CATALOG2007-2008

Copyright 2007 by Next Education, LLC All Rights Reserved

TABLE

CONTENTS

INTR O D U C T I O N & O V E RV I EW :
Founders Message Why AnimationMentor.com? Our Founders The AnimationMentor.com Approach Where can AnimationMentor.com training lead to?

01 02 03 03 04 05 05 05 05 06 06 06 06 07 08 08 08 09 09 09 09 09 10 10 10

WHAT I S O F F ER ED B Y A NI M AT I O NMENTOR.COM:
Computer Animation

HOW T O B EG I N W I T H A NI M AT I O NMENTOR.COM AND PROCEDURES:

The Admission Process Student Assessment Enrollment Projected Enrollment for Each New Term Tuition Student Financial Assistance Cancellation Policy Refund Policy Student Tuition Recovery Fund Rights

ANIM AT I O N M E NT O R .C O M P O L I C I ES AND PROCEDURES

Administrative Offices Holiday Schedule Attendance Attendance Probation Vacation Policy Leave of Absence Policy Student Progress Monitoring Policy Grades Minimum GPA Academic Probation Student Complaint Procedures

THE A NI M AT I ONM ENT O R . C O M L EA RNING EXPERIENCE:

A Personal Mentor Our Staff Mentors Student Participation Make New Friends Guest Speakers New Features/Example

11 11 11 11 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 13 13 13 13 13 13 14 15 16 16 17 18 20 21 22

SYST EM RE Q U I R EM ENT S :
Operating System Browser Flash Player Internet Connection Processor Requirements Software Requirements Quicktime Pro Required Language Requirements

OTHER M AT E RI A LS :
Web Cam Books Sketchbook Recommended Reading

COURS E O V E RV I EW :
Basic Foundations The Principles of Body Mechanics Introduction to Acting Advanced Acting Techniques Short Film Development Short Film Production

ADDITIONAL RULES OF OPERATION AND STUDENT CONDUCT POLICY:

School Directors Message Addendum A 2006-2007 Schedule Addendum B Tuition Schedules

Have you ever caught yourself staring at the big screen or playing a video game and thinking, Wow, I want to do that! I want to be a part of that magic! An animation career is not an easy path, but can be one of the most rewarding, and certainly one of the most fun careers you could possibly choose. It takes a special drive and dedication to become a professional animator, and requires you to be prepared for a lifelong quest for knowledge and refinement as you strive to grow as an artist. We believe the keys to a successful animation career can be found in The Three Ps: Practice, Perseverance and Personality. Notice that we cannot give you any of the Three Ps you must bring these to the table on your own in order to become the best animator you can be. While we will provide you with unparalleled animation training and support, it will be up to you to take that and cultivate it into something that is uniquely yours. With our distinctive experience and expertise as professional character animators, we designed and built AnimationMentor.com with one question in mind, If we were to start over again, how would we want to learn? Everything at AnimationMentor.com has been built with that idea in mind, and the end-result is a groundbreaking system that combines real-world apprenticeships with cutting-edge internet technology. At AnimationMentor.com, we will focus your talents and hone your mastery of these time-tested animation principles, and prepare you for your dream-job as a television, games, or feature-film animator. Come with a desire and dedication to learn, and we will do our best to live up to our own extreme expectation of providing the most personal learning experience on the planet. Sincerely, Bobby Beck, Shawn Kelly and Carlos Baena

Co-Founders, AnimationMentor.com

So many art school graduates have come to us over the years frustrated with the difficulties they face when trying to break into the job market. Time and time again we discover that their most difficult obstacle is their own demo reelmore often than not a scattered mess of half-learned disciplines and software knowledge. We have spent years watching reel after reel in which applicants showed themselves to be competent generalists, but woefully under-trained in the true art of animation, so we decided to finally do something about it! One of the most exciting aspects of AnimationMentor.com is that we have been able to marry cutting-edge technology with the power of the Internet, thus erasing all geographic boundaries! No longer does a student have to turn their schedule upside down to be personally mentored by a professional animator. AnimationMentor.com brings top professional animators from nearly every major feature animation studio right into your home. Students in Madrid, Calcutta, and Albuquerque suddenly have the same opportunity to learn animation as those living next door to Mr. Big Shot Animator in LA. Armed with a computer, a high-speed Internet connection, and a willingness to learn, you will have access to the best possible animation education at the touch of a mouse button. The driving principle of AnimationMentor. com since Day 1 has been to create a system that would teach the art of animation the way we wished we could have learned it. We have created a curriculum 100% dedicated to animation, an art for which we truly have a passion. We have created something that will allow students the time to properly learn the complexities of animation on their schedule. AnimationMentor.com will allow them to finally break free of the generalist mold and truly show they are not merely computer artists, they are animators.

