What is Animation Mentor?
In short, AnimationMentor.com is an 18-month intensive online animation program that utilizes the latest in Internet and computer technology to teach students character animation by allowing them to learn from the very best animators in the industry.

Do I need any previous animation experience?
Our program is designed to teach students the skills they need to become a professional animator. While having previous college or animation study or work experience may help students with their training, it's not a requirement. We will begin with the foundations of animation and build from there. Please click here for full details on our admission requirements.

Can I be enrolled at Animation Mentor while attending another college?
Yes, students can be simultaneously enrolled at Animation Mentor and another school. However, students should be cautioned not to spread themselves too thin. As with any area of study, the more time students devote to their Animation Mentor studies, the more they will learn and progress.

Can I continue to work while I am enrolled at AnimationMentor.com?
Yes, students can continue to work at a full time level while enrolled at Animation Mentor. The Animation Mentor program is designed to give students maximum flexibility with their schedule. However, students want to make sure they can balance their lives and work schedules so that they can take full advantage of what the Animation Mentor program has to offer.

How much does AnimationMentor cost?
For 2009, the full cost for Animation Mentor tuition will be $17,925, including a one time registration fee of $175.

Why does AnimationMentor.com cost less than other animation schools?
AnimationMentor.com was designed by animators, for people who truly want to become animators. Our goal was to create an affordable school with the highest standards that would help the very beginning students to the most advanced students so they may reach their fullest potential.

Do you have a payment plan?
Yes. When students enroll at Animation Mentor, they are given the option of either paying all of their tuition at one time or making individual payments per term. If students choose the payment plan, the tuition will be split up into six payments. For 2009, there will be a processing fee of $100 for each term payment starting after the First Term.

Do you offer any scholarships?
As of this time, Animation Mentor does not offer scholarships.

What if I'm not satisfied with the program?
AnimationMentor.com may not be for everyone. We are an intensive specialty school, dedicated to the specific discipline of character animation. If students find they are not happy with the program or realize character animation may not be for them, they are entitled to our refund policy.

What is your refund policy?
The refund shall be the amount of fees he/she have paid, less the non-refundable registration fee of $175, and less the actual cost of any Sessions he/she attended (unless Cancellation occurred during the Cancellation Period). For example, if a student cancels after attending only three out of 12 Class Sessions, and the student paid $3,050 in fees, the student will receive a refund of $2,156.25 ($3,050 minus the $175 registration fee times [9/12] for Class Sessions not attended).

When do I have to "drop" by to get a full refund?
A student has until midnight of the eighth business day following the First Class Session to receive a full refund.

What qualifications or requirements do I need to apply?
There are six minimum requirements a student must meet before he/she can apply for admission to Animation Mentor. (1) A student must be 18 years or older upon the first day of class. (2) A student must have a good understanding of the English language, as our classes are only offered in English at this time. (3) A student must be a high school graduate or have a GED or the foreign equivalent to a high school graduate. (4) A student must have intermediate computer software skills. (5) A student must achieve a passing score on a basic aptitude test (also known as the Wonderlic test) that measures basic understanding in math and verbal skills. He/she will be sent this test after Animation Mentor receives his/her application. (6) A student must meet the minimum program/system requirements (CLICK HERE to view program/system requirements).

If I am a high school senior, when can I apply to Animation Mentor?
The course structure at AnimationMentor.com has been designed to allow students to begin their program in the Spring Term, Summer Term, Fall Term or Winter Term. Since enrollment is ongoing year round, students can apply as early as two terms or six months before they want to actually begin classes. Students must be a minimum of 18 years old when classes begin.

How long does it take to find out if I'm accepted or not into the program?
An admissions counselor will evaluate student applications and get back to students with a decision within three weeks of submission.

What kind of certificate will I receive upon graduating from AnimationMentor.com?
Every student who graduates from AnimationMentor.com will receive a certificate in Advanced Studies in Character Animation.

How important is having a degree in the Animation Industry?
Having a degree does not guarantee work. A strong demo reel showing the prospective studio that you have the skill is No. 1. Having a solid demo reel gets you in the door, and attitude determines if you get the job. At Animation Mentor we focus on both demo reel and a healthy and supportive attitude.

Are my credits from Animation Mentor transferable to another college?
Each individual college has the right to either accept or reject credits from any other college. Because of the postsecondary structure of the Animation Mentor program, it is unlikely that our credits will be transferable to another college. However, the knowledge a student gains from our certificate program can certainly be used to challenge other classes or obtain advanced placement should a student wish to continue their education after graduation.

