Ever wondered how those mindblowing effects in your favorite films and games are made? Find out how in this Houdini for beginners course. Guided by a your industry mentor, you'll learn Houdini fundamentals and begin creating your own VFX shots from scratch, even without prior experience.
Why study Houdini FX at CG Spectrum:
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Start your journey into the film and game industry with CG Spectrum online visual effects school! Be personally mentored by FX artists who have worked at some of the best VFX studios, get plenty of hands-on experience, and graduate with original work for your demo reel.
Enjoy a personalized education experience like no other with unrivalled support and feedback from a mentor who is invested in your success. What a great way to start your career as an FX artist!
*This short course is a prerequisite to the advanced Houdini FX Course and will give you the foundational skills you need to continue on your educational pathway.
Certificate
12 weeks
20 hrs weekly
Beginner
Basic computer skills and min. computer specs
Weekly online classes, feedback and support
Houdini, Nuke
Nov 6, 2023
Whether straight out of high school, changing careers, or upgrading skills, our expert-led Houdini for beginners course helps you build practical job skills.
Plan your studies around your work and family commitments
Learn from experts who have worked on major films and games
Build practical and relevant job skills that studios are looking for
Pursue your passion and start working sooner with flexible payments
Start with the fundamentals of FX and simulations with Houdini software. Learn scripting with VEX and see how scripts can help create more complex VFX shots. Learn all about particles in Houdini and the concepts behind what drives them. Dive into advanced geometry concepts which will help you build assets for your VFX shots and ultimately destroy them! Apply rendering techniques used in VFX production and start building your first fully rendered shots.
*This short course is a prerequisite to the Effects Foundations. It will give you the foundational skills you need to continue on your educational pathway.
Dive right into the full study pathway and be industry ready in 1 year.
All Houdini FX classes are taught by industry mentors with years of experience working on films and video games.
Daniel is a senior Houdini FX artist with 15 years of experience working on blockbusters such as Terminator: Dark Fate, John Wick 3, Aquaman, The Wolverine, and Game of Thrones.
Read full bioManager of VFX
Known for John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum
Originally from Hungary, Gyuri's work has taken him all over the world: from Weta in Wellington, to Animal Logic in Sydney, Method in Melbourne, and now Mainframe in Vancouver.
Read full bioMentor of Houdini FX
Known for Mad Max: Fury Road
Ben's worked on high-profile commercials and Unreal Engine VR experiences for projects like Game of Thrones, Interstellar and Ready Player One.
Read full bioMentor of Houdini FX
Known for Interstellar VR
Claire has more than 25 years' experience as an FX artist for films and games on projects like Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, X-Men First Class, and Clash of the Titans.
Read full bioMentor of Houdini FX
Known for Passengers
The most affordable way to learn from top industry mentors in a fun, collaborative environment, while still getting plenty of personalized feedback.
Progress faster and enjoy more flexiblity with private mentorship. Ideal for busy schedules, career-changers, or artists upgrading skills or changing specialties.
(3 x payments)
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(1 x payment)
(3 x payments)
Save 10%
(1 x payment)
To be successful in this program you will need basic computer skills and a computer that meets the minimum specifications (see next question).
Some previous knowledge of 3D software would be beneficial.
Studying FX can open up a variety of career paths in the entertainment industry.
This short FX course will get started on your journey, but in a competitive industry, continuing your studies with the more advanced Effects Foundations will better prepare you for a job in the industry and help increase your employment opportunities.
The 9-month course covers more complex techniques and includes an entire term dedicated to career development and portfolio preparation to get you industry-ready. Some of the junior FX jobs you could pursue after completing the full study pathway include:
Discover more VFX jobs, tips, and salary expectations on our careers page:
With a focus on portfolio preparation, we help students build their competitive edge with high quality work that gets noticed. See what they are creating.
With a focus on portfolio preparation, we help students build their competitive edge with high quality work that gets noticed. See what they are creating.
The mentors are extremely helpful and knowledgeable.
Prior to enrolling at CG Spectrum's VFX course, I had no experience in creating VFX or using Houdini at all. By the end of the 3rd semester, I was quite comfortable in using Houdini for most simulations, using VEX in place of regular nodes and creating procedural assets.
I went from knowing nothing about FX, to receiving job offers within 6 months of study with CG Spectrum!
I was blown away by the level of personal interaction the 1-on-1 mentorship provides. Having a direct line to an industry veteran as my mentor has been an invaluable resource and has taken my rate of learning to the next level.
I am very excited about how much I have achieved!
Self-teaching is cool if you don't mind getting no interaction or help, and learning older versions of the software. Thankfully, CG Spectrum has given me the total opposite and an opportunity to push myself every step closer to the industry. With great resources at CG Spectrum, I learned not only my craft, but also how to prepare myself to be industry-ready.