Animation Mentor

Taking a 12 week workshop with Animation Mentor as an experienced animator.
While the instruction is good (love the real world tips and tricks) and they cover a lot of material (not as cohesive or polished as it should be), I continue to have issues with access to their site.
They screwed-​up my online schedule, which prevented me from accessing any video for THREE days — got behind in class! Then, the following week their server goes down — getting me further behind in class (possibly loosing TWO more days)!
So far, not impressed with the overall package. Management seems to be AWOL (at their real jobs). Also, AM is closed on weekends which is when problems seem to happen (and when I had planned to catch up on work).

Why are these reviews filtered? There are 24 reviews but it only shows 3 five star reviews???
This school isn’t for you if you’re a newbie to Animation, it’s really more for people who want to refine their animation skills. I took the Maya Springboard to learn the Maya software which did help. I went into Class 1 and whoa! If you don’t understand the concepts of Animation and Animating, you will definitely struggle. This isn’t a place where they go in depth with animation step by step, they get to the point. Learn how to animate before enrolling into this school! I’ve heard great things about this place but really, it’s learn as you go, do a lot of reading, watching videos, practice for hours and ask questions, a lot of questions!!!

One thing that can worry anybody (rightfully so) when choosing a school is how well they help you adapt and find a job once completing the program. Now I that made it through the 18 month program I now see that Animation Mentor has a numerous amount of resources to help you find a job as a character animator.
First off, you still have access to the Alumni site (they don’t just kick you in the rear and wish you luck like the Art Institute did), there’s also: job boards/​postings, help with writing resumes, cover letters, thank you letters, how to search for jobs, how to act on job interviews, networking, you’re still able to communicate with all the other alumni and great communication with the career services department within the school. Your new workspace allows areas for your demo reel and short film, so whenever a studio is looking for animators they gain access to your workspace and are able to view your work through the school site.
After seeing first hand on how Animation Mentor treats you once you’ve completed the course gives me more reason to believe in this school and to spread the word of it’s complete awesomeness!

Animation Mentor is an amazing program for aspiring or professional animators who are looking to take their skills to the next level. The Founders (Bobby, Shawn and Carlos) are all professional animators who have carefully thought out this program. The curriculum is constantly improving in response to the student’s needs and desires. The Staff are all extremely helpful with whatever you need. Their energy and excitement for the program and your success is quite impressive. The Mentors are all working professionals and the time talking with and learning from them is priceless. The weekly lectures are jam packed with information, tips, tricks and laughs. The curriculum is well planned out and takes you from basic to advanced exercises. They not only teach you how to animate, but how to get inside the characters head and really bring it to life. I knew my Animation would improve by doing this program, but I had NO idea how much… and what I really didn’t expect is all the amazing people I have met and friend I have made.

Animation Mentor was an amazing experience. Animation principles have been around for decades, but what AM does best is take those principles, apply them to your animation and with the help of the mentors, teach the students how they relate. The key is in the mentoring. We’re able to get feedback from them, ask them questions and get specific knowledge from each mentor. Honestly, the school isn’t for the faint of heart. You have to be dedicated and put in the hours to really learn anything. I would definitely recommend it to anyone that seriously wants to learn character animation from the ground up.

Animation Mentor is the answer for anyone who is truly looking to advance in the art of character animation. They managed to make available the invaluable tool of mentoring to everyone. To be taught by working professionals is by far the best way to learn this art. I highly recommend it to anyone who is passionate about the art.