My Wife, children and I have just emigrated to Australia from the UK. A new country, a new career.
I’m about to give up 15 years I.T contracting to pursue my creative vocation. I’m going to be an VFX Compositor, come hell or high water. I’ve always hated every morning I’ve had to get up and go to work. It can’t go on any longer.
After an intensive few weeks search on google, I think I’ve narrowed down what applications I need to focus on. Maya, Nuke and After Effects. Am I right? Should I be considering something else?
The reason for the confusion is one of the few courses I’ve found is at Sydney TAFE. It’s a Maya course in 3D Animation and Visual Effects. But to get to the Visual Effects bit, you have to complete the 3D Animation course first. 3D Animation seems like a great skill to acquire but is it necessary? Do compositors need this skill? I’m not getting any younger and I don’t want to waste time.
I need to know where best to focus my efforts.
Other than this TAFE course the only other relevent training I could find that’s currently active is level 1 and 2 After Effects courses. So due to the lack of available training I’ve decided to go the self teach route and do some online tutorial stuff at fxphd, The Gnomon and Motionworks. Anyone know of anywhere else I should be looking?
One more thing, I’m going to be buying a powerful laptop. I feel I should be getting a Mac, but the new Macbook Pro 17 doesn’t have USB 3.0, so it looks like another Sony Vaio (I’ve had three). Unless someone on this forum tells me otherwise and forget USB 3.0 go for the Mac.
I tried emailing some post production houses like Weta Digital for example, for advice and guidance on what I should be studying, but not one of them has replied. To be honest I didn’t really expect a reply. My Wife says I should phone but I feel I’d get the same response as my emails.
A bit long winded I know but if you bothered to read through and reply, I thank you, and your advice is very, very much appreciated.
Cheers in advance.
