This Saturday Morning!

This Saturday morning at 11 AM, animator Scott T. Petersen, who worked in films such as The Iron Giant, Space JAM, The Prince of Egypt, The Lion King 1 1/2 and much-much more, will be sharing in a LIVE interactive workshop his secrets of finding inspiration and motivation as an animator. Register for this very rare opportunity to learn from a master. Cost is only $15. Sign up    HERE!

Interview with Scott

His IMDB

Scott's figure drawing lesson!

His DVD training series

Footage of his work and his animation company

Friday is here everyone! So... have you signed up for our Master Lecture with 3D Character Animator, Jeff Schanz yet?? 

Join us tomorrow at 11AM PST, for chance to learn from an industry professional as he demonstrates how to perfect your walk cycles...using this character beauty, Lucy! Just don't make her mad! http://www.virtualanimators.com/index.php/sign-up/lecture-series-sign-up

Attend a Master Lecture with

Jeff Schanz     Animator

Jeff has always been interested in animation from childhood days of watching cartoons, to originally striving to be a comic strip cartoonist.

Jeff majored in drawing from the University of Florida in 1990, and later got his Masters in computer animation from Savannah College of Art & Design. Between degrees, he worked as a glass-cutting artist, a silhouette artist, and a damascene artist in several Disney theme parks, in Florida, Anaheim, and Tokyo, before finally realizing his dream to be an animator.Professionally, he has worked on a combination of feature films, video games, and theme park attractions. His films include Paul, John Carter, Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor, Stealth, and iRobot. His video games include Medal of Honor: Warfighter, Uncharted 3, Darksiders, and Star Wars: Kinect. His theme park attractions include "Monsters Inc. Laugh Comedy Club," "Stitch Encounter", and "Turtle Talk With Crush".

On September 14th at 11 AM PST, Jeff will be sharing in a LIVE interactive lecture his secrets and techniques for styled, feature quality animation. Register for this very rare opportunity to learn from a master. Cost is only $15. Space is limited. Sign up HERE.

IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/find?q=Jeff+Schanz&s=all

JSchanz VA reel 2012 from Jeff Schanz on Vimeo.

There is still time to sign up and register to be a part of our upcoming Master Lecture with veteran animator, Tom Sito. He has been called a "key figure in the Disney Renaissance", and one of the "100 Most Important People in Animation." (Animation Magazine, Nov. 1998)

You're invited to join us! View the link for more details.http://conta.cc/1ap7nbq

**Pop quiz!**

....Would anyone like to guess our newest guest to be featured for a Master Lecture next Saturday?

Hint (actually a BIG hint):
Hollywood Animator since 1975 for Walt Disney, DreamWorks, Hanna & Barbera, Warner Bros, Fox. 32 movies. Screen Credits include: Beauty and the Beast (1991), Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988), The Little Mermaid (1989), Aladdin ( 1992), The Lion King (1994), Shrek (2001), Yogi Bear (2012), TV Shows- He Man and the Masters of the Universe(1983), SheRa Princess of Power (1995). Awarded the June Foray Award by ASIFA/Hollywood (2011) for a lifetime of service to the animation community. He is currently a Professor of Cinema Practice, The School of Cinematic Arts at The University of Southern California.

Shout out if you know!

VIRTUAL ANIMATORS announces: CONCEPT DEVELOPMENT - CHARACTER DESIGN and CHARACTER ANIMATION webinars.
http://www.virtualanimators.com/index.php/master-lecture-series/webinar-series

FOUR DIFFERENT WEBINARS OF ONE HOUR PER WEEK DURING 12 WEEKS. DESIGNED TO INSTRUCT AN ENTIRE PROGRAM IN EACH CATEGORY. INSTRUCTION BEGINS, AUGUST 2013, DATE AND TIME TO BE ANNOUNCED.
SPACE IS LIMITED. ENROLL NOW

Concept Development and Environmental Design - Sean Sullivan
http://vimeo.com/69677194
This course will teach you how to establish environmental concepts using perspective rules. The workshop takes you step-by-step to the creation of conceptual designs environments and cityscape sketches and comps.


