3D Character Design/Animation
Southern California Regional Occupational Center · Torrance, CA
- Cost
- $700
- Length
- 16 weeks
- Working 6 months later
- Not reported
Program names and program descriptions appear here in English, because that is the only language the federal and state records publish them in. Occupation titles are translated where O*NET publishes a Spanish name. Everything else on this page is translated.
What happened to people who took this
- People enrolled
- 18
Small group — treat with caution
- Finished the program
- 83%Based on 18 peopleTypical California program: 85% of 1,951 reportingThat median pools every California program that reported this measure, whatever its length, credential, or field, and leaves out the ones that reported nothing. It is a reference point, not a rating of this program.
- Working 6 months later
- Not reported
- Earnings in one quarter after
- Not reported
The jobs this trains for
This describes the jobs people do, not the classes this program teaches. It comes from the U.S. Department of Labor, which asks people already doing the work. The Department publishes it in English only, so the job names and the sentences below stay in English on this page.
Trains for more than one job. The outlook shown is the weakest of them.
Where California publishes a separate figure for Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD (Los Angeles County), it appears beneath the statewide one. Statewide stays the headline: people who train here do not necessarily work here.
Art, Drama, and Music Teachers, Postsecondary
Job ads may call this: Professor · Instructor · Art Professor · Art Instructor
Some of what people in this job do. The Department rates how important each one is, and they appear in that order.
- Explain and demonstrate artistic techniques.
- Evaluate and grade students' class work, performances, projects, assignments, and papers.
- Prepare students for performances, exams, or assessments.
- Initiate, facilitate, and moderate classroom discussions.
Show 4 more things this job involves
- Prepare and deliver lectures to undergraduate or graduate students on topics such as acting techniques, fundamentals of music, and art history.
- Prepare course materials, such as syllabi, homework assignments, and handouts.
- Maintain student attendance records, grades, and other required records.
- Organize performance groups and direct their rehearsals.
What this pays in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD (Los Angeles County)
Each bar runs from the lowest-paid tenth to the highest-paid tenth. The darker middle is where half the people are, and the line is the median.
| Area | The lowest-paid tenth earn under | Half earn under | The highest-paid tenth earn over |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD (Los Angeles County) | $62,609 | $84,839 | $188,358 |
| Across California | $62,111 | $102,193 | $208,415 |
The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2026 figures for Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD (Los Angeles County) beside the same figures for the whole state. A region can sit well below or above the statewide spread, and the statewide number is the one most often quoted — so where they differ, the local row is the one that describes the work near this program.
- Typical pay in California
- $102,193per yearLos Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: $104,713
- Projected openings
- 8,060Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 3,810
- Projected change
- +0.9%
- Usually needs
- Master's degree
Getting in
- Experience needed first
- None
- Training after you are hired
- None
No earlier job experience is expected, and new hires are not put through a long training period. For work like this, a program is usually the way in.
These are the federal government's answers for the occupation, not rules this provider sets. California publishes the same two answers for every one of these jobs.
Art Directors
Pay, hiring, and what people studied
Job ads may call this: Art Director · Art Supervisor · Design Director · Creative Manager
- Work with creative directors to develop design solutions.
- Present final layouts to clients for approval.
- Manage own accounts and projects, working within budget and scheduling requirements.
- Confer with creative, art, copywriting, or production department heads to discuss client requirements and presentation concepts and to coordinate creative activities.
Show 4 more things this job involves
- Confer with clients to determine objectives, budget, background information, and presentation approaches, styles, and techniques.
- Formulate basic layout design or presentation approach and specify material details, such as style and size of type, photographs, graphics, animation, video, and sound.
- Review and approve art materials, copy materials, and proofs of printed copy developed by staff members.
- Mark up, paste, and complete layouts and write typography instructions to prepare materials for typesetting or printing.
What this pays in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD (Los Angeles County)
Each bar runs from the lowest-paid tenth to the highest-paid tenth. The darker middle is where half the people are, and the line is the median.
| Area | The lowest-paid tenth earn under | Half earn under | The highest-paid tenth earn over |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD (Los Angeles County) | $86,264 | $143,544 | $246,722 |
| Across California | $83,781 | $141,637 | $256,186 |
The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2026 figures for Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD (Los Angeles County) beside the same figures for the whole state. A region can sit well below or above the statewide spread, and the statewide number is the one most often quoted — so where they differ, the local row is the one that describes the work near this program.
- Typical pay in California
- $141,637per yearLos Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: $137,190
- Projected openings
- 30,370Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 13,640
- Projected change
- +5.5%
- Usually needs
- Bachelor's degree
Getting in
- Experience needed first
- 5 years or more in a related job
- Training after you are hired
- None
Most people hired for this job have already spent 5 years or more in a related one. Finishing this program may not be enough on its own. Ask the provider who hires their graduates, and what those people did before.