Can I take one or two classes to see if I am really cut out to be an animator?
Animation Mentor is ideally looking for those students who know they want to become animators. The course consists of six classes, with each class lasting three months for a total of 18 months. We evaluate applications very thoroughly to determine if they are likely candidates to finish the program and pursue a career in the animation industry.

Do you teach rigging or modeling?
We DO NOT teach any rigging or modeling classes. A common misconception in the animation industry is that the "jack-of-all-trades" gets the big jobs. The big studios are searching specifically for people who excel in one specialized art (be it animation, modeling, lighting, etc), not for people who know a little bit about many different disciplines. Because of this, we want as much of our students' time as possible to be focused on animation. Students will find that the most successful professional animators are those who are willing to constantly devote themselves to their craft.

Do I have to use the computer to animate or do I choose my own medium?
At AnimationMentor.com, our approach to teaching has nothing to do with forcing our students to become software experts. Instead, it has everything to do with providing them with practical animation skills that can be applied to any animation tool, in any medium.

With that said, our school and curriculum does require using 3D animation software as the tool needed to complete the weekly assignments, but our students only need to learn enough of the software package so they can efficiently navigate around it in order to create the performances they desire. We cannot stress enough the importance that animation is an art and above all else we teach principles of the art and craft of animation.

Learning animation is much like the old saying, "If you give someone a fish, they will eat for a day, but if you teach them how to fish, they will never go hungry." As a student you can toil for hours learning every nook and cranny of a software package destined to go out of style just as you master it, or you can use that time to nurture the artist within yourself and grow into a true animator.

Adjusting your mindset to that of being an animator is so much more important than knowing any one tool. At AnimationMentor.com, we've made it our goal to provide our students with animation knowledge that will last them a lifetime, not simply until the next version of Program X is released.

How many hours a week can I expect to devote to the course?
While the number of hours a student dedicates to the program will vary drastically from student to student, it is safe to say that the average student will spend about 20 - 40 (depending on how proficient in Maya you are) hours a week on the program.

What does a standard student schedule at AnimationMentor.com look like?
Each student takes only one class per term and each class is broken into 12 weekly class sessions. Each class session starts on Monday and goes through Sunday.

The first element is a pre-recorded video lecture which can be viewed by the student at any time during the week.

The second element is the class assignment which will be due by Sunday at 12:00PM Pacific Standard Time.

The third element is a live web conference question-and-answer. The Q & A session is conducted by the students' mentor to help clarify any questions or concerns the students may have about their work as well as gain helpful insight into professional workflow techniques that are individual to each mentor.

The fourth element is spent on doing their work and seeking advice from their fellow classmates and campus mentors. Students will spend the bulk of their time on assignments, but they may spend additional time reviewing fellow students' work and using our various community tools to communicate with both students and mentors.

The fifth element of the school is a detailed video eCritique of each student's work from his/her mentor which explains in detail the areas that were executed well and the areas that can be improved upon. All students can see each other's eCritiques®. We've found this to be an invaluable learning tool as students can learn from each other as well as from each other's mentors!

How long do weekly assignments usually take to finish?
Completion time for each assignment will vary from assignment to assignment and student to student. The beginning assignments will be simpler and thus easier to finish. But since each assignment builds on past assignments, the more time and effort spent on an assignment by a student the easier future assignments will be. It is safe to say a student may spend between 10-20 hours a week on an assignment.

Can I upload my "outside" personal work for my mentor to review, or only Animation Mentor assignments?
Because Animation Mentor is specifically designed to build off each consecutive assignment, students will have to follow the curriculum. However, there is a "Public Review" section on the student's profile where he/she can post personal work to get feedback from other students; though, this area is more often used by students to display early drafts of their weekly assignments. Many of our students have also taken advantage of blogs. Students use personal online journals to display other, non-homework related animation for their fellow classmates to view and make comments.

Who are the mentors and what do they actually do?
All of our mentors are professional animators who have worked or are currently working in the industry. Our mentors have been carefully selected and chosen not only for their animation ability but also for their teaching skills.

The mentors provide video eCritiques® and feedback on a weekly basis. In addition, the mentors host weekly Q & A web conference sessions where students may ask more in-depth questions about the content of their weekly lecture and discuss additional animation lessons and matters.