B O B B Y

B E C K

Bobby has been a character animator for over 8 years. His hard work and dedication to the art have allowed him to work at such places as Pixar Animation Studios, Walt Disney Feature Animation and Tippett Studio. Some of his animation credits include: Finding Nemo, Monsters Inc., Toy Story 2, The Incredibles, Cars (2006), Dinosaur and Virus. He has mentored several students who have gone on to work at highly respected studios. Bobby Beck is currently working as CEO/President of AnimationMentor.com. Be sure to check out his website: www.bobbyboombeck.com to get a more in-depth look at Bobbys work.

S H A W N

K E L LY

For the past 7 years, Shawn Kelly has spent his days as an animator at Industrial Light & Magic, and in his spare time designed and taught advanced animation classes at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. His character animation credits include all three Star Wars Prequels, E.T.: The Extra Terrestrial, 20th Anniversary Edition, A.I. Artificial Intelligence, The Hulk, Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl, The Day After Tomorrow, and Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith. He is passionate about the art of animation, and feels lucky and blessed to have the opportunity to not only work in animation, but also help teach a new generation of animators.

C A R L O S

B A E N A

Carlos Baena has been a character animator for over 8 years. He currently works at Pixar Animation Studios. He has previously worked at Industrial Light & Magic, Wildbrain, and Will Vinton Studios. Carlos Baena has worked on films such as The Incredibles, Finding Nemo, Star Wars: Episode 2, Jurassic Park 3 and Pixars Cars (2006). He has given animation conferences and taught animation classes both in the U.S. and internationally. Be sure to check out his website www.carlosbaena.com to get a more in-depth look at Carlos work.

At AnimationMentor.com, our approach to teaching has nothing to do with forcing our students to become software experts. Instead, it has everything to do with providing them with practical animation skills that can be applied to any animation tool, in any medium. With that said, our school and curriculum does require using 3D animation software as the tool needed to complete the weekly assignments, but our students only need to learn enough of the software package so they can efficiently navigate around it in order to create the performances they desire. We cannot stress enough the importance that animation is an art and above all else we teach principles of the art and craft of animation. Learning animation is much like the old saying, If you give someone a fish, they will eat for a day, but if you teach them how to fish, they will never go hungry. As a student you can toil for hours learning every nook and cranny of a software package destined to go out of style just as you master it, or you can use that time to nurture the artist within yourself and grow into a true animator. Adjusting your mindset to that of being an animator is so much more important than knowing any one tool. At AnimationMentor.com, weve made it our goal to provide our students with animation knowledge that will last them a lifetime, not simply until the next version of Program X is released.

WHO IS ANIMATIONMENTOR.COM FOR?

AnimationMentor.com is designed for the beginning novice all the way up to more experienced professionals looking to enhance their skills. The classes are focused on giving the best possible education with the least amount of upfront knowledge or know-how. Our campus has been designed to be intuitive and easy to use by creating an online peer to peer community similar to traditional school campuses.

WHERE CAN THE TRAINING FROM ANIMATIONMENTOR.COM LEAD?

The training you receive at AnimationMentor.com will prepare you to be a Character Animator. A diploma in character animation may lead to full-time animation positions in the Feature Film industry, the video game industry, television animation and/or commercials based studios. However, neither the school nor anyone can guarantee that you will obtain such a position or any particular job title or occupation just by taking our course. This program is new. We are not able to tell you how many students graduate, how many students find jobs, or how much money you can earn after finishing this course.

