Thank you for your interest in our Animation Course. We are offering a basic animation course that teaches students the broad aspects of how classical animation is organized from starting concept to finished film. Each phase in the production of animation is important and the student must realize that each stage must be correct before being passed on to the next stage -- "You can't expect someone else down the line to correct your mistakes".

We compare classical and computer generated animation. We also use our large video collection to display the concepts discussed in the class. The videos range from documentary to actual animated films and movies. Some of the videos are from international collections to give the student a broader base of styles to choose from when developing their own animation.

Our classes, range from the basic bouncing ball to character design and movement. Most of our emphasis is on the character and how it moves to develop the animation. "First you make the drawing work--then you make it pretty." The emphasis is on moving shapes to make them appear real and have them follow, generally, the laws of physics. The breaking of these laws is usually used to emphasize the point of the animation sequence and the idea of the story.

We have a maximum of 6 students per class. In this way we hope to give our students the time and attention they deserve to understand the basic concepts. In the 3 hour class it guarantees the student time for the lecture, lesson and questions and discussions that are brought up by the lecture and lesson. We have restricted the class to students no younger than 15 years because we feel that they may not have the attention span required for a 3 hour class.

We would also like to be able to help students develop a portfolio that will help them gain entry into a college or university placement. We would like to make sure that they have a portfolio that may place them ahead of other students competing for these positions.

For those students who want to do animation on their own, we hope to give them enough information to be able to continue on their own as independent animators. The course is also designed to teach all students good work habits to carry over into their chosen careers.

The main text chosen for this class is Preston Blair's Cartoon and Animation (1994) along with a series of handouts developed by the instructor. There is also a recommended reading list for those who want to go deeper into the animation process.

I hope this answers your questions. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us again. Allen also has a gallery page if you are interested in seeing some of his illustration work.