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Learn Studio-Level Character Animation

From Pro Animators at 45+ Major Studios

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Learn Creature Animation

From Pro VFX Animators

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Winter Deadline: October 29, 2023

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Learn 3D Animation Online

Become a 3D Character Animator

Established in 2005, Animation Mentor is the original online animation school. With mentors from Pixar, Disney, Industrial Light & Magic, and many other major studios, you’ll learn animation directly from the pros. Start your journey to become an animator in either the Maya Workshop or Animation Basics.

Maya Workshop: Animation Basics

6-Week Workshop

Master this key software before diving into the art of animation.

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Animation
Basics

12-Week Course

Begin your character animation journey and master the basics.

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150+

HOURS OF
CONTENT

45

MAJOR
STUDIOS

9:1

CLASS
SIZE

How Animation Mentor Works

Learn 3D animation online from working professionals at major animation, visual effects, and game studios. Interact with your mentor and other animators from all over the world on our custom campus platform.

More Than an Online School

Animation Mentor has a community unlike any other online school, where like-minded artists from all over the world share their passion for animation.

How Animation Mentor Works - Animation Mentor

Featured Mentors

Our mentors are the heart and soul of Animation Mentor. Veteran studio pro animators from powerhouses like Pixar, DreamWorks, and Industrial Light & Magic, teach you the ins and outs of production level animation from the very beginning, starting with Animation Basics – the first course of the Core Character Animation Courses.

Jane Cassidy - Animation Basics Mentor

Jane Cassidy

Animator
Pixar Animation Studios

Jane Cassidy has been a professional animator since 2013 and is currently an animator at Pixar Animation Studios. At Pixar, she's worked on blockbusters like Coco, Onward, Monsters University, and Finding Dory.

Read Full Bio

Paul Allen - Body Mechanics Mentor

id software Logo

Paul Allen

Senior Animator
Id Software / Xbox Game Studios

Paul Allen has been a professional animator since 1997 and is currently a senior animator at id Software, known for the DOOM video game franchise, and Xbox Game Studios. He started his career in television and was a character animation supervisor for the Nickelodeon classic, Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius.

Read Full Bio

Ere Santos - Body Mechanics Mentor

Ere Santos

Senior Animator
Sony Pictures Imageworks

Ere has been a professional animator since 2017 and is currently a senior animator at Sony Pictures Imageworks. Originally from Canada, Ere has worked at prominent studios including Pixar, MPC, and DEG.

Read Full Bio

Martin Hopkins - Animation Basics Mentor

Martin Hopkins

Senior Animator
DreamWorks Animation

Martin Hopkins has been a professional animator since 1994 and has a background in 2D animation as well as 3D. He joined DreamWorks on the Bee Movie and went on to work on major hits including the How to Train Your Dragon series. 

Read Full Bio

Anthony Wong - Animation Basics Mentor

Anthony Wong

Animator
Pixar Animation Studios

Anthony Wong has been a professional animator since 1991 and has worked on Disney classics like Hercules, Mulan, and Tarzan. As a 3D character animator at Pixar, he's worked on Cars, Ratatouille, Toy Story 3 and many others.

Read Full Bio

Nick Kondo - Introduction to Acting Mentor

Nick Kondo

Supervising Animator
Sony Pictures Imageworks

Nick Kondo has been a professional animator since 2005 and is currently a lead animator at Sony Pictures ImageWorks. He worked on the Oscar-winning, groundbreaking film, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and other films including The Mitchells vs. The Machines.

Read Full Bio

Drew Adams - Advanced Body Mechanics Mentor

Drew Adams

Animator
DreamWorks Animation

Drew Adams has been a professional animator since 2001 and is currently an animator at DreamWorks Animation. He started as an in-between 2D animator on Atlantis: The Lost Empire and transitioned to 3D animation on DreamWorks films including How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World.

Read Full Bio

Martin Hopkins - Animation Basics Mentor

Martin Hopkins

Senior Animator
DreamWorks Animation

Martin Hopkins has been a professional animator since 1994 and has a background in 2D animation as well as 3D. He joined DreamWorks on the Bee Movie and went on to work on major hits including the How to Train Your Dragon series. 

Read Full Bio

Anthony Wong - Animation Basics Mentor

Anthony Wong

Animator
Pixar Animation Studios

Anthony Wong has been a professional animator since 1991 and has worked on Disney classics like Hercules, Mulan, and Tarzan. As a 3D character animator at Pixar, he's worked on Cars, Ratatouille, Toy Story 3 and many others.

Read Full Bio

Jane Cassidy - Animation Basics Mentor

Jane Cassidy

Animator
Pixar Animation Studios

Jane Cassidy has been a professional animator since 2013 and is currently an animator at Pixar Animation Studios. At Pixar, she's worked on blockbusters like Coco, Onward, Monsters University, and Finding Dory.

