As of 2024, Animation Mentor is no longer my primary recommendation for an online animation education. It's still a great school, and of course feel free to check it out using the link in my description, but please also take a look at my newer videos on the topic and check out my own animation classes: courses.sirwade.com/ Mine are some of the most affordable courses available to get you started down this path :)
any animator that tells you that using video reference is cheating is completely wrong. No reference makes your animation floaty and unrealistic. It is NOT cheating.
TRUTH. Yeah that was the worst advice I've ever gotten as an animator. Like, sometimes it's not possible- but it should always be considered and attempted if at all possible!!
Yep! Reference footage means reference (key poses, body mechanics, etc.) They are NOT for rotoscoping unless your style and production requires you to do so
Animation mentor is actually fantastic! Workshops are a bit cheaper if you are just starting to learn and the mentors give great feedback on your work. You are being taught by professionals who have experience in the animation industry. I tried it last summer and I was not disappointed. Taking their courses motivated me more to practice outside of class.
Thank you for the video, I have been considering Animation Mentor for some time now, and have recently withdrawn from my current college where the bachelors program I feel does not cover enough information for me to be successful. I am happy that you mentioned you were working full time during your time at AM, I also have to work full time and it is nice to know that it is not impossible for someone working. I want to work at DreamWorks someday, so thank you for the inspiration.
That's incredible! I know that struggle so well- let me just tell you: You can do it. It's not easy, and you'll spend a ton of time working and working hard- but it will be worth it! Just keep working, keep learning, keep growing, do you best to balance your life so you don't go crazy- but things will work out and you'll get to where you want to be as long as you're actively working towards it! I hope the series keeps you inspired! Thanks for watching and let me know if there's anything I can do to help!
Hey Cindy, just happen to be watching this great Sir Wade episode again, when I noticed your comments and thought I might reach out to you from Animation Mentor HQ to see if I can help. Let me know if you need additional info on the same courses that Sir Wade completed, or some helpful info on time management for those who have busy schedules. Let me know, I'm always here to help.
This was sent to me by someone at Animation Mentor when I called about the classes and wanting to peruse my dream and this inspired me to do all I can to make it happen. Thank you for sharing your experience with us. :)
That's awesome!! It's really a great school- you should definitely enroll if you're thinking about it! I'm happy to help inspire you, please let me know if there are any other things you're curious about so I can include them!
So many students graduate from college and have severely lacking demo reels, it really is a cold dose of reality when you realize how much more it takes to actually get hired at a good studio. I learned so much on the job compared to college. Thankfully there's a lot of helpful info online to help me improve my animation because I've already got 3 years of college and student loans and it's not convenient for me to pay for another animation course rn
I attended VFS where I studied Character animation in Maya 3d 10 years ago. graduated and never got a job...It was the biggest regret of my life. because of the cost. Hi hopes never paid off. And they boasted of getting people work right out the door. its now the year 2020 and we are smack dab in Covid lockdown. So I timidly decided to go back on my old workstation. And you know I'm rediscovering that I actually love animating. I want to pick it back up again, just for myself this time. I'm older wiser and not under the pressure of 'landing' the big job anymore I just want to learn at my own pace and get good on my own. Not sure if A.M is the way I will go. but your videos have encouraged me greatly. thanks Sir Wide. keep it up. ps.Bottom line wish I had studied with AM instead.
These episodes are so inspirational man! I'm currently doing iAnimate at the moment and learning so much day in and day out. Hoping to go to CTN this year aswell for my first time. Can't wait to start job hunting once online education is complete !
Just checked out the animation mentor website and it sounds right up my alley tbh! Just wish the install payment could be split more than 6 months apart. I’ll have to save up a bit
Use reference to get the foundation/body mechanics of the performance down, THEN you can go off if it and exaggerate and play around. Once you know what the rules actually are, it’s a lot easier to break them effectively.
ianimate student here, workin' through advanced body mechanics. More power to you, man. Big fan of your channel. I had the same reservations about a university animation program.
@@KyryloZhukov-i1c It was an awesome experience. Everyone is so helpful, mentors and other students alike. I recommend this program if this is the path you want to take in life
Really admire and appreciate this. Every one of your videos are helpful. I have a teen daughter very interested in being an animator and on her way to SCAD. This really had us thinking. Thankyou again!
I'm glad I can help! I just posted a Q&A from UA-cam comments and I'll have one or two more coming this week, maybe there will be some useful info for you guys!
Sir Wade Neistadt Would you recommend the AM payment options or did you get a private loan Hope it’s not too personal. Just wondering on how I should go about this.
Well Animation Mentor is WAY cheaper, so there's that hahaha. I thought about the same thing but there was no way I was going to get accepted into CalArts. Give it a shot! Apply for both! See what happens and which door opens for you! If you can choose between them, weigh the options, but you've got to start by applying!
Hello, I'm a bit confused haha, I went into the Animation Mentor page and found myself on a place were you choose between programs and courses.. whats the difference? and for example when I click on courses and click on character animation there are bunch of different tabs like Animation basics, character mechanics ect and all of them are individual I suppose and cost money individually. I just thought this would be like college where you sign up for the term and get all the information in one during the semester or whatever. Thanks
The animation course is 6 classes. Intro to animation, Body mechanics, Advanced Body mechanics, Intro to acting, Advanced Acting and Polish. You pass all those and you become alumni. Workshops are stand alone classes that aren't graded and are just for your learning. You don't need to pass one to advance to another. However each class is pay as you go because not everyone can crash through the whole course in one sitting.
@@Ouchimoo Did the prices go up or something..? To my understanding there are 6 courses and each costs 2,500$. So at the end the cost would be 15,000$? Thats quite a lot :/ Did I understand it right or am I doing something wrong?
