Meet Apprentice... Aja Bogdanoff
What inspired you to learn animation?
I realized in college that I didn't want to end up at some boring desk job pushing papers just to earn a living. I wanted to do something that I really enjoyed, that I would go to work for even if I didn't get paid for it. So I became a film major, and by chance happened to take a few animation classes. I was hooked!
What made you choose AnimationMentor.com to learn animation?
Due to my impeccably poor timing in choosing a field of study, I graduated from college still knowing next to nothing about animation. I couldn't even bounce a ball, much less bring a character to life! I seriously considered packing up and moving across the country to go to one of the big-name animation schools, but I really couldn't afford more student loans, not to mention the cost of quitting my job and living in a big expensive city!
Discovering AnimationMentor was like a dream come true. I'd been trying to figure out how to go about getting an animation education for so long, all the while working at a menial job that was boring me to tears. I felt like AM had been custom-made for someone like me, who has the motivation and enthusiasm to learn, but not the money or the right address. Throw my entire world upside-down and live off of Ramen noodles for the next few decades, or stay in my nice little town and pay a little extra a month to learn from the best animators in the business? It was an easy choice to make.
What were your impressions regarding online education before attending AM and what are they now?
I don't think I had any strong impressions about online schools before I heard of AM. I was skeptical of places that just gave you a diploma in exchange for lots of money, and even the serious online programs sounded like they would be very difficult to do all by yourself. But overall, I never really considered the internet as much of an educational tool.
Nowadays, I look around me and wonder why everything isn't taught this way! It's such an amazing way to learn new things... I'd love to take more courses like this. Before AnimationMentor started, I told myself that it wasn't going to be like a "real" school, like what I'd known in high school and college, where I had constant access to my classmates and instructors. I figured it would be a pretty solitary kind of course. I was wrong! Even though the entire program is held over the internet, it's filled with some of the coolest classmates and instructors I've ever had the pleasure of studying with. In some ways, I feel like it's even better than the traditional university I went to ... not only do you get to learn firsthand from actual industry professionals, you also have much less of a chance of falling through the cracks. In college, I could go entire months without speaking to a professor or advisor, and no one cared. In AnimationMentor, I know that at least one person a week is going to sit down and seriously consider the work I've been doing. It makes for a much more motivating environment!
What's the most interesting concept you've learned so far at AM?
It's hard to pick one ... but I remember the moment I realized, very clearly, the importance of planning. I had spent days trying to figure out how to animate a ball bouncing around in an obstacle course, and I was really struggling with it. Finally I sat down and actually did what the lectures and assignments kept telling me to do... I planned it out. And wow, did it make a difference. Definitely an important lesson!
Where do you want to work after graduation?
After graduation, I'd be thrilled to work anywhere where I get paid to animate! Games, commercials, corporate training videos, anywhere where I could flex my newly-graduated ani-muscles! Eventually, though, I'd really love to work at a place where I can use character animation to help tell stories, the kind of stories that make grandparents laugh and kids' eyes get as big as saucers, that keep parents on the edge of their seats and even the toughest folks tear up a little. Feature film work where the story is the highest priority ... who wouldn't want that?
What's your process in interacting with your fellow classmates?
I talk to my classmates over the discussion forums, in the weekly video Q&As, and over Instant Messenger since most of them are on my buddy list now. A lot of us keep personal blogs about the program, and we keep tabs on each other by reading and commenting on them. And then there's always the comments field in our Workspace, where we critique each other's work!
Have you gotten to know your classmates well?
I'm amazed by how well I've gotten to know some of my classmates just by chatting with them over the internet for a few months! The people in AM are so supportive, and we've all been leaning on each other for help when we're struggling with a particularly difficult assignment or concept. It's a great group of people, and I think we're all very aware that we are a collection of human beings behind the computer screen, not just a bunch of bits and bytes. One discussion in particular on the forums has been very personal and moving, and I don't think people would be nearly so willing to share their stories if the community wasn't so strong. Plus, my group had a Q&A "Crazy Hat Night" a few weeks ago, and no one can resist bonding over crazy hats!
What's the most rewarding aspect of being a student at AM and what's the most challenging aspect?
Well, the most challenging has to be the assignments. The classes start from square one and progress slowly enough that they're not overwhelming, but if you're picky about what you turn in, there's no limit to how long you can spend working on your projects. You just have to be good about managing your time and making the most out of what you have. I'm guessing that it's not too different from being a professional animator in a studio, though.
