Emily Shilling at Electric Theatre Collective

Emily Shilling

At the recent University of Hertfordshire annual Expo, UH graduate Emily Shilling gave a talk about her work as a concept artist at the Electric Theatre Collective (ETC), with some helpful advice for students on how to break into the industry - at a time of rapid technological change.

Emily Shilling studied 3D animation at UH but focused on concept art.  Emily managed to find work at ETC when she heard that ETC were looking for a technical artist, doing fur and muscle systems. "I love doing that kind of work", said Emily - even though "this was a total lie".  Once in the door at ETC, Emily was able to transition to doing concept art - her real passion. 

Bring Your Own Animation 16 June

BYOA (Bring Your Own Animation) is back on Tues 16 June

Calling all London-based Animation Apprentice students and graduates -  BYOA (Bring Your Own Animation) is back on Tuesday 16 June. 

Organised by the London chapter of SIGGRAPH,  the next BYOA takes place on Tuesday 16 June 2026 upstairs at the Nell of Old Drury 29 Catherine Street, Covent Garden, London WC2B 5JS from 7pm. 

"OpenToonz" - Free Software for 2D Animation

OpenToonz Software

2D animation can be done in a variety of different software packages.  One interesting option is the "OpenToonz" Software, free software for the production of 2D animation.

Based on the software "Toonz", developed by Digital Video S.p.A. in Italy,  OpenToonz has been customized by Studio Ghibli, and used for the creation of its films for many years.  Dwango has launched the OpenToonz project in cooperation with Digital Video and Studio Ghibli. 

Void Interactive and "Ready or Not"

Mark Ranson and Joel Gray from Void Interactive

At the Hertfordshire University annual Expo on Thursday 21st May, game designers Mark Ranson and Joel Gray from Void Interactive talked about their careers at the video games company, producing games such as the First Person Shooter "Ready or Not".  

One of the key messages of Mark and Joel's talk was the importance of optimising game assets for real-life game play, ensuring that the user experience is successful even on sub-optimal platforms. 

Blue Zoo Summer Internships Now Open

Blue Zoo's 2026 summer internships are now open

Calling all Animation Apprentice graduates - Applications for Blue Zoo's 2026 summer internships are now open, and close on Friday 29th May at midnight.  

As always, we encourage our students to apply for internships like this one.  Even if you don't succeed, you will learn valuable skills along the way. 

The internship roles available this year at Blue Zoo are: 3D Animator, Social Media Intern and Production Assistant Intern.

All information needed to apply is at Blue Zoo's careers website along with the application pages.  Applications for Blue Zoo's 2026 summer internships can be made here at the official Blue Zoo site.

Blue Zoo Animation and The "AI Manifesto"

Blue Zoo's AI Manifesto

Blue Zoo , one of the UK's leading animation companies, has published their "AI Manifesto".

The AI Manifesto sets out how artists and animators at the studio can navigate the world of artificial intelligence "ethically...leveraging technology for the betterment of society and creativity".  

Studio AKA and The Future of Animation

Philip Hunt, Marcus Armitage and Kevin Richards

On Tuesday 12 May animator and director Philip Hunt, the creative director and founder of the Emmy and BAFTA-winning Studio AKA, and Marcus Armitage, animation director at Studio AKA, gave a talk to students at Escape Studios in London. 

Studio AKA is one of London's most innovative animation studios, and one of our long-standing industry partners.   Philip Hunt and Marcus Armitage talked about the work of Studio AKA, the current state of UK animation - and how animation graduates can flourish in a rapidly-changing industry. 

Festivus is Back Thursday 11 June in London

Festivus is back in London on Thursday 11th June from 6pm at the Betjeman Arms on the Euston Road, N1C 4QL. 

London's regular animation networking event is an opportunity for our students and recent graduates to get to know people in the animation industry, find out who is hiring, and where the jobs are. 

Festivus is all about meeting people in our industry, networking, and - of course - enjoying a drink with friends.

Festivus is an opportunity to meet people from animation studios in the UK and overseas, see what job opportunities there are, and maybe even get some showreel feedback.

Summer Class Starts Monday 6th July 2026

Animation by Lee Caller

Our Spring/Summer Animation Class begins on Monday 6th May 2026.

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.

Young Animator of the Year UK 2026

Young Animator of the Year Awards 2026

The Young Animator of the Year Awards are back, with a remit to foster and encourage emerging animation talent in the UK. 

This free nationwide competition invites young animators aged 11-22 to showcase their skills in stop-motion, 2D or 3D animation. The deadline is 1 Sept 2026. 

The successful winning films will premiere in November at the Manchester Animation Festival, the UK’s largest animation event.  As always, we encourage our students here at Animation Apprentice to enter competitions like this one. 

