Animation Mentor congratulates its first graduating classes, many graduates have gone on to earn jobs in the animation industry. Below are some Animation Mentor graduates, where they are working now and their experiences at Animation Mentor. Aja Bogdanoff - Psyop  |  Brandon Beckstead - Avalanche Software / Disney  |  Christopher Mullins - Industrial Light & Magic  |  David Sloss - Blue Sky Studios  |   Gordana Fersini - Psyop  |  Jeff Kim - Electronic Arts  |  Jimmy Almeida - Industrial Light & Magic  |  Joseph Kim - Industrial Light & Magic  |  Mike Stern - Dreamworks Animation  |  Matthew Garward - Industrial Light & Magic  |  Miles Southan - Sony Pictures Animation  |  Matthew Strangio - Industrial Light & Magic

By: Aja Bogdanoff When I first decided I wanted to become a character animator, I imagined working on great projects in a cool environment with really awesome co-workers.... and amazingly enough, that's exactly what my first job has been! Getting to spend my day creating performances and bringing characters to life is so incredibly awesome, and I can't believe I get to work on such a cool project straight out of school. I'm so glad I had the opportunity to learn character animation in such a challenging and supportive environment, I wouldn't have gotten this far without it! Thank you! Back to top By: Brandon Beckstead My name is Brandon Beckstead and I was in the first graduating class at Animation Mentor. At this point, I couldn’t be happier. Animation Mentor was even better than I ever could have expected. The critiques and mentor interaction really personalized the experience for me and made it so much more than an animation school. I made friends and contacts in the industry that I will have for a very long time. My skills improved a lot over the six classes and I felt very proud of the work I had to show when I was finished. It was great to see how much I progressed. I received job offers from some of the top film studios in the industry as well as others in the games industry. After deciding to stay close to home and family, I accepted an offer at Avalanche Software/Disney. We are currently making games for Disney animated features yet to be released, as well as some original IP’s. I couldn't think of doing anything else for a living! Back to top By: Christopher Mullins Getting a job at a major studio for me was both a dream realized as well as a wake-up call. When I started at Animation Mentor, I felt that I was at the bottom of a totem pole of very talented people. I struggled as hard as I could to bring my skills up to a level that would be recognized by a major studio. Once I got the job however, I was hit with the reality that even though I had made it through those impassable, ominous front doors, I was once again at the bottom of the totem pole. The talent here is unbelievable and having the chance to work with these giants is equally mind-blowing. I learn so much every time I show my work because there is always some detail that gets caught that I never would have noticed before. As a result, my own eye for detail has become sharper. I don't think it matters where you are or who is paying you, there is no better feeling as an animator than when you can really tell that you are learning and improving every time you come to work. Back to top By: David Sloss At my new job at Blue Sky Studios, I am surrounded by animators who have years of industry experience on movies appreciated by audiences around the world, whose shots in dailies are nothing short of beautiful, and who seemingly pull off the most difficult feats of animation as if they were no more taxing than a gentle stroll through the park. In short, it's an utterly, utterly intimidating experience. And I love it! Animation Mentor prepared me for my new position in many practical ways, but perhaps more important than those, Animation Mentor taught me how to think like an animation artist and in doing so, prepared me for my vocation and not just a job. Animation Mentor taught us that an animator's education never truly ends--there is ALWAYS more to learn and endless sources to learn from, whether it be in the form of your colleagues at XYZ studio, a trip to your favorite art gallery or theater, a conversation with a friend, or even a nerve-jangling visit to the dentist. Everything is up for grabs and that's totally thrilling! Back to top By: Gordana Fersini The Animation Mentor program trained me to do exactly what I am doing now at Psyop in New York -- a character animated commerical short called "World of Coke." Yes, it's true, Animation Mentor trained me on the fundamentals of animating the little people who work inside a Coca-Cola machine. It's hard to imagine a better way to bring together working animators and students from all over the country, to practice the most current techniques & software, and to find out what it's like in studios working on today's productions. My very first shot at my very first job ("Surf's Up" at Sony Imageworks) was very much like my assignments for 18 months at Animation Mentor, so I felt well prepared. Of course, I forgot everything I knew about animation for the first few hours, but the shock of actually getting paid to do this wore off eventually.... The mentors and the students are extremely supportive, and I keep in touch with many of them still. We had a graduation ceremony a few weeks ago where many of us met "offline" for the very first time, and it was strange seeing people I know mostly from forum posts or frame-skipping webcasts. But it was like a great time with old pals. The community is outstanding. It's not easy to sum up in words what the experience has been like, but I think a fellow student at the ceremony put it best: "I've made friends in this school that I expect to keep for the rest of my life."  