I'm 16 years old and I've been debating whether I want to become an animator or not mainly due to me being afraid that I will not have what it takes. However after watching these videos I have gain a bit of confidence. Should a beginner like myself, go straight to Animation Mentor after high school ?
Maybe this is a stupid question to ask but do they actually teach you how to do all of this stuff or they just give you your homework and you have to figure out by yourself how to do everything ? 😧
It's both. First there's weekly videos as wells as supplemental videos. That is, if you are inclined to watch them every week. Most of what you learn is straight from the Mentor. You get about 6-8 to chose from each class which ranges anywhere from action video game style, to very cartoony, to VFX super detailed realistic animation. There's a Q&A each week where the mentor will talk about either how to animate, or what it's like at a studio, or reasons to why you animate something in such an such a way. Followed by weekly critiques were the mentor will steer you in the right direction. Be totally honest, I've learned much more in 6 months than in the several years I tried teaching myself.
thank you for sharing ur animation stories and ur dream how u got ur dream job... most of them says there is nothing in these video bt for me there is lots... u teaches me how to become an animator... n really thank you for inspiring us... towards animation... I dn knw about others bt I m really really inspired by u n I m also going to worked hard and make my dream come true to become animator like you... thank you sooooo much...
Not as much as I should have! Haha when I was slacking off, I did a lot of my assignments starting Friday evenings around 7pm, and worked until probably 11am on Saturday, took a nap, and resumed from 4pm on Saturday until about 11am on Sunday when I would export and upload for the Sunday noon deadline. If I was excited and focused, I would probably maintain that same type of schedule, but I'd start on Wednesday. It would have been better to allocate like 6 hours a day each day from Tuesday through Friday, and then maybe 10 hours or an all-nighter on Saturday if I really needed to push my work. I was also relatively fast for that level of experience, and I knew Maya pretty well. That's all also because I work a lot better at night, and under pressure- and I had a full-time job =P
Awesome videos! Thanks for taking the time to make them. I have always loved animation and I'm looking into Animation Mentor. My experience is limited right now. I know you had mentioned that you were working full time when you took A/M but are the Animation Mentor classes during the day or evenings? I am trying to see if they would work for someone like me who works full time during the day with a family of 5. Thanks again for taking the time to make these videos and answer questions!
They can be either- you get to choose your mentor and time slot based on availability :) There were terms I had an 8am class, others where I did it at 9pm. Some people in other timezones were awake at 4am for theirs. As far as the family- I know a ton of people who have kids or families that go through the program, so I can't really give advice but I know it is possible! It's just about really cutting out the wasted leisure time in a day and spending that time working on animation to get the most out of the experience :) You can do it!!!
You've got some great mechanics shots on your channel, I really like the first shot on your reel with the guy sliding behind the barricade! Very organic. You're doing great especially if you haven't gone to school for it! I think a school like AM may give you the final push you need if that's what you want to do! They also have advanced placement if they determine you don't need to start at the beginning! Thanks so much for watching! Episode 5 will come soon! ;)
thank you very much. as soon as i'm capable of finishing high school i will enter an animation school. was thinking AM or Animschool. only time can tell
If you're still active on youtube - do you think you could do animation mentor (well) and college at the same time? I kind of want to complete a four year college program, perhaps at Art Institute or a public school with as good a program as I can find. Is animation mentor just too time consuming to try two things at once, even if some projects could overlap?
Also a great question- this one is answered in the next Q&A I'm posting because the one that went up today got to be long enough. So this answer coming soon!
the sad thing is that i am from greece.So i just dont have acces to any of these events(i am still 14, keep that in mind) the good thing is that i can find the money to travel to america (altough this is going to be tough ). Do you think it is worth for me to raise the money just for ctn or should i just stick to animation mentor??? What do you think i should do??
I don't think you need to save up specifically for CTN - a few years ago it may have been worth raising the money for, but these days there's SO MUCH you can learn and access online, from people to lessons and workshops. So if you want to learn animation, focus on learning and practicing. The opportunities will come with time and experience :) You don't need to fly all the way to the US to get a job, or anything like that. Plus there are several animation-focused events in the EU that pop up! That'll be much more affordable and convenient :)
Great video! I'm starting Animation Mentor this winter, and I'm super pumped about it! Question: How do you recommend I choose an instructor? Disney is my dream studio, so should I pick an instructor who works/has worked there? Do you recommend anyone in particular? And, is it possible that your instructor will help you get a job with the studio they are working for?
Hello Sir Wade! first off, I subscribed to you. Second I want to be an animator for youtube, but I really don't have any experience with it, do you have any advice for a beginner animator like me? And I watched one of your video's where you created the 3D character and putted the model into a photo and made it realistic I also want to do that too!
Hey Sir wade. I am leaning toward Animschool over Animation mentor because of the cost difference. I understand that cost isn't everything and if AM was a better school it would be better for me to go to the better school. I understand you went to AM and was hoping you could help me understand why I should pick AM over Animschool. Thanks! I checked to see if you had a video on this but didn't see anything. Animschool looks to cost about 5k less, so it isn't a HUGE expense more. Thanks!
I don't suppose there's something similar to Animation Mentor for modellers? It's been just over 5 years since I've graduated from my university course in Animation and I'm still pushing myself to build my skills and portfolio. I'm in the UK and the competition here, as well as most places is stiff. It's really my passion for it that has kept me going through the past few years. Really need something to give me a boost and finally help me with my career. More than anything I miss being around fellow creatives.
But, I‘m sorry I live in Luxembourg where we have a totally different system for school and all. So this is an online course? How exactly do you get to learn everything? By videos? I‘m sorry of thise ridiculous questions, but animation is my dream and this seems like a possibility I can access.. I would love to do it.. Thanks so much! Great video as always!
How much did you know about animation before you started at AM? What software should I start learning? I know only Maya and Zbrush and Substance Painter at the moment - For an animator
Hi! I've been thinking about applying to animation mentor but I have been off and on about my decision. I'm currently still in college for animation, but I've only completed 2 years. When is the best time to apply for animation mentor? Do you suggest that I start now or wait until I get my degree?
