Academic Deadlines For Our MA Students 2024-26

2021-2023 deadlines

Below is a list of deadlines for our online MA in 3D Animation for Professionals, delivered in association with Buckinghamshire New University. This is for our new cohort of student animators, those who are joining us in September 2024, and will graduate "Master of Arts" in the summer of 2026.

Note that this list of deadlines is a draft list only, and is subject to change. Students should always check the appropriate Module Guide and Assignment Brief to be certain of the correct submission date. And, of course, check with your tutor.

This list gives our MA students a broad idea of what to expect over the coming 18 months.  But always double-check these dates - if in doubt, email your tutor.

Beyond The Glass: The WDW Animation Building

Directed by Dane T. and free to watch at YouTube, Beyond The Glass: The WDW Animation Building is a new feature length documentary about the Orlando, Florida branch of the Walt Disney Animation Studios - known as Walt Disney Feature Animation at the time.  For me personally it's a trip down memory lane, as I started my own animation career at Disney MGM Studios on "RollerCoaster Rabbit" back in the late 1980s.  

Module COM7025 Starts 7 October 2024

Animation by AA graduate Robin Herrmann

For our MA students studying with our academic partner Buckinghamshire New University, Module COM7025 (Professional Prep) Starts on 7 Oct 2024.  In this module, which aims to get students ready for the animation industry, students put together a professional-level animation demo reel, and also write a report on the animation industry.   

The theoretical Assignment (Animation Industry Report) is due on Friday 13th December 2024, before 2pm. Demo Reel & Portfolio is due on Friday 10th January 2025, before 2pm. 

Avoid Slow-Motion Live Action Reference

Leopard Animation Using Live Action Ref by Daniel Amor

One common mistake made by junior animators using live action reference to plan animation for the first time is to use slow-motion live action reference.  Slow motion reference is very common, because complex actions - especially action shots or animal reference - can be hard to see in real time. 

Animators should avoid slow-motion reference because the vast majority of the time we want our animation will be in real time. If you download slow-motion reference, you will have to re-time your animation, which adds an extra layer of complexity to the shot.

Phil Loeffler MoGraph Supervisor at Discovery

Congratulations to Animation Apprentice graduate Phil Loeffler who has been promoted to Motion Graphics Animation Supervisor at Discovery.

Phil has been successfully working as a freelance animator, illustrator and designer for some time, building on the skills he has learned at Animation Apprentice.

Motion Graphics is a key part of the animation industry, an expanding area of jobs, creativity and new business.

Last Call for Online MA in Animation with BNU

Animation by BNU graduate Neil Whitman

Last chance to book your place on our MA in 3D Animation for Professionals.

The online MA in animation at Buckinghamshire New University was launched in 2015 and was the very first of its kind - the first online MA in animation which could be undertaken by students anywhere in the world.  

We continue to partner with BNU to deliver the Online MA 3D Animation for Professionals, ensuring that all our MA Students graduate with industry-level skills.  Teaching starts on Monday 30 September 2024.

Flight Animation Compilation Reel

Above is a flight compilation of work created by students at Animation Apprentice.  Students at Animation Apprentice master the art of animal and locomotion, including how to animate a bird in flight, how to animate butterflies, and how to animate a dragon in flight.  

Quadruped Trots Compilation Reel

Above is a compilation of quadruped trots completed by students at Animation Apprentice.  Students at Animation Apprentice master the art of quadruped locomotion, including how to animate a quadruped trot.  A trot is an intermediate gait between a walk and a run, an efficient fast motion that permits speed without using excessive energy.   Music Credits: A Beautiful Thing by CreatorMix.com.

"A Moment in Time" at the BFI on 22 Sept 2024

A Moment in Time at the BFI Sunday 22 September 2024

Richard Williams' unfinished masterpiece The Thief and the Cobbler - A Moment in Time - will be screened at the BFI on Sunday 22 September 2024, with a Q&A with producer Imogen Sutton.

To buy tickets to see this rarely-screened (only the 3rd UK screening) unfinished film, follow the link to the BFI website here.

Which Country Has The Most Animation Studios?

UK Animation is thriving

Which Country has the most animation studios? The answer, of course, is the USA, with over 6,000 animation studios, of which around 1,100 have employees (ie not just a sole freelancer working alone).  