Read Full Bio

Nick Kondo - Introduction to Acting Mentor

Nick Kondo

Supervising Animator
Sony Pictures Imageworks

Nick Kondo has been a professional animator since 2005 and is currently a lead animator at Sony Pictures ImageWorks. He worked on the Oscar-winning, groundbreaking film, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and other films including The Mitchells vs. The Machines.

Read Full Bio

Ere Santos - Body Mechanics Mentor

Ere Santos

Senior Animator
Sony Pictures Imageworks

Ere has been a professional animator since 2017 and is currently a senior animator at Sony Pictures Imageworks. Originally from Canada, Ere has worked at prominent studios including Pixar, MPC, and DEG.

Read Full Bio

Paul Allen - Body Mechanics Mentor

id software Logo

Paul Allen

Senior Animator
Id Software / Xbox Game Studios

Paul Allen has been a professional animator since 1997 and is currently a senior animator at id Software, known for the DOOM video game franchise, and Xbox Game Studios. He started his career in television and was a character animation supervisor for the Nickelodeon classic, Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius.

Read Full Bio

Drew Adams - Advanced Body Mechanics Mentor

Drew Adams

Animator
DreamWorks Animation

Drew Adams has been a professional animator since 2001 and is currently an animator at DreamWorks Animation. He started as an in-between 2D animator on Atlantis: The Lost Empire and transitioned to 3D animation on DreamWorks films including How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World.

Read Full Bio

Martin Hopkins - Animation Basics Mentor

Martin Hopkins

Senior Animator
DreamWorks Animation

Martin Hopkins has been a professional animator since 1994 and has a background in 2D animation as well as 3D. He joined DreamWorks on the Bee Movie and went on to work on major hits including the How to Train Your Dragon series. 

Read Full Bio

Anthony Wong - Animation Basics Mentor

Anthony Wong

Animator
Pixar Animation Studios

Anthony Wong has been a professional animator since 1991 and has worked on Disney classics like Hercules, Mulan, and Tarzan. As a 3D character animator at Pixar, he's worked on Cars, Ratatouille, Toy Story 3 and many others.

Read Full Bio

Jane Cassidy - Animation Basics Mentor

Jane Cassidy

Animator
Pixar Animation Studios

Jane Cassidy has been a professional animator since 2013 and is currently an animator at Pixar Animation Studios. At Pixar, she's worked on blockbusters like Coco, Onward, Monsters University, and Finding Dory.

Read Full Bio

Nick Kondo - Introduction to Acting Mentor

Nick Kondo

Supervising Animator
Sony Pictures Imageworks

Nick Kondo has been a professional animator since 2005 and is currently a lead animator at Sony Pictures ImageWorks. He worked on the Oscar-winning, groundbreaking film, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and other films including The Mitchells vs. The Machines.

Read Full Bio

Ere Santos - Body Mechanics Mentor

Ere Santos

Senior Animator
Sony Pictures Imageworks

Ere has been a professional animator since 2017 and is currently a senior animator at Sony Pictures Imageworks. Originally from Canada, Ere has worked at prominent studios including Pixar, MPC, and DEG.

Read Full Bio

Paul Allen - Body Mechanics Mentor

id software Logo

Paul Allen

Senior Animator
Id Software / Xbox Game Studios

Paul Allen has been a professional animator since 1997 and is currently a senior animator at id Software, known for the DOOM video game franchise, and Xbox Game Studios. He started his career in television and was a character animation supervisor for the Nickelodeon classic, Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius.

Read Full Bio

Drew Adams - Advanced Body Mechanics Mentor

Drew Adams

Animator
DreamWorks Animation

Drew Adams has been a professional animator since 2001 and is currently an animator at DreamWorks Animation. He started as an in-between 2D animator on Atlantis: The Lost Empire and transitioned to 3D animation on DreamWorks films including How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World.

Read Full Bio

See More Mentors

Choose Your Mentor

Once you've applied and been accepted into Animation Mentor, you can choose your mentor and register for class.

Registration is open from

October 16 - October 29, 2023

Register Now

Featured Workshops

Animation Mentor offers 6-week and 12-week workshops to hone your artistic and animation skills.

Register By
November 5, 2023
Explore Our Workshops
Animation Mentor Maya Workshop
Animation Mentor Previs Workshop
Creature Animation Locomotion Animation Mentor
Storyboarding Fundamentals with Mike Kunkel
2D Animation For Beginners - Animation Mentor

What Animation Mentor Students are Saying

Best Decision I Ever Made

This school was by far the best decision I ever had the pleasure of making, and I’ve loved every minute of it. From the online resources and tech support to the mentors and classmates. Thank you for everything you all do for us. I’d definitely like to join the mentor roster one day to always be a part of Animation Mentor!

