Hagerman offers 3ds Max training by Autodesk Certified Instructor

by Joy Voltenburg
Multimedia Consultant
Autodesk Certified Instructor - 3ds Max

I recently participated in the Autodesk Certified Instructor program. This program provides an in-depth evaluation of an instructor’s proficiency with Autodesk 3ds Max or Autodesk Maya and his/her ability to teach others. This is different than an “Autodesk Certified Expert” designation, in that the program recognizes that being an expert does not always correlate to being an effective teacher.

To qualify, one has to complete a couple of online tests to gauge overall knowledge and teaching skills. Once qualified, one attends a three-day workshop with up to five peers and an evaluator. You need to be prepared to teach two hour-long classes on randomly selected topics from a pool of 16 topics directed either at the fundamental or the intermediate student. Your class is recorded and your students are your peers who are there participating in the same certification workshop. You are graded on Technical Skills, Lesson Effectiveness, and Presentation Skills.

Frankly, it’s a hard class to pass and my evaluator stated that many have failed and no one has obtained a perfect score. There are less than 40 people in the United States with this certification. I am now one of them. It was a wonderful, albeit extremely stressful, experience.

I learned a great deal of tips from some very talented classmates. Our workshop was held in Chicago and was attended by myself, two university professors from Canada, and our evaluator, Ted Boardman. 

So what’s in it for me? I get “official certification” from Autodesk. I also get an NFR copy of the current release of Autodesk 3ds Max. I can use the official certification title on business cards and promotional materials. And I join a network of other professionals who have obtained the same certification. Was it worth it? Definitely. Even if I had failed, the knowledge I gained was well worth the experience.

The program is not limited to Autodesk VARs.  Information is here on Autodesk’s website.

Well, enough about me. What about you? Is there a Max or VIZ tutorial you’d like to see?  Is there something in the new release that you don’t quite understand?  Is there something that’s just giving you fits?  Drop me a line and I’ll put together a tutorial for next month’s newsletter.