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    • Animation

    Animation Courses Online

    Learn animation techniques for creating engaging visual content. Understand principles like timing, spacing, and movement in animation.

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    Explore the Animation Course Catalog

    • Status: Free
      Free
      C

      Coursera Instructor Network

      Interactive and Immersive Experiences with Generative AI

      Skills you'll gain: AI Personalization, Generative AI, Virtual Environment, Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR/VR), Virtual Reality, Artificial Intelligence, Creativity, Storytelling, Game Design, Multimedia, Animation and Game Design, Interactive Design, Persona (User Experience)

      Intermediate · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

    • C

      Coursera Project Network

      Midjourney for Beginners: Craft an Exquisite Piece of AI Art

      Skills you'll gain: Generative AI, Prompt Engineering, Content Creation, Digital Design, Graphics Software, Creativity

      4
      Rating, 4 out of 5 stars
      ·
      22 reviews

      Beginner · Guided Project · Less Than 2 Hours

    • Status: Free
      Free
      P

      Peking University

      Chinese Characters for beginner 汉字

      Skills you'll gain: Language Learning, Vocabulary, Literacy, Oral Comprehension

      4.7
      Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
      ·
      1K reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • C

      Coursera Project Network

      Cinematic Storytelling Simplified: Mastering Lumen5 AI

      Skills you'll gain: Video Production, Storytelling, Storyboarding, Video Editing, Content Creation, Animations, Generative AI

      Beginner · Guided Project · Less Than 2 Hours

    • Status: Free
      Free
      C

      Coursera Project Network

      Using Animations and Transitions in Microsoft PowerPoint

      Skills you'll gain: Communication

      4.6
      Rating, 4.6 out of 5 stars
      ·
      10 reviews

      Intermediate · Guided Project · Less Than 2 Hours

    • P

      Packt

      Create Beautiful Imagery with Midjourney AI

      Skills you'll gain: Multimedia, Generative AI, Video Production, Adobe Photoshop, Content Creation, User Accounts, Creative Design, Prompt Engineering, File Management

      Intermediate · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • Status: Free
      Free
      U

      University of Alberta

      Problem Solving, Python Programming, and Video Games

      Skills you'll gain: Computational Thinking, Video Game Development, Game Design, Programming Principles, Animation and Game Design, Software Quality (SQA/SQC), Computer Programming, Program Development, Software Engineering, Python Programming, Algorithms, Pseudocode, Application Development, Debugging, Problem Management, Functional Testing, Test Planning

      4.3
      Rating, 4.3 out of 5 stars
      ·
      232 reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 3 Months

    • U

      Universidad de los Andes

      Desarrollo y Diseño de Videojuegos

      Skills you'll gain: Animation and Game Design, Game Design, Video Game Development, Scrum (Software Development), Unity Engine, Value Propositions, Functional Specification, Sprint Retrospectives, Business Modeling, Agile Methodology, Agile Software Development, Software Design Documents, Software Development Methodologies, Interaction Design, Software Documentation, Interactive Design, User Interface (UI), Virtual Environment, Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR/VR), Virtual Reality

      4.5
      Rating, 4.5 out of 5 stars
      ·
      390 reviews

      Intermediate · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months

    • M

      Michigan State University

      Game Design and Development with Unity

      Skills you'll gain: Unity Engine, Game Design, Video Game Development, Prototyping, 3D Modeling, Software Design Documents, Peer Review, Cross Platform Development, C# (Programming Language), User Interface (UI), Animation and Game Design, User Experience, Software Design, Storytelling, Software Documentation, User Experience Design, Conceptual Design, Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR/VR), Microsoft Visual Studio, Computer Graphics

      4.7
      Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
      ·
      612 reviews

      Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months

    • U

      University of London

      Responsive Website Development and Design

      Skills you'll gain: Responsive Web Design, HTML and CSS, Web Design, Human Computer Interaction, Interaction Design, jQuery, Bootstrap (Front-End Framework), Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), Usability, User Experience Design, User Accounts, MongoDB, User Interface and User Experience (UI/UX) Design, Web Design and Development, Wireframing, Persona (User Experience), Web Applications, Full-Stack Web Development, Interactive Data Visualization, JavaScript Frameworks