Thanks for sharing this videos. I was thinking of animation mentor. But i was having my doubts. I just got one question. How likely will you get hired applying to any studio. Like once you graduate from animation mentor and everything. Do they have like internship for you. Or what?
Hey sorry for asking this but did you take out a loan in order to be in animation mentor or did you do a payment plan? I'm currently applied for animation mentor summer program in animation basics but I'm really not sure how I'm going to pay for it. I do also work and I plan to save as much as i can before the program starts but what was the best action for you? plus I would really like to go through the whole program straight through.
It's possible, but sooooooooo much easier to learn by being taught- I tried to self-teach but found that taking a class was a much better use of time. I teach Maya in case you ever have questions :D
Sir Wade Neistadt thanks. I have another question. Right now i don't have computer. And I'm confused whether i should watch tutorials on UA-cam to kind of learn the basics or wait until i bought a computer? What is your suggestion? 🙏🙏🙏
is their a class every day and what if you miss it ? which degree do you get after the completion of the whole animation mentor character animation course ? how is the exposure ? also , do they select limited people or anyone who wants to join can join the school ?
They have live classes once a week- you get to select the day/time that's going to work best for you from the available slots that different mentors have- you don't want to miss it otherwise you have to ask your classmates. But the actual animation lectures are in video form and you can watch those as much as you want! You get a certificate for finishing, but no degree- degrees aren't needed in animation. Exposure to jobs is great, all the mentors work in studios and have a lot of experience to help guide and advise you! Anyone can join the school, but you need to demonstrate that you've learned the material and successfully completed the assignments to progress through the courses :)
Sir Wade Neistadt hey, your video is really helpful. I am thinking of being an animator but the problem is that I have a full time job. There is no details of how the course will progress or what time the classes are on the AM website. I am from India so there's the problem of time zone as well. Are the classes flexible? I mean can you learn on saturdays and sundays coz those days i can dedicate a lot of time. AM sent me a time planner n according to it, i have to squeeze out atleast 10 hrs a week. I can do 6-7 hrs on weekend. so is the course plausible?
would you say this is better than a 4 year degree in animation financially? what are the chances of finding work? ive been drawing for years and have always wanted to be an animator for games. I tend to thrive more in drama/action/violence type of animations. I've been teaching myself blender, sculpting, animating, rigging etc. I understand that blender is not the industry standard but do you think it gives me an edge since I'm comfortable with key framing poses? I'm 28 and don't have a lot of money. i can't afford to make mistakes. it's something I always wanted to do but I had to go into medical assisting because that was a "stable career choice" but I can't even find work without experience. so I've had to settle working as a sales associate and office worker which both only pay me min wage and noo benefits. literally all my free time goes to learning blender and how to animate because I want this so bad. I'm just afraid of ending up jobless or homeless because money is a huge thing for me.
I'd say that AM is 1000% a better financial investment than a 4yr university if you put in the time. I know so many people who went and got a 4-year degree, only to sign up for Animation Mentor afterwards because their degree didn't get them nearly close enough to get a job. Obviously it's not a guarantee that you're going to get work afterwards, but I don't think there's a better place to get the training to prep you. If you are looking to get into games, they have a games animation workshop. You should give them a call and ask them all of your questions- The team is super honest and they won't try to trick you into anything, if you just want more information they'll be able to answer probably all of your questions :)
I'm so unsure! I don't know if a bachelor and master degree would be necessary for me to get a job in animation or if a portfolio would suffice and if animation mentor is enough. With the time, would it be possible to have animation mentor and be studying animation at the same time? Would that even be recommendable? I'm just finding out about animation mentor now so that puts a whole new element into my future plans.
Bachelor and master's is not at all necessary. A bachelor should be enough but college education in general is not necessary to get hired. Only your demo counts. But take this with a grain of salt I'm not knowledge incarnate
CTN :) It's here in the US, by Los Angeles. It's an actual physical 3-day event/convention about animation/storyboarding/character design/illustration/etc. It's an amazing place to network and learn new things! A lot of people also sell their prints and stuff like that.
Hi Sir Wade :) Thank you so much for all the info!!!! I was wondering if you think the cost of it was manageable ? Do you know if this school takes financial aid ? And did you meet any classmates that worked remotely from another state ? I’m looking forward to applying but I’m a little intimidated. :P
Hey, I'm considering taking the Maya workshop. I'm a complete beginner when it comes to animation and working with computer programs in general. I noticed one of the eligibility requirements was "have intermediate general computer software skills." I'm not entirely sure what that entails. I know this video is years old, but I was hoping for some advice from anyone who may read this. I just don't want to sign up, only to be completely behind from the start. To anyone who may take the time to read and respond to this, thank you in advance.
Basically it’s just telling you that you’ll be learning 3D software so you’re expected to be able to keep up with the general computer stuff, and to be a proactive learner
I'm 14 almost 15 and I want to do animation when I get older... I've been using blender for 2 years now with intros and I was wanting to start character animation, am I able to start anination mentor at my age?
I'm wondering, can anyone just get into animation Mentor without experience? how did you learn before hand getting into Animation Mentor? was it hard the admission process? Im only 14 but Im considering this since I truly find it fascinating and Im doing online tutorials for now. Thank you for your help
I was actually very surprised there wasn't a litmus test for getting into AM. It was basically write a quick essay to why you want to go to this school. And no you don't need prior experience, I think they just want to make sure you have a passion for it.
