How I Got My First Job in 3D Animation

My first job in 3D animation was with Blue Sky Studios in New York. I was working in Los Angeles on "Looney Tunes - Back in Action" at the time, a great film, with the animation directed by the incredibly talented Eric Goldberg.  It was 2002, and I was learning a huge amount from Eric about snappy timing in animation, smear frames, and how to pull out in-betweens to achieve a "Warner Bros" look to the character animation.  But I was keenly aware that 2D animation was in decline, and that 3D was then the future.  I saw on the web that Blue Sky Studios was hiring, so I sent in my reel.

Animation Students - Get Your Free Maya License

For newcomers to the animation industry, and especially for our students starting with us in our next scheduled class, it's important to remember that Autodesk, who make the software Maya, offer an education copy of Maya for free, which can be downloaded from the official Autodesk site.

Autodesk Maya has been the dominant software package in 3D animation for over 20 years. I first used Maya 1.0 on "The Iron Giant", back in 1998.  And today it remains the most powerful package for the creation of 3D animation, still by far the most widely used in industry. 

Seven Things I Learned From My Father

Seven Things I Learned From My Father. This is a recording of a slideshow I did for the animators at DNEG Redefine in Hyderabad last week on Dad's birthday - he was born on 19 March 1933. I was trying to think of a way to celebrate his birthday in a way that might be useful to the animation team. His book, the Animator's Survival Kit, is big in India - all the animators seemed to have a copy.  I came up with a list of seven lessons I learned from Dad in the course of becoming an animator.  Of course, I learned more than seven things from him - but these are the seven lessons that seemed important, and also a good number for a short talk.  Enjoy. 

The Making of "Marmaduke"

Lately I've been working on a new animated feature film, and going over some material from past movies to refresh my memory of the animation pipeline.  In the short video above (12 minutes long) I describe my experience working on the Fox Studios' live action feature film "Marmaduke", animated at Cinesite in London back in 2009.  As part of the development process I did a large number of expression sheets, a few of which I have uploaded below.  

Bouncing Ball Tutorial - With Captions

Here at Animation Apprentice we were recently asked by a student overseas (we're based in the UK) if we can offer tutorials with captions, for students whose first language isn't English. 

The answer is - of course! We will always respond positively to a student enquiry - especially if it makes our tutorials easier to understand, for a global audience. To see the caption-enable videos, scroll down. 

Teamwork Panel at EscapeVerse Live

 

For anyone who missed the EscapeVerse Live Festival at the end of February, Escape Studios has now uploaded the full schedule of talks, panels and webinars to our YouTube channel.  Above is the Teamwork Panel I hosted on 25 February, with Escapees Adam Dewhirst, Ricardo Ferreira, Stefano Ferron and Harry Symonds.  They were all great guests and had many entertaining insights into the importance of good teamwork - as well as some horror stories about teamwork gone wrong (such as Adam's fishy tale at 31:31).  You can find the full EscapeVerse 2025 playlist here. 

The Making of "Beverly Hills Chihuahua"

In the short video above (just 5 minutes long) I describe my experience working on the Disney live action feature film "Beverly Hills Chihuahua", animated at Cinesite in London back in 2007 and early 2008.  As part of the development process I did a large number of expression sheets, a few of which I have uploaded below.  

How Long Does It Take To Learn Maya?

Many of our students at Animation Apprentice will never have opened Maya before.  Or, at least, they won't be very familiar with it.  Maya is a big, complex piece of software - the interface can look daunting at first.  But don't be discouraged, with time and practice - you will get there in the end. 

Summer Class Starts 5th May 2025

Animation by Lee Caller

Our Spring/Summer Animation Class begins on Monday 5th May 2025.

It's not too late to book a place; all you need to do is visit the main Animation Apprentice site and go through a few simple steps.

If you want to learn 3D animation to a professional level, and start your new career as an animator - your journey starts here.

How Animators Work with Composers

Original music composition helps to lift our students' films to a professional level, as our students learn to collaborate with composers and sound designers to push the level of quality of our film projects.

An original score also helps to avoid problems with copyright music, which can be a barrier to entry in film festival competitions.

So, how do our students work with composers to get the best possible results? 

Why Animators Shouldn't Worry About Copyright

Copyright Law - Stop Worrying

If you’re studying animation at Animation Apprentice you may have heard other students talk about copyright—how important it is to protect your ideas and ensure no one steals your work.  

And while it's important to understand the copyright law (to learn the basics of copright law, watch this video), it's equally important that students shouldn’t worry about copyright too much.  

Here’s why it's important not to panic:

Can You Make a Living from Animation?

The UK Animation Industry is Thriving

Breaking into the animation industry can feel daunting for recent graduates, but there are more ways than ever to make a living in the field—especially here in our UK home market. The UK has a thriving animation industry across TV, film, advertising, and online content.  Below are some suggestions to turn your skills into a career.

