Contemplating VFX Apprentice Course – Actual Time VFX

Hi there,

Just lately I’ve put extra time into studying VFX, I’ve been eyeing the VFX Apprentice since I’ve purchased my first Udemy VFX course. Now that I’ve saved some cash and have extra free time (misplaced my job) I’m contemplating month-to-month VFX Apprentice subscription.

• Does anyone have expertise with the positioning?
• Do they educate Cascade principally? I want to study Niagara and even Unity
• Ought to I take the course or not?

I’ve watched some Jason Keyser movies and I like his vibe

I might actually admire if you happen to may advocate programs, books, something that may be helpful or share your individual strategy and expertise.

Hey there! Comfortable to reply your questions as somebody who has been with VFXA.

For a private anecdote of my expertise, it’s an excellent funding if you happen to’re seeking to take the following step. I’ve been a member of their group since January or so, and it (with a number of arduous work on my finish) took me from by no means making a real-time impact to getting employed. The group in itself is extremely useful, pleasant, and welcoming to newcomers.

They’ve a mixture of what they educate at present. Proper now, they’re (seemingly) persevering with to push out an increasing number of Niagara/Unity content material! A few of their legacy stuff is in Cascade, nevertheless it’s nonetheless high quality content material!

Like I mentioned above, the course is nice. The one “ought to” or “shouldn’t” that’s value contemplating (IMO) is whether or not you might have the time, endurance, and dedication to maintain with a course like this that’s self-driven. There’s tons of nice content material of their classes, however they’re simply the catalyst on your studying journey! So… if you happen to resolve to put money into your future – keep on with it!

Jason is a superb man; he’s simply as pleasant and personable throughout weekly critique classes as he’s in the remainder of his content material.

So far as books go – the one ones I’ve gotten quite a bit out of are the Elemental Magic sequence by Joseph Gilland.

My private expertise with it (purchased the Booms and Blasts course when it got here out a pair years in the past, I used to be most likely among the many first) has been largely constructive. I nonetheless sometimes refer again to a few of the classes and discover it a really beneficial useful resource. Total I might say it’s effectively value it if you happen to’re critical about diving into this extraordinarily rewarding and at present very marketable profession path.

Execs:

• Particularly nice for stylized FX (although you possibly can take the rules and apply them to any model)
• Covers a very nice vary of the fundamental FX components (hearth, water, smoke, magic, and many others.)
• Actually appreciated the emphasis on a complete end-to-end strategy (idea artwork to completed in-game FX)
• Nice in-engine setup challenge for testing your FX in a game-like setting and for making reel vids (each UE and (I consider) Unity)
• The VFXA Discord is superior; tons of useful individuals and nice for in-depth and beneficial critiques

Cons

• Among the earlier classes had been very improvised and poorly edited (there are many rambling, ‘ums/ers’, and even stretches of simply clean silence the place you aren’t certain if the video is bugged out. I’d adore it if these early vids had been not less than re-edited, if not utterly re-recorded.
• Initially all of the UE FX had been in Cascade, however that’s one thing they’ve begun to treatment lately with much more Niagara content material. That mentioned, some corporations are nonetheless utilizing Cascade so it’s not utterly irrelevant.

Hey, @Milan! I used to be simply pointed to this submit by a good friend, and wished to chime in. I tremendous love all of the suggestions I’ve seen right here, and wished to thanks for elevating these questions.

On the subject of Niagara: we at present have an intensive on-boarding sequence for Niagara, and our Cascade content material has been getting an overhaul for a while now, and final 12 months we launched up to date counterparts to the Booms & Blasts results in an alternate Unreal 5 / Niagara challenge. Now we’re about to launch classes to go along with that up to date content material.

So by subsequent month, the one remaining Cascade materials that doesn’t have a Niagara counterpart shall be 2 of the facet scroller results (the sword slash and therapeutic spell). As talked about earlier, since Cascade continues to be extensively utilized by many studios, and the transition between Cascade and Niagara tends to be straight-forward when you’ve discovered one or the opposite, we’re completely satisfied to depart these 2 results as-is for now, so we will make investments our power into making all our upcoming Unreal classes utilizing Niagara.

Then there’s the difficulty of different older content material needing updates. Completely agree we’ve improved quite a bit over time, and we’re to know the problems individuals discover probably the most distracting. @kimber I’m tremendous curious which classes gave you probably the most grief, if you happen to don’t thoughts sharing, and we’ll check out what will be completed to enhance them. If it’s some low-scope enhancing, eradicating annoying ums, reducing out useless house, and many others. that each one looks as if one thing we will look into. For the massive overhauls, we don’t have any present plans to redo content material, however we’re to achieve classes for future content material.

As for whether or not or not you or anybody ought to take the course, I’ll advocate (in my very biased opinion) that it will be good to first attempt the free coaching, which supplies a pattern of what’s inside, and unlocks a couple of channels of our Discord server, which is personally my favourite half about VFX Apprentice.

Hope all that helps!

Thanks very a lot for all of the enter. I used to be impatient and couldn’t watch for any suggestions so after couple of days I’ve subscribed to VFXA for a month (that’s how a lot cash I had) and to say the least I loved the teachings. The best way they educate is like no different I may discover, manner simpler to grasp. Every part else I’ve discovered goes like “do that do this” and also you get the consequence. VFXA present you how you can suppose, clarify what every node does. I completely liked each second I’ve spent studying. Sure, @Zeph
is correct it’s important to be self pushed to repeatedly examine. The very best half is the discord channel and all the advantages you get when you are subscribed. The group is basically welcoming even for somebody as shy as I’m . There are hangouts twice every week. Scholar hangouts room the place individuals reside streaming their creating session. Merely put superb group.

I might advocate to everyone keen to place a tough work into studying VFX. The intro to Niagara sequence covers alot about Niagara itself. Didn’t get to cascade components (ran out of time). There are classes instructing you how you can create supplies (the half I struggled probably the most), how you can work in Krita creating textures, Maya/Blender for Meshes. Superb website total.

Certainly I’ll subscribe for not less than a month as soon as I collect cash for it. It’s value each penny.

Thanks, @Keyserito for replaying to my submit. VFXApprentice is superb, particularly for newbies like me.

Sorry for my english!

That is actually nice to listen to. I do know we spoke offline, however simply wished to say right here that I’m glad you’re getting what you want out of your VFX schooling. That’s what it’s all about.

I do know this thread is usually useless however I’m about to affix VFXA (simply ready on payday) however I used to be questioning if there’s any form of order to the programs, like a roadmap for us to observe?

I’ve completed a handful of programs each free and paid and nonetheless discover myself not sure if I’m even studying what I have to or if I’m beginning within the “mistaken” space. So wanting ahead to one thing with some construction in-built and even assumed construction simply to level me up as a substitute of in circles haha