You might be surprised however, to learn that the number two spot is taken - not by India, Japan or China - but by...

Pantomime Animation Demo Reel

Above is a collection of some of the best pantomime animation shots completed by students at Animation Apprentice.  Pantomime animation is the art of performance without dialogue, in the tradition of the old silent movie stars such as Chaplin or Keaton - or a modern incarnation such as Mr Bean. Good pantomime animation communicates to the audience what the character is thinking and feeling - without dialogue. 

Weight and Balance Animation Reel

One of the hardest skills for animators to learn is the simulation of weight. Animation that feels floaty or lacks weight is a big red flag for anyone looking at a new demo reel.  Pixels have no intrinsic weight so, to make our animation feel heavy, we have to simulate weight. To see some of the best animation tackling the problem of weight and balance by our students at Animation Apprentice, watch the short demo reel above.  The reel was edited by Miguel Teixeira. Music by CreatorMix.com.

Autumn Class Starts 2nd September 2024

Our Autumn/Fall Animation Class begins on Monday 2nd September 2024.

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.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit "Eye Lines" Memo

Eye Direction Matters

In the 1988 film Who Framed Roger Rabbit one of the biggest problems was getting Roger (and the other cartoon characters) to look directly at Bob Hoskins and the other live action actors. Without clear believable eye direction, the characters didn't seem to be looking at each other, and the illusion failed.

You can see the memo on the left from animation director Richard Williams to the animation crew, reinforcing the importance of eye direction in sustaining the illusion that live action and animation were occupying the same visual space.

Since Who Framed Roger Rabbit I've worked on dozens of animated films.  On every film it was important that the characters look at each other, and that the audience believes that the characters are looking at each other. 

Cartoon Museum "Comics Maestro Competition"

"Young Comics Maestro" Competition

The Alison Brown "Young Comics Maestro" Competition closes in 11 days, on 30 June.  London's Cartoon Museum is looking for the next big "18 or Under" comic artist.

Send in your best comic strip to the Cartoon Museum, three pages max, to enter the competition and get your work in front of judges from The Beano, The Phoenix, and The Cartoon Museum. The deadline is Sunday 30 June at 6pm. 

Free Beginner Tutorials at Animation Apprentice

Animate a Cartoony Vehicle

We have lots of beginner animation tutorials at Animation Apprentice, many of them completely free. 

To get started with animation basics, why not Animate a Telephone Ringing in Maya, Animate a Flag Waving in Maya, or Animate a Submarine Underwater. 

It takes a while to master the art and craft of animation, but these beginner tutorials are a great way to get started.

Quadruped Horse Walk Tutorial

Horse walk by Matt Lawson-Hall

We've uploaded a new series of video tutorials on animating quadrupeds, a "Horse Walk Tutorial" using the "Rhett The Clydesdale" Maya Rig, which is free to download.

All animators need to learn how to animate a quadruped walk cycle.  The horse walk tutorial is password-protected but available to all our current students.

Spiders and Scorpions Animation Demo Reel

Above is a compilation of some of the best arachnid animation by our students completed in recent years. Spiders and scorpions might seem hard to animate - but we break down the technique into a series of simple steps, re-using animation curves to get a quick and effective result. Edited by Miguel Teixeira, Song: New Arcade. Music by: CreatorMix.com. 

Young Animator of the Year Competition Open

Young Animator of the Year 2024

The Young Animator of the Year UK ("Yay!") 2024 Competition is now open for entries. Entries are welcomed from UK-based animators between the ages of 11 and 18 years.  All they have to do is submit their film to http://younganimator.uk by September 16th 2024.

Takes & Reactions Demo Reel

Reaction shots are the bread-and-butter of junior animators. On a feature film, once an animator has graduated from walk cycles and crowd shots, they get given reaction shots.  In the compilation demo reel above we show some of the best takes and reaction shots animated by our students at Animation Apprentice. 

Animate Dialogue with Monty: "I'm Outta Here!"

Monty: "I'm Outta Here!" 

In the simple animation tutorial below we show how to animate a character with no mouth saying a line of dialogue.  

But how can you animate dialogue and lipsync - with no lips?  The answer is - it's all in the performance.  If the body language is working, then the audience will believe that the character is speaking - even if it has no mouth.