Steveshanks is right, Maya is priced WAAAAY!! out side the range of the individual user It is not really a 3D Program in the traditional sense, but more of an open source 3D interface for which you hire TEAMS of programmers you write plugins and scripts. BIg Animation Houses Know this and if your DEMO Reel is Killer enough and show that you know and understand the realy important principles of animation such as pacing timing, lighting etc. you will be hired and trained on their Customized versions of the super high end stuff. A Guy named Victor Navone( Alien Song) got hired by Pixar based on his Reel that was done completely in HASHAnimation Master, Pixar uses a proprietary Software called "Renderman" where you model and animate in "RAW CODE" They dont use HASH Phil Mcnally( aka Captain 3D) got hired BY ILM got hired based on his short film "Pump Action" done completely in Cinema 4DXL .ILM Does NOT use Cinema They are mostly a softimage house. so dont worry about trying to own these highend Programs focus on becoming a Good Animator Mocap