Character Design - Len Simon
http://lensimon.com/
http://vimeo.com/59364221
This course focuses on techniques to design characters and the creative process to achieve the desired goals. You will understand the concepts of clarity and shape variation, and other important principles and elements of design. As a character designer you are the casting director. You will learn how to design characters with and approach to Feature animated films and animated television productions.

Character Animation 1 - Jeff Schanz
http://vimeo.com/70262650
This course will introduce you to the study of traditional Principles of Animation. These principles were developed in the 1930's at the Walt Disney studios to make animation, especially character animation, more realistic and entertaining. These principles will be applied to the learning of animation as 3D computer animation. The learning plan includes short cuts and techniques on how to animate using 3D models in Maya, which is the software of choice for animation.

Character Animation 2 - with Kathy Zielinski
http://vimeo.com/59988146
http://vimeo.com/69677194
This course is designed for animators with previous animation experience. For those who understand the Principles of Animation but want to advanced their understanding on how to breathe life into the characters with personality, creating the illusion of thought, emotion by depicting actions that are driven by the character's emotions and idiosyncrasies. This course teaches concepts and techniques using 3D models in Maya, which is the software of choice for animation. ** Please submit a reel to demonstrate such proficiency and to receive the approval of the course instructor to be enrolled.

This Saturday Morning!

This Saturday morning at 11AM, Pascal Campion, creative artist who works for DreamWorks, Disney, MTV, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, Hulu, and PBS, will be sharing in a LIVE interactive workshop his secrets and techniques of creating his award winning artwork. Register for this very rare opportunity to learn from a master. Cost is only $15. Sign up HERE 

The beauty and fantastic creations of Pascal Campion are unfolding before us! Here's another great masterpiece he just completed this morning by the award-winning Illustrator! 

"Alaskan Vacation"

Be there live as he gives a wonderful lecture on "Lighting, Mood and Atmosphere". 

Registration is filling up FAST! Sign up to reserve your spot!http://conta.cc/13xj2CX

Welcome back, PASCAL!

Virtual Animators is proud and honored to invite you to join us for a Master Lecture with the incredible PASCAL CAMPION!

Pascal has the unique ability to create timeless concepts and illustrations that travel beyond the heart and enter the soul. His use of color, lighting, and characters help enrich his artwork with beauty and wonder. With this lecture, we will take an inside look and learn exactly how he crafts and creates his jaw-dropping works of art.

If you wish to share your questions and comments with Pascal, HERE's YOUR CHANCE!  


Mark your calendars for this one-of-a-kind event! PASCAL will be here online live Saturday JULY 13th at 11AM PST.

http://www.virtualanimators.com/index.php/master-lecture-series/lecture-series-sign-up

Just....wow....

A New Guest for JULY!

Guess who's coming on board for an online Master Lecture with us??? 

Back by popular demand, we are happy and proud to welcome PASCAL CAMPION in July! 

Date and Time TBA! Stay tuned!

Spend your Saturday morning with us! We are proudly hosting a Master Lecture with James Lopez with a new time and date! 

Register here to attend the online meeting!http://conta.cc/15wlzrJ

Saturday, June 22, 2013; was a great day, we had an amazing lecture about acting, research and video referencing to get an animated scene in top performance with disney animator David Block. Experience and the guidance of an expert truly makes a huge difference in your career path. Congratulations to those who had the privilege to attend. Highlights of the session coming up, and a link to the entire session to those who were in attendance.

Thank you David Block...you made Virtual Animators rock!

Registration closes tonight at 12AM PST for our Master Lecture with David Block! He is an animator who has worked on many animated features. David has refined his acting skills and will show you how to do your preliminary homework before you start animating a scene!

He has presented this lecture at many established art schools and just recently at Disney Feature Animation!

Learn from the best! Be sure to sign up and register soon!

http://t.co/8Blt4bJJzE

Fellow Animator, Nik Ranieri, shared a wonderful photo of how live action reference was used during the making of Disney’s beloved film “The Little Mermaid” with the help of a very familiar face!

Take a look!

