Production Modeling Essentials

Know that your models are perfect for production.

After this course you will
no longer have to wonder:

  • Do my models show proper edge flow and topology?
  • Is my mesh too dense/not dense enough?
  • Can my model easily be UV'ed, textured, rigged and animated?
  • Have I overworked this model? does it show?
  • How long should it take to model something like this?
  • What are professionals really looking at, and looking for, in my models?

This course is your opportunity to learn from and receive personalized feedback from an industry professional
with three decades of experience modeling for VFX, animation and games!

Fall Classes Start October 6th, 2025

This is a 10 week long course, and every week will include the following:
  • 1.5-2 hours of pre-recorded lecture.
  • A learning exercise, due to be turned in by 5:AM Pacific time every Monday morning
  • Feedback for the week in an individually recorded video
  • A live (and also recorded) Q&A session every Tuesday at 5:30 PM Pacific time
  • In the last five weeks of the course you will have the option of choosing your own final model and/or following along with the demonstrations in the lectures.
The structure and pace of the Production Modeling Essentials course was perfect. Couldn’t be better. Particularly how each week’s model was slightly more complex and challenging. I also liked the way you explained difficult concepts e.g. where to place extraordinary vertices – which I didn’t even know was a thing. Your feedback on my assignments was thoughtful and constructive. Your class helped me take models from a rough idea to a finished piece and transformed the way I think about geometry. I learned more from your feedback in those 10 weeks than watching years of YouTube videos.
Harvey Beghtol
The course is quite challenging, each week I was always looking forward to what I was going to learn. It really kept me hooked and motivated, especially because the improvements are quite noticeable. The content is interesting, it covers so many different kinds of surfaces that it really makes you feel confident in modeling at the very end. The techniques shown are very intuitive and extremely useful because you can apply them to every surface you want to model.
The instruction is what makes this course really recommendable, the patience and experience in teaching is undeniable and each feedback was like opening some kind of figurative door for me.
Flaminia Collettini
I liked the variety of projects and the different avenues to complete them. It felt like a modeling bootcamp which is what I was looking for since I got a bit rusty.
Jamari Jackson
The step by step instruction with the discussion of overall modeling concepts set up a great framework to dive into a more complex project like the violin. Also, it was really cool how the concepts compounded on each other to help us get a full picture of what good modeling is. Also, something I love about your instruction is you always point out hotkeys and menus.
Shelby Kurland
The longer breakdowns really helped me understand the content better. Felt like I was modeling right with you in real life. Plus it's a video so I can skip along if need be.
I loved how I could choose my own modeling and follow along the current violin modeling. I wish I would have done my own modeling as I found I could get a lot of specific feedback in our QA sessions.
I really really enjoyed the real world model breakdowns in the tutorials and Q&A sessions. These were so helpful and understanding what could come in a 3D position like this.
Wesley Adams
I loved the Production Modeling Essentials Course. I learned a lot from David since he is a great teacher, I already knew some Maya but in here I polished some stuff that made my working process way easier.
David is also very clear with his instructions, his videos are very easy to follow and teaches in a way I was able to learn a lot in a very simple way.
Gabriel Robledo
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