Think Tank | CG Asset Portfolio Pre-Production & Production

Overview

Program overview

Taught through Think Tank’s interactive platform, Portal, this program combines prerecorded tutorials, collaborative workshops, and one-on-one mentorship to help experienced artists elevate their skills in an interactive, production-driven setting.

Specializing in your field of interest, you’ll create a portfolio that is catered toward a particular career, and often, a specific studio. With advice from your experienced supervisors, instructors and personal mentor, you’ll develop a wealth of industry insights and connections to prepare you for a career in Film, TV, or Games.

Because you already have the basics down, it’s time to challenge yourself and take the next step in your education. The creative industry is one which demands a lot, but we’re here to make sure you have everything you need.

Who it's for

This program is for artists with foundational skills in CG who want to elevate their skills while working remotely. Students must be ready to dedicate at least 40-60 hours a week to their studies. Working while studying is not recommended.

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Software we'll provide

Photoshop
Substance Designer
Substance Painter
Marmoset
Marvelous Designer
ZBrush
Unreal Engine
Maya
Mudbox
UVLayout
Nuke
Mari
V-Ray

You’ll choose your specialization in Term 1

While developing a broad skillset that enables you to pursue a variety of career paths, this program lets you focus on a unique specialization that will help define you as a CG Artist:

Characters & Creatures for Film

Characters & Creatures for Games

Props & Environments for Film

Props & Environments for Games

Breakdown

Term by term

Term 1

You’ll begin this program by diving back into where your schooling or experience left off. You’ll learn creative techniques that will enable you to produce complex and detailed oriented work at a more advanced level.

In addition to these more advanced lessons, you’ll be required to select your specialization path from one of four primary options: Environments & Props for Film or Games, and Characters & Creatures for Film or Games. These paths will inform what will eventually become your portfolio project during the following two terms.

Courses *

/ 3D Modeling
/ Drapery
/ Hero Prop
/ Texturing
/ Look Development
/ Game Engines
/ Production Pipeline
/ Final Project

Student Art: Anne Mayores

Term 2

Courses in this term focus on advanced tools, workflows and techniques that will prepare you for the final stages of your specialization. Upon being connected with your personal mentor, you’ll begin to develop a full-term final project that will serve as a high-quality asset preceding the portfolio production stage to come.

Workload and expectations increase during this term as pre-production on your portfolio and demo reel begin while advanced courses continue.

Courses *

/ 3D Modeling
/ Hero Prop
/ Grooming
/ Anatomy & Topology
/ Texturing
/ Environments
/ Game Engines
/ Advanced Tools
/ Final Project

Student Art: Andrea Gazulli

Term 3

As the foundational piece of the portfolio production process, this mentor-focused term has you making definitive creative decisions on your pieces–such as finalizing shots, completing lighting, rendering, and compositing to produce what will become the final cut.

Alongside the advice of your supervisor and mentor, you’ll take lessons focusing on presentation skills, portfolio packaging, career preparation and job search which will provide invaluable direction on preparing resumés and cover letters, as well as industry practices and ethics.

Courses *

/ Job Readiness
/ Production Pipeline
/ Final Portfolio Production

Student Art: Alex Lorente

* Specialization may affect course selection

Why Think Tank?

Personalized Fast-paced Hands-on Anywhere

Portal
Your virtual home base. Connect with classmates, your supervisor, take in live sessions, and explore the student gallery.
Weekly challenges
Utilize training materials, such as video, software screen capture, exercises, resources, and assignments.
Peer learning
Take part in live question-and-answer sessions with your classmates and supervisor to share your ideas.
Small classes
Each class has a max of eight students. This means less theory, less waiting, more collaboration, and more feedback.
24/7 access
Throughout your program, you’ll get 24/7 access to all recorded live sessions and proprietary training materials.
Leave with results
Gain the skills, confidence, connections, and portfolio required to make a statement and land that first job.

FAQ

Got a question?

Apply now

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What is the tuition for CG Asset Portfolio Pre-Production & Production?
Does this program require previous experience?
Do I need to submit a portfolio for this program?
Yes! Applicants must provide examples of their artwork that should include approximately 5-10 original pieces related to animation, VFX and/or Computer Graphics. This collection can consist of 2D or 3D work that you’ve done in a previous course or on your own, such as:
- 3D models you created, textured, rendered or animated.
- Image manipulation using programs such as Photoshop (with ‘before’ and ‘after’ images).
- Compositing, design, or motion graphic work.
What are this program's admission requirements?
General Admission Requirements:
- Must have graduated from high school (or equivalent) or be at least 19 years of age
- Provide a valid piece of government photo identification.
- Provide the names and contact details of 2 references.
- Attend an interview (in person or virtual) with an Admissions Advisor.
Program Specific Requirements:
- Must have completed the CG Fundamentals Program at Think Tank or an equivalent 16 week program at another recognized post-secondary institution – transcripts required.
- Or have a minimum of 3 months’ work experience in the field.
- You must submit examples of your artwork that should include a total of ten pieces of work related to animation, visual effects and/or computer graphics.
English Language Requirements:
- For applicants from countries where the primary language is something other than English, the applicant must demonstrate English proficiency.
- The preferred method to test your English proficiency is Duo Lingo—a testing platform that works globally, and has equivalencies for TOEFL. You'll meet Think Tank's admission criteria if your score is above or equal to TOEFL 65, IELTS 5.5, or Duo Lingo 90.
What hardware and software should I have for this program?
For hardware, you'll need a Windows computer with a minimum 2.5ghz 6-core CPU with 16GB of RAM and an NVIDIA GPU with 6GB of RAM. A headset (with microphone), a webcam, and broadband internet is also necessary for online learning. We recommend getting a creative pen tablet (ideally from the Wacom Intuos Pro line).

Please Note: additional RAM may be required for the Intermediate Term and beyond.

All software tools needed for this program will be provided by Think Tank. This includes Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Substance 3D Designer, Adobe Substance 3D Painter, MAYA, Mudbox, MARI, UV Layout, V-Ray, Nuke, Marmoset, Marvelous Designer, ZBrush, Unreal Engine 5.
What kind of workload can I expect in this program?
There are over 1,550 instructional hours in this program. For every instructional hour, there is approximately 30 minutes of homework. Think Tank students can expect a workload between 40-60 hours per week.

Please Note: to succeed, we recommend forgoing all employment to adequately attend to the programs full-time schedule. This will prepare you for the demands of working in a fast-paced, intense, and highly rewarding industry.
When can I apply to this program?