taught.

You don't necessarily need to spend 24,000.00 for a years worth of animation school to land a job at Pixar or Digital Domain.

You do need natural talent though.

Most of those guys have degrees in art or architecture or comp sci. They have a great ability to learn on the side. And finally, they have a great eye. That's what makes the artist. not the degree. the eye.

[peanut]

The importance of Gnomon in Maya cant be stressed enough.

[MadMax]

Originally posted by boboroshi
Most of those guys have degrees in art or architecture or comp sci. They have a great ability to learn on the side.

you would be surprised at how many do NOT have degrees on the side at all.

I know, a lot of them are friends of mine.

[boboroshi]

Originally posted by MadMax
you would be surprised at how many do NOT have degrees on the side at all.

I know, a lot of them are friends of mine.

That too. The point being, most of them didn't go to school for this stuff, because it didn't exist when they learned it.

[Randuin]

You go to the knownledge

[MasonDoran]

Prateek,

I graduated from the Art Institute of Seattle in 1996....at that time there wasnt more then an Adobe Photoshop, Freehand, Quark, and Pagemaker classes.

It was only two years of school...but i feel the school was shite when i knew what i wanted to do but had to take a lot of garbage classes along the way that wasted my time and money.


My advice....which is that of self taught Maya modeler and animator that graduated as an illustrator....is get a traditional ART eduacation FIRST. Your drawing skills will get u a lot further then your diploma. The fact that u can draw or animate well means more to a studio then your CG skills. Studios like WETA and ILM will hire animators (2d and puppets) that have never sat in front of a computer before and PAY them to learn the software.


Secondly, try your best to get a job interview at a game company in Seattle....if you have a decent portfolio and if they are looking for someone that is really cheap, like a student, you stand a chance of getting an entry level position. If you are willing to work there without getting paid, say for educational purposes, that might also be good bargaining chip. What you learn on the job, is a 100x more then what u will learn in school....and whats better then that? You are being payed to learn, and u have no homework or exams!

[Troy]

There's alot of good advice here,
don't rush into something, you need to become a good artist and as boboroshi said, you need a good eye.

Alot of people in cg have degrees in things like architecture, computer science etc because it doesn't limit you, and after these you can specialize in animation or other specific areas. I suppose it gives you a good foundation for this...and helps you to become a better artist

Architecture is what I will be studying next year :)

[Doogie]

I also want to suggest you persue as much traditional art training as possible. I see many people who want to learn 3d to seem to put it down as a waste of time. Sure you can do 3d without art skill, but it's not good to look at.

A quick note. If you look in to traditional animation, take some of Disney's Nine Old Men for example, had experience in all kinds of traditional art. Wolfgang Reitherman with watercolors or Eric Larson with design and print. They were artists before animators.

I suggest you make sure to study both (a few 3d schools dont take the time for traditional classes, perhaps they assume you have it already)

[Prateek]

i want the exact feedback from the people who mposted after 2byts ...

tyhankx guys ....alot....keep those posts comming in

(sorry not rerplyi ng i really havbe to go)

[DezFX]

Originally posted by 2byts
What you learn on the job, is a 100x more then what u will learn in school....

This cannot be stated enough. Not sure if it is the bouncing of ideas off co-workers, the working through real world problems on a daily basis, or the exposure you gain from the pressures of "doing it" day in and day out. Maybe it's a combination of all of these elements you are exposed to. But the best school is the school of life.

[lildragon]

Originally posted by MadMax

You do need natural talent though.

That and perseverance, but concentrate on finishing highschool first, while learning from books and online resources, so by the time you're finished HS and still want to persue the college route, you'll have immense knowledge that can help keep you at the top of your classes.

-lild

[boboroshi]

Ever notice how a lot of the major animation leads/vfx supers working in Maya have a bio that usually starts with "so and so used to work at Alias Wavefront as a product engineer/pr/user support engineer for maya"?

is it better to browse teh alias job board?

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