I'm biased, I love Animation Mentor and it definitely worked for me, so that's my recommendation- but I've never done iAnimate, I have friends that did though :)
I have a bit of a weird question... How much face-to-face (via Skype or whatever) interaction does Animator Mentor require? For example, I know that some animation schools require students to record themselves acting, etc., which sounds like a bit of a nightmare to me;-)
Maya is free for a student license, so even if you can't afford Animation Mentor right now you can still download Maya and start practicing the basics! Check out my Animation Q&A video for the link to the page :)
Nvm on the site its asking where i enrolled from, so ill just keep trying to learn animation in blender for now and when i get older i might start animation mentor or scad college :(
Sorry I missed this comment! You can still install Maya even though you aren't in college- if you go through the steps to get the educational software, just answer the questions and pretend you're in one of the colleges it lets you pick. It won't ask for any kind of college email account or anything :)
Your English is great as far as I can tell! Don't worry :) Animation Mentor only teaches how to animate the rigs, they're already rigged and modeled- but I know there are other programs or classes that do teach rigging.. I'm not sure what they are, but I know they do exist!
Absolutely! Jump into animation! You don't have to have any background or experience in anything to get started. I'm putting some info for you in the new Q&As I'm posting this week, starting with today's episode! Let me know if you have any more questions =)
This was so inspiring! Thank you so much. I'm currently a new student at animation mentor, and was wondering if you'd have any tips. I barely know Maya, so this is a huge leap of faith for me! Hope to someday in the future have an awesome success story to share like you. :)
Thanks for watching! And congrats on joining the AM family! As far as tips, let's see... I don't know your level, but wherever you are in your journey- put in the hours and work hard at it if this is what you want to do! Do what you can to get through the entire program, it only gets better and more helpful the further you get. I'd definitely recommend watching the critiques of other students from their mentors- if you're in class 1, watch a bunch of critiques from other class 1 mentors to see what kinds of notes other people are getting in case they may apply to you! Talk to your classmates! Be part of the community. Try to continue the Google Hangouts sessions after class and get to know your peers! This gets even more important as you get further along and you all start to be able to really push each other and give great feedback and tool tips. And if you have any Maya questions (or any other questions in general), let me know!! I teach Maya at DreamWorks, and I'll be launching an independent Maya workshop in the next month or two- but I'm always to share tips or tool help if I can!
As of 2024, Animation Mentor is no longer my primary recommendation for an online animation education. It's still a great school, and of course feel free to check it out using the link in my description, but please also take a look at my newer videos on the topic and check out my own animation classes: courses.sirwade.com/ Mine are some of the most affordable courses available to get you started down this path :)
any animator that tells you that using video reference is cheating is completely wrong. No reference makes your animation floaty and unrealistic. It is NOT cheating.
TRUTH. Yeah that was the worst advice I've ever gotten as an animator. Like, sometimes it's not possible- but it should always be considered and attempted if at all possible!!
Some animators don't and still animate perfectly
Yup
Cecilia Cortez I actually was just told that by my instructor like two weeks ago.
Yep! Reference footage means reference (key poses, body mechanics, etc.)
They are NOT for rotoscoping unless your style and production requires you to do so
Animation mentor is actually fantastic! Workshops are a bit cheaper if you are just starting to learn and the mentors give great feedback on your work. You are being taught by professionals who have experience in the animation industry. I tried it last summer and I was not disappointed. Taking their courses motivated me more to practice outside of class.
So true!! How much of the program did you go through? :) Which workshop and who did you have? :D
Thank you for the video, I have been considering Animation Mentor for some time now, and have recently withdrawn from my current college where the bachelors program I feel does not cover enough information for me to be successful. I am happy that you mentioned you were working full time during your time at AM, I also have to work full time and it is nice to know that it is not impossible for someone working. I want to work at DreamWorks someday, so thank you for the inspiration.
That's incredible! I know that struggle so well- let me just tell you: You can do it. It's not easy, and you'll spend a ton of time working and working hard- but it will be worth it! Just keep working, keep learning, keep growing, do you best to balance your life so you don't go crazy- but things will work out and you'll get to where you want to be as long as you're actively working towards it!
I hope the series keeps you inspired! Thanks for watching and let me know if there's anything I can do to help!
Hey Cindy, just happen to be watching this great Sir Wade episode again, when I noticed your comments and thought I might reach out to you from Animation Mentor HQ to see if I can help. Let me know if you need additional info on the same courses that Sir Wade completed, or some helpful info on time management for those who have busy schedules. Let me know, I'm always here to help.
Did you succeed?
How’d it go?
Any update?
This was sent to me by someone at Animation Mentor when I called about the classes and wanting to peruse my dream and this inspired me to do all I can to make it happen.
Thank you for sharing your experience with us. :)
That's awesome!! It's really a great school- you should definitely enroll if you're thinking about it! I'm happy to help inspire you, please let me know if there are any other things you're curious about so I can include them!
I just want to know how the classes where did you have be online at a specific time?
So many students graduate from college and have severely lacking demo reels, it really is a cold dose of reality when you realize how much more it takes to actually get hired at a good studio. I learned so much on the job compared to college. Thankfully there's a lot of helpful info online to help me improve my animation because I've already got 3 years of college and student loans and it's not convenient for me to pay for another animation course rn
Isn't the difference though those who push themselves to be better artists and those who complete assignments to finish college?
this channel needs more attention!
yes it needs !!
Yes please! Haha thank you!
I'm on-board! Thanks!
True dat
On 5:42
You are looking like warewolf
*This is now my favorite channel*
😸
Episode 4 is excellent.
Just passed class 2! I’m glad to know I’m not the only one who’s doing No Sleep Saturday’s haha
I'm also a college student ,majoring in computer science in China，your video inspire me to be brave to do the things i like
I attended VFS where I studied Character animation in Maya 3d 10 years ago. graduated and never got a job...It was the biggest regret of my life. because of the cost. Hi hopes never paid off. And they boasted of getting people work right out the door. its now the year 2020 and we are smack dab in Covid lockdown. So I timidly decided to go back on my old workstation. And you know I'm rediscovering that I actually love animating. I want to pick it back up again, just for myself this time. I'm older wiser and not under the pressure of 'landing' the big job anymore I just want to learn at my own pace and get good on my own. Not sure if A.M is the way I will go. but your videos have encouraged me greatly. thanks Sir Wide. keep it up. ps.Bottom line wish I had studied with AM instead.
