Is The Animator’s Survival Kit Still Relevant in 2025?

Richard Williams’ Animator's Survival Kit was first published over 20 years ago, before today’s digital workflows, AI-assisted tools, and real-time rendering.  

And yet, it remains one of the most essential resources for anyone learning animation. Why? Because the fundamental principles of animation don’t change. Great animation is still all about timing, spacing - and giving a memorable performance. 

Should Animators Learn Blender, Maya, or Both?

Should Animators Learn Blender, Maya, or Both? If you’re just starting out in animation, one of the first big questions is: Which software should I learn? For most students, that means choosing between Autodesk Maya and Blender. Both are powerful, both are widely used, and both have strengths — but the right choice depends on your goals.

What I Learned Working on "Pocahontas"

"Their skin's a hellish red, they're only good when dead"

One of the best experiences of my animation career was working at the Disney Studio in Los Angeles in the summer of 1994 on "Pocahontas", animating the villainous Governor Ratcliffe supervised by lead animator Duncan Marjoribanks. 

Duncan was a generous mentor, and I learned a huge amount under his guidance, as well as learning from directors Mike Gabriel and Eric Goldberg. 

How To Time Eye Darts

One common mistake made by junior animators is to leave out eye darts - those rapid changes of eye direction that show that a character is thinking. 

Or, the animator includes eye darts, but they are too slow and mushy to feel believable. So how do animators time eye darts? Eye darts should be super quick - ideally with no in-betweens at all. 

To time an eye dart correctly, you simply pop from one pose to another, with a one frame cushion to ease in to the final pose.  To see how to animate an eye dart, watch the video below. 

Animation on a Budget - Free & Cheap Tools

How do you get started with animation, on a tight budget with little or no experience, and no software? Actually, it's never been easier to learn the art and craft of animation.  

At Animation Apprentice we recommend starting with some lego bricks (best of all are the big "Duplo" bricks for little kids).  You will also need a smart phone, some super-cheap software ($3), and an inexpensive tripod (£17).   On the left is some animation done by my daughter, aged six.  It's not perfect, but she had a fun start to learning the medium. 

Why Animators Need a Change of Expression

"Ruber" animation by Alex Williams

One of the most common mistakes made by junior animators is the “frozen face.” A character might be moving beautifully through space—walking, talking, gesturing—but if their expression never shifts, the scene feels flat and lifeless. 

Why? Because real people don’t hold one expression for long.  In real life, our faces are in constant, subtle motion. Even when listening quietly, tiny changes in the eyebrows, mouth, or eyes reveal attention, doubt, curiosity, or impatience. These micro-shifts keep us alive and believable. In animation, a lack of change reads as stiffness or, worse, lifelessness.

Is AI Replacing Animators? Not Yet

Will AI Replace Animators?

There is a lot of doom and gloom about AI right now in the creative industries, a general assumption that we are living on borrowed time and that AI is coming for our jobs. 

But is it really? Early this year I took a break from teaching at Escape Studios (though I still teach online at Animation Apprentice) to work as Animation Director on a new feature film. And right now, I’m reminded every day that while AI tools are making waves, animation is still — at its heart — a craft driven by human creativity.  

Core Skills of VFX Handbook 2025

The updated Core Skills of VFX Handbook 2025 was recently launched at an event at Cinesite in London. 

Collated by Saint John Walker and funded by UK Screen Alliance and BFI Metro London Skills Cluster, the VFX Handbook serves as both a blueprint for course curricula in higher education and a practical guide for students learning VFX.  You can download it here. 

Happy Birthday Blue Zoo!

Blue Zoo 25th Anniversary Party

Last week the BAFTA-winning animation studio Blue Zoo celebrated their 25th birthday with a huge party that brought together past and present team members, collaborators, and friends of the studio.

The event celebrated a quarter-century of award-winning creativity, from groundbreaking children’s TV shows to acclaimed commercials.  

Blue Zoo has mentored many Escape Studios' animation students at both undergraduate and graduate level, and many Animation Apprentice graduates have begun their animation careers at Blue Zoo.

Animators: Embed Your Demo Reel Atop Your CV

Why is it important to embed your demo reel at the top of your CV or resume? Because when a studio is sifting through the applications for a new animation role, it will likely start with a stack of CVs. 

And, since the single most important factor in impressing a new studio with your talent is your demo reel, a link to this needs to be front and centre at the top of your CV.  If it isn't, the danger is that they move on to the next candidate. 

Make your work easy to find, and easy to link.  No special passwords, no dead links. Do this one thing and you'll be ahead of 50% of the competition. 