One of the things they used to do on these films was to shoot live action reference for the animators to study. This video was not rotoscoped. It was merely used to help with certain movement and drawing problems. Because it wasn’t meant to be traced, some of the crew were used as stand-ins for characters not deemed necessary for live action reference. Here’s Sherri Stoner as Ariel with Glen Keane helping out.

Next up! We have Animation Director, DAVID BLOCK who will be stopping by to give us a Master Lecture on “Acting and Live Action Reference for Animation”.

Coming Saturday, June 22nd at 11AM PST!

His long list of credits can be found here! http://www.davidblockart.com/resume.php
Coming Saturday, June 22nd at 6PM PST.

Mark your calendars! Registration w

ill open soon for this online event!

We are dedicated to bring you quality instruction and Master Lectures to help inspire and bring you to the next level in the your artistic skills! 

Registration is still OPEN for our Master Lecture with JAMES LOPEZ Saturday, June 15 @ 2PM! Register here!http://conta.cc/ZjKUbg

Who remembers this little guy? That fiesty little “pain” to the miser of the underworld?

We welcome the Supervising Animator for “Pain” JAMES LOPEZ, to our Master Lectures tomorrow night! His lecture on "Pitching a film project" is well organized with visual material and plenty of inspiration! 

Who knows? We may even see YOUR work up here someday! 

(James Lopez-Supervising Animator of Pain from Disney’s “Hercules”)

Check out the incredible and amazing animation from Disney’s “The Princess and the Frog” by veteran animator, James Lopez. This is just a sample of the incredible work he has produced...

We are honored to have him join us Saturday June 8th at 6PM PST for a one-of-a-kind Master Lecture! 

Registration is still open! Visit our webiste for more info and registration www.virtualanimators.com

http://vimeo.com/10848217

Disney animator, James Lopez, is such a fan of the 1974 Disneyland attraction "America Sings" that he’s taken the soundtrack and has been spending his spare time – over a ten year period – creating a private 2D version of it.

Here’s his work-in-progress. It’s partially in pencil, but well worth a watch!


http://vimeo.com/45136294

June is just around the corner! Virtual Animators is proud to present this next months line up of talented, reputable artists in the business. 

Presenting for your instruction!!

Lead Animator for Disney for 15 years, JAMES LOPEZ, Saturday, June 8th at 6PM PST! Check out his imdb!http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0520084/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1
He will present a Master Lecture on how to present the perfect pitch for a film project!

Coming Saturday, June 22nd at 6PM PST, Animation Director and Animator for numerous studios, DAVID BLOCK! His long list of credits can be found here! http://www.davidblockart.com/resume.php
He will present a Master Lecture on how to use Live Action Reference in Animation!

Mark your calendars! Registration will open soon for these online events!

We are in Week#5 of instruction in Character Design and Concept Development! These online lectures have been an affective form of instruction, as we have heard from our participants! 

This week in Character Design, Len will be covering the topic of Drapery and Hair! 

(artwork by Glen Keane, provided byhttp://keaneart.tumblr.com/page/13)

How do you animate personality you ask?...well, using gesture poses, exaggeration and acting the personality and don’t forget; a good sense of animation timing. 

Where do you learn that? Well..right here! 

See for yourself..Len Simon just gave a two hour demonstration on the subject!

**ANNOUNCEMENT**

The Concept Development/ Environmental Design webinar with Sean Sullivan has been moved to Monday, April 29th at 6PM and will continue Thursday April 2nd at 6PM.

Due to this change, this means there is still time to sign up for Concept Development instruction with Sean Sullivan!

Register is made easy through our website. We hope to see you all there!

http://virtualanimators.com/index.php/master-lecture-series/webinar-series

ANNOUNCEMENT
If you had problems signing up from the Constant Contact invitation you received, don’t worry. That issue is now resolved. You will be allowed to sign up through our website by tomorrow afternoon. Please go to: http://www.virtualanimators.com/ 

Signing up for The Webinar Series is still open.
Each course is separate and the cost is $200.00 each.
All courses are12 weeks long, with ONE our session of progressive learning each week. One homework assignment will beannounced on the first session in each live video session,
but will only be reviewed and critiqued on the last session(Week 12)

