Join Animation Mentor at Comic-Con International at the San Diego Convention Center: July 20 - 23!

Did you love CARS, SUPERMAN RETURNS, STAR WARS 3: REVENGE OF THE SITH, or PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST? Do you want to help create the magic? Come join Animation Mentor to learn more about the online school and meet the creators behind these magical films!

As an animation supervisor and director at Rhythm & Hues it is part of my job to help recruit freelance animators to work on projects that we are awarded. I had been a mentor at Animation Mentor for their first couple of semesters, and looking at the potential of some of the students I suggested to the animation department manager at Rhythm & Hues that we might try to recruit some junior animators from Animation Mentor for the project "Garfield: A Tail of Two Kitties."

Gordana Fersini : When I was growing up, most of the animation on Italian TV was Japanese anime. Some of it was fantasy, but most of it was sports. Of course at the time I didn't want to be an animator, or didn't even think it was possible. Instead, I wanted to be Judo Boy, Speed Racer, or of course Jenny, la Tennista who could beat Bjorn Borg at Wimbledon in a flash.

Darrell Johnson : The only official mentor I had was after I was already working at Disney. Jason Ryan was my mentor during my transition from assistant animator to animator for about 3 months. Most of the people I've learned from has been from a more indirect method...just by studying and learning from what they've done, looking at animation from folks on the internet, as well as a lot of careful self-analysis.

Last month's "hide the legs" trick was pretty advanced (again, I wouldn't recommend trying that method until you've animated for a couple of years or so at least,) so this month let's give you newer folks something easier (but not less helpful) to try!

TRICK #2: Track Your Arcs!!

This sketchbook differs from my other books in that it is completely uncut, straight out of my lunchtime drawing sketchbooks. This means the good and even the bad drawings have been left in. It is 11x14 in size, the same size I draw in and has been put together to replicate my sketchbook so that it feels like you own the original.

Did you know that "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest", Disney's latest film, is the first movie featuring the new Disney production logo?

The Animation Mentor Report is your inside guide to US movie releases and the visual effect companies who made movie magic.

Check out this month's photos! Animation Mentor recently had its Summer BBQ at a Baker Beach in San Francisco.