The most rewarding are the assignments! Because nothing easy is rewarding, right? When you've spent an entire week trying to make a ball bounce, the moment where you play it back for the ten thousandth time and realize that it's finally working is just magic. Even if you don't reach that point before the assignment is due, and you have to turn in something that you know isn't perfect, your amazing eagle-eye mentor will swoop in and tell you exactly what you need to do so that it does work. And this light bulb goes off in your head and you go sprinting back to your computer so you can fix whatever the problem is, and then sit back and marvel at this gorgeous bouncing ball you've just created... It's intoxicating, seeing your hard work finally pay off.
Who is your favorite animated character?
Billy from "Billy's Balloon." I saw this short right around the time I realized that I wanted to become an animator, so it's one of those things that will probably stay lodged in my memory forever. Billy's reaction when he sees the kid with the yellow balloon gets me every time.
What is your favorite animated movie?
I never turn down a chance to see "The Nightmare Before Christmas". So well-crafted and delightfully macabre. I'm a pretty big fan of Tim Burton to begin with, so seeing him tell a feature-length story through stop-motion animation is a treat!
What is your favorite animated scene of all time?
Oh my, it has to be something from "The Iron Giant." I don't want to give anything away for those who haven't seen it (go see it!), but there are several moments in that film that really hit me. Just amazing animation, and beautiful storytelling.
Who would you consider to be your #1 animation hero?
Maybe this would have been easy to answer a few months ago, but now I'm surrounded by animation heroes every time I enter the site! Bobby, Shawn and Carlos have spent years putting together an absolutely incredible program that I get far more out of than I could ever hope to put in, and they've opened doors for future animators all over the world. My Mentor, Derek, gracefully handles the daunting process of chat-wrangling and critiquing 20 students every week, always with a sharp eye and sharper wit, and all while working full-crunch-time. And the amazing classmates I have, who manage to balance animation and a full-time job and a family while continuing to turn out awesome assignments week after week ... they are definitely animation heroes.
And on that note, I need to get back to my assignments! Thank you again for all the hard work you folks at AnimationMentor are putting into this program! I can't wait to see what you come up with next. :-)
I realized in college that I didn't want to end up at some boring desk job pushing papers just to earn a living. I wanted to do something that I really enjoyed, that I would go to work for even if I didn't get paid for it. So I became a film major, and by chance happened to take a few animation classes. I was hooked!
What made you choose AnimationMentor.com to learn animation?
Due to my impeccably poor timing in choosing a field of study, I graduated from college still knowing next to nothing about animation. I couldn't even bounce a ball, much less bring a character to life! I seriously considered packing up and moving across the country to go to one of the big-name animation schools, but I really couldn't afford more student loans, not to mention the cost of quitting my job and living in a big expensive city!
Discovering AnimationMentor was like a dream come true. I'd been trying to figure out how to go about getting an animation education for so long, all the while working at a menial job that was boring me to tears. I felt like AM had been custom-made for someone like me, who has the motivation and enthusiasm to learn, but not the money or the right address. Throw my entire world upside-down and live off of Ramen noodles for the next few decades, or stay in my nice little town and pay a little extra a month to learn from the best animators in the business? It was an easy choice to make.
What were your impressions regarding online education before attending AM and what are they now?
I don't think I had any strong impressions about online schools before I heard of AM. I was skeptical of places that just gave you a diploma in exchange for lots of money, and even the serious online programs sounded like they would be very difficult to do all by yourself. But overall, I never really considered the internet as much of an educational tool.
Nowadays, I look around me and wonder why everything isn't taught this way! It's such an amazing way to learn new things... I'd love to take more courses like this. Before AnimationMentor started, I told myself that it wasn't going to be like a "real" school, like what I'd known in high school and college, where I had constant access to my classmates and instructors. I figured it would be a pretty solitary kind of course. I was wrong! Even though the entire program is held over the internet, it's filled with some of the coolest classmates and instructors I've ever had the pleasure of studying with. In some ways, I feel like it's even better than the traditional university I went to ... not only do you get to learn firsthand from actual industry professionals, you also have much less of a chance of falling through the cracks. In college, I could go entire months without speaking to a professor or advisor, and no one cared. In AnimationMentor, I know that at least one person a week is going to sit down and seriously consider the work I've been doing. It makes for a much more motivating environment!
