Accelerate Your Animation Career
Animation Mentor offers unparalleled access to industry expertise through a curated lineup of mentors from over 35 renowned studios such as Pixar, Disney, and Industrial Light & Magic. These professional animators teach you the core animation principles, workflows, and real-world advice to ignite your journey to become an animator.Â
Gain Expertise Through:
- Personalized Mentorship
- Dynamic Online Campus
- Studio Workflow Techniques
- Demo Reel Creation
- Career Guidance
Studios That Hire Our Animation Students
Meet Our Mentors
Mike Stern
ANIMATOR
PIXAR ANIMATION STUDIOS
Robyne Powell
SENIOR ANIMATOR
DREAMWORKS ANIMATION
Sidney Kombo
SENIOR ANIMATION SUPERVISOR
WETA DIGITAL
Scott Lemmer
ANIMATION DIRECTOR
EPIC GAMES
Tim Ingersoll
ANIMATOR
DREAMWORKS ANIMATION
Olivier Zurcher
SENIOR ANIMATOR
ACTIVISION/BLIZZARD
Ryan Vicik
ANIMATOR
DREAMWORKS ANIMATION
Andrew Park
LEAD ANIMATOR
WETA FX
Jane Cassidy
ANIMATOR
PIXAR ANIMATION STUDIOS
Onur Yeldan
SUPERVISING ANIMATOR
DREAMWORKS ANIMATION
Steven Johnson
ANIMATOR
ANIMATION MENTOR
Alan Rogers
SENIOR ANIMATOR
ID SOFTWARE
Kristina Alfonsi
ANIMATION LEAD
ELECTRONIC ARTS
Chris Mullins
SENIOR ANIMATOR
FRAMESTORE
Paul Allen
SENIOR ANIMATOR
ID SOFTWARE
Anthony Wong
ANIMATOR
PIXAR ANIMATION STUDIOS
Liron Topaz
SUPERVISING ANIMATOR/DIRECTOR
DREAMWORKS ANIMATION
Chris Fish
ASSOCIATE ANIMATOR
BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT
Mike Stern
ANIMATOR
PIXAR ANIMATION STUDIOS
Robyne Powell
SENIOR ANIMATOR
DREAMWORKS ANIMATION
Sidney Kombo
SENIOR ANIMATION SUPERVISOR
WETA DIGITAL
Scott Lemmer
ANIMATION DIRECTOR
EPIC GAMES
Tim Ingersoll
ANIMATOR
DREAMWORKS ANIMATION
Olivier Zurcher
SENIOR ANIMATOR
ACTIVISION/BLIZZARD
Ryan Vicik
ANIMATOR
DREAMWORKS ANIMATION
Andrew Park
LEAD ANIMATOR
WETA FX
Jane Cassidy
ANIMATOR
PIXAR ANIMATION STUDIOS
Onur Yeldan
SUPERVISING ANIMATOR
DREAMWORKS ANIMATION
Steven Johnson
ANIMATOR
ANIMATION MENTOR
Alan Rogers
SENIOR ANIMATOR
ID SOFTWARE
Kristina Alfonsi
ANIMATION LEAD
ELECTRONIC ARTS
Chris Mullins
SENIOR ANIMATOR
FRAMESTORE
Paul Allen
SENIOR ANIMATOR
ID SOFTWARE
Anthony Wong
ANIMATOR
PIXAR ANIMATION STUDIOS
Liron Topaz
SUPERVISING ANIMATOR/DIRECTOR
DREAMWORKS ANIMATION
Chris Fish
ASSOCIATE ANIMATOR
BLIZZARD ENTERTAINMENT
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Program Overview
Industry-Driven Education
Gain 3D Character Animation Expertise
Innovative Learning Approach
Animation Mentor is the first online animation school, founded in 2005, offering unmatched access to industry expertise. The program features mentors from over 35 top studios, including Pixar, Disney, Blizzard, Riot Games, and Industrial Light & Magic. These professionals provide comprehensive instruction on animation principles, workflows, and real-world insights to guide students in becoming successful animators.
The program offers elite 3D Character Animation Courses designed to equip students with the necessary skills to thrive as professional animators. Upon graduation, students have completed a demo reel—a visual resume showcasing their work—that they can present to studios when seeking their first animation job.
Animation Mentor’s unique educational model combines personalized mentorship with a state-of-the-art online platform. Students receive one-on-one feedback from experienced animators and benefit from a supportive community of peers and alumni. The program emphasizes career outcomes, encouraging students to unlock their creative potential and pursue a career in animation guided by industry leaders.
Industry-Driven Education
Animation Mentor is the first online animation school, founded in 2005, offering unmatched access to industry expertise. The program features mentors from over 35 top studios, including Pixar, Disney, Blizzard, Riot Games, and Industrial Light & Magic. These professionals provide comprehensive instruction on animation principles, workflows, and real-world insights to guide students in becoming successful animators.
Gain 3D Character Animation Expertise
The program offers elite 3D Character Animation Courses designed to equip students with the necessary skills to thrive as professional animators. Upon graduation, students have completed a demo reel—a visual resume showcasing their work—that they can present to studios when seeking their first animation job.
Innovative Learning Approach
Animation Mentor’s unique educational model combines personalized mentorship with a state-of-the-art online platform. Students receive one-on-one feedback from experienced animators and benefit from a supportive community of peers and alumni. The program emphasizes career outcomes, encouraging students to unlock their creative potential and pursue a career in animation guided by industry leaders.
