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.