VFX Academy of Design

2025 | WINTER REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!

Make sure to Enroll Today!

Search Across
All Academies

You may be interested in courses on these subjects

28 courses

Character Design

35 courses

Electives

14 courses

Environment Design

23 courses

Drawing Foundation

6 courses

Compositing/Lighting

15 courses

Houdini/FX

7 courses

Rigging

Learn rigging fundamentals

Learn the principles of rigging in this 10-week Intro to Rigging course. Students will learn how to manipulate their character and prop geometry to perform all kinds of exciting actions. After completing this course, students will be equipped with the knowledge to find both simple and complex solutions to all your production challenges. By course end, students will have a solid understanding of rigging principles, master several deformers and learn how they chain together, automate repetitive tasks with scripting, and enhance your knowledge of body mechanics and anatomy. Note* This is an introductory price

Registration Now Open

Registration Period

Oct 09, 2024 - Jan 27, 2025

Course Start

Jan 19, 2025

Course Format

Standard

Skills Level

Beginner-Intermediate

Duration

10 Weeks

Q&A

Once a week

Feedback

Individually recorded

Lecture Type

Pre-recorded

Assignment

Due each week. Expect to spend 10-20 hrs/wk viewing lectures, Q&A, and time on assignments.

PREREQUISITES

Introduction to Maya

MATERIALS

Maya 2020+ (Can be earlier but will likely cover new deformers that are unavailable in older versions.)

The more you know, the better.

Week #1

Basic Rigging Components

Week #2

Automating Motion

Custom Attributes | Basic math operations | Tire roll -Set Driven Keyframes | Intro to scripting in Maya

Week #3

Deformers: Part 1

Week #4

Deformers: Part 2

A closer look at clusters & skin clusters | Deformation Stack, learn how to properly layer deformers | Cluster / Bind pre matrix | Delta Mush | Wrap

Week #5

Rigging a simple non-human character

Learn how to apply the deformers we have covered in the previous chapters to a simple character rig. | Pose reader/Corrective Shapes

Week #6

Rigging a prop

IK Chains | Wire deformers

Week #7

Biped Rigging: Part 1

Root, Hip, Chest, Spine, Neck, Head

Week #8

Biped Rigging: Part 2

Limbs, Hands, Feet

Week #9

Biped Rigging: Part 3

Space Switching Skinning Finalizing

Week #10

Adding Deformers

Simple face rig Squash/Stretch

Unleashing your creativity.

Nick Miller

Creature Supervisor

LECTURES BY Nick Miller

Course Start: Jan 19, 2025

Nick Miller is a seasoned rigging and CFX specialist with over a decade of professional experience. He has worked for many renowned VFX companies such as Framestore, Method Studios, Digital Domain, and currently works for DNEG as a Creature Supervisor. Nick’s career began in New York and has since found its home in Vancouver. With a diverse portfolio spanning from games, advertising, television, and film, he has played a key role in notable projects like Spider-Man: Homecoming, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, Free Guy, Uncharted, Shazam! Fury of the Gods, and more. He is passionate about fostering other’s success in the animation and VFX industry and is dedicated to helping students and colleagues achieve their goals.

Instructor's Gallery

PRICING SCHEDULE

Even though our courses are the most affordable for the quality of education, these finance options allow you to focus on your goals instead of the barriers that keep you from reaching them.

3x Payments

$299.67

2x Payments

$449.50

Full payment

$899

Winter TERM REGISTRATION Now Open