The field of animation is one of the most exciting platforms for those who have a passion for creating characters and bringing them to life. The animation industry in Canada is growing leaps and bounds, leading to a huge demand for animation professionals. Even if you do not have a graduate degree in animation, you can still pursue a career as an animation professional if you want. If you have a knack for bringing life to characters and stories, you can do a diploma or advanced diploma in animation in Canada and make a bright way for your career. 

Study diploma in animation in Canada-Why Canada?

The animation is all about creating, drawing, and producing characters, and bringing them to life. Once you complete your animation diploma program, you will have in-depth knowledge of the fundamental principles of animation and production techniques. With your talents and skills, you can create a variety of 2D and 3D animations. Animation professionals are able to take an animation project and build it up right from its foundation. A two-year diploma in animation prepares students to make a career in the fields of TV, film, game, and web production. Canada has a lot of renowned colleges as well as universities that provide advanced diploma in animation. If you choose to study for a diploma in animation in Canada, you will have plenty of job opportunities immediately after your course completion. 

Animation programs in Canada are very diverse, ranging from web programs to 2D or 3D animation and computer animation. Some universities in Canada also provide additional professional illustration programs. A diploma in animation in Canada prepares students to assist in the planning and implementation of various animation projects as members of a production company. They gain expertise in digital image manipulation, video editing, and management of files. You will be a part of various projects that will develop your skills in storytelling, drawing, and animation. After your graduation, you will be an expert in both traditional and digital animation, as well as final production. 

Learning Outcomes

As a diploma student in animation, you will learn the following skills.

• You will create, design, and animate characters and objects using fundamental principles of animation.
• You will work as a team with your fellow classmates to further practice your animation skills and abilities.
• You will learn both traditional and digital techniques to enhance the production of digital art.
• You will develop hands-on skills in editing systems, motion capture systems, production, visual effects, animation, and gaming.
• You will be able to use fundamental principles of art, design, and composition to produce hand-drawn or computer-generated drawings.
• You will gain knowledge of the entire animation process from basic to advanced levels, including scriptwriting, pre-production, storyboarding, drawing skills, and cinematics and also creating rigging characters.
• You will learn how to create animation sequences using basic cinematography principles.
• You will develop storytelling skills to create, develop, and execute animation sequences. 
• You will learn to produce layouts and backgrounds with attention to composition, perspective, and color.
• You will be able to present a visual concept to a target audience.
• You can develop, assemble, and present a demo reel or portfolio using the relevant animation software and technology that satisfies the expectations of the industry and showcases your creativity skills and proficiency. 
• You will also learn how to model objects, characters, and background elements and to light and texture objects, characters, and sets with the required tools and techniques.

Study diploma in animation in Canada-Programs and Colleges

Diploma in animation in Canada includes various programs. You can get a diploma in either 2D or 3D animation or even both in the institution of your preference.

Diploma in 3D animation

A diploma in 3D animation is a program designed to provide you with comprehensive 3D animation skills to enter the world of production-ready roles after your graduation. The program offers students the training necessary to bring 3D computer-generated characters to life. The tenure of the program depends upon the college or university you choose to study. Many Canadian universities and colleges offer advanced diploma in 3D animation. In general, it is a two-year program that offers comprehensive coverage of practical and artistic skills. A diploma in 3D animation provides a rewarding career in the computer graphics and animation industry. Canadian universities train students to develop the ability to communicate their ideas through their drawings and characters. Some of the universities offering diploma in 3D animation are:

• Algonquin College
• Centennial College
• Capilano University 
• Langara College
• Mohawk College of Applied Arts and Technology

Advanced diploma in digital production

Advanced diploma in digital production is a program in 3D and 2D digital animation. It develops your skills to work in animated TV series or feature films or even doing visual effects for movie production. The program focuses on the character performance and storytelling, along with modeling and rigging of the characters. It is a diverse program that develops your skills in character cinematics, lighting, surfacing, and design. The program has a wide range of career opportunities as it is developed by the millennials of the industry. You will get an in-depth knowledge of the production pipeline and learn to tackle any professional obstacle in the field of animation, visual effects, and gaming. 

• You can enroll in this course at Durham College, Canada, and shape your future career.

Diploma in 2D animation 

Diploma in 2D animation is a two-year program that focuses on drawing, design, and traditional animation techniques. It is a pathway in the field of animation design and an invitation to successful careers in TV animation. As a student in a 2D animation diploma program, you will learn the fundamental skills in animation and also develop interpersonal and leadership skills through collaborative and applied projects. You will get the required production skills to develop professional-quality animation from concept to final production. Some of the leading colleges and universities in Canada offering diploma in 2D animation are:

• Capilano University
• Emily Carr University of Art and Design
• Durham College 
• Northern Alberta Institute of Technology
• Cambrian College 
• Fanshawe College

Apart from these mainstream programs, there are many other animation programs that provide excellent career opportunities. Some of them are:

• Advanced Diploma in Animation and Game Development- Loyalist College 
• Diploma in VFX for Film and Television-LaSalle Collge
• Diploma in Digital Media and IT Animation- Northern Alberta Institute of Technology
• Diploma of 3D modeling for Animation and Games-LaSalle College
• Diploma in Classical Animation-Vancouver Film School
• Diploma in Video Game Design and Animation-Toronto Film School
• Diploma in Animation and Graphics-New Brunswick Community College
• Diploma in Digital Visual Effects- Capilano University
• Diploma in Animation Concept Art- Vancouver Film School
• Diploma in 3D Animation and Computer Generated Imagery-Dawson College

Diploma in animation in Canada-Entry requirements

To pursue a diploma in animation in Canada, you need to fulfill the following entry requirements:

• High School diploma or graduation certificate and transcript or equivalent in original language and English translation.
• OSSD( Ontario Secondary School Diploma) or equivalent with courses at the general, advanced, College(C), University(U), University/College(M), or Open(O) level.
• Various universities and colleges have some specific admission requirements for international students, so make sure to check those before you apply.

Required Document List

Some universities and colleges in Canada require specific documents from international students. They are:

• Official transcripts.
• Letter of recommendation.
• A valid TOEFL, IELTS, or any other English language proficiency score based on the university or college you will be applying to.
• Statement of purpose explaining the reasons for pursuing the program and prior experience.
• Financial documentation to prove that you have enough funds to support yourself during your stay in Canada.
• Resume outlining work or internship experiences.

Career opportunities after studying for a diploma in animation in Canada

Canada is currently the hub of animation and visual effects in the world. The country recruits more professionals from the animation field than any other country in the world. After your diploma in animation in Canada, you can immediately apply for a job in the animation sector and kickstart your career. There are many opportunities for those who study animation, among which film and television animation have an edge. Apart from this, web animation is also increasing steadily and allowing graduates to work as web designers and producers as well as independent consultants. Other industries where animation professionals find employment are advertising, video games, visual aids, training industries, VR, architecture, and augmented reality. There are various job opportunities for animation graduates, some of which are:

• Director Scriptwriter 
• Concept Artist 
• Storyboard Artist 
• Character Modeller
• Animator
• Effects Artist 
• Character Rigger
• 3D Character Animator
• Visual Effects Supervisor
• Production Assistant 
• Layout Artist 
• Compositor

Diploma in animation in Canada- Average salary

Salaries in the field of animation depend on the career path. The average salary of an animation program graduate is CAD 35000 per year. Once you gain experience in the field, you can work on an average salary of CAD 60,000 per year. Expert independent consultants can even more on a pay-per-basis project basis.