Creativity - Can it Be Taught?

Here at Animation Apprentice we believe that creativity can be taught. Creativity is like any muscle - it can be exercised and strengthened. Today, few schools teach creativity, preferring instead to concentrate on core subjects like maths and science - subjects in which there is almost always a correct answer.  But in the creative industries, there is no right answer, and the only way to succeed is to try things out, to take risks. Watch the short video above to find out more. 

Charlie & Yip Best Film at Micro Minute Fest

My short film "Charlie and Yip" has won another festival award - Best Film at the Micro Minute Film Festival. 

 Best Trailer at the "Short & To The Point" Film Festival.

 

Charlie and Yip is a short film about a kid who takes his pet to school for Show and Tell, which turns out to be a bad idea.

Animation Careers Event on 5 August 2021

We're recommending that all our animation students and recent graduates sign up for this free Animation and Careers Event on 5th August at 4.30pm.

Hosted by Escape Studios, this free online Animation Careers Evening includes animation industry leaders Blue Zoo and Jellyfish Pictures.   To sign up for this free event, follow this link.

New Animation Apprentice Website Launched

Yesterday we launched our new website at Animation Apprentice, the first re-design since we started work in 2012 offering bespoke training for the growing animation and visual effects industries in London, the UK and overseas. 

Since 2012 over 150 students have been trained by us to work in the industry, enjoying successful careers at studios such as ILM, Blue Zoo and Jellyfish.  

What Kind of Laptop to Buy in 2021

What kind of laptop?

"What kind of laptop should I buy?" is a question that we are often asked at Animation Apprentice. 

Computer specifications change regularly and much depends on exactly what you want to use your laptop for.  But let's say you want to buy a laptop capable of running Autodesk Maya, for computer animation and to render out your shots.

What sort of laptop should you buy, and how much do you need to spend? Veteran animator and animation teacher Amedeo Beretta offers some advice to our students.

Animator's Survival Kit "Minis" Launch 5 August

Here at Animation Apprentice we recommend one key textbook for learning animation - The Animator's Survival Kit by Richard Williams.

It is a big book, heavy to carry around, and has now been published as a series of "mini" editions, breaking the book up into four sections, and available from August 5th. 

The ASK was first published in 2002 as a book, and a few years later was released as a DVD set, and later as an iPad app.

Finding Work in the 2021 Animation Boom

On 7th July I hosted a webinar - courtesy of Escape Studios - on finding work in the animation industry.  The animation industry is booming right now, with the job market busier than it has been since the 1990s, when "Lion King" caused an explosion in demand for animators.  The animation business is hiring and, since Brexit has reduced the flow of European talent, UK animators are more in demand than ever.  But, standards are high, and you still need to put your best foot forward to find work in the industry.   In this free one hour webinar, I covered the ten key steps every animation graduate needs to take to get hired.  Follow these ten steps, and you'll have your own foot in the door.

Should You Run the Latest Version of Maya?

Should You Run the Latest Version of Maya? This is a question recently asked by a student at Animation Apprentice. You would think the answer would be obvious - run the latest version, which (as of today) is Maya 2022.  However, there is a simple reason why this isn't necessarily a great idea. 

James Baxter Animation Webinar at YouTube

On 30 June at I hosted a live animation webinar with legendary Disney and DreamWorks animator James Baxter.  James began his animation career on Who Framed Roger Rabbit? and has since worked on dozens of animated films, designing and supervising many memorable characters.  In this two hour webinar, James demonstrates how to take a traditional 2D animation scene from start to finish.

Webinar on Animation Jobs 7th July

Finding work

On 7th July at 5pm (UK time) I'm hosting a webinar courtesy of Escape Studios on finding work in the animation industry.  The animation industry is booming right now, with the job market busier than it has been since the 1990s, when "Lion King" caused an explosion in demand for animators.  

The animation business is hiring and, since Brexit has reduced the flow of European talent, UK animators are more in demand than ever.  But, standards are high, and you still need to put your best foot forward to find work in the industry.  

In this free one hour webinar, I will cover the ten steps every animation graduate needs to take to get hired.  Follow these ten steps, and you'll have your own foot in the door.

Henry Fenwick Animator at Blue Zoo

Many congratulations to Animation Apprentice graduate Henry Fenwick, who is currently working as an Animator at London's Blue Zoo Animation. 

Blue Zoo is one of the UK's most successful independent animation studios. Founded in 2000 by a group of university graduates, they have gone on to produce award-winning commercials and TV Series, and creative independent short films.

Henry Fenwick took our online course in 3D Animation, and used the skills he learned to polish his reel and find work in the rapidly-expanding animation industry.