New courses, new curriculum … and the same mentors and dedicated Animation Mentor commitment to care. You find all that and more in our new Animation Fundamentals — starting with Class 1, Animation Basics. Take a closer look at this course that will have you animating a walk in just 12 weeks … then apply today for our upcoming term.
Animation Fundamentals Overview
Thanks to our foundational coursework and instruction provided by top industry professionals — your animations literally take on a life of their own. You animate your own shots primarily, transition to collaborative projects, and begin working with the patent-pending AMP™ studio production pipeline.
Animation Basics
Class Length: 12 weeks
Class Price: $1,999 ($75 registration fee applies)
Minimum Total Hours of Instruction: 118 hours
Description
You first learn the fundamental principles of animation, including an introduction to body mechanics. You also learn the value of integrating a character into your work. Then, as the class progresses, you develop a deeper understanding of these principles to create even more balanced and believable creatures and movements — and culminate with a walk.
Learn How to
- Create convincing character motion.
- Recognize the more common animation mistakes involving timing, weight issues, and body mechanics.
- Avoid and conquer common animation pitfalls.
- Develop an invaluable appreciation for the world around you through observation.
Assignments and Characters
- Learn a studio workflow as your mentor guides you — step by step — to where each assignment builds from the previous one.
- Begin with very basic characters, all of which are provided to you, and then advance to more complex characters.
- Apply your training with our Animation Fundamental characters.
Weekly Summary
Week 1
Introduction to Animation
Hosted by Shawn Kelly
Week 2
The Principles of Animation
Hosted by Carlos Baena
Week 3
Planning and Blocking Methods
Hosted by Bobby Beck
Week 4
Introduction to Timing and Spacing
Hosted by Carlos Baena
Week 5
Overlapping Action
Hosted by Bobby Beck
Week 6
Anticipation and Squash & Stretch
Hosted by Shawn Kelly
Week 7
Walkthrough: Spline Editing
Hosted by Victor Navone
Week 8
Introduction to Walks
Hosted by Bobby Beck
Week 9
An In-Depth Look at Hips
Hosted by Bobby Beck
Week 10
Introduction to Walks with Character
Hosted by Carlos Baena
Week 11
Exaggeration and Weight
Hosted by Shawn Kelly
Week 12
Walks with Different Weights and Review of Class 1
Hosted by Bobby Beck, Shawn Kelly, and Carlos Baena
What You Get
- Hands-on work with production-ready characters.
- Video lectures and resources from award-winning professional animators.
Access to eCritique tool, Live Reviews, Sequence Review Tool, distributed render farm, and patent-pending AMP studio production pipeline.
- Three-year access to Autodesk® Maya® animation software ($3,675 value) and active student account to the Autodesk® Education Community.
- A diploma in Animation Fundamentals upon completion of required classes (Animation Basics, Animation Body Mechanics Basics, Animation Body Mechanics Advanced, and Introduction to Acting).
Prerequisite
A background in art, animation, or drawing is helpful, but not required. Those just beginning their animation journey are encouraged to complete our Maya Workshop: Animation Basics.