What sort of contact with my mentor do I get? Can I meet my mentor in person?
Mentors are available during the Q & A session as well as through forums and e-mail*. Mentors are currently working professional animators within the movie, television or games industry. As such, they are extremely busy individuals who cannot be expected to meet with students in person, regardless of a student's vicinity to the mentor.
*e-mails may be answered in the Q & A's if the mentor is in full production

Which studios are your mentors from?
Visit the Mentor Roster to see a comprehensive list of our current mentors.

Will I get to choose my Mentor?
No. Students are assigned to mentors at the beginning of each Term based upon time zones. However, a student will be assigned to a new mentor each Term, helping to broaden their scope of animation training as well as gain professional contacts within the industry.

How do I become a mentor?
If you are an experienced animator and would like to become a mentor click here for details.

What exactly is an eCritique®?
Direct feedback from mentors is a key element in the Animation Mentor program. Each week, mentors will provide their students with a newly recorded high resolution video critique, providing valuable insight, feedback and suggestions on ways to improve students' weekly assignment and animation skills in general. The eCritique® will not only evaluate a student's weekly assignment but also a revised assignment. This way, students can see if they were successful in applying their mentor's suggestions and be provided affirmation or even further direction. Students may not only view their own critiques but also the critiques of each and every one of their fellow classmates, learning from their mistakes and successes as well.

Can I save my lectures, critiques or Q & A sessions to my hard drive?
Due to piracy and legal issues, we cannot allow any critiques, lectures, or live Q & A sessions to be recorded or downloaded. We have gone to great lengths to provide content to our students with much ease and viewing flexibility, therefore piracy or distribution will result in legal action.

Do you have financial aid?
Because AnimationMentor.com is a non-accredited private postsecondary vocational school, we are not eligible to participate in Federal Student Aid programs.

AnimationMentor.com is proud to offer private alternative student loans through SLM Financial, a Sallie Mae company, to provide our students with a superior loan product with which to finance their Animation Mentor education!

The Career Training Loan has been designed specifically to help students finance their education or training and can save students money compared to other financing options. It can be used for technical training or trade school, distance learning or other continuing education programs.

How do I apply for an SLM student loan?
Once a student has been accepted into our school, they may contact our Student Loan department at loans@animationmentor.com to obtain more information and instructions on how to apply for a SLM student loan online.

SLM Financial generally provides online loan decisions within 24-72 hours of submission. With our new E-Loan process, the loan can be completed in just a few days.

How long does it take to hear back about a loan decision?
SLM Financial generally provides online loan decisions within 2-3 business days of submission. The entire process usually takes about 7-10 days.

Who is eligible for a SLM student loan?
You must be a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident and must be creditworthy. If you have no credit or a poor credit history, you may still qualify for a loan by applying with a creditworthy co-borrower (recommended).

How much can I borrow?
Loan limits:The minimum loan amount required by AnimationMentor.com is the full tuition amount and you can borrow up to the total cost of the education, less other financial aid received, for tuition and education-related expenses such as books, fees, a computer, and living expenses. Up to 60% of the tuition amount is allowable for expenses, not to exceed $6,000. Terms may vary by school and program. A portion of the tuition must be financed to be eligible to apply for expenses.

Interest rates and fees:Interest rates are variable (monthly) and are based on LIBOR Rate plus a spread. Your interest rate spread is determined by you and your co-borrower's (if you use a co-borrower) credit history. The interest rates start at LIBOR +1% with fees as low as 2% for borrowers with excellent credit.

I have bad credit, or am unemployed. Can I still qualify?
You may still qualify for a student loan if you are able to add a co-borrower to the loan who has a positive credit rating. Qualifying for private loans is based on credit criteria established by each lender, in this case, SLM Financial Corporation. Credit qualification criteria can vary by the type of loan, by whether the borrower is a student or parent, or by whether the loan is backed by a cosigner.

Some factors that can affect a loan approval include, credit rating (also known as a "FICO" score), length of credit history, verifiable income, and income-to-debt ratio, to name a few. If your application is denied, you may reapply with a co-borrower, to improve your application.

Who qualifies as a co-borrower for my loan?
If you have no credit or a poor credit history, you may still qualify for a loan by applying with a creditworthy co-borrower. That's because when you have a creditworthy co-borrower with a credit rating that is better than yours, it can lower your interest rates and fees.

A co-borrower must be a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident and must be creditworthy.

Do you offer federally sponsored loans?
Unfortunately, AnimationMentor.com is not eligible to participate in federal student aid program like the Stafford loan, etc., so a FAFSA does not apply in our case. The only loan we are able to provide at this time is a private alternative student loan through SLM financial. This loan is approved based on an applicant's credit score, credit history and ability to pay.