The Five Best Books To Learn Animation

The Animator's Survival Kit

What are the key books that animation students  should buy to learn the craft of animation?

Books may be a bit old school these days, but a good book is still a great place to start learning about and exploring the world of character animation.

The best books will teach you, immerse you - and inspire you to do your very best work. So, what are the top five books?

Want to Teach Animation? Get a Master's Degree

Want to teach? Get an MA

Do Animators Need a Master's Degree?  The answer is, it depends on what you want to do. Academia cares about academic qualifications. Industry cares about demo reels. 

If you want a job in the animation industry, you don't need a masters' level qualification. But if you are hoping to teach, especially in higher education, a masters' degree is more or less a necessity. 

The reason is that universities need evidence that you know what you are doing.  And in higher education, that evidence is a formal post-graduate qualification in your chosen field. 

Animating a Blink: Don't Forget the Eyebrows

Animation by Mark Masters

One common mistake made by junior animators is to animate a blink - but not to animate the eyebrows. 

 Don't forget also that when we blink our eyebrows are involved as well - even if just a little bit. 

So, when your character blinks, you should add a little motion on the eyebrows too; to create flexibility in the face and make the overall motion feel less stiff. This small tip will make your character's face feel more flexible and more alive.

Intro to BNU Module COM7025 - Professional Prep

The video above is an introduction to Module COM7025 - "Professional Prep". This is the next module being studied by our animation students at Buckinghamshire New University , studying on the Online MA in 3D Animation.  COM7025 starts on 6th October 2025, and aims to prepare our graduates for success in the animation, games and visual effects industries.  You can read more about COM7025 by reading this blog post at our BNU blog. 

Animators Need an Equal (and Opposite) Reaction

Monty sneeze - with top hat reaction

One of the quickest ways to give your animation weight and believability—even in the wildest, wackiest cartoon world—is to respect a core principle of physics: Every action has an equal and opposite reaction.

This doesn’t mean your characters need to obey Newton's laws with documentary accuracy. What it does mean is we should obey the laws of Cartoon Physics.  

Why Animators Should Hold on the Final Vowel

"O" shape by Cliff Nordberg

When animating Lipsync, animators should never forget to hold a few frames longer on the final vowel shape, and not snap back into the default mouth position too quickly.

This is because when we say a word, like "ooh", our lips stay in the "oo" shape for a while, even after we have stopped making any "oo" sounds.  Junior animators will often snap back to a default mouth position, just a couple of frames after the sound stops, instead of holding the pose for longer, and staying in the mouth shape. 

Try it yourself. Say the word "shoo" and see how long your lips hold the "oo" shape. It's probably about 6-8 frames longer than the sound itself lasts. 

Winter Class Starts on 3 November 2025

"Mrs Claus" by Robin Herrmann

Our Winter Animation Class begins on Monday 3rd November 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 Graduates Get a Letter of Recommendation

For animation graduates, a Letter of Recommendation is often requested when applying for jobs, internships, or postgraduate opportunities.  Here at Animation Apprentice we write them on a regular basis.

Employers and studios want to know what you’re like to work with, and a letter from a trusted tutor or mentor can help convey that.  Are you a team player? Do you show up on time? These are the "soft skills" that employers look for.

Here are some tips to make the process of getting a reference or letter or recommendation as smooth as possible:

Screen Skills Animation Trainer Finder 2025

Apply at Screen Skills' official site

On September 1st Screen Skills launched a new paid placement scheme for graduates, The "Animation Trainee Finder". Applications for the scheme are now open, and close on Friday 26th September 2025.

"Animation Trainee Finder" places trainees on animation productions and aims to ensure a steady supply of talent for the UK animation industry.

"Young Arrows" Animation Awards Now Open

The "Young Arrows" animation awards are open

Calling all Animation Apprentice graduates working in the advertising industry - The "Young Arrows" animation awards are now open, and entry is completely free.  Up to three entries may be submitted. The "Young Arrows" awards are judged by media professionals in the UK.  To find out how to enter, download the PDF of the entry rules and regulations.   The deadline is September 3rd. 

Young Animator of The Year Competition 2025

Young Animator of the Year Competition 2025

There is still time to enter the Young Animator of the Year Competition 2025.  

The Competition, created by Access VFX and supported by Screen Skills, BAFTA and the BAA Awards, is judged by professional animators. Winning films will be announced and premiered at the Manchester Animation festival.  Entry must be completed by September 1st, and is open to animators in the UK aged 11-22.  You can find more about it here: https://younganimator.uk/competition #animation #YAYUK