What's the most interesting concept you've learned so far at AM?
It's hard to pick one ... but I remember the moment I realized, very clearly, the importance of planning. I had spent days trying to figure out how to animate a ball bouncing around in an obstacle course, and I was really struggling with it. Finally I sat down and actually did what the lectures and assignments kept telling me to do... I planned it out. And wow, did it make a difference. Definitely an important lesson!
Where do you want to work after graduation?
After graduation, I'd be thrilled to work anywhere where I get paid to animate! Games, commercials, corporate training videos, anywhere where I could flex my newly-graduated ani-muscles! Eventually, though, I'd really love to work at a place where I can use character animation to help tell stories, the kind of stories that make grandparents laugh and kids' eyes get as big as saucers, that keep parents on the edge of their seats and even the toughest folks tear up a little. Feature film work where the story is the highest priority ... who wouldn't want that?
What's your process in interacting with your fellow classmates?
I talk to my classmates over the discussion forums, in the weekly video Q&As, and over Instant Messenger since most of them are on my buddy list now. A lot of us keep personal blogs about the program, and we keep tabs on each other by reading and commenting on them. And then there's always the comments field in our Workspace, where we critique each other's work!
Have you gotten to know your classmates well?
I'm amazed by how well I've gotten to know some of my classmates just by chatting with them over the internet for a few months! The people in AM are so supportive, and we've all been leaning on each other for help when we're struggling with a particularly difficult assignment or concept. It's a great group of people, and I think we're all very aware that we are a collection of human beings behind the computer screen, not just a bunch of bits and bytes. One discussion in particular on the forums has been very personal and moving, and I don't think people would be nearly so willing to share their stories if the community wasn't so strong. Plus, my group had a Q&A "Crazy Hat Night" a few weeks ago, and no one can resist bonding over crazy hats!
What's the most rewarding aspect of being a student at AM and what's the most challenging aspect?
Well, the most challenging has to be the assignments. The classes start from square one and progress slowly enough that they're not overwhelming, but if you're picky about what you turn in, there's no limit to how long you can spend working on your projects. You just have to be good about managing your time and making the most out of what you have. I'm guessing that it's not too different from being a professional animator in a studio, though.
The most rewarding are the assignments! Because nothing easy is rewarding, right? When you've spent an entire week trying to make a ball bounce, the moment where you play it back for the ten thousandth time and realize that it's finally working is just magic. Even if you don't reach that point before the assignment is due, and you have to turn in something that you know isn't perfect, your amazing eagle-eye mentor will swoop in and tell you exactly what you need to do so that it does work. And this light bulb goes off in your head and you go sprinting back to your computer so you can fix whatever the problem is, and then sit back and marvel at this gorgeous bouncing ball you've just created... It's intoxicating, seeing your hard work finally pay off.
Who is your favorite animated character?
Billy from "Billy's Balloon." I saw this short right around the time I realized that I wanted to become an animator, so it's one of those things that will probably stay lodged in my memory forever. Billy's reaction when he sees the kid with the yellow balloon gets me every time.
What is your favorite animated movie?
I never turn down a chance to see "The Nightmare Before Christmas". So well-crafted and delightfully macabre. I'm a pretty big fan of Tim Burton to begin with, so seeing him tell a feature-length story through stop-motion animation is a treat!
What is your favorite animated scene of all time?
Oh my, it has to be something from "The Iron Giant." I don't want to give anything away for those who haven't seen it (go see it!), but there are several moments in that film that really hit me. Just amazing animation, and beautiful storytelling.
Who would you consider to be your #1 animation hero?
Maybe this would have been easy to answer a few months ago, but now I'm surrounded by animation heroes every time I enter the site! Bobby, Shawn and Carlos have spent years putting together an absolutely incredible program that I get far more out of than I could ever hope to put in, and they've opened doors for future animators all over the world. My Mentor, Derek, gracefully handles the daunting process of chat-wrangling and critiquing 20 students every week, always with a sharp eye and sharper wit, and all while working full-crunch-time. And the amazing classmates I have, who manage to balance animation and a full-time job and a family while continuing to turn out awesome assignments week after week ... they are definitely animation heroes.
And on that note, I need to get back to my assignments! Thank you again for all the hard work you folks at AnimationMentor are putting into this program! I can't wait to see what you come up with next. :-)