March Class Starts Monday

Spidey animation by Anand Sembhi

Our Spring Animation Class begins on Monday 3rd March 2025.

It's not too late to book a place; all you need to do is visit the main Animation Apprentice site and go through a few simple steps.

If you want to learn 3D animation to a professional level, and start your new career as an animator - your journey starts here.

Dragon Animation Demo Reel

Above is a selection of the best animation of dragons in motion completed by students at Animation Apprentice. As well as character animation, our students learn the art and craft of animal and creature locomotion, including how to animate quadrupeds, as well as many other creatures - including dragons.  Being able to master the art of a variety of animals and creatures in motion is an important part of the animator's tool kit.  Song: I-85. Artist: Kia. Music by: CreatorMix.com Edit by Miguel Teixeira.

Why Animators Had to Apply to Disney Twice

Back in the 1980s when I was starting my animation career, it was said by the old-timers in the animation business that anyone wanting to be an animator at Disney had to apply twice —because the first application would be rejected by default. This wasn’t an official policy, but rather an unspoken test of determination.

Disney, at the time, was the pinnacle of animation (arguably it still is), and competition for jobs was very fierce. The idea was that only those with true passion and perseverance would push through rejection, refine their portfolios, and reapply. It separated the dreamers from the truly committed.

Animating Zebras for "Racing Stripes"

 

Way back in 2004 I got my first job as animation supervisor, on Frederic Du Chau's live action VFX movie "Racing Stripes", about a zebra that wants to be a racehorse.  It was filmed mainly in South Africa - where zebras are plentiful; while the VFX work was done at Digiscope in Santa Monica, with other studios such as Hybride in Montreal animating the two horseflies "Buzz and Scuzz". About 30 VFX shots were completed in London at the Peerless Camera Co.  Part of the animation process was to create expression sheets for the characters in the film, to inform the CG modelling process and to make sure the animation would be as realistic and expressive as possible. 

Why Writers Need Screen Credit Too

Don't forget to credit the writer 

The screen credit most commonly neglected by our student filmmakers is that of writer. Why should this be? Probably because, as animators, our students tend to think visually, not in terms of language or story.  

But, however your film is imagined, it always starts with a story.  And whoever conceived that story should be credited as the writer.  

The writer credit is one of the key roles on a film, just as important as the director and producer. Why? Because in the end, it's all about telling a story.  

Animating Lipsync for "Underdog"

In the short video above (15 minutes) I describe my experience working on the Disney live action feature film "Underdog", animated at Cinesite (and also Framestore) in London back in 2006.  As part of the development process I did a large number of expression sheets, a few of which I have uploaded below.  The purpose of the expression sheets was to help the modelling department create blend shapes for the character rigs, showing a range of expressions and moods, which could then be captured in the animation.  Underdog was a great project, directed by veteran director Frederic Du Chau, with whom I had worked previously on "Quest for Camelot" and "Racing Stripes". 

Teamwork Panel at EscapeVerse Live 25 Feb at 6pm

On Tuesday 25th February  at 6pm I'll be hosting a "Teamwork Panel" with Escape Studios, part of the EscapeVerse Live Festival. 

The 2025 EscapeVerse Live Festival (formerly The VFX Festival) will be held live online from 24-27 February 2025.  

At the Teamwork Panel at 6pm I'll be talking with a number of Escapees about why teamwork matters, why the industry isn't a solo sport, and how they manage the challenges of group projects in industry. 

Join me at EscapeVerse Live and find out about the latest tech, the latest jobs, and how to break into the thriving - but rapidly evolving - creative industries.

Kevin Richards' "Vital Tip" For Animation Grads

Kevin Richards teaching an animation class

Kevin Richards recently worked as Lead Animator at Love Love Films on the Aardman Animation TV show "Pop Paper City" - and was part of the hiring process for recruiting talent onto the project. 

In this guest blog post, Kevin offers our animation graduates his "vital tip" for landing that crucial first job in animation. 

So what is the single most important thing our graduates can do to get hired? Below is the one crucial thing you can do, to place yourself ahead of most of the other applicants for the job. 

How To Do Screen Credits Right

Screen Credits are important to get right. Leave people out, spell their names wrong - there are all kinds of ways to annoy your fellow film-makers. 

Most important of all - be sure to credit for all the key roles on your film.  In general, credit for the key heads of department will go to one person only.  For short films, there should be only be one producer and one director. Usually (but not always) one writer. 

If you need to credit someone else, give them a title such Associate Producer or Assistant Director. Extra writers can be credited under "Additional Story".

Make sure you credit (at least) the following roles; Director, Producer, Writer, Editor, Art Director, VFX Supervisor, Animation Director (or Head of Animation), CG Supervisor.