Are you familiar with HitRECord?
These episodes are so inspirational man! I'm currently doing iAnimate at the moment and learning so much day in and day out. Hoping to go to CTN this year aswell for my first time. Can't wait to start job hunting once online education is complete !
That's awesome! I'm going to be doing a video later this year about getting ready for CTN and how to prep, hopefully that will help! =)
how's ianimate and Jason ryan?
Just checked out the animation mentor website and it sounds right up my alley tbh! Just wish the install payment could be split more than 6 months apart. I’ll have to save up a bit
AM just posted a link to this series today on Facebook, so that's how I found you today.
Thanks wade ....was really struggling where to take classes from, I dint know animation mentor .You are the light !
sharing for sharing your experience
Use reference to get the foundation/body mechanics of the performance down, THEN you can go off if it and exaggerate and play around. Once you know what the rules actually are, it’s a lot easier to break them effectively.
Canada College, small world! You're the up and coming Ms. Doubtfire with that performance.. Great videos, keep em coming, thanks!
ianimate student here, workin' through advanced body mechanics. More power to you, man. Big fan of your channel. I had the same reservations about a university animation program.
How do you like ianimate? I'm going through AM but I'm curious what the other schools were like as I heard they were just as good.
Deserve a Million subs!! Out of the box.. I learned a lot from this! I subscribed to Ms. Jessica love her videos and I'm a Filipino😂
Thank you for supporting both of us! Appreciate you watching! =D
I APPLIED YESTERDAY!!! THIS IS WHAT I WANT TO DO
I hope it's going great for you, btw do they ask for any qualifications or diplomas for entry or is it you apply and wait until they accept?
Hello!
How was it?
@@KyryloZhukov-i1c It was an awesome experience. Everyone is so helpful, mentors and other students alike. I recommend this program if this is the path you want to take in life
Such a motivating video! :)
Really admire and appreciate this. Every one of your videos are helpful. I have a teen daughter very interested in being an animator and on her way to SCAD. This really had us thinking.
Thankyou again!
I'm glad I can help! I just posted a Q&A from UA-cam comments and I'll have one or two more coming this week, maybe there will be some useful info for you guys!
I wish I saw this vid before I went to SCAD. Not that I don't love SCAD, but every night I hear the screaming of my financial future
I am thinking about going to OCAD and its similar to SCAD but in Canada can you plz tell me how it is to go there and do you think its worth it to go
Sir Wade Neistadt Would you recommend the AM payment options or did you get a private loan Hope it’s not too personal. Just wondering on how I should go about this.
Sir please i want to learn about Animation but i don`t know which of the classes i will connect with sir?
I'm trying to decide whether I should try to get into CalArts or AnimationMentor...
Well Animation Mentor is WAY cheaper, so there's that hahaha. I thought about the same thing but there was no way I was going to get accepted into CalArts. Give it a shot! Apply for both! See what happens and which door opens for you! If you can choose between them, weigh the options, but you've got to start by applying!
Best video I’ve seen
“And since I used to do parkour” BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA. That threw me off, amazing haha.
Hello, I'm a bit confused haha,
I went into the Animation Mentor page and found myself on a place were you choose between programs and courses.. whats the difference? and for example when I click on courses and click on character animation there are bunch of different tabs like Animation basics, character mechanics ect and all of them are individual I suppose and cost money individually. I just thought this would be like college where you sign up for the term and get all the information in one during the semester or whatever.
Thanks
The animation course is 6 classes. Intro to animation, Body mechanics, Advanced Body mechanics, Intro to acting, Advanced Acting and Polish. You pass all those and you become alumni. Workshops are stand alone classes that aren't graded and are just for your learning. You don't need to pass one to advance to another. However each class is pay as you go because not everyone can crash through the whole course in one sitting.
@@Ouchimoo Did the prices go up or something..? To my understanding there are 6 courses and each costs 2,500$. So at the end the cost would be 15,000$?
Thats quite a lot :/
Did I understand it right or am I doing something wrong?
@@ricardop.l9230 Yeah that's the cost. it's pretty expensive but I haven't looked up University prices so I suspect their much cheaper than that.
I'm 16 years old and I've been debating whether I want to become an animator or not mainly due to me being afraid that I will not have what it takes. However after watching these videos I have gain a bit of confidence. Should a beginner like myself, go straight to Animation Mentor after high school ?
5 year later, did you start to animate?
Maybe this is a stupid question to ask but do they actually teach you how to do all of this stuff or they just give you your homework and you have to figure out by yourself how to do everything ? 😧
It's both. First there's weekly videos as wells as supplemental videos. That is, if you are inclined to watch them every week. Most of what you learn is straight from the Mentor. You get about 6-8 to chose from each class which ranges anywhere from action video game style, to very cartoony, to VFX super detailed realistic animation.
There's a Q&A each week where the mentor will talk about either how to animate, or what it's like at a studio, or reasons to why you animate something in such an such a way. Followed by weekly critiques were the mentor will steer you in the right direction.
Be totally honest, I've learned much more in 6 months than in the several years I tried teaching myself.
Yes interested
This is so help ❤️❤️❤️ I always wanted to be animator but we don’t have great schools in the philippines
ateneo de naga offers a digital animation course.
equalize the volume of each clip so that a constant listening volume can be maintained.
thank you for sharing ur animation stories and ur dream how u got ur dream job... most of them says there is nothing in these video bt for me there is lots... u teaches me how to become an animator... n really thank you for inspiring us... towards animation... I dn knw about others bt I m really really inspired by u n I m also going to worked hard and make my dream come true to become animator like you... thank you sooooo much...
i hope you reach your dream!
