The Ultimate Guide to the Best Animation Schools

Traditional Animation Colleges are a Death Trap for your animation dreams - The Best Animation Schools are online

There’s no faster way to cripple, maim, or murder your dream career before it’s even begun – than choosing the wrong school.

Traditional Animation Colleges are outdated, expensive, and ineffective.

They’re dinosaurs.

Anyone attending one right now, that’s not planning on learning anywhere else, shouldn’t have a lot of faith in getting paid to animate – ever.

Sure, traditional college can work but it’s going to be far more challenging to succeed.

It’s like competing against Michael Phelps in the 200m Olympic freestyle, but you owe the mafia $100k. And right before you go to the diving board they take a baseball bat to your legs and shackled a 20lb cannonball to your right foot.

Yea, you could win…but there’s like a .000005% chance. You’re far more likely to just drown.

Drowning in this case, could mean any 1 or all of these:

Pissing away enough of your money (and/or your parent's money) to buy a house while you graduate jobless.
Saying goodbye to 4 years of your life as you gain mediocre art skills
Later realizing you could've learned elsewhere in half the time to become 5x times the stronger artist.
Paying off student loans until your 40 as a Walmart greeter or community college art 101 teacher
Losing so much self-confidence you toss your dream job out the door with a nagging “that would have been nice” regret

Yep, that's what you’re risking.

Why?

Well, what is your goal? Is it to get a job?

Traditional animation colleges sure used to be the golden ticket.

20 years ago the technology was so new you could break into Pixar by just being able to move around a 3D program.

Most colleges didn’t even have 3D classes. So, if you could find one or learn the tools on your own, it gave you a leg up on all the other applicants.

That's how Victor Navone ( a Pixar Supervising Animator) got into Pixar – he didn’t walk in a superstar animator. He showcased a 3d animation called Alien Song in a forum and started on Monsters Inc. Then his art skills really skyrocketed on the job.

Granted, Alien Song’s animation was pretty high quality for 3d back then, but the movement mechanics wouldn’t hold up now.

For example, here's a recent highlight reel of his:

Can you see the different between the two?

If you can’t see the difference yet, you need to go to one of the best animation schools.

BUT What about before 3D?

Even going back to the 70's – 80's there were only a handful of colleges that taught 2D animation. The art was that young.

Andreas Deja (Supervising Animator - Scar, Jafar, Gaston, Roger Rabbit) for example, was able to start animating at Disney under the late great Nine Old Men by just being able to draw well. He didn’t have in-depth animations classes for years on end.

In fact, he studied Graphic Design in Germany.

Andreas was actually able to write in and get 1 on 1 advice from the Disney animation master Eric Larson. Eric said he should build up his drawing ability, and so he did, until Eric told him “I think you’ve got what it takes”

In “The Animation Podcast” by Clay Kaytis, Andrea’s shares all kinds of amazing tales from his artistic career. Check out: Part 1 , Part 2, and Part 3 for more.

Today that’s all changed.

You can’t just know the software.

You can’t just draw great

Today, technology has made Animation more in demand than ever.

Look at all the kinds of Games, VR, Commercials, and Movies that have all kinds of animation.

This is great, as it means more jobs for all of us.

But it’s also has made it far more challenging.

More people have become aware, fallen in love with the art, and are after a paycheck to make it every day – just like you.

So the amount of competition has increased.

And plenty of colleges have popped up to meet this desire to learn. There are more than enough schools out there now that will easily teach you the software, and give you more in-depth animation classes than Victor Navone or Andrea’s Deja ever had.

Needless to say, the bar to reach Pixar and Disney is much higher because of all this.

Clearly, the times have changed.

What differentiates you from other students now more than ever - is great animation skill:

Can you move characters beautifully / smoothly?
Do your characters express a lot of emotion and personality?
Can you tell an engaging story with unique ideas?

This is exactly where Traditional Animations Colleges have stayed old school.

They aren’t changing with the times.

Sure, their offering software and animation classes now, but so does everybody else.

They assume this will get their graduates hired because it used to.

They assume their graduates have strong enough animation skills instead of finding out and drastically changing their curriculum.

And their graduates assume this too because “everyone goes to college” and then finds work (more on this soon)

What results is cookie cutter copy alumni that wonder why they can't find work, what they did wrong, and start believing the starving artists myths their parents told them as they were pushed to be doctors or lawyers instead.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not hating on the traditional colleges, they mean well, they're just using an old system that is all but extinct.

They need to adapt or they’ll disappear.

And anyone caught in the wake risks fading into no man's land as well.

If this happens to you, you’ll have nobody else to blame but yourself if you don't do your research on what school will give you the highest chance at becoming an animator.

Otherwise, you’re opening yourself up to a world of hurt. Like Russian Roulette with only 1 missing round in a .44 magnum.

Do you feel lucky?!

Soon you’ll see the numbers on the cost involved - money, tuition, stress - but first I think it’s important to shed light on another crippling assumption.

Why Animation Degrees Are Worthless

The best animation schools know degrees don't matter.

And the best animation companies know it too.

But we're all taught to think otherwise from day 1.

Kindergarten is where the error starts.

“You have to make it to 1st grade!”

“Ok good, now prepare for 2nd grade!”

On and on the wheel goes to middle school….to high school...to college.

As time passes by you keep thinking “Yes! The dream life is coming!”

“Oh, the big prize is almost here!"

“Finally….College! Just graduate and it’s all mine!”

What a bold assumption.

Have you ever wondered if school guaranteed your dream life?
Have you ever looked for the evidence to see if degrees really made all the difference?

I sure didn’t.

I nosed dived in $100,000+ debt because “hey, everyone else goes to college.”

And everyone even said, "if you want to be good, you got to go to the best animation schools"

Actually, I was even arrogant, thinking I had a leg up because my university was expensive and demanded extreme hours.

Like the education system taught me from day 1, just get my degree and the dream jobs will simply fall into my lap.

Oh...if only I could only reach back in time and slap myself with a roll of quarters…

In the 50’s, not as many people went to college, we’re talking as little as 5% of the U.S. population. A 100,000 people vs millions today.

So naturally getting a degree pretty much guaranteed a job.

Everyone has a degree now

Like knowing the software, or basic animation skills - it doesn’t differentiate you.

Not only that but these traditional degree’s cost far more than they ever used to.

In fact, look at Life Hackers articles on Art Degrees for more detail.

Studios don’t care about how many degrees you have, or what your grades are.

As we touched on earlier, Studios hire you to animate with speed and quality.

Checking your spelling or punctuation on your resume is the last thing you should worry about.

When I interviewed to work in Montreal on X-men – the Animation Supervisor was only concerned with my demo reel, questions on my animation workflow, and how I used video reference.

He was able to judge my experience for the job off my demo reel and that's all that mattered.

So, in short - degrees aren’t worth more than toilet paper

There is one caveat though.

Degrees have 1 benefit I’ve experienced first hand.

They help you get work visas if you’re planning to work in foreign countries.

Governments, like the education system, haven’t caught up with the times either so they use this as weeding out system to figure out who’s qualified.

In my case, even as an American, my first animation gig was in Singapore. The degree made it much less costly for my employer to pay for a work visa from the government for me.

Someone who is part of the traditional education system is probably saying “AH HAH! I have you now!”

But…

This isn’t always a deal-breaker.

Remember, my friend Joseph Holmark in our 1st Podcast? He too went to Singapore when I did and he didn’t have a degree. The studio wanted him there so much they paid the extra costs to make it happen on a special visa.

This is especially more common for bigger studios that have the budget to hire the best no matter where they are.

Since Singapore, Joseph has also worked at Blue Sky in the US and Sony in Vancouver, Canada. All without a degree.

And having an animation degree is only really helpful your first few years as an animator. After you’ve had a few years of experience you usually qualify with foreign governments as if you had a degree.

Typically they have a clause that says something like “Must have a Bachelors of Arts or equivalent or 4 years experience.”

And then there’s a last resort.

If degrees are really the only option for you, you can also choose to go to as cheap of a school as possible (community colleges might work), only to get the baseline degree you need.

Obviously, this isn’t ideal but it certainly beats paying $100k+ at an expensive college.

What kind of animation degree should you aim for you say?

It all depends on the country you're planning to go to. This isn’t always easy to guess up front but it will give you some requirements to aim at before you go chasing degrees.

The U.K., and Canada are huge animation hubs right now and a bachelor’s degree of any kind will open most doors. But sometimes any kind of post-secondary (after high school) diploma or certificate does the trick.

For example, Animation Mentor might have you covered in these cases as they provide a certificate in Character Animation upon completing their full program.

In the near future, degrees will be completely irrelevant anyway

As 3D was once rare and then became a massive industry, VR (virtual reality) and Virtual Studios will do the same.

Imagine getting out of bed in the morning, putting on some glasses, and BAM you're in Animation dalies with all your coworkers, leads and supervisors. They are all there in front of you virtually like a 3D version of a skype call.

Aside from how awesome it would be to stay in pajamas until noon, how amazing would it be to always work from home no matter what studio you worked for?

It would be win-win for everyone.

No need to relocate far away - No need for studios to help cover cost
No need to live in expensive cities - No need for studios to pay for a big building and equipment
No need for you to have a degree – No need for studios to pay for work visa

As appealing as this is to everyone involved, I have a hard time not seeing this be the future approach.

Artella has already started down this path, providing a platform for artist’s to run their own virtual studios and they’ve already had great success.

Artists using Artella have made or are in the middle of making, rigs, short films, video game projects, and more.

This may very easily be a way for you to get your first job, add high-quality pieces to your demo reel, or create your own studio - if not now - soon.

If you want to hear more about it, I recently podcasted with Bobby Beck about Artella here: LINK

But back to the topic at hand.

Now that it's obvious animation degrees aren’t all that amazing for you, let's look at the numbers and discover just how much heartache you're saving yourself by not getting one.

The Cold Hard Truth Comparison: The Best Animation Schools (Online Schools) vs. Traditional Schools

Could the Best Animation schools also cost the least?

Nah, there’s no way there can be a win-win right?

Wrong.

Maybe it’s also our education that makes us believe there can’t ever be a Win-Win.

Maybe we’ve been taught to believe if you’re learning from the best it also has to be extremely expensive, take several years, and carry a prestigious name that’s been around for centuries.

Something brag-worthy like “I studied law at…HARVARD”

BAM.

Contest over.

But when you put the Old School system up against new revolutionary Online Animation Schools, you see there’s not much of a contest.

Typical universities just can’t keep up.

They are playing checkers instead of chess.

We’re going to take a look at 6 categories and see just how they stack up:

Tuition
Cost of Living
Loan Interest
Animation Skill Development
Teachers / Instructors
Network

#1 – Tuition

Animation degree tuition at the best traditional university’s can cost upwards of $100K+ USD.

The Best Online Animation Schools full programs max around $15k US and you don’t even have to take it all to once.

Since it’s online you can attend from the comfort of your own home, and in most cases take one class at a time if you so choose.

minions what GIF

To make it more obvious - take a look at the difference here:

#2 – Cost of Living

Aside from thinking of the tuition alone, there’s also the cost of living to consider.

Most people forget to figure this in.

Typical universities need to you relocate where it is, move into an apartment or on campus and usually do so for 4 years.

Obviously, the cost of living can vary quite a bit but lets say rent is $1,200 / month:

$1,200/month X 12 months X 4 years = $57,600

And we should also try a rough estimate for Food + Gas + Electric + Internet + Clothes + Dental per month.

Let’s be generous and say it’s only $500 per month for all of that.

$500 X 12 months X 4 years = $24,000

So your actual cost of attendance looks more like this…

Yea, you gotta add that to the pile for you or your parents to pay off.

woody harrelson crying GIF

If you’re going to an online school though you don’t have to move, you can stay with family to save more, and it will finish far faster than 4 years time.

At max, a complete online animation program takes 21 months or less.

You might be thinking:

“OH please NO don’t make me live with my parents for college! I’m supposed to find myself, party, and enjoy life!”

If that’s the case, and maybe even your parents desperately crave the independence from you, I suggest you just get an apartment or a place nearby them. You’ll find yourself just fine when you live on your own no matter where it is. And you’ll have more time for all that independence has to offer after you’ve become a working professional.

Besides wouldn’t you rather be working at Pixar in a year anyway?

#3 – Loan Interest

A lot of people can’t aord the massive cost of paying traditional college tuition upfront. They have to take on loans. The problem is interest means you’re paying more than the base price – or the price of paying upfront.

So the cost of tuition can balloon into something that becomes almost impossible to pay off why you’re still trying to buy milk too.

$100,000 = $138,000 in 10 years with average loan interest. That’s 120 monthly payments of $1,150/month. (For one example of estimates check FinAid)

GREAT GOOGLY-MOOGLY!

Imagine how stressful this can be if you don’t find work after graduation.

Do you want to be paying loans as a Walmart greeter or Starbucks barista until you’re 40? How about while you’re getting married, getting a house, and raising a family?

Yea, good talk.

In most cases, taking a loan for a lot less money even with more interest, like you would with a online school, will be far more doable – nancially and emotionally.

#4 – Animation Skill Development

Let’s say you want to learn to play the guitar in 4 years and get paid millions in a rock band…

Would it be faster to first spend a month on piano, then a month on drums, and then a month on guitar – repeating that schedule for 4 years?

Or would you learn faster only playing the guitar every day for 4 years?

The choice is obvious.

Going the other route is a recipe for self-inicted mental abuse about how untalented and pathetic you are.

Unfortunately, this is exactly what traditional universities do.

Quickly skim the curriculum and all will be revealed.

You’ll be bouncing all around throughout your degree, doing modeling, texturing, lighting, rendering, rigging – maybe even throw in some math and science classes to really have you racing faster than you can handle.

It feels exactly like this

Some may defiantly argue - “but this makes you a more well-rounded artist!”

Go back to the rock guitarist analogy above.

One route makes you familiar but mediocre.

The other makes you talented.

The best online animation courses realized this.

They focus solely on learning animation to become an animator.

Why?

Animators spend 90% of their time - animating
Studios, especially big ones, hire specialists over generalists
And each discipline is an art in itself

Online courses even let you get more specific in some cases like - Game Animation or Creature Animation.

And naturally, if you’re interested in learning some rigging, lighting, or other disciplines there are workshops out there that let your focus on them as well.

I don't want to seem like I’m condemning generalists, though.

Generalists are great. In studios, they are the heroes in a crisis that create impromptu rigs in a flash or write quick scripts to help the modeling department out.

But to get to this multiple hat juggling level - they had to develop 1 skill at a time. This is not exclusive to just 3D artists but every person out there.

Humans just can't learn 3 skills at once.

If you're set on being an animator, learn animation first. Then 2 years later, if you so choose - dive into something else like rigging or FX. You'll still end up learning faster and more effectively than if you took on a 4-year degree.

#5 - Teachers

Given the option, would you rather learn acting from Al Pacino or a random college drama teacher?

Online Animation Schools have instructors that are current animation professionals at your favorite studios

Yes, places like Pixar, DreamWorks, Disney, ILM, Blizzard.

Universities and Colleges may have former professionals but that's typically as good as it gets.

This makes sense, as a full-time animator at DreamWorks would have to be superhuman to finish at 6pm and then go teach at a college for another 5 hours.

Unfortunately, these teachers sometimes haven’t even been professionals before. Sometimes they graduated that university and are just trying to pay off loans while still getting paid for the art they love to make.

This doesn’t help current students that much as they don’t know how to reach the high artistic levels that are demanded these days.

Working professionals are typically at the top of their game because they are honing their craft around the best every single day.

They also know all the latest technological changes that come with tools like Mocap or whatever the new tech may be.

And technology changes so fast it's tough to keep up.

Remember how much the iPhone has changed in the last few years? iPhone vs. iPhone 7?

#6 - Network

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – Your Network is more important than your demo reel.

Friends - are the reason I’ve been hired for half of my studio gig’s and most of them have originated from online schools.

15-minute conversations here and there, that opened doors I never could have anticipated years later.

These friends help you bypass red tape like HR gatekeepers, cover letters, and even experience concerns by vouching for you.

You end up fast forwarding right to the point where supervisors ask “when can you start?”

So if you're going to a school, ask yourself - will this school surround me with the right kind of students. Students that will be working as animators after graduation?

Let me put this another way.

Would you rather be surrounded by students learning all kinds of different subjects? Like rigging, compositing, rendering, lighting, etc.

Or would you rather be surrounded by students studying exactly what you're studying, going through exactly what you're up against?

Which is easier to relate to, have discussions on, share solutions?

Yea, its kinda hard to talk about jungle book smear frames or spine overlap with a fx guy who makes fire and smoke.

More importantly, which group of students would be most likely to get hired after graduation and open doors for you too in the process?

Making friends with your teachers who are professionals at Pixar, Disney, Dreamworks, ILM, Blizzard, may also be slightly helpful too right?

A lot of learning and real education is being done Online now because of this, it's not just animation. All kinds of people are picking up new skills or getting dream jobs without the need for official degrees or insane costs.

Writers, cooks, coaches, nutritionists, musicians, filmmakers - you name it. Thats why great sites like Creativelive or Masterclass exist.

So where should you learn?

The Best Animation Schools Today

Learn from my mistakes.

If I had to do it all over again here are the schools and classes I would attend to become a professional in record time:

Full Online Schools

These are all end to end online animation schools. All the options in this section have programs that take you from the fundamentals to feature quality dialogues and beyond. Some let you pick and choose the classes you want, while others may let you skip ahead in the curriculum if you have experience.

They all also have:

Small class sizes
High-quality exclusive rigs
Alternative course options or workshops
Payment plans or discounts to chunk the cost
And Professional working animators as instructors

Click on the tabs below discover the best full online animation schools:

Animation mentor
iAnimate
aNIMSCHOOL
cg tARIAN
aNIMSQUAD

Animation Mentor - Full Online Animation School

This is the school that changed it all.

Created in 2005 by Pixar and ILM Animators Bobby Beck, Shawn Kelly, and Carlos Baena - Animation Mentor was the 1st to revolutionize animation education by bringing it online.

They delivered an unprecedented learning environment by letting students learn from current working professionals at the biggest studios for 1/8th the cost of college in 1/2 the time.

The results speak for themselves. It’s hard to find a studio without an animator that’s never attended AM. They raised the bar for the talent expected among graduates. And because of AM’s existence, all kinds of new schools have sprung up to provide aspiring animators with - new options.

What makes AM Unique:

2 Free Rigs
Extremely well-established community
Long term veteran mentors
Supplemental Workshops (Games, Cartoony, Maya Intro)
Advanced Studies in Character Animation Diploma
You choose the instructor that suits your schedule and learning style
And lifetime access to virtually the entire school (after the full program)

Verdict:
Still, one of the best animation schools to attend today, especially for feature level acting. This is where I attended and would gladly do so again - it changed not only my career but my life.

Character Animation Program Details: LINK

Tuition and Start Dates: LINK

The Brick and Mortar Exception

Most of the Best Animation Schools are online. However, there are a couple of exceptions that are more than worth considering if you willing to relocate or you're lucky enough to live nearby.

Animation Collaborative - Brick and Mortar Exception

When it comes to learning animation face to face, a few options stand above the rest. Animation Collaborative delivers unparalleled teaching from Pixar artists directly across the street from Pixar itself.

Yea, every day as you enter class, you’ll be teased by Pixar’s front gate. Talk about daily reminders about what you're after eh?

But I should point out that you don't only learn from Pixar animators. There's also opportunity to learn from artists in many other studios like Sony, ILM, or Tippet on various skills like character design or storyboarding.

And they also have a once in a lifetime masterclass that has popped up in various cities all over north America. The vastly popular Michael Makarewicz Masterclass.

Verdict:

If Pixar ignited your animation spirit, or you have the ability to move to, or you live around San Francisco - attend. You’ll be taught by some of the best - in person - across the street from Pixar itself. There is career altering wisdom here you won't find anywhere else.

When it comes to physical schools - this is one of the best animation schools.

Program Details: LINK

Individual Classes, Mentoring, and Focused Workshops

Full on schools aren’t the only ways to learn from scratch or raise your animation game to the next level. There are some fantastic options at your fingertips.

Some are online classes, others are individually attentive critiquing sessions - but they all let you zero in on the skill you're after with minimal hassle. And most are available 24/7 - convenient to when you want to learn.

Rusty ANIMATOR
Spungella
Aaron bLAISE
Studio Technique
Pluralsight

Rusty Animator - Individual Classes, Mentoring, and Focused Workshops

Obviously, this is the site your on right now.

Rusty Animator has a few high-end courses that are available only a few times a year:

Both of these courses have not only helped several students and professionals get hired. But its also helped them level up their skills massively in as little as 8 weeks.

As you can see in the Courses section though - soon we'll also be releasing NEW courses on Animation Fundamentals, and how to use Maya as an animator.

Verdict:

If you want to quickly grasp the basics affordably...
...reserve your spot for Animation Fundamentals or Maya for Animators
If you want to make an extremely entertaining and unforgettable demo reel that gets you hired...
...Memorable Animator is the only choice out there.
Or If you want laser focused progress past YOUR specific animation struggles with custom tailored exercises...
...Augmented Animator is also the only choice out there.

Reserve your spot for a course and check out more details here: Animation Courses Link

Join the Memorable Animator Wait-list (and be exclusively notified when it re-opens soon)

How To Get Hired Before You Graduate From The Best Animation Schools

What does it mean to get hired before graduation?

In my case, it meant 2 sunrises from the air with a 30-hour flight to Singapore.

Never having traveled beyond North America before –it's lacking to say that - this was an adventure.

At this point, I had finished all my classes at Animation Mentor, but graduation hadn’t happened yet.

I got to become an animator while most of my classmates from AM were still waiting patiently and probably anxiously - chewing fingernails off waiting for interview emails.

This turned my graduation day into a huge victory celebration with close friends instead of a

“Ummm I hope this was worth it - where’s my first job!?”

If you want a victory celebration instead of uncertainty when you graduate - or even a job after the dust settles - you can make it happen by going beyond just picking a great school.

At this point, it’s clear to you that the best animation schools are Online courses and workshops.

What you don’t want to hear is that a lot of this is still ON YOU.

Yes, you’ve still got to hustle to make the most of your learning.

Why?

Well, there are still a lot of other students who have already caught onto the revolution in animation education.

Just as you differentiate yourself by picking the right place to learn, with the right teaching, you’ve got to keep differentiating yourself among all the students by learning the right way.

Rarely is this ever about working harder than everyone else.

Often it’s about working smarter.

And there are several ways to pull this off. The first of which will probably seem counter-intuitive.

It's by banding together with the other students around you.

#1 Form a Wolfpack

The most successful people in anything will admit they didn’t achieve greatness alone - that they had support because..

We all have weak points.
We all lose motivation.
We all make critical mistakes.

You’re far more likely to succeed at anything when others have your back.

Like saving the world with the Avengers, or surviving the apocalypse in Zombieland:

Teaming up with a group of dedicated classmate’s helps you overcome adversities you never could flying solo.

Back when I attended Animation Mentor, I teamed up with a handful of aspiring animators hell bent on making our careers a reality.

We jokingly referred to ourselves as the Wolfpack since Hangover just came out.

Everyday, we met online through Ventrilo (a voice chat program). And often Skype’d or used Google hangout throughout the week for in-depth critiques.

And when I say ‘everyday’ - I mean literally everyday.

Yea, I know it's not super sexy, but if you want extraordinary results you can’t be ordinary.

This routine kept us all honest, supremely focused, see what our own eyes were missing, and learn to work together.

Much like you do at a studio.

And guess what? We all got hired when school was over.

It’s easy for you to do the same with any online class.

Write a post in the community for your school, whether that's FB groups, forums, or a website asking people in your class to join you on zoom/skype/hangout/vent.

Aim for a group of at least 5 consistently hungry aspiring animators.

It’s essential that you meet at least once a week and you hold each other accountable to show up at least once a week – on time. Or get kicked out.

You can get as specific as you want with schedule critique days, animating times, discussions after lectures and so on.

Whatever you decide on – make sure it helps you all grow and stick to it.

“Hey guys, how bad do you want to get hired after graduation?

I’m looking to team up with 5 classmates at least once a week for critiques / talking shop on skype/hangout - to make our animations way better.

If your game just fb msg me back and we can talk it over.”

It’s also best to surround yourself with people who are better than you. Find the prodigy’s and get them on your side. You’ll rise through the ranks together achieving what no one else does.

In the business world, this is not a new concept. It came about 75 years ago. These groups or wolf packs are typically called masterminds and they have been used by some of the greatest minds of our time - whether they knew it or not.

Thomas Edison often retreated from society with Henry Ford and Harvey Firestone to keep their minds on track and spark the genius they needed to invent light bulbs and cars.

Disney’s Nine Old Men were much the same - whether they knew it or not. They took the art of animation from humble beginnings to masterful illusions of life. They did this together. Not separate.

Even though they all became fantastic artists in their own right, the sum was far greater than the parts.

Will you be naive enough to believe you can lone wolf into artistic greatness?

Or will you form a strong pack that leans each other to higher standards and friends for life?

#2 Give Great Feedback for Free

Giving helpful feedback without asking is the secret weapon of the successful animator.

Aside from completing your animations every week during a class, you should help your classmates.

It’s an incredibly easy, natural way for others to like you, befriend you, and then have them help you in return.

This means you’ll get critiques; answers to questions, and attention whenever you post your work.

Best of all it may even pay off down the road with job options because a friend paved the way.

But remember you can’t go into this expecting favors.

Adopt the mindset that you're there to help and the rest will follow naturally.

This is networking at its finest.

Back at Animation Mentor, I gave at least 10 critiques a week, to students outside of the Wolfpack.

As a result, to this day, I still have friends all over the world, and some have been there to help immensely.

Landing interviews
Easing transitions in studios / countries
Critical demo reel advice

When you dive into an animation class or school then, setting aside time for at least 5 critiques a week to classmates. Block off a time for it like you plan to do when you animate.

But what if a classmate never returns the favor for all the time you put in?

You still benefit.

Your eye as an animator will improve massively and so will your understanding of the art.

You can’t measure how much this will help you.

Your own animations will improve, you can critique others work faster – more beneficially, you can help your teachers or future supervisors spot issues or areas for improvement – on and on.

In short – give, give, give, and others will remember you.

#3 Marketing Yourself

It’s easier to have jobs fall in your lap if studios know you even exist.

Don’t you agree?

Most students at graduation just post their demo reels to Vimeo or YouTube and start praying to 398 deities that someone will notice – instead of promoting themselves.

Nobody ever talks about this.

Maybe people feel like it's braggy, sleazy, or lame.

But if your work is promoted openly online and talked about, offers will come your way that you’d never dream of.

Blue Sky Supervising Animator and Instructor Nick Bruno talks about promoting himself to get his big break in this amazing podcast created by On Animation.

To get your market yourself effectively you’ll need to:

#1 Make good art.

#2 Reach Out Directly to Key People

Magazine / Blogs owners
School staff or owners
Influential Veteran Animators
Students / Alumni with popular reputation
Competition Forums

Use email, facebook messages, forum posts, or even twitter to let them know about your animation.

Of course, you should be respectful and not waste their time.

To not be invasive, consider who they are, and how your animation might help them.

A lot of blogs or forums like On Animation or CG Meetup want to show off great art and probably spend a lot of time looking for it to share to readers.

Look for their contact info like CGMeetup has and send a short simple message where appropriate:

“Hi CGMeetup Forum Members,

As a long time follower of the site, I’ve been inspired by many reels. I wanted to share my animation reel in hopes that it does the same for you.

LINK
Cheers.”

Schools want to promote star student work so other aspiring animators are eager to take a class. Usually, all it takes is submitting at the end of a term to some kind of showcase, or posting in their private facebook group.

For veteran animators, many, have become instructors, podcasters, or speakers at conferences.They’ve spent so many years in the field honing their skills they are at the stage where they want to give back.

And what matters to them the most is that they’ve had an impact. That what they have done has helped you - that you’ve gotten life changing results because of them.

So reach out to your heroes or instructors and tell them how much your life has changed because of them. Let them know the results you’ve gotten by following their steps on a, b, c. and thank them.

Don't ask for anything.
Let them respond and so you can start a dialogue.
Then you can ask some simple 2-minute advice or thoughts on a very specific struggle.
But don't stop there. Follow their advice to the letter, and return with results - thanking them again.

You’ll instantly stand out from everyone who just asks for favors straight up or asks questions but never takes action.

You have no idea how this will pay off for you down the road:

An epiphany when it comes to animating effectively
Professional honest critiques, and advice at any point
This person vouching for you to get hired at a studio
Introductions to other artists or professionals

So it's best to reach out to these veterans and heroes early on - long before you ever need help or ‘favors’

Now, can you see how giving free feedback, and having a wolfpack might open more doors? How it all works together?

#4 Focused Learning on What Matters Most - Story and Character

Pixar’s success is based on 1 principle: Story is king

They’ve stated it over and over again.

And Toy Story 1 supports this perfectly.

The animation quality is nowhere near what it’s like in Wall-E or Up. Instead of moving fluidly the characters pop and wall smack all over the place. But nobody cared when it was released, and nobody cares now because fluid movement is not what matters most.

The audience didn’t get hooked on body mechanics.

The audience got hooked on the emotional journey of the characters.

What they were feeling, what they were heading towards, and what was in their way.

The story was unique, the characters were extremely relate-able and each scene was carefully planned to make every moment work.

This is the approach you must take with your class assignments.

You can’t just animate a back-flip or a dialogue with random arm moves. You’ve got to go the extra mile.

Go beyond just moving a character around.

Give it soul, a story, a journey. Hook the audience in even the simplest actions – like getting up from a chair or opening a door.

For example, which is more entertaining?

A man opens a door. (That’s it. Done.)

Or a 70 yr. old hermit angrily opens a door, until he sees the extremely adorable golden retriever puppy excitedly waiting on the other side with the name tag of his late wife..

One of these is really boring. The other is captivating.

I’ll let you guess which 1.

Most students miss this.

They rush into the assignments throwing something together on the fly as their animating – instead of taking the time plan or be creative.

What results is the same old - same old that 1,000s of other student animators have done before.

I’ve talked about this in massive detail in The Key to Memorable Animation and 5 Reasons You Won’t Be An Animator.

However, as you start your animation education – it’s smart to keep it extremely simple while you learn the basics like a bouncing ball or pendulum.

Don't expect to create shock and awe demo reel pieces at this stage.

Focus on understanding the fundamentals first. Then add hilarious, sad, or jaw-dropping stories as you go beyond a normal character walk.

Strolling down this road - unleashing your creativity, being emotionally captivating, and keeping it simple - is challenging.

Perhaps it’s the toughest part of animating.

If you want to conquer these skills and make your animations unforgettable - there's one solution:

How and When to Go Back to The Best Animation Schools if your not hired

I could lie and say everything always works out.

I could also say everyone who ever attends the best animation schools gets hired

But that wouldn’t be very helpful to you - or accurate.

And the last thing I’d want you to do is assume everything is going to be amazingly 100% perfect because you picked one of the best animation schools.

There are no unicorns or magic pills. Sorry.

Sometimes all doesn’t go according to plan.

Sometimes exactly what you’ve feared comes to pass.

Fears like…

Graduating but there’s no job – only silence.
Student loans stacking up as you contemplate taking a real job.
Having to go through school all over again
Parents and Friends shaming you for wasted money chasing an artistic dream.

But do these fears really mean the end of your dream career?

Of course not.

Another upside to picking the right school is that it also protects you from the downside.

Because you took the more cost effective route with Online Schooling / Workshops, the damage is much less severe all around.

The time commitment is short overall
Student loans, tuition, and cost of living are 1/8th what you could have paid

In fact, it may be so cost effective that you can easily sign up to 2 or even 3 more animation programs.

Or it may take you simply spreading out your classes a bit more.

Maybe take 1 class at a time, with months off in-between, as frequent as income allows.

When you’re learning the skills that matter, the right way, there’s definitely no harm in taking longer than usual to see it through.

Remember, 4 years at Average Animation University is far less effective than 1 year at an Amazing Online Animation School.

They are not equal.

The scales are tipped - heavily.

Overall, if this happens to you - you’ve probably gained far more than you’ve lost.

You’ve gotten a grasp of basic animation skills
You’ve gotten to know mentors who work in the industry
You’ve made friends who are about to become entry-level animators.

You’ve learned what to expect from online schooling and how to do it better
And no matter what you need to improve - You’ve laid the artistic foundation you’ll need to succeed. You're not starting from ground zero.

It’s easy to criticize yourself when you fall short of your expectations.

It’s easy to beat yourself up.

But you’ve only just begun your journey as an animation artist.

Give yourself room for error.

These art skills need time to develop.

Do you think Glen Keane (animator of Beast / Tarzan) wakes up every day and pours out the best animation ever seen without any effort?

As I’ve seen him animate live, the fanboy in me could argue this, but I know, in reality, he’s struggled to make great art.

In this amazing podcast, Glen shares exactly that, how he struggled with the beast transformation and thought he'd get fired from Disney: (The Animation Podcast: Glen Keane)

Like every artistic master, he’s simply got more time behind the wheel than you.

Sometimes by the end of your first school, your skills aren’t there.

Maybe it's your eye
Maybe you're confused about body mechanics
Maybe you're lacking strong emotional stories / characters

Whatever the reason - it takes time to become a great artist.

You don't expect to go the gym and deadlift 850lbs on the first day do you?

If you do, this is your first mistake. Have an ambulance standing by.

You can't be afraid to hustle from the ground up.

To be an uncommon success you've got to be willing to do what the common amateurs won't.

Become obsessed with mastering the fundamentals
Become a productive machine that cuts all distractions
Become unrelenting in the face of your mistakes until you win
Become consistently honest with yourself about what you don't know

Let all the masses get super excited and parade in the clouds at the idea they'll get hired by Pixar right as school ends.

Let all the masses wish they could stroll into a class day 1 and be a judo black belt animation prodigy.

Skip the fantasy, quietly face the music, and you'll be happy with the results - even when others seem to be doing better.