Schedule of all sessions is as follows:


Intro Character Animation with Jeff Schanz on Saturdays 3pm-4pm PST
Character Animation with Kathy Zielinski on Tuesdays 7pm-8pm PST
Concept Development/Environmental Design with Sean Sullivan Thursdays 6PM-7PM
Character Design with Len Simon-Wednesdays at 7PM

*Please note that participants enrolled in Character Animation with Kathy Zielinski MUST attend Intro Character Animation with Jeff Schanz to learn how to use the character rig and to download the model we are about to use. Kathy’s class officially begins Tuesday APRIL 30TH at 7PM. Note our LINE UP OF ORIGINAL MODELS for the animation program, will be disclosed and announced as we approach the sign up for the PROFESSIONAL TRAINING WORKSHOPS IN JULY.

Announcing our next very special guest artist for MAY 11th at 6PM! 

Come and join us for an exciting Master Lecture with Visual Designer and Concept artist, BILL PERKINS! 

He has worked as a concept artist, production designer, layout artist, art director and storyboard artist for companies like Walt Disney Feature Animation, Warner Brothers, Dreamworks, ILM, and 9th Ray Studios. His film credits include The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Fantasia 2000, Space Jam, Shrek, and the upcoming John Carter and the Princess of Mars and The Spiderwick Chronicles. Bill is also an accomplished fine artist who brings to life his figurative and plein air paintings.

Registration opens soon! Spread the word!

Come one, come all! The “CTN Animation Road Trip” is in full-swing! 

This is a FREE event to and is part of the Burbank Arts Festival...http://creativetalentnetwork.com/roadtrip_burbank/information.html

Virtual Animators will be there at booth B-41. Come and visit us!
http://creativetalentnetwork.com/roadtrip_burbank/images/exhibitor_floormap.jpg

And here it is! Our Master Lecture with renown artist, Chen-Yi Chang! We had a great time!
http://vimeo.com/63289302

We had an amazing time with the great Chen-Yi Chang, and are honored he stopped by to provide a lecture! He was a hit and had everyone inspired! 

Highlights from his lecture will be posted soon! Stay Tuned!

"Picture in mind real personalities that would cast well for this character, especially actors and actress that you think would have worked for this role, and try to put them down on paper, on your drawings. Find pictures of people or whatever that you think would inspire or you could use, to study, caricature and discover the graphic elements you need to synthesize the character. Not saying that you have to make your design looks exactly like the person you have in mind, but to discover some graphic elements that are unique to that person. Those element that you get from real people will somehow give your design a real and unique feel. Doodle and play with archetypes, shapes and any graphic elements that you discovered, and let that energy between your mind and your hands bounces back and forth.”

-Chen Yi Chang, on Character Design

http://chen-yi-chan-interview.blogspot.com/

**TOMORROW**

Don’t miss out on this one-of-a kind opportunity to be a part of our online Master Lecture with Character designer and Visual Development artist, Chen-Yi Chang!

We still have some spots available! Come and join us!

To sign up, for Chen Yi's. most amazing lecture, we make it easy for you...we accept all major credit cards and Papal. You can sign up in two different ways:
1-By following the sign up and registration menu in our website: http://www.shadowmotion.com/
2-Or you can do it a lot faster through our Constant Contact sign up link at: http://t.co/iI9hPfB544
Time is runing out, and you have a choice!

Just 4 MORE DAYS until our Master Lecture with Character Designer and Art Director, Chen-Yi Chang! This promises to be a fun-filled lecture you will not want to miss!

To help you sign up in a more efficient way; please follow the link below to our Constant Contact invitation and sign up form. Thank you!

Visual Development with Chen-Yi Chang Constantcontact sign up link: http://t.co/iI9hPfB544

**Announcement!**

There will be a change in our next Master lecture!

Chen-Yi Chang WILL be covering his Master Lecture on CHARACTER DESIGN and briefly covering VISUAL DEVELOPMENT. 

More to come as this event develops! Be sure to remember to sign up and register! Space is limited!
www.virtualanimators.com

(Chen-Yi’s Early concept designs for Disney’s “Frankenweenie”)