Eight New Animators Join Animation Mentor
Press Release from Animation Mentor
Emeryville, CA – October 12, 2010 – AnimationMentor.com (Animation Mentor), the leading online character animation school created by animators for animators, today announces eight new professional animators. Their roster of mentors now totals an average of 90 professional animators.
What makes Animation Mentor truly unique is that students are able to make incredible, lifelong friends while they learn tap into their inner geek. Face to face with their mentors, each person learns the craft of animation from the masterminds behind the movies and games that they love. The 18-month online program is focused 100% on character animation and is designed and taught by some of the industry's top professional animators from top studios. T he mentors, who teach small groups of 10-14 students, are employed at leading studios. The cutting-edge technology Animation Mentor leverages enables mentors to view and critique student work within an online campus forum, and host question and answer sessions that are archived for future reference. In addition to being able to learn directly from top professional animators, students can download lectures on demand by key industry experts on all aspects of production, and socialize in an online campus environment in the same way they would on Facebook.
" We reinvented the way people can get an animation education and created a model for passing on information from the top talent back to the people who are on their way to becoming the next super star," said Bobby Beck, chief executive officer and cofounder of Animation Mentor. "I am incredibly proud of the talent that these individuals bring to our team. The professional expertise and insights of our mentors is what makes our program so valuable and offers students the real-world skills they need to start their career in animation."
About the New Animation Mentors
David Weatherly, DreamWorks Animation SKG
David Weatherly has worked in animation for eight years, including five years in character technical direction and VFX for three years. He has been an animator at DreamWorks Animation SKG for four years where he is currently working on Kung Fu Panda 2. Other DreamWorks Animation films include Flushed Away, Bee Movie, and Monsters Vs. Aliens. Prior to DreamWorks Animation SKG, Weatherly worked at Disney and Industrial Light and Magic (ILM) where he worked on films such as Star Wars II Attack of the Clones, Men in Black II, and Harry Potter 2.
Erik Morgansen, Industrial Light & Magic (ILM)
Erik Morgansen has worked in animation for 13 years. He is currently an animator at ILM where he has worked on feature films such as Avatar, Transformers, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and Star Trek. Prior to ILM, Morgansen animated at Disney where he worked on films such as Meet the Robinsons.
Kevin Freeman, Epic Pursuits, Inc.
Kevin Freeman is a senior level character TD and Animator with over 10 years experience. He has worked on numerous feature films including Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Surf's Up, I am Legend, Open Season, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, Spider-man 2, Spider-man and more.
Matt Garward, LucasArts
Matt Garward has worked in animation for over four years and is also a graduate of Animation Mentor. He is currently a senior animator at LucasArts and has worked on feature films such as The Spiderwick Chronicles (ILM) and The Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (ILM). Today he is currently working on Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2.
Ralph Zondag, White Dragon Entertainment
Ralph Zondag is a veteran film director, animator and storyboard artist. He is well known working with animation. He has most notably worked on such films as We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story, Dinosaur. He owns his own studio, White Dragon Entertainment, and also works as a storyboard artist, animator, and director for companies like Walt Disney Animation Studios, Dreamworks, and Universal.
Emeryville, CA – October 12, 2010 – AnimationMentor.com (Animation Mentor), the leading online character animation school created by animators for animators, today announces eight new professional animators. Their roster of mentors now totals an average of 90 professional animators.
What makes Animation Mentor truly unique is that students are able to make incredible, lifelong friends while they learn tap into their inner geek. Face to face with their mentors, each person learns the craft of animation from the masterminds behind the movies and games that they love. The 18-month online program is focused 100% on character animation and is designed and taught by some of the industry's top professional animators from top studios. T he mentors, who teach small groups of 10-14 students, are employed at leading studios. The cutting-edge technology Animation Mentor leverages enables mentors to view and critique student work within an online campus forum, and host question and answer sessions that are archived for future reference. In addition to being able to learn directly from top professional animators, students can download lectures on demand by key industry experts on all aspects of production, and socialize in an online campus environment in the same way they would on Facebook.
" We reinvented the way people can get an animation education and created a model for passing on information from the top talent back to the people who are on their way to becoming the next super star," said Bobby Beck, chief executive officer and cofounder of Animation Mentor. "I am incredibly proud of the talent that these individuals bring to our team. The professional expertise and insights of our mentors is what makes our program so valuable and offers students the real-world skills they need to start their career in animation."
About the New Animation Mentors
David Weatherly, DreamWorks Animation SKG
David Weatherly has worked in animation for eight years, including five years in character technical direction and VFX for three years. He has been an animator at DreamWorks Animation SKG for four years where he is currently working on Kung Fu Panda 2. Other DreamWorks Animation films include Flushed Away, Bee Movie, and Monsters Vs. Aliens. Prior to DreamWorks Animation SKG, Weatherly worked at Disney and Industrial Light and Magic (ILM) where he worked on films such as Star Wars II Attack of the Clones, Men in Black II, and Harry Potter 2.
Erik Morgansen, Industrial Light & Magic (ILM)
Erik Morgansen has worked in animation for 13 years. He is currently an animator at ILM where he has worked on feature films such as Avatar, Transformers, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and Star Trek. Prior to ILM, Morgansen animated at Disney where he worked on films such as Meet the Robinsons.
Kevin Freeman, Epic Pursuits, Inc.
Kevin Freeman is a senior level character TD and Animator with over 10 years experience. He has worked on numerous feature films including Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, Surf's Up, I am Legend, Open Season, The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe, Spider-man 2, Spider-man and more.
Matt Garward, LucasArts
Matt Garward has worked in animation for over four years and is also a graduate of Animation Mentor. He is currently a senior animator at LucasArts and has worked on feature films such as The Spiderwick Chronicles (ILM) and The Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (ILM). Today he is currently working on Star Wars: The Force Unleashed 2.
Ralph Zondag, White Dragon Entertainment
Ralph Zondag is a veteran film director, animator and storyboard artist. He is well known working with animation. He has most notably worked on such films as We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story, Dinosaur. He owns his own studio, White Dragon Entertainment, and also works as a storyboard artist, animator, and director for companies like Walt Disney Animation Studios, Dreamworks, and Universal.
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