COMPUTER ANIMATION:
Students planning to do computer animation will be responsible for supplying their own computer equipment, software, broadband internet access, and other materials for AnimationMentor.coms assignments. We provide software training in Maya and, shortly after enrollment, students will receive information allowing them to purchase Maya at the student rate. Maya is considered the industry standard for professional character animation studios. As such, our fully set-up characters, examples, and assignments are tailored to Maya. However, we strongly feel that the key to success as an animator is solid skills in the art of animation rather than experience with any particular software package. Because of this, our students may work in any 3D software they feel most comfortable with. For students using Maya 6.0 or higher, we offer fully modeled and set-up characters so you can focus on animation right away!

THE ADMISSIONS PROCESS:

Each prospective student must submit a completed Admissions Application which can be done online through the AnimationMentor.com website. Each Admissions Application must include answers to short essay questions. Once the AnimationMentor.com Admissions Office has received the completed Admissions Application, it will send the prospective student instructions for taking a short standardized test required by the California State Bureau for Private Post Secondary and Vocational Education.

STUDENT ASSESSMENT:
To be considered for acceptance into the AnimationMentor.com program, a student must: complete the Admissions Application with essay; be at least 18 years of age; have graduated from high school in United States or its foreign equivalent see www.AnimationMentor.com (under How to Apply for further details), or have obtained a GED; understand conversational English, and pass the standardized test required by the Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education. Additionally, each student must meet the schools minimum requirements regarding equipment and supplies, as further described below.

ENROLLMENT:
Once a student has been accepted for enrollment at AnimationMentor.com, they will be sent an Enrollment Agreement and instructions for completing it. A one-time non-refundable Registration Fee of $150.00 is also required. Since class space is limited, students who have been accepted to AnimationMentor.com will be enrolled on a first-come, first-serve basis based on when their completed Enrollment Agreement and Registration Fee are returned. New Terms begin on a quarterly basis, 4 times each year. (See Addendum B for the schools 2007-2008 Schedule)

PROJECTED ENROLLMENT FOR EACH NEW TERM:

AnimationMentor.com projects the acceptance of 200 new students for each Term.

TUITION:
AnimationMentor.com offers a Certified Diploma in Advanced Studies in Character Animation. The Diploma Course is comprised of six individual Classes; each Class has 12 one week sessions). The current tuition costs for each class and the program overall can be found in Addendum C.

STUDENT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE:

AnimationMentor.com is proud to have partnered with SLM Financial, a Sallie Mae company, to provide our students with a superior loan product with which to finance their AnimationMentor.com education. The Career Training LoanSM has been designed specifically to help students finance their education or training and can save them money compared with other financing options. It can be used for technical training or trade school, distance learning or other continuing education programs. Students are encouraged to contact our Student Loan department for more info at: loans@animationmentor.com.

CANCELLATION POLICY:
Students have the right to cancel their obligations to pay the fees required by AnimationMentor.coms program (Cancellation) until midnight of the eighth business day after the day students did any of the following (whichever is later): a. Received the first lesson in the first Class Session. b. Received a copy of the Notice of Cancellation. c. Received a copy of the Student Enrollment Agreement. Cancellation takes effect when the student gives written notice of Cancellation to AnimationMentor.com at 918 Parker Street, Suite 12, Berkeley, California 94710 or by email at registrar@AnimationMentor. com. Any written expression that the student does not wish to be bound by the Student Enrollment Agreement will serve as Cancellation if provided to AnimationMentor.com within the Cancellation period. If the student mails the notice to AnimationMentor.com, it becomes effective as of the postmarked date, if it is properly addressed and has the proper postage.