Pursue My Dream

Animation Mentor gave me an amazing opportunity to learn from such great mentors and to allow me to pursue this dream of working in animation. I’ve met some great people in person and online and I look forward to staying a part of the AM community and helping others.

Strong Support Network

The community was my biggest surprise. Being surrounded by so many people all working towards the same thing and supplemented by a strong support network really made the AM experience for me.

Opened My Eyes

Animation Mentor has opened my eyes to such an exciting industry. Before starting at AM I never dreamt I would one day be able to move characters around or even give them a soul. AM has given me more than just an invaluable education, it’s also exposed me to such wonderful mentors and an exciting future to work towards.

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!

Excited About Animation

I love how all the students in AM are so excited about animation and helping each other improve, despite having their own work to do. My mentors were also extremely passionate about what they do and helping us get to that point as well.

I Wanted to Study Animation

I live in India and when I told my parents that I wanted to study animation they didn’t even know what it was! I had to explain to them and it took me 3 months to convince them. After that it took me another 3 months to convince them that I wanted to attend an online school and not a brick-and-mortar. In the end, they love me and had to give in and I don’t regret my decision one bit.

AM is the Best

Animation Mentor has been a lifesaver for me. I truly think that this school is the best at what it does and am glad that I chose AM over any other animation class. My teachers have been phenomenal and their instruction has proven invaluable. Their dedication to the craft is what drives me to push further and not get discouraged. I’m learning new things everyday and the lessons are always exactly what I needed to move forward in my work.

Best Online School Experience

This is the best online school experience I’ve ever had. The way you guys teach is the way I wish all online schools taught. Your teaching material is never outdated and the rigs are all top notch. The mentors are responsive and best of all, they all know what they are talking about and have real-world experience. It is in every way like having a mentor looking over me, and handing down a skill that was probably mentored to them.

Receive Feedback All Week

I am a former student of some other animation schools and one reason I like AM the most is the opportunity to give and receive feedback all week. The dailies are awesome, I’ve never seen that before. If only I knew about them sooner!

Each Mentor Has a Unique Style

Each mentor has their own unique style of teaching and connecting with the class. I think this is what I really enjoy about the classes at Animation Mentor, each one is a new experience! All of my mentors have taught me so much.

Best Decision I Ever Made

This school was by far the best decision I ever had the pleasure of making, and I’ve loved every minute of it. From the online resources and tech support to the mentors and classmates. Thank you for everything you all do for us. I’d definitely like to join the mentor roster one day to always be a part of Animation Mentor!

Pursue My Dream

Animation Mentor gave me an amazing opportunity to learn from such great mentors and to allow me to pursue this dream of working in animation. I’ve met some great people in person and online and I look forward to staying a part of the AM community and helping others.

Strong Support Network

The community was my biggest surprise. Being surrounded by so many people all working towards the same thing and supplemented by a strong support network really made the AM experience for me.

Opened My Eyes

Animation Mentor has opened my eyes to such an exciting industry. Before starting at AM I never dreamt I would one day be able to move characters around or even give them a soul. AM has given me more than just an invaluable education, it’s also exposed me to such wonderful mentors and an exciting future to work towards.

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!

Excited About Animation

I love how all the students in AM are so excited about animation and helping each other improve, despite having their own work to do. My mentors were also extremely passionate about what they do and helping us get to that point as well.

I Wanted to Study Animation

I live in India and when I told my parents that I wanted to study animation they didn’t even know what it was! I had to explain to them and it took me 3 months to convince them. After that it took me another 3 months to convince them that I wanted to attend an online school and not a brick-and-mortar. In the end, they love me and had to give in and I don’t regret my decision one bit.

AM is the Best

Animation Mentor has been a lifesaver for me. I truly think that this school is the best at what it does and am glad that I chose AM over any other animation class. My teachers have been phenomenal and their instruction has proven invaluable. Their dedication to the craft is what drives me to push further and not get discouraged. I’m learning new things everyday and the lessons are always exactly what I needed to move forward in my work.

Best Online School Experience

This is the best online school experience I’ve ever had. The way you guys teach is the way I wish all online schools taught. Your teaching material is never outdated and the rigs are all top notch. The mentors are responsive and best of all, they all know what they are talking about and have real-world experience. It is in every way like having a mentor looking over me, and handing down a skill that was probably mentored to them.

Receive Feedback All Week

I am a former student of some other animation schools and one reason I like AM the most is the opportunity to give and receive feedback all week. The dailies are awesome, I’ve never seen that before. If only I knew about them sooner!

Each Mentor Has a Unique Style

Each mentor has their own unique style of teaching and connecting with the class. I think this is what I really enjoy about the classes at Animation Mentor, each one is a new experience! All of my mentors have taught me so much.

Studios that Hire Our Character Animation Students