Overview

Open yourself up to more 3D animation opportunities by learning how to adjust your workflow in Blender to industry standards. Madison Erwin started her career as a 3D animator by teaching herself the ins and outs of 3D software like Blender and the workings of the animation industry. Just three years later, she’s gone on to work on projects like Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, I Am Groot, and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Now Madison wants to share everything she learned and did to skyrocket her 3D career to the next level. Being self-taught in Blender, Madison had to learn to adjust to industry standard 3D animation software when she first started working for big animation studios. In this class, she wants to share how to make your transfer from Blender to other 3D softwares more manageable. By adjusting Blender’s layout, hotkeys and UI to make it more industry standard, you’ll be better prepared for learning new softwares and be able to unlock the next level in your animation career. With Madison as your guide, you’ll: * See how Blender compares to industry standard software like Maya * Discover what workflow to expect when working for a studio * Get a glimpse at what working in Maya is like * Customize your hotkeys and UI in Blender to match the workflow in Maya Plus, Madison shares a downloadable, industry-standard hotkeys script that you can easily add to Blender and start working with right away. Whether you’ve been working in Blender for years and are curious about transferring your skills to other softwares or you want to diversify your 3D animation knowledge from the start, you’ll leave this class with more knowledge on Maya as well as industry compatible hotkeys and UI adjustments for Blender, which will help open you up to more opportunities in the 3D animation industry. Previous Blender experience will be helpful for this class. You will need your computer, Blender, and your preferred note-taking tools. Instructor bio: Madison Erwin is a self-taught 3D animator based in LA. Known for her acting and animation skills, she successfully freelanced for a year before taking a role in-house at Sony. Her work has been featured in blockbuster films like Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, Doctor Strange, the Disney Plus Series I Am Groot, and hit game Kena: Bridge of Spirits.

Syllabus

Expanding Your 3D Skillset

This opening module sets the stage for expanding your 3D animation skills. You’ll explore the importance of broadening your toolset and see how learning Maya alongside Blender can open up more career opportunities. By the end, you’ll understand why adaptability is essential in today’s animation industry.

Getting Started in Maya

This module introduces you to Maya, one of the industry’s leading 3D animation tools. You’ll learn its interface, core features, and how it fits into larger studio workflows. You’ll also explore the differences between Blender and Maya, helping you understand why studios rely on proprietary pipelines.

Adapting Workflows and Wrapping Up

In the final module, you’ll focus on adapting what you already know in Blender to Maya’s environment. You’ll practice translating workflows between the two tools and learn how to stay flexible as technology evolves. The course closes with final reflections to help you plan your next steps in advancing your 3D career.