Otto is without a doubt an expert at Digital Media, he is very passionate about his work and has taught classes with various programs including; Photoshop, Illustration, Premiere, After Effects, Maya, Blender and After Effects to name a few. I've been his student for over a year now and there hasn't been a day in which I haven't learned something in relation to Digital Media when he is teaching. You learn quickly and efficiently but don't let that scare you, he will always stop to help you out. He's even asked for his students to always interrupt him if they have any doubts in order to encourage his students to learn what he is teaching thoroughly. Otto has great communication skills with his students, creating the perfect learning environment to ensure our comfort. Not to mention that he is humorous and someone that is very easy to get along with. With that said he has worked for large companies such as Nickelodeon and even worked on the film of Transformers as a Digital Editor! To sum up, he is one of the best people you could ever learn Digital Media from. And I don't know about you, but I love bragging to everyone that I'm learning Digital Media from someone that worked in Hollywood. read more

Otto is without a doubt THE BEST teacher anyone can hope to learn from for all things digital media anywhere! He is truly a master at his craft. He is a very laid back instructor and uses humor to help facilitate greater learning. However, he is also very serious about ensuring students learn what they need to succeed. Additionally, he makes it a point to teach on a level novices can understand from and gain batter understanding. I have had the incredible privilege of being able to have attend more than a few classes he's led over the past few years. In every occasion, he taught programs that at first were so completely convoluted and confusing, but within a very short time with his expert teaching style, students were able to quickly grasp the fundamentals of the programs and equally soar to new heights with their new found skills. Anyone wishing to grow in their knowledge of digital media, (Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Adobe Bridge, Adobe Premier Pro, After Effects, Adobe Audition, Maya 3D just to name a few) would be wise to invest their time and finances to seek out his teaching. There is no better return on your investment if you want to become a master of digital media. read more

Being an Intern at FX Dojo I've had the pleasure of working with Mr. Otto Lai. Otto is a great Blender instructor who breaks down every step into easy to understand instructions. Blender may look very complex and because of this may deter many people from actually learning it but being instructed by someone such as Otto makes everything so much easier to understand. I started off not knowing how to remove the cube and now I'm making cities in a matter of weeks. If you want to learn Blender for the future I recommend studying at FX Dojo under Otto who has more than 10 years of experience and has worked on stuff such as transformers and Shrek 1,2, and 3. Speaking of transformers this is how blender feels. "Before time began, there was the cube. We know not where it comes from, only that it holds the power to create worlds and fill them with life." read more

As someone who had little to no experience with Blender, barely begun interning in FX Dojo, and Otto Lai being my mentor, I must say Otto is an outstanding teacher who can make the most complex concepts easy to understand. He goes step by step with you and encourages you to interrupt him if you have any questions that you may want to ask. He is also very patient with you. For example, recently, in one of my meetings with Otto, I was having trouble adding color to a model and I began panicking, but Otto kept it very cool, was patient with me, and even directed me on what to do to fix the problem. Overall, I highly recommend joining FX Dojo to anyone who wants to learn how to use Blender or learn 3D modeling in general. If you're looking for a skilled, inspiring teacher to teach you how to 3D model, Otto is the right guy to go to. read more

Otto is a great Instructor, I went in to learn photoshop with no previous skills, his method of teaching was so great and I learned so much I also took his, Illustrator, Premier Pro, and After Effects class. Now some of his classes I've taken 3 times! Now im able to create my own videos, design l, and even do some animation. Otto is known for his 3d animation so my next class I plan on taking is his Blender class. Otto creates an amazing culture at Fx Dojo, constantly throwing events. One thing I appreciate as well is his ability to always help when in need. Whenever I'm stuck or need help I can just send him and email and he always answer. I highly recommend FX Dojo for people of all ages! From kids to seniors! read more

FX Dojo is a great place to learn a variety of programs! I had the opportunity to take two classes and was very impressed by the instructors ability to ensure that everyone understood what to do and truly learned how to operate the programs, not just learn how to finish each assignment. They tend to show you how to do something, then have you do it with them, then do it on your own to ensure that you're getting the most of your education. It may seem repetitive, but this is a great way to learn how to do things and remember how to do them for your own projects. All the classes at FX Dojo that I've taken have been well worth my money and I 100% recommended signing up! read more

Otto is an amazing instructor! He takes the time to get to know each of his students so he can better understand where you are at skill wise and what to teach you to improve your skills, or even teach you new skills! I personally had no experience with blender when I first came to FX Dojo. Otto has taught me many valuable things about Blender that I will never forget. He pushes you to make better variants of projects you may do with him. As well as encouraging you to share your projects with the group so you can get appraisal and constructive feedback. FX Dojo is an absolute must when it comes to learning Blender, Illustrator, and other products alike. read more