Back to top By: Jeff Kim I've been working professionally as an animator for about one year. About halfway into the Animation Mentor program, I was able to obtain an animator job at Electronic Arts in Redwood City, CA and I sincerely believe that the skills I learned through Animation Mentor helped me tremendously. The program helped me to break out of self-imposed obstacles that are so common with beginner animators and artists. One of the most important things I learned at Animation Mentor was how to think and feel like an actor, rather than just a keyframer. This school seemed to reinvigorate animation education as an art. On my current job, I try to approach each character animation piece with unique, character-driven focus: this can make the animation cycle have a bit more life in the game. As I continue my new career in animation, I know I will still be a part of this amazing Animation Mentor community; networking is such a vital part of this industry, and the new and growing alumni Animation Mentor community will always be the strong, wind on my back. Back to top By: Jimmy Almeida My name is Jimmy Almeida and I am part of the 1st graduating class of Animation Mentor. I am currently working at ILM on Transformers...and it is AWESOME! Being in film is everything that I hope it would be. I love being able to wake up every morning and come to work knowing that I am going to be doing something I love. In addition to working on a great film at a great company, I have the fortune of sitting next to 3 of the greatest guys...my pals. The cool thing is that we all went to Animation Mentor and now sit right next to each other forming the "AM Quad". Unfortunately our 5th member, was unable to sit close to us, but we still see him just the same. Before Animation Mentor I was a good animator. I had basic training and had a good job at a video game company. But Animation Mentor opened my eyes to part of animation that I didn't realize was there. They gave me structure when there truly wasn't any. I remember when I was just signing up for Animation Mentor and found out that I needed to take all the "basic" classes over again. I contacted Bobby, being the naive animator that I was, and told him, “I have already been through all this. Is there any way I could test out of this?” He replied with a simple, “Trust us and the curriculum we have set out for all students”. He was right. I learned so much by revisiting the basics. AND, I learned more from a simple bouncing ball than I ever thought I could. I put my whole heart into this and Animation Mentor has been by my side the entire trip. I have never felt such a community. They have literally helped changed my life. For this I am extremely grateful. Many thanks guys! :O) Back to top By: Joseph Kim Animation Mentor was priceless to me in helping me learn to be a better animator and artist. When I found out about this amazing course that just taught and specialized in character animation, I was totally hooked. Before doing the course, I never had a method or a structure to my workflow in animation that was consistent. The course really taught me about the real foundations of the art that apply in any medium, and how to use the principles of animation to help make my work more solid and more intentional. The course does an amazing job of preparing you for the studio environment. Through constant presentation of your work, every week, to your mentor and fellow classmates, you are given feedback and critiques on how your animation can be improved. Taking feedback from your mentor is an invaluable learning experience. Not just from an animation point of view, but professionally it encourages you to take on the added responsibility of making changes to your work and keeping a workflow that can deliver the results that ultimately will make you a better artist. It is a method of learning that has helped me and which I apply every day on the project Pirates of the Caribbean 3 at ILM. My experience at Animation Mentor has been a lot of hard work and late nights; I won't lie. It was extremely challenging to complete the short film. But I really think the lessons I learned there changed my workflow and approach to the art form forever. And for that, I treasure my experience there as the most important thing I have done as an artist. Back to top By: Mike Stern Last November I was hired as an animator at Dreamworks Animation to work on the upcoming film "Bee Movie". It's always been a dream of mine to animate for film and I am beside myself to finally have the opportunity. Everything about the job has surpassed my expectations. I find that I am constantly inspired by the level of work being created at the studio. It's great to be able to look back now and reflect on the time I spent in the Animation Mentor program and how it helped me to develop as an artist and prepare me for my job. The program was set up with the students' goals in mind and I think the instructors did a great job of breaking down complex subject matter and making it understandable. The environment was also a big inspiration to me. There is no better motivator than knowing that your work can be seen by over 300 people each week, including some of the best animators in the industry. This, paired with the contagious enthusiasm of my classmates, the mentors and the Animation Mentor staff pushed me to always do my best work. It's exciting to know that there are going to be new shots and new challenges on the way. My plan is to soak up all the knowledge I can, put 100% into every task I am given and continue to grow as an animator. Back to top By: Matthew Garward I still can't believe I'm working on Pirates Of The Caribbean 3 at Industrial Light and Magic. I've been a fan of ILM since Star Wars, and their effects' work was one of the big influences for me when I changed careers to animation. It's an amazing (and surreal) experience working in a building filled with stormtroopers, dinosaurs, and matte paintings from years of films. Even sitting in dailies is a daunting, but really inspiring