REFUND POLICY:
If Cancellation occurs within the period set forth in the Cancellation Policy (see above), the student shall not be liable to AnimationMentor.com for payment of any tuition. AnimationMentor.com shall, within the 10 business days after AnimationMentor.com receives notice of the cancellation, refund any tuition the student already paid. If the students Withdrawal occurs after the eight-day Cancellation period, AnimationMentor.com shall remit to the student a refund within 30 days following the students withdrawal. Such refund shall be calculated as follows:

The refund shall be the amount of fees the student paid, less the non-refundable registration fee of $75, and then multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of lessons for which the student has paid but which the student has not attended (because AnimationMentor.com is an online school, student attendance is determined by when each student has logged-in to each Class Session), and the denominator of which is the total number of Sessions for which the student has paid. For example, if the student cancels after attending only 3 Class Sessions out of 12 Class Sessions, and the student paid $2,700 tuition, the student will receive a refund of $1,912.50 ($2,700 minus $150 registration fee times [9/12] for Class Sessions not attended). All fees not refunded under the refund policy are nonrefundable. Students will be provided with a Refund Table showing the amount of the refund to which the student would be entitled if the student withdrew from AnimationMentor.coms program after completing a period of days or weeks of instruction equivalent to ten percent (10%), twenty-five percent (25%), fifty percent (50%), sixty percent (60%), and seventy-five percent (75%) of the program of instruction. This refund policy is also stated in the Student Enrollment Agreement.

STUDENT TUITION RECOVERY FUND RIGHTS:

A student who is a resident of California must pay the state-imposed Student Fee for the Student Tuition Recovery Fund (STRF), not to exceed $42 dollars in total. A student does not have to pay the STRF if: 1. The student lives outside of California, and/or 2. The students total charges are paid by a third party, such as an employer, government program or other payer and the student has no separate agreement to repay the third party.

ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES:
The administrative offices of AnimationMentor.com are located in Berkeley California at 918 Parker Street, Suite 12. Normal business hours are Monday thru Friday, 9:00am 5:00pm Pacific Time.

HOLIDAY SCHEDULE:
While the online aspect of the school is available to students 24 hours a day, the AnimationMentor.com administrative offices observe and are closed on the following days: New Years Eve & New Years Day Martin Luther King Day Presidents Day Spring Holiday (April 9, 2007) Memorial Day 4th of July Labor Day Thanksgiving Friday after Thanksgiving Christmas Eve & Christmas Day

If one of the above holidays falls on a Saturday, the school will observe the holiday on Friday. If the holiday falls on a Sunday, the school will observe the holiday on the following Monday.

ATTENDANCE:
Since AnimationMentor.com is an online school, students will be able to access the lectures on their own time at their convenience. Each session lecture is viewable an unlimited amount of times up to two weeks after its initial debut. Students are expected to view the lecture, complete the assignment and upload it by the allotted due date. A students weekly assignment is due no later than 12:00PM Pacific Time on Sunday of every week. New weekly sessions begin on Sunday at 12:00PM Pacific Time. Mentor feedback is typically given by the Wednesday of the following week. The Live Question and Answer (Q&A) Sessions will usually be set no less than one week in advance by the students mentor. It is up to the student to participate in these Q&A Sessions. Attendance in the Q&A Sessions will give students the personal touch of meeting their mentor and their fellow students face-to-face. These Q&A Sessions will happen once per Class Session.

ATTENDANCE PROBATION:
A student is required to access and view all of the class Session lectures. Lectures must be viewed in order and a student must have viewed the previous lecture in order to have access to the next lecture. Failure to view two Class Session lectures will result in a student being places on Attendance Probation. Failure to attend Three Class Section lectures will result in termination from the school.

VACATION POLICY:
If you are planning on taking a vacation during the quarter, please provide us as much notice as possible. Missing more than two classes will result in Attendance Probation.

LEAVE-OF-ABSENCE POLICY:
A student may request a Leave of Absence. This must be for an extraordinary reason or circumstance and it must be approved by AnimationMentor.com. This request must be in writing by the student and have the approval of the Student Care Manager. A Leave of Absence may not exceed 180 calendar days.. Under no circumstances will a student be permitted to take more than two Leave of Absences during a twelve month period. If the Leave of Absence is requested by a student after a class has commenced but not yet completed, the student should submit a Leave of Absence Request through the Registrar. The student will be scheduled to retake the Class on his/her return. If the student does not return following the Leave of Absence period they will be dropped from the program.

