Body Mechanics
Learn the Principles Behind Complex Movement
Make the Next Move in Your Character Animation Career

12-WEEK COURSE
$2,499 USD
Pro Animators Mentor You to Be Successful
Our mentors are the heart and soul of Animation Mentor. They are professional, working animators from studios like Pixar, DreamWorks, and Industrial Light & Magic, who will teach you the ins and outs of production-level animation. Continue your journey in Body Mechanics, the second of our Core Character Animation Courses.

Eddie Prickett
Senior Animator
Sony Pictures Imageworks
Eddie Prickett has been a professional animator since 2012 and is currently a senior character animator at Sony Animation in Vancouver. He worked on the Oscar-winning film, Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, The Michells vs. The Machines, and many other blockbusters.


Ere Santos
Senior Animator
Sony Pictures Imageworks
Ere has been a professional animator since 2019 and is currently an Animator at Sony Pictures Imageworks. Originally from Canada, Ere has worked at prominent studios including Pixar, MPC, and DEG.


Paul Allen
Senior Animator
Id Software
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. He started his career in television and was a character animation supervisor for the Nickelodeon classic, Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius.
Choose Your Mentor
Once you've applied and been accepted into Animation Mentor, you can choose your mentor and register for class.
Studios that Hire Our Character Animation Students
On-Going Rig Access


STAN


STELLA


STEWART


STEWIE
Personalized Mentorship
Our mentors are working professionals with years of experience under their belts, and they’re passionate about training the next generation of animators. In this course, you will learn from your mentor in live sessions as they share insights about what studios are working on and what qualities they look for in an animator. Your mentor will work directly with you to grow your skills, sharing weekly 1:1 feedback and reviews to help you improve your animation.


Studio-Level Animation Tools and Assets
We teach our students how to work in a studio environment so they are ready for jobs when they graduate. This training starts from day one, with exclusive access to professionally designed assets and character rigs. We ensure that they learn using the same tools and animation workflows that professionals use in their day-to-day work.
Course Requirements for Body Mechanics
Course Details
LIVE Q&As | Weekly 1-Hour Q&As
LECTURES | 12 Pre-recorded Lectures
ASSIGNMENTS | 3 Animation Exercises
ACCESS |Over 150 hours of additional content
SOFTWARE | Autodesk Maya
HARDWARE | Meet Minimum Requirements
AGE | 18 Years or Older
LANGUAGE | Taught in English
Skills You Need Before You Start
This character animation course requires you to have a working understanding of, and experience with, Autodesk Maya software. If you don’t you can take our Maya Basics Workshop.
What You’ll Learn
Now that you have the basics down, it’s time to focus on Body Mechanics. In this course you will:
- Use anatomy and physiology to animate a convincing full body walk cycle
- Learn and explore different animation workflows, adapting them to more complex characters and ideas
- Animate a biped character using proper mechanics to maintain the relationships between the hips, chest, head, and limbs
- Explore physicality by adding personality and character to your animation, integrating key storytelling components in each shot
- Film clear video reference, study the source of realistic motion, and learn where to deviate in your animation in order to further your story
FAQ for Body Mechanics
What is body mechanics in animation?
Body mechanics is a term that describes how elements of the body work together to move a character. For example, to pick something up requires more than just moving just your fingers. The fingers, hand, arm, elbow, and shoulder all work together to get the job done. When we animate characters, we have to understand the basics of how body mechanics work in order to move our characters in a realistic way. Check out this blog post for more details.
What is character animation?
Character animation is the act of taking a fully modeled and rigged character and animating their movements and expressions with the help of a digital tool or animation software, like Autodesk Maya. At Animation Mentor, our students learn keyframe animation.
A Flexible Way to Finance Your Education
Interest-Free Animation Mentor Payment Plans
Animation Mentor offers interest-free payment plans. Payment plans allow students to distribute the $2,499 USD tuition into 2, 3, or 4 flexible payments throughout the term. Take advantage of this offer today!
What Body Mechanics Students are Saying



AM is Higher Quality than My Degree



AM is a Great Experience



My Mentor Was Amazing



I Love the AM Community



Proud of What I Created



Everyone Helps You Succeed



Be Patient with the Learning Process



AM is Higher Quality than My Degree



AM is a Great Experience



My Mentor Was Amazing



I Love the AM Community



Proud of What I Created



Everyone Helps You Succeed



Be Patient with the Learning Process
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