Animation Mentor Courses

Discover all the courses Animation Mentor has to offer

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1-on-1 Feedback from a Studio Pro

During this 6-week workshop, you’ll have live Q&As with your mentor each week, in addition to receiving an assignment designed to build your skills. Plus, your mentor will review and critique each of your assignments and provide you with a video of his or her feedback so you can improve your work.

Take the Next Step in 2D Animation

Bring your character to life through exciting physical performances and dynamic movement. Make your 2D character walk, run, and dive right into their own adventure. Using a mix of traditional and modern animation workflows, Mentor and longtime Disney Animator Jay Jackson will guide you to success.

6 WEEK COURSE $899 USD

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Character Movement example by Milt Kahl

Tell a Story through 2D Character Movement

Movement is at the heart of every story, be it a subtle head tilt or a boisterous cartwheel. In order to tell an engaging story, it’s important to master the fundamentals of character mechanics.

We’ll jump right into 2D Animation: Walk Cycles & Character Movement by focusing on body mechanics, a term used in animation to describe the movement of biped (two-legged) characters.

When animating, it’s important to think of your character as a series of connected “parts” so that thier entire body moves in a believable way. Get comfortable with body mechanics now so you don’t end up with stiff and wooden performances later on.

In this workshop you’ll apply the core principles of body mechanics to animate believable character movement. You’ll follow in the footsteps of legendary 2D animators as you master classic exercises like walk and run cycles before moving on to more complex movement.

Jay Jackson Walk Cycle Example 2D Animation

Rough Basic 2D Walk Cycle by Jay Jackson

Pro Animators Mentor You to Be Successful

This workshop allows you to learn, practice, and get 1:1 feedback and reviews from our mentors. Through in-class demonstrations and homework assignments, students will follow along with their mentor and create believable performances using a mix of traditional and modern animation workflows.

You will have the chance to learn from our mentors in live conversations as they share insights about what studios are working on and what qualities they look for in an animator. Our mentors will work directly with you to grow and improve your skills, whether you’re interested in studying classic animation techniques, telling your own story, or enhancing your 2D character animation experience.

Jay Jackson

Animator
Universal Studios

Jay Jackson is an incredible character animator, mastering traditional 2D workflows, 3D character animation, and modern 2D digital animation techniques. He’s worked on 2D animated classics such as The Little Mermaid, Tarzan, Hercules, and The Black Cauldron, as well as a host of other films. He even trained under the legendary Eric Larson, one of Walt Disney’s “Nine Old Men.” Jay has been teaching with Animation Mentor for over 12 years, bringing lessons from the greats to the next generation of animators.

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