STUDENT PROGRESS MONITORING POLICY:

AnimationMentor.com notifies individual students of their academic progress through the provision of grades at the conclusion of each class which is a week in length. Students are expected to upload their weekly Class Session assignments in a timely manner for critique. Each Class Session assignment must be uploaded by each class Session assignments given due date (Typically Sunday noon Pacific Time) and will then be graded.

GRADES:
Students are expected to upload their weekly Class Session assignments in a timely manner for critique. Each Class Session assignment must be uploaded by each Class Session assignments given due date (Typically Sunday Noon Pacific Time) and will then be graded.

If a student fails to submit work on any Class Sessions assignment on time, the student will receive one full letter grade off up to 1 week; thereafter the student will received a failing grade for that Session. A students final grade for each Class will be a composite of all of the Class Session assignment grades for that Class.

MINIMUM GPA:
To graduate with a Diploma for Advanced studies in Character Animation, a student must complete each of the 6 classes with a grade average of C or better. Students who fail to achieve a C in a Class will be required to retake that class to raise their GPA. If a student does not raise their GPA in their retake, they may be terminated.

ACADEMIC PROBATION:
If a student fails to submit work on any Class Sessions assignment on time, the assignment is considered late. If the student submits the assignment up to one week late, they will receive a letter grade drop. Assignments will not be accepted after the one week window and the student will receive a failing grade for that session after that point. A students final grade for each Class will be a composite of all of the Class Session assignment grades for that Class. A student will be terminated for missing 3 assignments in a Class.

STUDENT COMPLAINT PROCEDURES:

A student may lodge a complaint directly with AnimationMentor.com by communicating orally or in writing to any teacher (mentor), administrator, admissions personnel, or counselor. The recipient of the complaint shall transmit it as soon as possible to the School Director to resolve complaints. If the student orally delivers the complaint and the complaint is not resolved either within a reasonable period or before the student again complains about the same matter, AnimationMentor.com shall advise the student that a complaint must be submitted in writing and shall provide the student with this written summary of AnimationMentor.coms complaint procedures. If the student complains in writing, AnimationMentor.com shall, within 10 days of receiving the complaint, provide the student with a written response, including a summary of AnimationMentor.coms investigation and disposition of the students complaint. If the complaint or relief requested by the student is rejected, the response will include the reasons for the rejection. The students participation in the complaint procedure and the disposition of the students complaint shall not limit or waive any of the students rights or remedies. Any document signed by the student that purports to limit or waive the students rights and remedies is void.

A PERSONAL MENTOR:
Each student will be assigned to a single mentor for the duration of a Class*. With 6 Classes in our Advanced Studies in Character Animation course, this will allow our students the ability to potentially have 6 different mentors. The AnimationMentor. com system provides for each student to learn from one mentor throughout the duration of a Class. This allows our students to get to know their mentor and learn from the mentors ex p e r i e n c e a n d knowledge. Each students video critique by his/her mentor will be specific to that students work. In this way, our students receive the detailed attention they need to grow as much as possible. Our students are also able to view critiques of other students in their Class so everyone can learn from each others mistakes and successes, which ultimately pushes everyones work forward faster.
*If mentors need to take a leave-of-absence, students may have temporary mentors to fill in during these times.

OUR STAFF OF MENTORS:

We are proud to bring the talent and knowledge of our highly skilled and extremely-talented Mentors to our students. A complete list of all of our mentors can be found on our site.

STUDENT PARTICIPATION:
Students will benefit by giving feedback to other students. We encourage students to cruise the campus and meet their fellow classmates. Exchanging feedback with other students will help the students learn even more about the art of animation, deepening their understanding and communication skills while making the overall learning experience much more rewarding.

MAKE NEW CONTACTS AND FRIENDS:

All students are encouraged to introduce themselves and network with other AnimationMentor.com students. Students can easily add other students to their chat list and chat with each other using our internal chat system*. They may also use the internal forums to ask and answer any questions they may have and share the latest news and techniques here. Our forums are populated with working professionals in both character animation and character set-up. This allows our students even more opportunity to make connections and have their questions answered directly from the pros!

GUEST SPEAKERS:
Students will also be able to benefit from our periodic guest speakers. These prerecorded video interviews allow our students to tap into the minds of some of the biggest veteran names in the animation industry. Students can submit their questions in advance and we will record these sessions at the convenience of our guests.

NEW FEATURES / EXAMPLES:

AnimationMentor.com reserves the right to add or subtract at its sole and absolute discretion features and examples.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS:
Students must provide their own computers. Those computers, at a minimum, must have:

OPERATING SYSTEM: BROWSER:

Windows PC XP, or 2000; Macintosh OSX 10.3 or higher We support Internet Explorer 7 or higher and Firefox 2 or higher (Free download). For Macintosh users, Firefox is the recommended browser.

FLASH PLAYER:

Flash Player 9 (Free download) or higher is necessary to run AnimationMentor.com via your web browser.

INTERNET CONNECTION:

High-speed broadband connection is required: DSL, Cable, ADSL, T1, etc.

PROCESSOR REQUIREMENTS:
SOFTWARE REQUIREMENTS:

AnimationMentor.com runs best on a 1.5Ghz PC(or higher) or a G5 Mac, with at least 1 GB of RAM.

All AnimationMentor.com students are eligible for the student pricing of Maya. Detailed instructions for purchasing Maya will be sent to all new students. You can use any 3D software you choose. However, students are responsible for supplying software, 3D characters, props, etc. themselves. We offer training, characters, props, etc. in Maya only.

QUICKTIME PRO (REQUIRED):

AnimationMentor.com utilizes Quicktime video codecs and technology. Quicktime Pro will allow students the ability to assemble multiple clips into a single movie file as well as view the video content on our pages.

LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS:
Our Classes are currently offered to English speaking students only. Although we plan to expand in the future where the demand is needed, we presently do not offer English as a Second Language instruction.

OTHER MATERIALS NEEDED:

WEB CAM (REQUIRED):
A web cam is a valuable resource for any animator. It allows students to take still frame images of their sketchbook drawings, film reference of themselves to study, use as a stop motion or 2D pencil test camera as well as use it to interact with their mentor and fellow classmates during the live Q&A sessions. A webcam will greatly enhance your learning experience at AnimationMentor.com.

THE ILLUSION OF LIFE, BY FRANK THOMAS AND OLLIE JOHNSTON:

The Illusion of Life is known as the Animators Bible for decades and is an invaluable resource for any animator. Each student is responsible for obtaining their own copy.

THE ANIMATORS SURVIVAL KIT, BY RICHARD WILLIAMS:

This book is a must have for any animators library. own copy. Each student is responsible for obtaining their

SKETCHBOOK:
We encourage our students to open their minds to the power that observation plays in animation. You dont have to be the greatest artist; we encourage our students to draw on a regular basis.

RECOMMENDED READING:
We also provide a list of other recommended reading materials in the student area of our website.
*Students will be responsible for supplying their own equipment & materials.

The program consists of six (6) Classes with each Class consisting of twelve (12) weekly Class Sessions. The total number of clock hours for the entire course is 1,005.

C O U R S E

D E S C R I P T I O N S :

CLASS TITLE: Basic Foundations (12 sessions) DESCRIPTION: In this Class, beginning students will discover the fundamental principles of
animation while the more advanced students will find a deeper understanding of the foundation upon which our art form is built. More importantly, they will learn how to exploit these fundamental principles to create convincing character motion. Students will also be pushed to not only recognize the more common animation mistakes involving timing, weight issues, and body mechanics, but will learn how to avoid and conquer them. Animation students must plant deep roots in the basics if they hope to grow into the artists they aspire to become, and this Class will guide them through that process.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this Class is to give our students a firm foundation on which to
base their art. Students will graduate from this Class not only with a strong knowledge of the basics, but an invaluable appreciation for observational techniques and the art of planning. Additionally, any professional animator will tell you that the principles taught in this Class are used every day in their work. You will never animate a shot that ignores the basic principles of animation, and to best prepare our students for top-level animation work, they must first dig as deeply as possible into these time tested concepts.

