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.