what's new

12.22.08Check out our new Student Spotlight section! Learn what current students have to say about learning animation.

12.20.08Read what graduate Adam Strickland has to say about Animation Mentor and what it's like working as an animator at DreamWorks.

12.01.08Animation Mentor has launched a new merchandise site! Get some COOL gifts now.

11.14.08Animation Mentor has released an animation industry report called Behind the Characters. Learn the facts of why animators are some of the happiest workers in America.

Spring
09

Application
Deadline

02.20.2009

Term Start

03.30.2009

Call Us

1.877.E.ANIMATE

(1.877.326.4628)

1.510.450.7200

Outside U.S.

admissions@animationmentor.com

stay informed

Have you ever watched an animation movie and thought 'I wish I could do that?' Making characters come to life is one of the most rewarding experiences there is. That's why we created our online animation school. The training and mentoring our students receive is recognized as one of the best programs in the industry. Many of our students go on to work at leading studios and game animation companies.

The animation industry is growing and so are the job opportunities for animators. Our character animation program provides a solid foundation for working in the animation industry. The skills you will learn at our school will help you get the job you want whether it's 3D animation, video game animation, or feature film animation.

Our mentors work at some of the top studios in the industry. They are professionals who show you how to work in a studio-type work environment. In addition to learning the art of animation, you'll also learn about production skills, planning and organizing your work, and meeting deadlines. Our mentors are working on exciting projects like animation feature films, video games, TV show and commercials.

What do animator's actually do? Have you ever been playing a video game, or watching a cartoon and wondered 'how did they do that?' A typical day in an animation studio starts with dailies to review the animation shots and sequences that animators created the day before. The animation supervisor provides direction and input on how to make the shots better and approves the shots that are final. The supervisor then assigns new shots to the animators to start working on for that day. The animator works on planning and blocking the shot. They may look at reference libraries or the Internet for reference video footage, or they may videotape themselves acting out the shot sequence. Next, they do thumbnail sketches of key poses, and block out the action, and staging. They render their work using 3D computer graphics animation software. Finally, the animators get input and feedback on what's working and how to make it better. The dailies start again bright and early the next day.

Ever wondered what goes on behind the walls of Animation Mentor? In addition to having a really good time, students are working on hard on building the best demo reels they can so they can get a job in the real world once they graduate the program.

A week at the school consists of watching a video lecture by one of the top animators in the industry teaching you the tricks of the trade for mastering animation principles so you can create believable characters for film, TV and games. After you watch the lecture as many times as you want, you download the week's assignment, tools, and tips, and start working on your animation. Each week, you get an individual eCritique® on your work assignment from a professional animator. Plus, you receive a weekly question and answer session with your mentor to get more information, details and in-depth learning on that week's topic. In addition, you get to watch guest lectures from visiting animation professionals and recruiters, access a library full of tools, resources and information that will help you build your skills, and interact with a vibrant community of students from around the world. You can share your work assignments, feedback and comments with other students, and learn from each other. You can also post comments, feedback and words of encouragement on each other's workspaces.

In the beginning of the program you work on simple projects like bouncing balls and walk cycles. As your skills grow, you tackle more difficult projects like acting and creating a personality for your characters. You also learn studio production work cycles, project management skills, and how to meet deadlines and understand and implement critiques and suggestions for improving your work. By the end of the 18-month program, you'll have a demo reel showcasing your best work that you can use as your resume for landing a job in the animation industry.

Whether you are looking at an animation university, trying to find animation tutorials to learn CG animation, or considering various art schools or animation colleges, you're number one question probably is 'how do I know if this is the best animation school for me?' Things to consider include price, quality of curriculum, quality of teachers, and the quality of the student work. Most important for animators is a strong demo reel they can use to show prospective employers their animation skills. If the overall student work you see coming out of particular school is high, odds are good that your demo reel will look good too! Lastly, look at the schools' placement rates. This means how many of their students get placed into a job after graduation. The higher the placement rate, the better the school will be for your future career plans.