Free Workshop: Using Video Reference for Blocking Body Mechanics

https://youtu.be/xrRj_A4ca8Y Good video reference can make a body mechanics shot much easier to animate. In this free recorded workshop, Framestore Animator Richard Fournier shares his best practices for shooting reference and turning it into clear key poses. In a...

Tutorial: Complex Constraints in Maya with a Locator Setup

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONpBHvWTB3Y In this tutorial, Animation Mentor mentor Sidney Kombo-Kintombo, a Senior Animation Supervisor at Wētā FX whose credits include Avengers: Endgame, Avengers: Infinity War, and War for the Planet of the Apes, shares the...

Tutorial: Animating Caution in Character Acting with Key Poses

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2h5wol25lg Nathaniel Seymour, a 2009 graduate of the Animation Mentor Character Animation Program whose credits include Dune: Part 1, Godzilla vs. Kong, Pokémon Detective Pikachu, and the TV shows Silicon Valley and Key and Peele,...

Free Workshop: Posing and Animating the Spine

https://youtu.be/jkhLnC6Fvrs The spine does more work than almost anything else in a pose. In this free recorded workshop, Keith Sintay, Senior Character Animator at Industrial Light & Magic, shows how to use it to build poses that feel grounded and alive. Keith...

Tutorial: How to Use Character Staging to Guide Viewer Focus

https://youtu.be/8zpYyH0EmxY In this tutorial, Animation Mentor alumnus Nathaniel Seymour walks through staging a shot with two characters. The focus is on deciding which character the audience should be watching at each moment, and how to block key poses so the...

AI in Animation: What’s Real, What’s Hype, and What You Should Do

https://youtu.be/oRUMxl81BgU AI is one of the biggest topics animators are talking about right now. In this free webinar, Senior CG Generalist Charlie Frail shares her perspective on what's real, what's hype, and what AI means for artists building a career in...

Free Workshop: Using Sketchbook Practice to Create Characters with Stephen Silver

https://youtu.be/L1OpbCdS7G0 Learn how stronger character development and drawing starts with truly observing the world around you in this free live-recorded workshop with character designer Stephen Silver. Stephen breaks down what artists should actually be looking...

A Conversation with Disney Legend Andreas Deja

https://youtu.be/HAiTpKcUOz8 We were honored to sit down with Disney Legend Andreas Deja as he reflected on decades animating some of Disney’s most beloved characters and the making of his hand‑drawn short film Mushka. He even took us behind the scenes to the initial...

Alum AJ Jefferies Shares Advice on Making Independent Shorts

AJ Jefferies AJ Jefferies has been making animation since he was a kid, starting with hand-drawn Looney Tunes-style shorts before moving into 3D. After working as a CG generalist, he came to Animation Mentor to focus on character animation, which helped him push his...

Free Workshop: Maya Survival Skills for New Animators

https://youtu.be/0G2588Byfxs Join Senior Character Animator Nicole Herr for this engaging recorded workshop on simple techniques and tricks to make your Maya workflow simpler and smoother. Learn the basics of layers and constraints to help push your animation...