Do You Need Experience to Study Games, Animation or Digital Art?

Most people wait to feel ready before they start. The students below didn’t. They started unsure, some with no experience at all, and built their confidence the way professionals do: through feedback from a mentor who has done the work.

Here are ten CG Spectrum Institute students, from short courses through to bachelor degrees, in their own words.

Start where you are

Do you need experience to start?

Usually not. Most CG Spectrum Institute accredited diplomas and bachelor degrees list no prior experience required, and non-accredited Essentials short courses are built for beginners. A few art-based programs recommend basic drawing skills and ask for a portfolio. What matters more is being willing to take feedback.

Learn from the people who do it

What difference does a mentor make?

A tutorial can show you a technique. An industry professional mentor reviews your own work.

Your mentor critiques your files, tells you what’s holding them back, and shows you how to fix it. The mentors below have credits on titles including Rogue One, Red Dead Redemption 2 and Klaus. That feedback is what these students say built their confidence.

Your next step

How do you know if you’re ready?

Confidence comes after the feedback, not before it. So the better test is practical: can you set aside regular time each week, and are you open to having your work critiqued? If so, you’re ready to start. What’s left is choosing a level, from non-accredited Essentials short courses to accredited diplomas and bachelor degrees.

Not sure which fits? A Career Advisor can look at where you are now and suggest a starting course.

Where are you starting from?

15 minutes with a Career Advisor. Talk through where you’re starting from.