Special Effects Artists and Animators
Pay, hiring, and what people studied
Job ads may call this: Artist · Animator · Digital Artist · Graphic Artist
- Design complex graphics and animation, using independent judgment, creativity, and computer equipment.
- Create basic designs, drawings, and illustrations for product labels, cartons, direct mail, or television.
- Participate in design and production of multimedia campaigns, handling budgeting and scheduling, and assisting with such responsibilities as production coordination, background design, and progress tracking.
- Implement and maintain configuration control systems.
Show 4 more things this job involves
- Script, plan, and create animated narrative sequences under tight deadlines, using computer software and hand drawing techniques.
- Create two-dimensional and three-dimensional images depicting objects in motion or illustrating a process, using computer animation or modeling programs.
- Develop briefings, brochures, multimedia presentations, web pages, promotional products, technical illustrations, and computer artwork for use in products, technical manuals, literature, newsletters, and slide shows.
- Make objects or characters appear lifelike by manipulating light, color, texture, shadow, and transparency, or manipulating static images to give the illusion of motion.
What this pays in Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD (Los Angeles County)
Each bar runs from the lowest-paid tenth to the highest-paid tenth. The darker middle is where half the people are, and the line is the median.
| Area | The lowest-paid tenth earn under | Half earn under | The highest-paid tenth earn over |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD (Los Angeles County) | $66,166 | $128,931 | $216,991 |
| Across California | $73,717 | $134,194 | $211,931 |
The federal Bureau of Labor Statistics' 2026 figures for Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD (Los Angeles County) beside the same figures for the whole state. A region can sit well below or above the statewide spread, and the statewide number is the one most often quoted — so where they differ, the local row is the one that describes the work near this program.
- Typical pay in California
- $134,194per yearLos Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: $132,879
- Projected openings
- 17,760Los Angeles-Long Beach-Glendale MD: 10,080
- Projected change
- +7%
- Usually needs
- Bachelor's degree
Getting in
- Experience needed first
- None
- Training after you are hired
- None
No earlier job experience is expected, and new hires are not put through a long training period. For work like this, a program is usually the way in.
Program details
This program provides in-person instruction only.
This course introduces the student to the basic skills of 3D digital animation and modeling. Subjects covered will include methods of creating 3D digital objects, texturing, lighting, using cameras, and basic animation techniques.
Someone else may be able to pay for this
This program was on California's Eligible Training Provider List when the state last reported it to the U.S. Department of Labor (2026-09-18). Programs on that list can be paid for through an Individual Training Account. Listings are renewed periodically and can lapse, so a program listed when the state last reported may not be listed today. Ask before you rely on it.
Ask before you enroll, not after
The order the rules set out starts at the center rather than at the school. Before a center can find somebody eligible for training services it has to gather enough to decide, at a minimum through an interview, evaluation or assessment and career planning. Referring a person to the provider they have chosen and setting up the account both come after that, and both are the center's to do — the account is a payment agreement with the training provider, and it is the provider that is paid through it. So the call belongs before enrolling and before paying. Anyone who has already done either should still ask, and ask what it means for them.
The place to ask is an America's Job Center of California
South Bay One-Stop Business & Career Centers - TorranceAffiliate site
Phone: 310-782-2101
1220 Engracia AvenueTorrance, CA 90501about 0.6 miles away
Hours: Monday-Thursday 8am-5pm, Friday 8am-4:30pm
Has a veterans' representative
South Bay One-Stop Business & Career Center - CarsonAffiliate site
Phone: 310-680-3870
801 E Carson StreetRoom 116 Congresswoman Juanita Millender-McDonald Community CenterCarson, CA 90745about 2.8 miles away
Hours: Monday - Thursday 8:00am – 5:00pm; Every other Friday 8:00-3:30pm Closed every other Friday
Has a veterans' representative
Gardena South Bay One Stop Business and Career CenterAffiliate site
Phone: 310-538-7070
16801 S Western AvenueSuite AGardena, CA 90247about 3.4 miles away
Hours: Monday - Thursday, 8 am-5 pm, Friday 8 am-4:30 pm. Closed every other Friday
At a comprehensive center all the required partner programs can be reached; an affiliate site offers some of them. Distances are straight-line, so the drive is longer. Call before you travel: opening hours here are as the federal directory published them, and the state notes its own staff are not present at every location.
Find a center anywhere in California, and check what is on the list today:
CareerOneStop — American Job Center Finder (U.S. DOL) · California EDD — Office Locator · California EDD — Eligible Training Provider List
How this gets paid for, and what to ask →
Whether a person can have a program paid for is decided by their local workforce development board and the America's Job Center staff who interview them — not by this site, and not by the training provider. California has 45 local workforce development areas and each sets its own policies, so the answer can differ between two people in neighboring counties. Nothing here is a promise of funding or a determination of eligibility.
The rules cited here, and the state and federal sites linked to, are published in English.
How this site gets its figures, and what they do not tell you →