experience. Apart from teaching me everything I know about animation, I think Animation Mentor really helped me by teaching me how to take direction and work to achieve the director's vision. I also had to learn how to manage my time to meet deadlines, which is now very helpful. Animation Mentor was an unforgettable year-and-a-half, and I feel very fortunate to start my career, with people I "met" in class, at such an inspiring studio. Back to top By: Miles Southan Animation Mentor made it possible for me to be where I am today. Ok, today I'm at home revamping my reel, but a week ago, I was working on the latest Sony Pictures Animation film, "Surf's Up!" I, along with AMers Gordana Fersini and Ray Arnett, was hired for the last three months of production on the film. Although I have experience in commercials, working on a feature project was a totally new and incredibly exciting experience. My animation lead was actually Pete Nash, my third quarter mentor. Being in his class, dealing with his ideas and crits made the transition to working under him professionally much easier. There was nothing I was asked to do at Sony that I hadn't learned about at Animation Mentor. Although more than half of my time was spent animating background characters, I was thrilled to have a handful of cool shots to call my own. On those shots especially, I was very thankful for the training Animation Mentor had provided. Working with high-level rigs like Bishop, I was totally prepared to tackle what might have been overwhelmingly complex rigs. The emphasis placed on viewing your shots in context proved important too. Thank you Bobby, Carlos and Shawn! Thanks to you, my mentors and the Animation Mentor staff, I can now call myself a feature film animator! Back to top By: Matthew Strangio Prior to Animation Mentor, my only "formal" training in animation had come from studying/practicing 2D and 3D animation tests on my own, and taking college elective classes or industry-type training courses in Los Angeles. Looking back, I feel they provided me a good working knowledge of animation at the time, but I'd always felt that my work lacked something. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but to me, it didn't seem that my work had that "punch", you know? Like when you see an animation piece and you say "that person gets it!". My work didn't have that level of quality and attention to detail that I'd seen in many professional reels. It was, at best, very "rough around the edges". So I knew in order to improve, at some point, I would definitely need some guidance from animators who were already working in the industry and were exposed to this higher level of quality - like, at least 8hrs a day, everyday, right?! I knew that in their daily routines at work, they'd have a certain language and vocabulary and "eye" for this stuff, and that they could look at my work and tell me exactly what I was doing wrong, and what I needed to do to improve. So this is where the real value of having industry professional mentors "look over your shoulder" and critique your work, is what made Animation Mentor so valuable to me. Each of the mentors I had, at MANY times throughout EACH the classes, provided me with some feedback, some insight into concepts and practices that I had not even considered before, and vastly helped me to improve my work! Not only from a quality and "smoothing out the edges" standpoint, but also developing better working practices for myself, and giving me an "eye" for critique for my own work and fellow students' work, as well. This is what prepared me for that next step in my animation training, and fortunately allowed me to be in a position to get hired at Industrial Light & Magic. This level of training, I feel, only comes from a system of personal mentorship, and when you throw in a highly supportive and adaptive school environment, the best talent in the industry, it's nearly impossible to not learn and improve your work in Animation Mentor. Honestly, I don't even really know how to put it right now. Don't get me wrong, it's the best fun I've had with work ever and I look forward just to coming in every day, no joke! But I think perhaps when I'm able to go buy a ticket to "Pirates 3" this summer and watch the movie with everyone else, and see how my contributions fit together as the whole of the movie, it'll sink in just how special this experience has been for me. I don't quite get the sense of it right now, because you're always so busy focusing on your particular shot and deadlines and everything, and it's, I guess, a little hard to imagine how it's all going to fit in as a whole. But I've always loved movies and wanted to work on them, so for that much, it's everything I'd hoped it would be! The people here and the environment in which they support artists is really MUCH more than I had anticipated. It's really inspiring to work with so many talented people and see what they're able to come up with! Without a doubt, Animation Mentor provided me the best opportunity to improve as an animator and get me essentially my dream job! I know I don't just speak for myself when I say that it's by far the best school environment I've ever been a part of. And yes, I've been to many good "brick and mortar" schools, and it still holds true. The genuine support, good energy, and encouragement at Animation Mentor, from the founders and staff down, is truly infectious and makes for some of the best people and best students I've had the pleasure to meet and know! I mean, where else can you meet someone from Brazil, or Switzerland, or Australia, or even New York, for the first time, and really feel that they're good friends you just haven't seen in a while..? This happens at nearly every Animation Mentor gathering I've gone to! The first graduation was really one of the best and most memorable times I've ever had! I'm just so fortunate and thankful to be a part of it all..! Back to top