Why Animators Should Have Walks on a Demo Reel

"Monty" Character Walks by Neil Whitman

One common mistake junior animators make when cutting a demo reel is to leave off basic exercises like walks, character walks and runs. 

But walks and runs can and should be on an animation demo reel - not for very long - but for just long enough to show that these are firmly inside the animator's skill set. 

Jinng Hwee Tan Animator at Framestore

Congratulations to Animation Apprentice student Jinng Hwee Tan who has joined Framestore as an animator. 

Jinng Hwee Tan studied animation with us, taking our Online MA in 3D Animation, being awarded a Master's Degree from Buckinghamshire New University. 

Framestore is a leading global animation and VFX house, responsible for multiple hit movies and series.

You can see Jinng Hwee Tan's demo reel here.

Why Animators Need a Great Acting Shot

Acting shot by Mark Masters

Why do animators need a great acting shot on their demo reel?  Because nothing showcases an animator’s talent quite like a strong acting shot.  

A well-executed acting scene shows that an animator can give a performance, and approach a shot like an actor might approach a scene in a movie or a play. 

Acting shots reveal whether an animator can go beyond basic mechanics and deliver an entertaining performance.

Attaches in Maya - The "Cheat Method"

In this short video above we demonstrate how to do Attaches and Parenting in Maya, using "The Cheat Method". It's a very simple approach which involves parenting an object to another - in this case, Monty's hat, using the simple Shift Select P method. Then, rather than un-attach the hat, we simply replace the hat with a new identical hat, which looks exactly the same.  This way, we don't have the bother of un-attaching the original hat - we can just remove it from the scene and replace it with a new one. 

Cartoony Mad Scramble Run and Exit with Monty

Cartoony run and smear frame exit with Monty

In this new animation tutorial we show how to animate a cartoony run and smear frame exit with Monty, the green pea.  

It's a simple tutorial aimed at animation beginners, and covers runs, jumps and smear frames.  We'll also need to do some attaches and parenting (for Monty's hat) basic lighting in Arnold and learn how to add motion blur to the final render.

Render Motion Blur in Maya and Arnold

How to Render Motion Blur in Maya and Arnold:  This very simple and very short tutorial shows how to turn on Motion Blur in the Arnold Renderer in Maya. Why would you want to turn on motion blur? Because when you have very fast action, you almost always want motion blur; this simulates how our eyes actually see things in real life. 

Animate a Sneeze with Monty

Animate a sneeze with Monty

In this beginner animation tutorial, we show how to animate a sneeze with Monty, the green pea.

A sneeze is an explosion of air, so we want a big anticipation, and then a big sneeze. 

If you have time, attach a hat to Monty's head, and animate it flying up in the air, spinning and landing again (you will need the Parentmaster plugin for this).

Animation is Still Box Office Gold

There is a lot of doom and gloom in our industry these days, following strikes by both writers and actors, and the looming threat of AI.  

Despite the pessimism, the animation industry continues to thrive, with 25% of box office success coming from animation productions in 2024 (see infographic left). 

Jobs and opportunities remain - for those with the right skills. 

How To Reset Your Preferences in Maya

This short video shows how to Reset Your Preferences in Maya.  Sometimes when Maya is behaving badly, you need to reset your preferences and start over. This short video shows how to do it. And you can read more about re-setting preferences in Maya here. 

"Under The Sea" Animation Reel

Our latest demo reel above is a selection of some of the best aquatic animation done by students at Animation Apprentice; it features crabs, squid, jellies, dolphins, sharks and fish. Undersea animation poses a range of challenges, not least in how to light the animation to get a realistic underwater effect. You can see some tutorials on undersea animation below.

Winter Class Starts Monday 4 November 2024

"Mrs Claus" by Robin Herrmann

Our Winter Animation Class begins on Monday 4th November 2024.  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.

Aardman Workshop at Cartoon Museum 30 Oct 2024

Feathers McGraw modelling workshop 30th Oct 2024

Aardman animation are coming back to London's Cartoon Museum, bringing a "Feathers McGraw" model making workshop on Wednesday 30th October 2024.

The Cartoon Museum is welcoming Aardman Animation to celebrate the Thirtieth Anniversary of Wallace & Gromit, The Wrong Trousers.

