Featured Workshop
Acting for Animators: How to Create Believable Character Performances
Animator and Director Don Kim shares examples and his top advice for creating compelling and believable animated character performances.
Animation Tips & Tricks
Creating a Standout Animation Demo Reel with Ere Santos
Disney Animation Supervisor Ere Santos shares his top strategies for making a killer demo reel that studios will notice.
Storyboarding for Animators: How to Plan Your Shots Like a Director
Eisner and Annie Award-winning cartoonist Mike Kunkel helps you build your storytelling knowledge and inspiration from an animator’s point of view.
Animating Subtle Performances
DreamWorks Animator Drew Adams gives his top tips and tricks for crafting professional level character animation performances to help you create more emotive, subtle, and lifelike animation.
Autodesk Maya for Beginners with Paul Allen
Longtime AM Mentor and id Software Senior Animator Paul Allen shares his best tips for getting started with the Autodesk Maya software.
Unreal Engine for Animators with Olivier Zurcher
Blizzard Senior Animator Olivier Zurcher discusses how every animator can use Unreal Engine.
Cameras and Cinematography for Animators with Ere Santos
Disney Animation Supervisor Ere Santos shares his best tips for elevating your animation with dynamic cinematography.
Maya for Blender Users with Myles Jackson
Know how to animate in Blender but don’t know where to start with Autodesk Maya? Learn some simple steps on how to get started in Maya with the skills you already have.
Careers in Previs Animation
Gain insight into careers in previs and workflows used on major projects. Led by Netflix Senior Character Animator and Previs Supervisor Nicole Herr.
How a Pixar Animator Uses 2D
Pixar Animator Youri Dekker shows how he utilizes 2D animation as part of his process for animating 3D shots for films like Inside Out 2, Lightyear, and Luca.
Getting Started as a Game Animator with Luke Madden
Call of Duty Animator Luke Madden shares his advice for building a “game-ready” showreel, including a checklist of animations to include on any games reel.
Animating Natural Walk Cycles
Animator and Director Don Kim breaks down the process of animating a natural biped walk, delving into the body mechanics involved and doing a demonstration on the workflows to animate the walk.
Animating Facial Expressions with Brendan Gottlieb
In this workshop, Disney Animator Brendan Gottlieb discusses how to craft 3D poses from a 2D standpoint by understanding how a 2D animator would draw facial expressions. He shares practical tips on how to manually craft expressions rather than relying on a rig’s default output – and when it’s ok to break the rules.
Unlocking Unreal Engine: An Animation Introduction
Sony Lead Animator Ethan Hurd shows how to start animating directly within Unreal Engine, enabling you to utilize real-time tools to create high-quality animations for both games and films.
Free Workshop: Introduction to Substance 3D Painter
Learn how to utilize Substance 3D Painter to simplify and superpower your 3D workflow in this free hour-long workshop. This workflow will allow you to interactively paint and layer materials on your 3D model to make it look however you want.
Mastering Lip Sync with Ere Santos
Disney Animation Supervisor Ere Santos shares his tips and tricks for effective lip sync, emphasizing planning and polishing techniques. He stresses the significance of timing and synchronization between audio and visual elements.
Introduction to Maya with Nicole Herr
Netflix Senior Character Animator and AM Mentor Nicole Herr will help you simplify getting started with the industry standard software, Autodesk Maya.
Career Advice
Getting Started as a Game Animator with Luke Madden
Call of Duty Animator Luke Madden shares his advice for building a “game-ready” showreel, including a checklist of animations to include on any games reel.
Navigating AI in the Animation and VFX Industries with Michael Tanzillo
Michael Tanzillo, Head of 3D Technical Artists at Adobe Substance 3D, met with the Animation Mentor community to discuss the impact of AI on the animation and VFX industries.
State of the Animation Industry and AI with Alessandro Camporota
Animator Alessandro Camporota sat down with Animation Mentor to discuss the state of the animation industry including recent layoffs and the growth of AI.
Animation Career Advice from Shawn Kelly & Carlos Baena
What should I put on my animation demo reel? What can animators do to improve their skills? How do I build my confidence as an animator and an artist? ILM Lead Animator Shawn Kelly and Paramount Director Carlos Baena answer these and other questions in this animation webinar. Don’t miss two of Animation Mentor’s Co-Founders sharing their stories and advice!
Is Your Demo Reel Ready for a Major Studio? – With Shawn Kelly
Learn how to get your demo reel noticed by major studios! Shawn Kelly—Animation Mentor Co-Founder and Industrial Light & Magic Lead Animator—took a little break from working on the next blockbuster to review and critique some student demo reels and to talk about do’s and don’ts, creature animation, and what studios are looking for in your demo reel.
How to Become an Animator with Blue Sky Animators
We were lucky enough to sit down with Animation Mentor alumni and former Blue Sky Animators Travis Tohill and Dan Segarra to chat with them about their work and animation experience. Enjoy the advice from these pros!