What does an excellent, high quality, and free online course look like? THIS…
Pixar in a Box – a collaboration between Pixar Animation Studios and Khan Academy, sponsored by Disney.
I have spoken with multiple international experienced VFX and Animation artists and teachers who praise this course for its content, production value, and effectiveness as a training/teaching/self-study tool. This is what it looks like when a studio puts time, money, and real subject matter experts towards education. Imagine if your mandatory workplace safety online training was this engaging and actually fun.
Since Pixar in a Box is free and public, anyone can benefit from it. What does Pixar get out of it? Certainly there will be future employees whose learning and skill development is shaped and guided by these videos. But they have also solidified their voice and approach as the gold standard, by making it the most accessible and engaging option out there. It is one contributing factor to the success and prevalence of RenderMan.
My favourite aspect of Pixar in a Box is that it meets and supports learners of varying levels of knowledge. Whether you’re a kid making an animated video project for your school or a working professional in the Animation/VFX industry, there is something here you don’t know yet (that could probably improve your work).
For my Compositing students, I recommend watching the unit on Colour Science if nothing else. But the art of lighting, virtual cameras (depth of field), effects (particle systems), rendering, the art of storytelling (pitching and feedback)… really every unit can be considered relevant, especially if your goal is to become a VFX Supervisor or to make your own films.
Thank you to all who made Pixar in a Box into a reality. It is a generous resource I return to frequently, both for the knowledge within and as an inspirational model for producing effective lessons.
