Throughout his 30+ year career, Mike Belzer has worked on feature films, short films, stop motion...
Meet Mike Belzer, Returning Mentor and Valve Animator
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Animation Tips and Tricks Articles
Pro Animation Trick: Forget About the Legs!
Basically, the idea is this—if you nail the timing and posing of the body (hips, torso, etc), then...
Why I Learned Storyboarding from Mike Kunkel
We asked star student Amanda Robertson to share her experience taking Storyboarding Fundamentals...
Comedic Timing in Animation: A Student Showcase Behind-the-Scenes
It’s our final behind-the-scenes look at the 2017 Animation Mentor Student Showcase! This time, we...
Why Learning Cartoony Animation Makes You a Better Animator
Caricature When we think of cartoony animation we think of eye-popping takes and wild scrambles....
Stepped vs. Spline Blocking in Animation
Starting any animation assignment presents many creative choices up front! One of the hardest...
What is a Reversal in Animation?
Reversals aren’t all that complicated, but lots of new animators haven’t heard of them! Here,...
Mastering Body Mechanics: A Student Showcase Behind-the-Scenes
Onward in our behind-the-scenes look at the 2017 Animation Mentor Student Showcase! This week, we...
Shawn Kelly Answers 5 Burning Questions About Demo Reels
Animation Mentor co-founder and ILM Lead Animator Shawn Kelly answers five questions about demo reels and tips for applying to studio animation jobs.
Some Words of Advice for Contract and Rookie Animators
Taking your first steps into the professional world of animation? Blue Sky Studios’ Supervising...
Creature Animation: A Student Showcase Behind-the-Scenes
We’re continuing our in-depth look at the 2017 Animation Mentor Student Showcase! Meet the...
Animating Musical Shots: A Student Showcase Behind-the-Scenes
We’re taking a deep dive on the 2017 Animation Mentor Student Showcase! Meet the animators, find...
Why All Animators Need to Master the Moving Hold
A "moving hold” is basically just a way to have your character hold a key pose for a long time...
6 Common Mistakes of Beginning Animators
We asked Animation Mentor Grad, Pixar Animator, and current mentor Jane Cassidy to share the...
Best in Animation 2017: Animation Mentor Staff Picks
2017 has been...eventful to say the least. And that’s why we’re more grateful than ever for the...
Top 10 Animation Blog Posts of 2017
To help you get a head start on 2018, we’ve compiled our top animation posts of the past year!...
What Separates the Good Animator from the Bad Animator?
What separates a good animator from a bad one? While the answer might be somewhat subjective,...
5 Myths of the Animation Industry
The animation industry is the business of creating myth and magic. As such, it’s not surprising...
How to Maximize Your Productivity When Animating
Animation is a time-consuming art form—there’s just no way around it. Something that many people...
How to Create Your Game Animation Demo Reel
So you want to apply to a game studio but you’re wondering, "What exactly do I need to put on my...
Choosing the Best Poses for Your Acting Shot
When you’re creating a performance for a character, how do you decide how many poses to use? The...
ANIMATION TIPS & TRICKS
DEMO REEL ADVICE
