Houdini FX Track | VFX Courses for Beginners to Advanced

Houdini | FX Track

Learn how to harness fire, water, smoke, and more in a track that unravels the mysteries of the industry-standard tools and techniques for control of simulation-based animation

Courses start on October 2nd, 2021

A HOUDINI CERTIFIED SCHOOL

OVERVIEW

COURSES

INSTRUCTORS

TRACKS OVERVIEW

Understand the role of the VFX Artist

Imagine the power to control the elements: directing the flow of water, shaping smoke, or conjuring flames. What about the ability to micromanage the movement of a million tiny particles? Or orchestrate the destruction of vehicles, buildings, and entire worlds? Better still, how about performing all these feats at the same time? That, in a nutshell, is what it means to work as an FX artist (aka effects technical director). The role of VFX artist is one of the more demanding in entertainment design, requiring strong coding chops, mathematical smarts, an appreciation of physics, plus a solid art foundation on which to build everything. This is where our VFX/Houdini Track comes in. With a comprehensive suite of classes based around the use of film industry-standard tool Houdini, students, from beginners to advanced, will learn how to master pyro and fluid effects, cloth, crowds, destruction, and more. The track also includes training for those looking at an FX-based role at a games development studio, with the unique demands of controlling particle, environmental, and other simulation-based animation within a real-time pipeline all covered in-depth.

As you complete each VFX online course, you will receive a certificate of completion for that course. In order to qualify for a course certificate of completion, students must complete at least 80% of the class assignment during the duration of the course.

Should you have any questions regarding these courses please contact [email protected]. Additionally, you only pay for the course(s) you take in a given term.

Role of the FX Artist

While the part of the pipeline dubbed “animation” focuses on character and other rigged asset work, effects animation relates to anything that requires simulations to get results. These solutions usually fall into one of three categories: particle animation, fluids, and rigid body dynamics–though sometimes a solution might require several inter-connected simulations across two even three of the categories. These simulations are also often required to work in conjunction with any hand-crafted elements created by the main animation team.

HOUDINI | FX

TRACKS OVERVIEW

COURSES

Get a better sense
of our courses.

FALL

October 2nd - December
22nd 2021

WINTER

January 22nd- April
15th 2022

SPRING

April 16th - July
8th 2022

SUMMER

July 9th - September
30th 2022

As you complete each course, you will receive a certificate of completion for that course. In order to qualify for a course certificate of completion, students must complete at least 80% of the class assignment during the duration of the course.

BLOCK 0

$699 - 8 weeks

Fundamentals of Houdini for 3D Artists

BLOCK 1

$749 - 9 weeks

Intro to FX Using Houdini

BLOCK 2

$699 - 8 weeks

Abstract FX in Houdini

$599 - 6 weeks

Organic Design in Houdini

BLOCK 3

$699 - 8 weeks

FX for Games

$699 - 8 weeks

Mastering Destruction in Houdini

BLOCK 4

$749 - 9 weeks

Houdini Production Studio: Fluid FX

$699 - 8 weeks

VEX in Houdini

ELECTIVES 1

$599 - 6 weeks

Procedural Modeling for Production in Houdini

ELECTIVES 2

Pyro FX Using Houdini

ELECTIVES 3

$649 - 8 weeks

Crowd Simulation

$699 - 8 weeks

Cloth Creation and Simulation for Real-Time

ELECTIVES 4

$699 - 8 weeks

Nuke Compositing for 3D Artists

$249 - 3 weeks

Substance Basics

ELECTIVES 5

$599 - 6 weeks

Procedural Environments in Houdini

Need Options? Let’s talk pricing & schedule.

FALL REGISTRATION OPENS JULY 26TH

MEET THE INSTRUCTORS

Learn from award-winning artists who've worked at top studios around the world

Varomix Wey

FX Technical Director

Procedural Environments Artist

Senior Character Artist

Insomniac Games

Behnam Shafiebeik

Lead Senior Compositor

Industrial Light and Magic

Max Rose

Varomix was great. Very helpful, warm and friendly.

Judith Ferrer

Great class! Highly recommend Varomix, he has made learning the fundamentals of houdini easy and fun.

Roy Nieterau

Johannes is a great tutor that knows well how to explain the concepts in an approachable manner. Even later in the course, he was able to keep hinting at things that were taught in the course so it would remain in the back of your mind. Excellent instructor.

Georg Schneider

Jordan always gave really helpful feedback. I only watched a few feedback videos of the other students but I think I can say that Jordan knows exactly how he can help everybody individually at the right knowledge level.

Cassidy Handford

He did a great job, he always answered forum questions quickly and provided feedback on time. The lessons were all very clear and covered a good range of useful and industry relevant topics.

Andrew Malvasio

Very happy with this course it was exactly what I was looking for to get me jump started in Nuke.

Hayden Matheson

My instructor was very detailed when explaining the functions and steps to complete the desired task. He didn’t just give the technical reasons but shared his experience from an artistic point of view. His personality and approach to handling students is friendly and met with enthusiasm. Assets of a great teacher.

Divya Jadhav

Behnam Shafiebeik is really a great instructor. He made the process of learning Nuke for production quite simple, by breaking it down in to parts that could be understood and exercised in a weeks duration.

Evelyn Yao

Great instructor! Always very clear on videos and feedbacks as well as live Q & A.

Marian Aquilizan

Behnam is a great instructor! He was very patient and answered questions in detail.

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Understand the role of the VFX Artist

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