Soho Animation Studio Space Seeks Animators

Shared Soho studio for London animators

A group of London-based animators, part of the London Animation Club, are looking for freelance animators to join their shared Soho studio.  

If you'd like to join a group of animators & artists working in the heart of London, the group has some available (full or sharing) desk spaces for anyone who might be interested. 

Prices are very reasonable:  Full desk: £215/mth. Half desk: £108/mth

It's a perfect spot for freelancers and creatives looking for a welcoming place to work and connect.  

If interested, please contact Beatriz Antunes Ribeiro. You can find her at Linkedin.

"Adobe Next Live" at Tate Modern - AI & Creativity

"Technology Evangelist" Emily Bisset  at Adobe Next Live

At today's "Adobe Next Live" event at London's Tate Modern, software giant Adobe have been presenting their insights into changing technology and how educators and creatives can take advantage of the big changes currently facing the creative industries.  

"Technology Evangelist" Emily Bisset gave the keynote speech exploring how creatives can learn from and embrace the change.  She was followed by Laura Jordan-Bambach,

founder and CCO of the creative agency "Uncharted".  

Horse Legs Are Straight When Bearing Weight

One common mistake made by junior animators when animating horses is to permit the front legs of the horse to bend when bearing weight.  

This seems logical to us because our knees bend when we walk, but the front legs of a horse stay straight when they are load bearing. 

The front legs should never bend while the legs are taking weight. Once the front legs bend, it starts to feel wrong - too much like a pantomime horse.

Bring Your Own Animation 28 April 2026

BYOA (Bring Your Own Animation) - 28 April 2026

Calling all London-based Animation Apprentice students -  BYOA (Bring Your Own Animation) is an event that takes place every month (usually the third Monday of the month) at a London pub. 

Organised by the London chapter of SIGGRAPH,  the next BYOA takes place on Tuesday 28 April 2026 upstairs at the Nell of Old Drury 29 Catherine Street, Covent Garden, London WC2B 5JS from 7pm. 

London Animation Club Returns 27 April 2026

London Animation Club meetup on Monday 27 April 2026

Calling all our London-based students and alumni! Why not come to the next London Animation Club meetup on Monday 27 April 2026 at The Green Man pub, 36 Riding House St at 7.30pm.

To find out more, visit the London Animation Club Facebook page here. 

How to Add a Colour Layer in Photoshop

How to add a color layer in Photoshop. This is a free beginner tutorial showing how to add a colour layer in Photoshop.  Photoshop is the grandaddy of most of the computer software that we use today. It is a very flexible tool that can be used for all sorts of tasks - including animation. 

Cutting Your First Games Animation Reel

Spidey by Anand Sembhi

What should go into a games animation reel? An animation reel for the games industry is basically a stunt reel - it should include a variety of physical actions, as games animators need to be very proficient in body mechanics.  

Games animators are not (for the most part) actors, rather they are "stunt co-ordinators". It takes a while to break into the games industry so you need to be uploading your work to games sites and showing your progress over time; recruiters and industry folks will watch your progress and keep an eye on you.

Young Cartoonists Awards 2025 at Cartoon Museum

Young Cartoonists Awards at the Cartoon Museum

Thursday March 26th was awards night for the Young Cartoonists of the Year Awards, the annual competition hosted by the Cartoon Museum and the British Cartoonists' Association. 

This year the YCOTY Awards were presented by cartoonist and BCA Chair Nicola Jennings.  The awards were sponsored by Léonie Wykes-Mahood in memory of her late husband, the cartoonist Ken Mahood. 

Jobs & Careers Playlist at YouTube

For all our graduates currently looking for work in the animation and vfx industries, take a look at out our jobs and careers playlist at YouTube. There are plenty of opportunities to find work in the expanding animation industry, but it is important to have a solid demo reel and a well-curated LinkedIn profile - recruiters live at LinkedIn. Our jobs and careers playlist at YouTube offers advice and support on how to land that crucial first job in industry.

Why Animated Shorts Need an Editor

Movieola

The Film Editor is one of the most important and creative roles on any production. The animation editor is involved in every process of planning and production, from the earliest stages, including cutting and editing the storyboard animatic.

Making an animated film is a collaborative effort and is almost always completed with a team of people; the editor is one of the key creative roles on any production.

We encourage all our students at Animation Apprentice to try their hand at film editing, it's an important job and one of the most interesting seats to occupy on any production.

Sean the Sheep Animation Workshop on April 1st

Aardman Animation model workshop 1 April

The Cartoon Museum in Fitzrovia is hosting an Aardman Animation model-making workshop on April 1st, demonstrating how to make your very own "Sean the Sheep" plasticene model.  

For our students based in or near London this is a rare opportunity to engage with the stop-motion pipeline, learning to make a physical maquette suitable for animation. 

Get yourself a tripod and a smart phone - now you're ready to animate.  You can sign up for the workshop here - it costs just £18.86.