      4.5
      Rating, 4.5 out of 5 stars
      ·
      7.6K reviews

      Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months

    • U

      University of California, Irvine

      iOS Development for Creative Entrepreneurs

      Skills you'll gain: Swift Programming, Objective-C (Programming Language), iOS Development, Core Data (Software), Apple iOS, Video Game Development, Game Design, Apple Xcode, Model View Controller, JSON, User Interface (UI) Design, UI Components, Mobile Development, User Interface and User Experience (UI/UX) Design, OAuth, Responsive Web Design, Prototyping, Animation and Game Design, Human Computer Interaction, UI/UX Strategy

      4.5
      Rating, 4.5 out of 5 stars
      ·
      709 reviews

      Beginner · Specialization · 3 - 6 Months

    • M

      Meta

      Create the User Interface with SwiftUI

      Skills you'll gain: User Interface (UI), Mobile Development, User Interface (UI) Design, Apple iOS, UI Components, Swift Programming, Apple Xcode, Application Development, Animations

      4.7
      Rating, 4.7 out of 5 stars
      ·
      112 reviews

      Beginner · Course · 1 - 4 Weeks

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    In summary, here are 10 of our most popular animation courses

    • Interactive and Immersive Experiences with Generative AI: Coursera Instructor Network
    • Midjourney for Beginners: Craft an Exquisite Piece of AI Art: Coursera Project Network
    • Chinese Characters for beginner 汉字: Peking University
    • Cinematic Storytelling Simplified: Mastering Lumen5 AI: Coursera Project Network
    • Using Animations and Transitions in Microsoft PowerPoint: Coursera Project Network
    • Create Beautiful Imagery with Midjourney AI: Packt
    • Problem Solving, Python Programming, and Video Games: University of Alberta
    • Desarrollo y Diseño de Videojuegos: Universidad de los Andes
    • Game Design and Development with Unity: Michigan State University
    • Responsive Website Development and Design: University of London

    Frequently Asked Questions about Animation

    Knowing why you want to learn animation, be it for film, games, or personal projects, will keep you motivated. Regular practice with animation software is crucial. Join online communities like the Animation subreddits or local groups for feedback and support. Work on real projects such as creating short animations. Coursera offers the course Interactive Computer Graphics by University of Tokyo, which can help you get started with animation.‎

    The skills and experience you may need to have already before studying animation include having a creative mind with the ability to pay attention to the smallest details, some drawing or other artistic ability, and feeling comfortable working on a computer. Having a familiarity with computer graphics software and computer programming may also help you learn animation as well as learning how to create animated 3D movies. If you have some basic graphic design skills, they'll also be helpful. Another set of skills you may want to have to learn animation is the knowledge of color theory so you can understand the use of colors to express and communicate various emotions or feelings.‎

    The kind of person best suited to learn animation is someone who may want to become a game developer artist, an animator, or visual effects artist for a variety of media including film or television, or a digital or graphics designer for the internet. Someone who may do well learning animation might also be able to work both independently and on a team. Often animators must work with a team of other animators or creative colleagues on projects. Someone learning animation will need to be able to handle feedback from directors, other animator team members, game designers, and clients and then edit their work to comply with those requests. Another characteristic of someone who may be well suited to learn animation is patience. That’s because creating animation is a labor-intensive process in order to capture the details that go into each character and setting frame to frame.‎

    Learning animation may be right for you if you feel compelled to express your creativity using computer programs to create illustrations used on various media or platforms. It may be right for you if you want to learn how to design and develop game worlds and gameplay for video games, from concept to presentation. Studying animation is also a good idea if you plan to enter the virtual reality field where interactive animation and character animation and design are important to know. Studying animation may be beneficial for you to learn if you plan to become a 3D artist working on various platforms that require certification, such as Unity.‎

    Yes, Coursera offers a variety of free courses across many topics, including animation. While you can access most course materials for free by auditing the courses, this does not include graded assignments or a completion certificate. For those looking to obtain a certificate to showcase their learning or enhance their professional profile, Coursera provides the option to purchase the course. Additionally, Coursera offers free trials or financial aid to learners who qualify, making certifications more accessible to everyone.‎

    This FAQ content has been made available for informational purposes only. Learners are advised to conduct additional research to ensure that courses and other credentials pursued meet their personal, professional, and financial goals.

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