Digital Media Academy Certification: Maya

Overview

Digital Media Academy Certifications are recognized by both industry and education as a standard of excellence.  Over the past 10 years DMA has earned a reputation of providing some of the highest-level instruction in the quick moving and ever-changing world of Digital Media.  DMA’s Maya Certification Program is created from 3 unique weeklong courses that together cover all of the major components of the professional modeling and animation workflow with Maya Unlimited®.

Because DMA’s Maya Certification Program is built from multiple courses students can attend one, two, three or the entire four weeks in one summer or over multiple summers.  This gives students flexibility on how many weeks they choose to attend. Each week stands alone as a complete learning experience with a defined set of objectives and a final project. Students who choose to, can then move on over multiple weeks and earn certification.

Outcome

Being (DMA) Maya certified means that not only has the student touched on all major parts of the Maya software and work flow, but that he/she has completed an animated short film. This short will be a student designed, modeled, textured, lit, animated, and directed project — many of which will be ready for the animation festival circuit. The project is a tightly constructed project showing mastery of the art and tools of Maya animation.

Highlights

  • Fleixble, modular program
  • Earn DMA Maya Certification
  • Complete a portfolio of your work and an animated short film
  • Learn professional modeling and animation techniques and workflow with Maya Unlimited
  • Earn (optional) Stanford continuing studies credit

Week by Week Curriculum Overview

Week Course Title Learning Objectives Outcome
DMA Certification in Maya
Week 1 Maya 2012 Essentials: Modeling, Texturing & Lighting
  • This course provides new users with a strong foundation in Maya.
  • Topics incllude modeling, materials, lighting, camera, animation, and rendering
 Completed, fully modeled, textured, lit and rendered interior set design
Week 2 Maya 2012: Character Modeling & Rigging
  • Explore the construction and setup of characters
  • Master modeling tools for character and creature modeling
  • Learn inverse kinematics, smooth skin binding, and simple expressions.
 Completion of a character ready for animation
Week 3 Maya 2012: Principles of Animation
  • Advanced understanding of Maya animation toolset
  • Character animation, including walk cycles and free-form expressive movement
  • Introductory look at 3D dynamic effects such as fire and smoke
 Completion of animated character complete with visual effects


See DMA Locations

©2011 Digital Media Academy, Inc. All rights reserved. Digital Media Academy represents the best in high-tech learning, advanced media, digital art and computer training classes for professionals and adult learners, and day and overnight. Digital Art & Technology Courses Taught by Industry Pros.

Locations in the United States from the East Coast to the West Coast and in Vancouver, Canada: Stanford University in the San Francisco Bay Area; Digital Media Academy Training Center; Northern and Southern California; University of California, San Diego; University of Texas at Austin; Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts