Student Showcase
School Calendar
WINTER TERM
January 7 - March 23
Enroll by December 20
SPRING TERM
April 8 - June 20
Enroll by March 24
SUMMER TERM
July 8 - September 19
Enroll by June 24
AUTUMN TERM
October 7 -December 19
Enroll by September 12
School Calendar
TERM
Winter
Spring
Summer
Autumn
DATES
January 97 - March 23
April 8 - June 20
July 8 - September 19
October 7 - December 19
ENROLLMENT
Enroll by December 20
Enroll by March 24
Enroll by June 24
Enroll by September 25
1. Principles of Animation
This course is designed for students approaching animation for the first time, as well as for those who have taken short introductory courses at other schools. It’s also a great fit for 2D animators who have never worked in 3D animation before. We’ll teach you Autodesk Maya, the leading digital animation software used by studios such as Sony, Disney, and Animal Logic, and we’ll dive into the principles of animation: timing and spacing, arcs, squash & stretch, follow-through, leading action, and more. Through specific and fun exercises, you’ll gradually learn how to animate increasingly complex characters.
Prerequisites: no prior experience required. This course is open to beginners and to students with basic introductory training. It’s also suitable for 2D animators who are new to 3D animation.
2. Body Locomotion
This course focuses on body mechanics and locomotion using more complex characters. You’ll learn how to pose them, and you’ll animate actions such as running, jumping, and a personality walk, applying principles like follow-through, leading action, and overlapping action. We’ll study how the different parts of the human body interact with each other.
Prerequisites: successful completion of Course 1 (Principles of Animation), or a reel that clearly demonstrates a solid understanding of the 12 Principles of Animation and basic control of timing, spacing, arcs, and posing in 3D.
3. Body Action
Anche questo corso è dedicato alla meccanica del corpo, ma inizierai a far interagire il personaggio con il mondo circostante, animando movimenti più complessi ed azioni secondarie. Parleremo di concetti fisici come peso, equilibrio, forza e collisione che sono alla base di qualsiasi animazione solida e credibile. Animerai diversi shot tra cui il lancio della palla, il sollevamento del peso, la spinta di un oggetto e un tuo action shot personale.
Prerequisiti: completamento con esito positivo del Corso 2 (Body Locomotion), oppure una reel che dimostri chiaramente una padronanza sicura delle basi della body mechanics, posing pulito e locomozione credibile (camminata/corsa/salto), con controllo del peso e dell’equilibrio.
4. Pantomime
In this course, we’ll focus on acting. Animation means bringing life to what has no “soul.” We’ll analyze how our characters’ acting choices shape the audience’s perception of their intentions and emotions. We’ll concentrate on pantomime: conveying emotions through actions and gestures without spoken words. You’ll practice building clear, appealing poses and, for the first time, work with a character that has a simple facial rig to create your own personal shot.
Prerequisites: successful completion of Course 3 (Body Action), or a reel that clearly demonstrates strong understanding and control of body mechanics principles.
5. Facial Acting
This course focuses on facial animation and lip sync. On one side we’ll work on the character’s acting choices; on the other, we’ll study practical techniques for posing and animating the face. For the first time you’ll animate a complex character rig, like those used in studios. We’ll study how different facial elements behave and interact to communicate emotions, including subtle ones. Based on an audio track you choose, you’ll be guided through the creation of a dialogue shot (monologue).
Prerequisites: successful completion of Course 4 (Pantomime), or a reel that clearly demonstrates strong understanding and control of pantomime and full-body acting.
6. Advanced Acting
Now that you’re comfortable with body mechanics and facial animation, you’re ready to combine them in a full-body shot. We’ll study how face and body interact and support each other. With guidance from your instructors, you’ll choose an audio track for a dialogue or monologue. You’ll refine your acting choices to make your animation increasingly believable, engaging, and polished down to the smallest detail.
Prerequisites: successful completion of Course 5 (Facial Acting), or a reel that demonstrates solid experience with facial acting and lip sync.
7. Action Pro
“Pro” stands for professional. Like in a studio environment, you’ll work closely with your supervisor to create an outstanding action shot. You’ll learn to master movement dynamics and develop full awareness of how different parts of the body interact. Nothing is left to chance: through continuous reviews, we’ll push your work to the highest quality, helping you create material you can use in your animation reel.
Prerequisites: successful completion of Course 6 (Advanced Acting), or a reel that proves you are already working at a professional level.
8. Acting Pro
Animate like a “Pro.” We’ll recreate the same production dynamics used in studios. Through continuous feedback on your shot from our senior animators, you’ll take your animation to the next level and make it truly stand out. Being a professional animator means being fully aware of your acting choices in order to express the character’s emotion in that moment. We’ll focus on even the smallest details to fully polish your shot for your showreel.
Prerequisites: successful completion of Course 6 (Advanced Acting), or a reel that proves you are already working at a professional level.
Creatures Animation
If you already have a solid understanding of human body mechanics, it’s time to take the next step and focus on creature animation. In this course we’ll explore animal movement in depth, with a strong focus on quadruped locomotion. We’ll start by creating a walk cycle, then move on to jumping and running exercises, and finish with a more complex personal exercise. You’ll study anatomy, how to handle weight in quadruped movement, and how to analyze and recreate a variety of animal behaviors - also through video reference analysis and real-life motion - transforming them into convincing animated performances.
Prerequisites: successful completion of Course 3 (Body Action) or later, or a reel that demonstrates strong control of animation principles, body locomotion, and human body mechanics.