Curriculum
MAYA ANIMATION
Learn the Software
Start with the 6-week Maya Animation course if you are new to Autodesk Maya®. The course is like the launchpad for your animation journey, where you dive headfirst into the world of 3D animation using industry-standard software. It’s not just about learning the tools; it’s about building a solid foundation of skills and understanding that will carry you through the entire program and beyond. Here, you’ll grasp the essential techniques, workflows, and principles that underpin the art of animation, setting you up for success in creating captivating characters and immersive worlds.
AN01: ANIMATION BASICS
Learn To Walk Before You Run
Animation Basics is your next stop for mastering the art of character animation. Here, you’ll dive deeper into essential principles like timing, spacing, and weight, all crucial for creating convincing character movements. With hands-on exercises and expert feedback, you’ll build confidence and skills to animate with purpose and precision. Whether you’re a beginner or honing your craft, Animation Basics sets the stage for your animation journey.
AN02: BODY MECHANICS
Let Your Actions Speak for Themselves
Body Mechanics is a key course at Animation Mentor where you’ll delve into the intricate details of how the human body moves. From understanding anatomy to mastering weight distribution and balance, this course focuses on bringing realism and believability to your character animations. Through a series of practical exercises and mentor feedback, you’ll learn how to animate actions such as walking, running, jumping, and more, ensuring that your characters move and interact with the world in a natural and convincing way. By honing your skills in Body Mechanics, you’ll elevate your animation abilities to the next level, setting the stage for dynamic and lifelike character performances.
AN03: ADVANCED BODY MECHANICS
Action, Action, Action!
Advanced Body Mechanics is where your animation skills truly hit their stride. Building upon the foundational knowledge from Body Mechanics, this course dives deeper into the complexities of human and creature movement. You’ll explore advanced concepts such as secondary motion, overlapping action, and complex interactions between characters and their environment. Through challenging assignments and personalized mentor feedback, you’ll refine your ability to create dynamic and realistic animations that captivate audiences. By mastering Advanced Body Mechanics, you’ll unlock the ability to breathe life into any character or creature, infusing your animations with depth, personality, and believability.
AN04: INTRODUCTION TO ACTING
Award-Winning Performances Begin Here
Introduction to Acting is a pivotal course at Animation Mentor, where you’ll learn to infuse your characters with emotion and personality. Delving beyond mere movement, this course focuses on the art of storytelling through animation. You’ll explore the principles of acting, studying facial expressions, body language, and vocal performance to convey authentic emotions and convey compelling narratives. Through a series of engaging exercises and constructive feedback from mentors, you’ll learn to create characters that resonate with audiences on an emotional level. Whether it’s conveying joy, sadness, or fear, Introduction to Acting equips you with the tools to breathe life into your animations and tell stories that leave a lasting impact.
AN05: ADVANCED ACTING
Let Your Acting Shine
Advanced Acting is the course where animation truly becomes storytelling magic. Building on the foundations laid in Introduction to Acting, this course delves deeper into the nuances of character performance, emotion, and expression. You’ll explore advanced acting techniques, studying subtle gestures, nuanced facial expressions, and vocal delivery to create characters that feel truly alive. Additionally, you’ll tackle the challenge of multi-character animation, learning how to choreograph interactions between characters and bring ensemble scenes to life with authenticity and depth. Through challenging assignments and mentor feedback, you’ll refine your ability to evoke genuine emotions and convey complex narratives through animation. By mastering Advanced Acting, including multi-character animation, you’ll unlock the power to captivate audiences, elicit empathy, and tell stories that resonate on a profound level.
AN06: FEATURE ANIMATION ACTING & POLISH
Bringing It All Together
Feature Animation Acting & Polish is the pinnacle course where animation transcends into cinematic brilliance. Building upon the skills acquired in previous courses, this advanced level class focuses on refining character performances to meet the exacting standards of feature animation. You’ll delve deep into the art of nuanced acting, studying how to convey emotions, motivations, and intentions with subtlety and depth. Moreover, you’ll learn the importance of polish in animation, mastering techniques to elevate your work to the level of professional feature films. Your mentor will also share best practices for creating your portfolio and advice on how to get hired for your dream job in the industry. Through rigorous assignments and mentor feedback, you’ll hone your ability to craft characters that resonate with audiences and contribute to the storytelling process seamlessly. By mastering Feature Animation Acting and Polish, you’ll not only demonstrate your proficiency in animation but also your capacity to breathe life into characters that leave a lasting impact on viewers.
What Our Students Have To Say
1000 Times I Would Recommend AM
AM Gives the Best Quality Tuition and Guidance
The Connections I Made are Worth It
Incredible Community
Every term my mentors have taught me so much and pushed my animation in new ways. The AM community is incredible and the staff are awesome. It has been one of the best experiences for me!
Best Online School Experience
Each Mentor Has a Unique Style
1000 Times I Would Recommend AM
AM Gives the Best Quality Tuition and Guidance
The Connections I Made are Worth It
Incredible Community
Every term my mentors have taught me so much and pushed my animation in new ways. The AM community is incredible and the staff are awesome. It has been one of the best experiences for me!
Best Online School Experience
Each Mentor Has a Unique Style
What Are You Waiting For?
Nervous?
Don’t Be.