A few months after finishing Animation Mentor, I was one of the first to get hired out of my class.

Truth be told I was panicked the months before being hired - mortified at the thought of AM being a waste just like university.

“Would it all be in vain?!”

Several super talented friends were probably panicked they wouldn’t find work either, and even more so after a few of us got hired.

These talented friends waited months longer than us.

But then they went to the stratosphere, landing more big name gigs than I could've of imagined.

Like my friend Jane Stewart who actually got into Pixar straight from school, where she’s still at today, and who's also now an AM Mentor.

Or Michael Amos who made it to Dreamworks after graduation and half of a year of waiting.

The point is, put the work in and it pays off - eventually. And when it pays off you may skyrocket straight to the top.

So if you’ve struggled after animation school to get your first job, don’t take it personally. That will change nothing.

Take massive action instead.

For exact steps on moving forward go to pg.29 'Your Backup plan' in this guide:

Click here to get access

How to level up your Professional Game using the Best Animation Schools

As an Aspiring Animator – you’re goal is usually just to get your first job.

But after you’ve become a professional your desires and needs alter.

Dreams can change.

New goals can crop up.

Maybe it's time raise your skills and finally reach Pixar-like you’ve always wanted.
Maybe you’re eager to switch from Feature to VFX due to your love of Trex attacks and Hulk Smashing Fanboyism.
Or Maybe you're ready to land a secure staff position in games to keep fueling your button mashing addiction

Whether it's about satisfying creative needs, salary, security for family life, or relocation – the fastest way to get what you're after, besides working, is to take online classes.

The results allow you to make massive leaps in your career.

At a Studio, it’s pretty common to get in a comfortable rut doing the same kind of animation over and over.

For instance, if you’ve been in VFX for a few years like me, I doubt you’ve had many opportunities to animate emotional dialogues.

You’ve probably spent most of your time moving heavy powerful creatures or punching robots – lots of physical action oriented shots.

Online classes push past all those limitations giving you the opportunity to take your animation skills beyond or refresh what you’ve haven’t done for years.

Sure, you could just do this all on your own, with side projects after work, but you’ll make much more progress with a class.

Why?

Flying solo is tough.

It’s far too easy to skip the hustle and just watch a movie or play a game instead.

We all stay more focused and productive with deadlines.
We all create better art when we have guidance from veteran eyes that watch our progress.

You know this from working in a studio. And online classes provide the same environment.

The ideal way to take a class is in between work contracts.

You’re not depleted from working all day; you’re more focused, and you can take the time to do more complicated animation that stretches your limits.

But that's not always possible.

Sometimes work is too consistent or you’d rather not skip paychecks.

The big question then is - how do you stay productive and juggle work / classes?

It's a great question.

On pg. 18 in this guide I detailed special hacks for work/class productivity:

And if you're not sure what kind of class to take I’ve got you covered there too.

If your planning on being a successful artist anyway, shouldn't you always be learning, growing, and stretching for that next level?

Perhaps this is why great artists - Michelangelo, Picasso, Milt Kahl – go to their graves with paintbrush in hand.

Now Become The Animator You Always Wanted To Be

You’re animation dream job is dangling in front of you.

Will you snatch it into the palm of your hand?

You're ready.

While all the other aspiring animators out there are nose-diving into massive debt, counter productive learning, and letting assumptions set themselves up for unbearable heartache - you know better.

You know...

That traditional colleges are a death trap
That degrees are worthless
What animation schools are the best and why
How to get hired before you graduate
How and when to go back to school - if your worst fears are realized – and you're not hired right away
That you can use online schools to reach super stardom in your career, switch industries, or easily refresh your skills

Now use what you know.

Get started today.

Take the first step.

Choose the animation schooling or class that will most help you get hired, or move your career forward.

If you don’t you’ll wake up months or even years later wishing you did something about your dream - beyond just thinking about it.

To make sure that doesn’t happen and that you know exactly what steps to take - I've prepared a free guide exclusively for you:

Get access here & make your dream job a reality

Inside you discover:

A step by step roadmap that keeps you moving closer to your dream job day after day.
How to pick your dream job and get ultra specific on what you want
How to pick the perfect school or class for your specific dream job
What BIG wins to focus on in school that will make you exceed all expectations
How to animate consistently and never need motivation
How to have MORE time to animate- even if your working full time
How to apply to studios like a pro and stand out from the crowd
How and when to return to animation school (if you need to)

Then you’ll be in the trenches becoming the animator you always wanted to be.

Or you could just sit still.

Let it all fly by.

Afterall, being idle is the fastest way to get….nowhere.

Nothing will bring you more success than taking action, making mistakes, and course correcting.

Family, friends, even strangers may confuse, or try to dissuade you into the wrong decisions.

But this is your life – your dream.

Stick to your guns, trust yourself, and you’ll make it all happen.

So, what’s it gonna be?

Get access here & make your dream job a reality

Did you go to the wrong school and not make the most of your animation education?

Leave a comment below and tell me about what your going through. I'd love to hear your story.