If you want to learn how to create quality digital art for game design, animated film production, or just for fun, FX Dojo is hands down the best place in San Diego to do it. Classes are focused and practical. Unlike some other schools who waste your time (and money!) with fluff information, the Dojo is about getting skills under your belt so you can move forward with your goals. Otto has that rare combination of being a top-notch practitioner and an excellent teacher. He knows how to get his high-level knowledge across to students in an approachable way. And he makes it FUN! As a fellow educator, I can't recommend Otto or the Dojo highly enough! read more

I want to give my highly recommendation for Otto, he is a great teacher and the way that he teach is very understandable, in Compositing class that i had with him, i never used the program NUKE before but since Otto was my teacher my understanding for that class was awesome and he make every step as easy as he could, it is amazing the things that you can do with that program but having Otto as a teacher is awesome. I highly recommend Otto as a great teacher in every field that he teach. And i will go back to him if i have any questions on any of the programs that he teach. Thank you Otto You are a great teacher Sincerely Liliana R. read more

This was a great series of classes that I took. I took many classes for 3D digital art using a program called, "Blender" and I learned a lot from those classes. FX Dojo not only has 3D classes, but also 2D classes as well which I thought was great for anyone trying to become a digital artist or anything similar. I managed to incorporate what I learned into video game development and I have grown so much in progress because of these classes. The teacher and students were great, and the classes don't feel like boring typical classes. They're fun, interactive, and I've always been excited to attend a class. read more

We actually took a Tinkercad class taught by Otto through the Fleet Science Center. Tinkercad is a simpler 3D printing program than the programs he teaches at FX Dojo, but it was perfect for our needs. We just wanted to learn a new skill, 3D print a few things at home, maybe impress our nieces and nephews with some high tech knowledge and encourage their interest in STEM. After just three short lessons we were creating and printing things like pros. Otto made the learning fun, too. Really glad we took the class and would recommend him as a teacher to anyone interested in 3D modeling and printing. read more

FX Dojo is the place to go if you want to learn editing programs or 3D programs. AND Otto is a wonderful instructor! He is great in giving instructions, motivates his students and is willing to repeat a demo if no one understood or missed how to edit or animate an object. He will accommodate to the class if they want to go fast or slow! Even if you have questions outside the classroom he is quick to respond and help you out. Overall, Otto is a WONDERFUL instructor and I will recommend him to future peers who want to learn editing tools! read more

Otto is awesome. I've taken his classes a couple semesters. He's really fast paced, but extremely organized and easy to work with one-on-one. His way of teaching is really easy to follow from take notes step by step and then doing it yourself. It saves a lot of time. I've learned the essentials for After Effects, Premiere, and Maya with him. I still use these programs, and if I forget something, I just go back to Otto's notes and I'm right back into it. Highly recommend taking any of his classes. A+. read more

Otto is an outstanding teacher. He is very friendly and patient to his students. He shows a lot of enthusiasm when teaching his students the softwares: Adobe Premiere, AfterEffects, and Audition. He is highly skilled and knows really well how to utilize the tools in these softwares. I highly recommend taking his classes if you want to learn deeper how to use the tools and do crazy, cool effects with your videos. I took his class in college and received an A. Go Otto! read more

Otto is really awesome teacher! It is first time taking his class and his class is one of my favorite class. He teaches really well and also his class is very interesting too. He walks through every step by step, and also checking on every people, so that no one falls behind! He has good personality, very humorous person, and has expert teaching skills. I am really learning a lot from him and very enjoying his class. I would highly recommend taking his class. read more

FX dojo has such a great environment. There's classes as wells social events to help promote local and professional Artists. Otto is an amazing professor, I've taken multiple classes with him and have seen him taught others. He is patient and organize to get you to learn as quickly and efficiently as possible. And everything if fun, nothing can beat that. Overall I would definitely recommend FX Dojo if your looking into learning more about Digital media. read more

My son has been taking Blender classes at FX Dojo for over nine months. He is ten years old and is doing things on the computer that astound me! Otto is a great teacher - he respects his students, communicates very well, is very organized, and has a relaxed and positive personality. There is nothing like this in San Diego for kids. I would highly recommend this studio to anyone who is interested in computer animation. read more

I have been out of school for a couple of years & was getting stagnant with my Graphic Design skills, so I took one of Otto's classes to not only learn a new program but to get the creative ball rolling. Classes are small & individual attention is not an issue. Also located in the arts district of historic Liberty Station, where there is plenty to see & do such as artist studios & restaurants. read more

Otto is hands down the best instructor I've ever had! Not only does he break down each lesson into steps but also he encourages students to ask questions and makes everyone feel welcomed no matter the skill level/ knowledge level of the different programs. Otto is genuinely a great instructor and loves for his students to succeed, please do not hesitate to take one of Otto's courses! read more