You're very welcome! And thank you for watching!! I really hope this continues to inspire you and helps guide you to doing what you love!
Thank you!
It’s so TRUE! I was so underprepared when I left SCAD. And I think that’s hurt me getting in the industry to this day! 😭
You are amazing 🤩
Sounds like a dream come true! How much time did you spend weekly on Animation Mentor's assignments and classes?
Not as much as I should have! Haha when I was slacking off, I did a lot of my assignments starting Friday evenings around 7pm, and worked until probably 11am on Saturday, took a nap, and resumed from 4pm on Saturday until about 11am on Sunday when I would export and upload for the Sunday noon deadline.
If I was excited and focused, I would probably maintain that same type of schedule, but I'd start on Wednesday.
It would have been better to allocate like 6 hours a day each day from Tuesday through Friday, and then maybe 10 hours or an all-nighter on Saturday if I really needed to push my work.
I was also relatively fast for that level of experience, and I knew Maya pretty well. That's all also because I work a lot better at night, and under pressure- and I had a full-time job =P
GOOD Vibes GOOD LUCK GUYS
Awesome videos! Thanks for taking the time to make them. I have always loved animation and I'm looking into Animation Mentor. My experience is limited right now. I know you had mentioned that you were working full time when you took A/M but are the Animation Mentor classes during the day or evenings? I am trying to see if they would work for someone like me who works full time during the day with a family of 5. Thanks again for taking the time to make these videos and answer questions!
They can be either- you get to choose your mentor and time slot based on availability :) There were terms I had an 8am class, others where I did it at 9pm. Some people in other timezones were awake at 4am for theirs. As far as the family- I know a ton of people who have kids or families that go through the program, so I can't really give advice but I know it is possible! It's just about really cutting out the wasted leisure time in a day and spending that time working on animation to get the most out of the experience :) You can do it!!!
i need to get into an animation school one day.....
keep it up. i like the series so far. waiting for episode 5.....and 6.....and 7 and so on
You've got some great mechanics shots on your channel, I really like the first shot on your reel with the guy sliding behind the barricade! Very organic. You're doing great especially if you haven't gone to school for it! I think a school like AM may give you the final push you need if that's what you want to do! They also have advanced placement if they determine you don't need to start at the beginning! Thanks so much for watching! Episode 5 will come soon! ;)
thank you very much. as soon as i'm capable of finishing high school i will enter an animation school. was thinking AM or Animschool. only time can tell
Oh man, you're only in high school?? Dude, you're going to be an awesome animator. I vote Animation Mentor, I bet you'll get hired so quick!
im 18. working as a deckhand (donald duck) and going back to finish school. so not a whole lot of time to animate, but i take what i can
sir did you get to use to animate the flour sack or you didn't animate flour sack (pardon my English) please reply
Hello! Thank you for this video. Would you still recommend AM today as I heard that it is somewhat oversaturated now?
If you're still active on youtube - do you think you could do animation mentor (well) and college at the same time? I kind of want to complete a four year college program, perhaps at Art Institute or a public school with as good a program as I can find. Is animation mentor just too time consuming to try two things at once, even if some projects could overlap?
Also a great question- this one is answered in the next Q&A I'm posting because the one that went up today got to be long enough. So this answer coming soon!
the sad thing is that i am from greece.So i just dont have acces to any of these events(i am still 14, keep that in mind) the good thing is that i can find the money to travel to america (altough this is going to be tough ). Do you think it is worth for me to raise the money just for ctn or should i just stick to animation mentor??? What do you think i should do??
I don't think you need to save up specifically for CTN - a few years ago it may have been worth raising the money for, but these days there's SO MUCH you can learn and access online, from people to lessons and workshops. So if you want to learn animation, focus on learning and practicing. The opportunities will come with time and experience :) You don't need to fly all the way to the US to get a job, or anything like that. Plus there are several animation-focused events in the EU that pop up! That'll be much more affordable and convenient :)
@@SirWade OMG you replied! Thank you sooo much for the advic. Your channel is very helpful in general!
Great video! I'm starting Animation Mentor this winter, and I'm super pumped about it! Question: How do you recommend I choose an instructor? Disney is my dream studio, so should I pick an instructor who works/has worked there? Do you recommend anyone in particular? And, is it possible that your instructor will help you get a job with the studio they are working for?
Hello Sir Wade! first off, I subscribed to you. Second I want to be an animator for youtube, but I really don't have any experience with it, do you have any advice for a beginner animator like me? And I watched one of your video's where you created the 3D character and putted the model into a photo and made it realistic I also want to do that too!
Hey Sir wade. I am leaning toward Animschool over Animation mentor because of the cost difference. I understand that cost isn't everything and if AM was a better school it would be better for me to go to the better school. I understand you went to AM and was hoping you could help me understand why I should pick AM over Animschool. Thanks! I checked to see if you had a video on this but didn't see anything. Animschool looks to cost about 5k less, so it isn't a HUGE expense more. Thanks!
How much knowledge did you have when it came to drawing ? I’m very much interested in animation but can not draw to save my life - any suggestions?
I don't suppose there's something similar to Animation Mentor for modellers? It's been just over 5 years since I've graduated from my university course in Animation and I'm still pushing myself to build my skills and portfolio. I'm in the UK and the competition here, as well as most places is stiff. It's really my passion for it that has kept me going through the past few years. Really need something to give me a boost and finally help me with my career. More than anything I miss being around fellow creatives.
There's this course in AnimSchool: www.animschool.com/CharacterProgram.aspx
But, I‘m sorry I live in Luxembourg where we have a totally different system for school and all. So this is an online course? How exactly do you get to learn everything? By videos? I‘m sorry of thise ridiculous questions, but animation is my dream and this seems like a possibility I can access.. I would love to do it.. Thanks so much! Great video as always!