You can make your own "Feathers McGraw" character to take home with you, assisted by Aardman Animation's own modelmakers. 

Dinosaur Animation Reel

Student animators at Animation Apprentice learn how to animate a dinosaur in motion. The tutorial uses the free Dino rig by Harry Geoghegan, available for free download at Creative Crash.  Following the tutorial, novice animators can create a believable dinosaur walk cycle and performance. To see some of the best dino animation by our students, watch the short demo reel above. 

Depth of Field in Maya and the Arnold Renderer

How do we create Depth of Field in Maya and Arnold? Sometimes we don't want the audience to see everything in our shot. Animators are film-makers, and the audience needs to be guided through the scene, shown only what is important - and leaving out what is unimportant.  Focus and Depth of Field can help with this - if something in the shot isn't important, simply blur it out. To see how to create Depth of Field in Maya, watch the short video above.  And to understand the he theory behind it, read this blog post.

Quadruped Runs Demo Reel

 

In this latest compilation of student work we show some of the best quadruped runs completed by our students.  Every animator needs to understand how to animate quadrupeds in motion; these are the basic "scales" of animal and creature animation.  The basic gait for all quadrupeds is more or less the same, allowing for anatomy (herbivores generally have less flexible spines than carnivores). Edit by Miguel Teixeira.  Music by: CreatorMix.com

Focus and Depth of Field For Animators

Focus and Depth of Field are principles of cinematography that animators need to understand, because you don't always want the audience to see everything in your shot. Animators are film-makers, and the audience needs to be guided through scene, shown only what is important - and leaving out what is unimportant. Focus and depth of field can help with this - if something in your shot isn't important, simply blur it out. To see more about what the terms Focus and Depth of Field mean - and how it all works in practice - watch the short video above. 

Bear Walk Tutorial

Bear walk by Joris Van Laar

All animators need to learn how to animate a quadruped walk cycle.  All quadrupeds walk in more or less the same way, allowing for anatomy (herbivores have less flexible spines than do carnivores). 

To the left is a bear walk cycle animated by Animation Apprentice graduate Joris Van Laar, and below are some useful thumbnails showing how to animate a bear walking.

Dog Run Animation Tutorial

Dog run thumbnails - ASK - simplified 

Every animator needs to learn to animate a quadruped running.  All quadrupeds run in the same way, allowing for anatomy (herbivores have stiffer spines), but it's still helpful to use thumbnails of the actual animal you are animating. 

The dog run thumbnails to the left are taken from the Animator's Survival Kit, the book we recommend all animators buy, but they are simplified to make the basic blocking of the dog run easier and quicker. 

Academic Deadlines For Our MA Students 2024-26

2021-2023 deadlines

Below is a list of deadlines for our online MA in 3D Animation for Professionals, delivered in association with Buckinghamshire New University. This is for our new cohort of student animators, those who are joining us in September 2024, and will graduate "Master of Arts" in the summer of 2026.

Note that this list of deadlines is a draft list only, and is subject to change. Students should always check the appropriate Module Guide and Assignment Brief to be certain of the correct submission date. And, of course, check with your tutor.

This list gives our MA students a broad idea of what to expect over the coming 18 months.  But always double-check these dates - if in doubt, email your tutor.

Beyond The Glass: The WDW Animation Building

Directed by Dane T. and free to watch at YouTube, Beyond The Glass: The WDW Animation Building is a new feature length documentary about the Orlando, Florida branch of the Walt Disney Animation Studios - known as Walt Disney Feature Animation at the time.  For me personally it's a trip down memory lane, as I started my own animation career at Disney MGM Studios on "RollerCoaster Rabbit" back in the late 1980s.  

Module COM7025 Starts 7 October 2024

Animation by AA graduate Robin Herrmann

For our MA students studying with our academic partner Buckinghamshire New University, Module COM7025 (Professional Prep) Starts on 7 Oct 2024.  In this module, which aims to get students ready for the animation industry, students put together a professional-level animation demo reel, and also write a report on the animation industry.   

The theoretical Assignment (Animation Industry Report) is due on Friday 13th December 2024, before 2pm. Demo Reel & Portfolio is due on Friday 10th January 2025, before 2pm.