Learn How to Animate a Great White Shark in Maya

Animating a Great White Shark underwater is a rewarding challenge for any 3D artist. To achieve
lifelike realism, you must capture the shark’s fluid swimming style, body mechanics, and the motion
of an apex predator moving through water. This training focuses on
underwater animation techniques in Maya so you can master the foundations of
realistic creature animation.

Master Rigging, Scene Building, and Underwater Lighting

Led by Hollywood creature animator Jonathan Symmonds, this course walks you step
by step through animating a Great White Shark in Maya. You’ll build an authentic
underwater environment, set up a shark rig with clean body controls for natural movement, and
refine underwater lighting and rendering to achieve cinematic, photo-real
results.

Create Portfolio-Ready Shark Animations

By the end, you’ll produce a photo-realistic Great White Shark animation that
showcases industry-level skills in rigging, underwater dynamics, and lighting—ideal for your demo
reel and roles in VFX, animation, or game development. Whether you’re just
starting out or leveling up your creature work, this course gives you the tools to succeed.

Course Information

• Course Duration: 1 hour 25 minutes
• This course can be taken at any time
• Category: Animation
• Course Cost: 29 USD
• Prerequisites: None
• Software required: Autodesk Maya 2019+
• Instructor: Jonathan Symmonds

• Animate a Shark Cycle in Maya: Master the fundamentals of creating a realistic shark swim cycle with clean, fluid body motion.

• Work With Animation Curves: Discover professional secrets to controlling and refining animation curves for smooth underwater movement.

• Streamlined Animation Workflow: Learn a simple, production-proven workflow to animate complex characters with confidence.

• Shark Anatomy for Animators: Improve your understanding of shark anatomy and biomechanics to achieve lifelike realism.

• Peer Review & Feedback: Submit your work and gain valuable critique from fellow students and professionals.

• Accessible for All Levels: No prerequisites required—perfect for beginners or those expanding their creature animation skills.

• Learn From Industry Experts: Train directly with Hollywood-level instructors, including Game of Thrones and Avatar animators.

• Enhance Your Demo Reel: Create a unique shark animation to strengthen your portfolio and stand out to recruiters.

• Exclusive Shark Rig & Assets: Animate with a customized shark rig, final scene setup, cached animation, and light rig included.

• Flexible Learning: Study at your own pace with pre-recorded lessons you can return to anytime.

• Advanced Maya Techniques: Understand viewport 2.0 lighting, work with animation layers, and use professional scene setups.

• Bundle Options Available: Get this shark course as part of a discounted animation course bundle.