It is an online course. Many of my peers are from different countries.
How much did you know about animation before you started at AM? What software should I start learning? I know only Maya and Zbrush and Substance Painter at the moment - For an animator
Hello! I’m a beginner in Animation I’ve started to learn it because I love it what do suggest me to get a mentor or focus on something every week ? 🙏🏾
! that jump at 6:17
Can animation mentor be used in replacement of a bachelor's degree or is it a Supplement?
You don't need a degree to do animation, you just have to prove your abilities :)
How long did the whole animation mentor take you?
Is a degree necessary of is your portfolio more important?
Portfolio, 100%
Hi! I've been thinking about applying to animation mentor but I have been off and on about my decision. I'm currently still in college for animation, but I've only completed 2 years. When is the best time to apply for animation mentor? Do you suggest that I start now or wait until I get my degree?
where is kenyatta college located at ?am from kenya just womdering
Thanks for sharing this videos. I was thinking of animation mentor. But i was having my doubts. I just got one question. How likely will you get hired applying to any studio. Like once you graduate from animation mentor and everything. Do they have like internship for you. Or what?
Hey sorry for asking this but did you take out a loan in order to be in animation mentor or did you do a payment plan? I'm currently applied for animation mentor summer program in animation basics but I'm really not sure how I'm going to pay for it. I do also work and I plan to save as much as i can before the program starts but what was the best action for you? plus I would really like to go through the whole program straight through.
Hi sir thanks for good information.I wanted to know if it's possible to learn Maya by myself yourself?
It's possible, but sooooooooo much easier to learn by being taught- I tried to self-teach but found that taking a class was a much better use of time. I teach Maya in case you ever have questions :D
Sir Wade Neistadt thanks. I have another question. Right now i don't have computer. And I'm confused whether i should watch tutorials on UA-cam to kind of learn the basics or wait until i bought a computer? What is your suggestion? 🙏🙏🙏
How did you go about affording all these? Is it possible to get a student loan or did u save up after ur burger job and help from ur parents
Do you get some kind of degree after finishing the animator mentor? Ne can you start there as a beginner or would you recommend also. College degree?
is their a class every day and what if you miss it ? which degree do you get after the completion of the whole animation mentor character animation course ? how is the exposure ? also , do they select limited people or anyone who wants to join can join the school ?
They have live classes once a week- you get to select the day/time that's going to work best for you from the available slots that different mentors have- you don't want to miss it otherwise you have to ask your classmates. But the actual animation lectures are in video form and you can watch those as much as you want! You get a certificate for finishing, but no degree- degrees aren't needed in animation. Exposure to jobs is great, all the mentors work in studios and have a lot of experience to help guide and advise you! Anyone can join the school, but you need to demonstrate that you've learned the material and successfully completed the assignments to progress through the courses :)
Sir Wade Neistadt hey, your video is really helpful. I am thinking of being an animator but the problem is that I have a full time job. There is no details of how the course will progress or what time the classes are on the AM website. I am from India so there's the problem of time zone as well. Are the classes flexible? I mean can you learn on saturdays and sundays coz those days i can dedicate a lot of time. AM sent me a time planner n according to it, i have to squeeze out atleast 10 hrs a week. I can do 6-7 hrs on weekend. so is the course plausible?
Will i need to know how to model and render to join this class?
Not at all!
would you say this is better than a 4 year degree in animation financially? what are the chances of finding work?
ive been drawing for years and have always wanted to be an animator for games. I tend to thrive more in drama/action/violence type of animations. I've been teaching myself blender, sculpting, animating, rigging etc. I understand that blender is not the industry standard but do you think it gives me an edge since I'm comfortable with key framing poses?
I'm 28 and don't have a lot of money. i can't afford to make mistakes. it's something I always wanted to do but I had to go into medical assisting because that was a "stable career choice" but I can't even find work without experience. so I've had to settle working as a sales associate and office worker which both only pay me min wage and noo benefits. literally all my free time goes to learning blender and how to animate because I want this so bad. I'm just afraid of ending up jobless or homeless because money is a huge thing for me.
I'd say that AM is 1000% a better financial investment than a 4yr university if you put in the time. I know so many people who went and got a 4-year degree, only to sign up for Animation Mentor afterwards because their degree didn't get them nearly close enough to get a job. Obviously it's not a guarantee that you're going to get work afterwards, but I don't think there's a better place to get the training to prep you. If you are looking to get into games, they have a games animation workshop. You should give them a call and ask them all of your questions- The team is super honest and they won't try to trick you into anything, if you just want more information they'll be able to answer probably all of your questions :)
@@SirWade thank you for that insight. I really appreciate it.
I want to know more but how much is it for the Year and a half
I'm so unsure! I don't know if a bachelor and master degree would be necessary for me to get a job in animation or if a portfolio would suffice and if animation mentor is enough. With the time, would it be possible to have animation mentor and be studying animation at the same time? Would that even be recommendable?
I'm just finding out about animation mentor now so that puts a whole new element into my future plans.
Bachelor and master's is not at all necessary. A bachelor should be enough but college education in general is not necessary to get hired. Only your demo counts.
But take this with a grain of salt I'm not knowledge incarnate
ahh finally!
Sorry to keep you waiting! =D
How do you feel about Lynda.com?
the thing called CTM u have to go in other countries to meet people face by face or its just a video or skype meetup??
CTN :) It's here in the US, by Los Angeles. It's an actual physical 3-day event/convention about animation/storyboarding/character design/illustration/etc.
