Diploma of 3D Animation Production
Indicative Total Course Fees*
$28,040 AUD
* The Indicative Total Course Fee reflects the students are charged fees on a per unit basis and the fee for a unit may increase.
Complete your course faster by studying the course units over approximately 7 months (2 trimesters).
Complete your course faster by studying the course units over approximately 7 months (2 trimesters).
Whilst still classified as a full-time study load, you will complete the course units over one year. (3 trimesters)
If you want to take a little longer, that’s ok too. We’ll help you work out the best study load to suit your needs.
Note: Part-time is not available for international students.
September 2023
February 2024
May 2024
September 2023
February 2024
May 2024
September 2023
February 2024
May 2024
September 2023
February 2024
May 2024
September 2023
February 2024
May 2024
September 2023
February 2024
May 2024
DIPLOMA OF 3D ANIMATION
The Diploma of 3D Animation has been created in a way that gives you plenty of face-to-face time with a network of expert creative practitioners and an opportunity to apply theory and best practices using the latest tools and software.
Take a practical first look at illustration, modelling, lighting, shading, animation, and rendering to gain a holistic, foundational understanding of the 3D production process.
You will engage in collaborative learning to produce a short animation in response to a client brief. You will also be guided through the production methods needed to pitch effective creative concepts to potential producers.
To complement your technical skills, you will graduate with employability skills, introductory project management skills, and scholarly techniques for higher education.
Upon completion, you will be eligible for up to 80 credit points toward the Bachelor of Animation.
Career Outcomes
What jobs will this course lead me into?
- Junior 3D Modeler
- Junior 3D Animator
- Junior 3D Visualisation Specialist
- Junior Character Designer
- Freelance Animator
Enrico Leasa
“I always had the dream of working for a large studio like ILM, Pixar or Dreamworks, so to actually be a part of these huge projects now is amazing." SAE Alumni | Current Job: Layout artist at Industrial Light & Magic
Jacinta Rochecouste
"During my time at SAE, I learned how to refine my discipline and accountability, to take direction and take lead with others and to ready myself for the industry with technical skills and a suitable folio." SAE Alumni | Current Job: Broadcast/Motion Designer
Maree Railton
"At SAE I had the time and flexible guidance to create the kinds of projects I wanted to make. I found SAE great for creating my own path." SAE Alumni | Current Job: Animator (2D builder / Rigger)
SAE Diploma of 3D Animation Production offers:
Learn in a collaborative environment where your teachers are also your mentors.
SAE has a range of approaches to learning and teaching - virtual and on-campus - to provide flexibility and real-world application.
Apply your learning to industry-standard software packages like Autodesk 3DS Max and Maya and the Adobe Creative Suite.
YOUR CAREER IN ANIMATION BEGINS NOW
Tools & Software
ANIMATION COURSE COVERS
Course Structure
The Diploma of Animation is stage 1 of the 3 stages of a Bachelor.
Develop your reflective, critical and analytical skills and abilities through an enhanced awareness and understanding of the purpose of tertiary education from a personal, societal and professional perspective. In class activities are used to prepare you with the skills and confidence to engage with a range of scholarly frameworks that you will encounter throughout your studies. You will explore the animation discipline through a team presentation, where you will develop group working, thinking and learning skills.
As a practice, drawing provides a core skill set for the expression of both concept and form. This unit introduces you to the concepts and methodologies of drawing using a variety of media with an emphasis on drawing from life, including anatomical studies and perspective techniques for environment and character construction.
The unit is an introduction to the general practice of drawing and rendering and specifically helps to scaffold further learning through support for developing sketch-based visual production skills & knowledge.
Take a practical first look at modeling, lighting, shading, animation, and rendering to gain a holistic, foundational understanding of computer graphics.
This unit will involve using industry-standard software such as Autodesk 3Ds Max, Maya, and Blender. The practical and theoretical knowledge of 3D production pipelines acquired in this unit will act as a foundation for successive animation units.
As the name suggests this unit provides you with an introduction to animation. You will apply the theoretical underpinnings of animation processes via a range of practical explorations and critical analyses. This will provide you with a solid understanding of animation principles and methods that will form the foundation of successive animation units.
This unit will introduce you to the mindset and skillset of the creative entrepreneur, and transform your approach to problem-solving. You will analyse historical and contemporary models of leadership and best practice in entrepreneurship, and use tools for project design that include ideation, problem framing, and pitching. The skills in this unit will assist you in developing your creative thinking, exploration, and experimentation methods, allowing you to experiment with project design and content for creative media.
In this unit, you will apply and build upon the foundational animation and computer graphics skills and knowledge that you have learned, to advance your skills via some in-depth, practical activities of 2D/3D character modeling and applied animation techniques.
By undertaking a series of iterative tasks, your static models will become talking moving characters and you will develop the skills and knowledge required to showcase them effectively.
In this unit you will engage in a collaborative studio-based learning environment, to produce a short animation under client direction and in response to a brief. You will be guided through your exploration of the production methods needed to pitch effective creative concepts to potential producers.
By working in small groups (and in accordance with the SAE Group Work Policy), various creative and organisational challenges will be encountered throughout this process, requiring the application of appropriate project management techniques to help ensure the brief is successfully met.
We carefully design and deliver all our units to help you develop the knowledge you need to be successful in your chosen field of study. Courses and course units at SAE follow best practice teaching and learning.
FEE‑HELP* is an Australian Government loan scheme that assists eligible fee paying students pay all or part of their tuition fees. It cannot be used for additional study costs such as accommodation or text books. The total amount of FEE‑HELP a person can use is known as the ‘FEE‑HELP limit’.
Once a person begins using FEE‑HELP, the amount of FEE‑HELP they have left to use is known as their ‘FEE‑HELP balance’.
* Terms and conditions apply. For the latest updates regarding FEE-HELP please refer to sae.edu.au/fees
CREDIT AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING
SAE may recognise your prior learning and may grant credit towards satisfying the requirements for a higher-level program. This is applied where previous learning is considered equivalent to the content and learning outcomes prescribed for units within the program.
For full details, please refer to SAE's policy on recognition of prior learning and credit transfers.
