Animation Mentor

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Animation Mentor
Established: 2005
Type: Private, for-profit university
President: Bobby Beck
Faculty: 71
Students: 800
Location: Emeryville, California, California, USA
Website: www.animationmentor.com

Animation Mentor is private, for-profit university online animation school that teaches students character animation skills. Headquartered in Emeryville, California, the school offers an 18-month program in which students are taught by “mentors,” experienced animators who are professionals working in the animation industry. [1]

Contents

[edit] History

The school was founded in 2005 by three working animators who were seeking a vehicle to teach other aspiring animators elements of animation that they wished they could have learned as students. The three founders are Bobby Beck, who serves as the CEO and president of the school, Shawn Kelly, and Carlos Baena, who are working animators employed at Industrial Light & Magic and Pixar Animation Studios respectively.

[edit] Academics

[edit] Program

Animation Mentor students learn four semesters of advanced animation and two semesters of short film production. Graduates of the program receive a Diploma of Advanced Studies in Character Animation and come out of the program with a demo reel. The school is certified by the California Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education. The school is also part of Sony Pictures Imageworks Professional Academic Excellence (IPAX) program. [2] The school’s program also includes career placement support to graduates and works with recruiters at major studios.

[edit] Student Life

The student life at Animation Mentor is active and full. The school hosts student events, including BBQs, open houses and a graduation twice a year where students come from all over the world to attend. [3] Each week students receive a video lecture with learning material. The teachers, mentors from within the animation industry, lead students through a video lesson and then host a Q&A session at the end of the lesson.

First Semester - Fundamentals

Second Semester - Body Mechanics

Third Semester - Introduction to Acting

Fourth Semester - Advanced Acting Technique

[edit] Tuition

Animation Mentor is an online learning institution, the school operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Students attend 6 semesters, and each semester is 12 weeks long. The tuition for the 18-month program is $16,350.

[edit] Alumni

Students who have graduated from Animation Mentor have worked on box office features, including Horton Hears a Who!, Pirates of the Caribbean, Bee Movie, Garfield: The Movie, and Transformers (film). Animation Mentor also has an alumni website that hosts career services, events and specially tailored learning experiences while allowing graduates to continue their participation in the Animation Mentor community. [4]The school also features a “student showcase” twice a year, a web reel that includes creative work animated by students representing all levels of training. [5]

[edit] Awards

The school has won several awards, including the 2006 Best Practices in Programming Award Gold Level, 21st Century Distance Learning Award from the U.S. Distance Learning Association, and was an honoree at the 10th Annual Webby Awards. [6]

[edit] Notable Animation Mentor alumni & productions

Animation Mentor alumni have contributed to the following projects, among others:

Victor Navone – Animator at Pixar Animation Studios


Jason Schleifer –Animator at Pacific Data Images DreamWorks


Bret Parker – Animator at Pixar Animation Studios


Dave Burgess – Animation supervisor at PDI DreamWorks

  • Bee Movie (2007)
  • Over the Hedge (2006) (supervising animator)
  • Madagascar (2005) (animator) [4]


Cassidy Curtis – Senior Animator at PDI DreamWorks

  • Shrek the Third (2007)
  • Over the Hedge (2006) [5]


Ethan Hurd – Animator at Walt Disney Animation Studios

[edit] Founders Credits

Bobby Beck


Shawn Kelly

Carlos Baena

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Animation Mentor", Movie Maker, February 5, 2007. 
  2. ^ "IPAX Schools", Sony Pictures. 
  3. ^ "Animation Mentor Graduation Ceremony", AWN. 
  4. ^ "Animation Mentor Opens Alumni Campus", Animation Magazine. 
  5. ^ "Animation Mentor Showcases Student Work", Animation Magazine. 
  6. ^ "Animation Mentor Garners Leading Distance Learning Awards", AWN. 

[edit] External links