It's an amazing place to network and learn new things! A lot of people also sell their prints and stuff like that.
ok, man, what about cinema 4d; is it also good for character rigging, animating, and texturing incase i do not have Autodesk Maya
Try Blender. C4D is mostly for motion graphics
Hi Sir Wade :) Thank you so much for all the info!!!! I was wondering if you think the cost of it was manageable ? Do you know if this school takes financial aid ? And did you meet any classmates that worked remotely from another state ? I’m looking forward to applying but I’m a little intimidated. :P
Sir. I can't even afford animation mentor fees.....any other option or suggestions ?
Someone should answer Sakib's question.🙇🙇
Hey, I'm considering taking the Maya workshop. I'm a complete beginner when it comes to animation and working with computer programs in general. I noticed one of the eligibility requirements was "have intermediate general computer software skills." I'm not entirely sure what that entails. I know this video is years old, but I was hoping for some advice from anyone who may read this. I just don't want to sign up, only to be completely behind from the start. To anyone who may take the time to read and respond to this, thank you in advance.
Basically it’s just telling you that you’ll be learning 3D software so you’re expected to be able to keep up with the general computer stuff, and to be a proactive learner
@@SirWade Thank you for responding. I really appreciate it. Now I have some peace of mind about all this.
I'm 14 almost 15 and I want to do animation when I get older... I've been using blender for 2 years now with intros and I was wanting to start character animation, am I able to start anination mentor at my age?
I think so, but they'll definitely have that info if you call to ask some questions! :D They're super friendly!
Sir Wade Neistadt thank you so much for the help :)
Ya fellow Minnesotan!
i wish i can afford at ANIMATION MENTOR... i really want to learn animation 😥😥 but i trust myself i can learn ❤️
❤❤❤
I'm wondering, can anyone just get into animation Mentor without experience? how did you learn before hand getting into Animation Mentor? was it hard the admission process?
Im only 14 but Im considering this since I truly find it fascinating and Im doing online tutorials for now.
Thank you for your help
I was actually very surprised there wasn't a litmus test for getting into AM. It was basically write a quick essay to why you want to go to this school. And no you don't need prior experience, I think they just want to make sure you have a passion for it.
Is this good for people who just starting out on the way to become an animator ?
Absolutely!!
Hey, Fellow Minnesotan here! I'm hopefully going to pass Intro to acting next week ':D What part of Minnesota were you at?
I was wondering if this also applies to 2D animation as well?
My uni does the same, but one thing my teacher not do is don't animated from the footage.
Do they teach modeling or just rigging ?
Neither, they focus on character animation 🙂 There's a storyboarding workshop though I think
which is better from your point of view I animate or animation mentor
I'm biased, I love Animation Mentor and it definitely worked for me, so that's my recommendation- but I've never done iAnimate, I have friends that did though :)
I have a bit of a weird question... How much face-to-face (via Skype or whatever) interaction does Animator Mentor require? For example, I know that some animation schools require students to record themselves acting, etc., which sounds like a bit of a nightmare to me;-)
If I were to start animation mentor would I have to pay for the maya software? Sorry for so many questions this is just my dream xD
Maya is free for a student license, so even if you can't afford Animation Mentor right now you can still download Maya and start practicing the basics! Check out my Animation Q&A video for the link to the page :)
Sir Wade Neistadt alrighty thank you so much I will be doing this :)
Am i allowed to make an account to get maya, at my age? (14) Im sorry for so many questions
Nvm on the site its asking where i enrolled from, so ill just keep trying to learn animation in blender for now and when i get older i might start animation mentor or scad college :(
Sorry I missed this comment! You can still install Maya even though you aren't in college- if you go through the steps to get the educational software, just answer the questions and pretend you're in one of the colleges it lets you pick. It won't ask for any kind of college email account or anything :)
Did you learn animation in any institute
Does this course teach how to rigg models or they're all already rigged and modeled? Sorry for bad English, I'm Italian
Your English is great as far as I can tell! Don't worry :) Animation Mentor only teaches how to animate the rigs, they're already rigged and modeled- but I know there are other programs or classes that do teach rigging.. I'm not sure what they are, but I know they do exist!
Thank you very much for the answer!You' re one of the few youtubers who really cares about his subscribers :D
You're welcome!! Thanks for watching! :D
Do you get Maya free with animation mentor?
It's free for all students 🙂
3 years
Can animation mentor work for blender?
The classes use maya but the lessons and principles of animation can be applied to any 3d program.
sir wade.. I wanna know your opinion.. is it okay if I just join the animation program? anyway your vid encourage me ^^
because I don't even have any experience in doing any video like u did back then .. I only love to draw , create my own character and stories too
sorry my eng is kinda crap
Absolutely! Jump into animation! You don't have to have any background or experience in anything to get started. I'm putting some info for you in the new Q&As I'm posting this week, starting with today's episode! Let me know if you have any more questions =)
11:09 (old) Male character reacts like, this coffee sucks. but i think old one is a rough animation or key poses.
Man I wish you were my animator :(
8:03
I almost died☹
This was so inspiring! Thank you so much. I'm currently a new student at animation mentor, and was wondering if you'd have any tips. I barely know Maya, so this is a huge leap of faith for me! Hope to someday in the future have an awesome success story to share like you. :)
Thanks for watching! And congrats on joining the AM family! As far as tips, let's see... I don't know your level, but wherever you are in your journey- put in the hours and work hard at it if this is what you want to do!
Do what you can to get through the entire program, it only gets better and more helpful the further you get. I'd definitely recommend watching the critiques of other students from their mentors- if you're in class 1, watch a bunch of critiques from other class 1 mentors to see what kinds of notes other people are getting in case they may apply to you!
Talk to your classmates! Be part of the community. Try to continue the Google Hangouts sessions after class and get to know your peers! This gets even more important as you get further along and you all start to be able to really push each other and give great feedback and tool tips.
And if you have any Maya questions (or any other questions in general), let me know!! I teach Maya at DreamWorks, and I'll be launching an independent Maya workshop in the next month or two- but I'm always to share tips or tool help if I can!