ASSIGNMENTS: The assignments in this Class will initially revolve around very basic characters,
but will take students into more complex characters that build off of each other. This allows the student to take the knowledge they have gained and continue to apply it to new, more complex characters. MINIMUM TOTAL HOURS OF INSTRUCTION: 118 HOURS

CLASS TITLE: The Principles of Body Mechanics (12 sessions) PREREQUISITE: Basic Foundations must be passed with at least a C average for the student
to advance to The Principles of Body Mechanics. This helps to ensure the quality of our graduates and helps maintain the overall level of commitment and dedication students must have to our program.

DESCRIPTION: Here students will learn how to

best apply the principles learned in Class 1 to the type of character most commonly found in animation work - the biped/human. Students will be diving even deeper into the advanced concepts of motion and body mechanics and learn how to combine the many principles into a single, powerful tool set that they can use to create ever more believable motion in their characters.

OBJECTIVE: In this Class students appreciation of the principles of animation will be augmented
by a fuller understanding of not only the more advanced concepts, but practical methods of connecting those concepts together to fully exploit their potential. In Class 1, students learn how basic ideas such as anticipation and squash & stretch apply to simple objects and simple body mechanics, but in this Class students will discover more advanced ways to implement these ideas and begin examining the innovative way professionals view and use these principles. This new level of understanding will add a layer of polish to their work that will set their animation apart from the vast majority of demo reels currently being submitted to studios.

ASSIGNMENTS: This Class will fully revolve around the bi-pedal/human character. Students
will animate some of the classic examples while also building on new exciting ideas and approaches that will help set their work apart. MINIMUM TOTAL HOURS OF INSTRUCTION: 118 HOURS

CLASS TITLE: Introduction to Acting (12 sessions) PREREQUISITE: The Principles of Body Mechanics must be passed with at least a C average
for the student to advance to Introduction to Acting.

DESCRIPTION: This is the beginning of what the students are waiting for. All of the principles
they have studied will be fully implemented in this Class. Students will begin exploring the ideas and concepts that will truly add life and originality to their character animation. Adding emotion, non-clich acting choices, and carefully timed and planned gestures to their shots will truly lift their work to an entirely new level.

OBJECTIVE: As an animator, this is our job: we are given a blank piece of paper or default mesh,
built out of ones and zeroes and bits and bytesno heart, no soul, and no mind. We are charged with bringing that blank canvas to life. Our job is to inject feeling, thought process, and emotion into a character that exists nowhere but in our minds. Our job is to truly become the heart, the soul, and the mind of our character. In this Class, students will carefully implement all of the principles they have learned in the previous Classes, but now they will begin to truly bring these characters to life!

ASSIGNMENTS: Now that the students have a solid understanding of human body mechanics,
they will begin to explore the basics of acting, gestures, timing, emotion, and thought processes. The assignments will cover all of the elements that go into the creation of a moving and memorable acting performance. MINIMUM TOTAL HOURS OF INSTRUCTION: 118 HOURS

CLASS TITLE: Advanced Acting Techniques (12 sessions) PREREQUISITE: Introduction to Acting must be passed with at least a C average for the student
to advance to Advanced Acting Techniques.

DESCRIPTION: As with any other animation idea, acting has many levels of understanding and
many layers of meaning to our work. Here students will truly jump feet-first into advanced acting techniques, exploring the similarities and differences between acting for animators and real world acting, as well as examining the common mistakes and the inherent challenges of translating a meaningful and powerful performance into the animated world.

OBJECTIVE: Here well be enriching the acting concepts students have learned so far and diving
even deeper into the practical methods they can use to tap their true potential in their work. This is also when students begin to find themselves immersed in the challenges professionals face in the production environment as they learn about creating shots that cut together correctly, staging their acting in a memorable way that best supports the overall story or character-arc, and designing emotional beats that will resonate with the audience!

ASSIGNMENTS: The assignments will revolve around guiding students out of the animated
mindset and further into how to truly breathe life into their character and add a completely new dimension of believability to the overall performance. Even though the character is a reflection of ourselves, students will begin to understand how to animate from the inside out. MINIMUM TOTAL HOURS OF INSTRUCTION: 123 HOURS

CLASS TITLE: Short Film Development (12 sessions) PREREQUISITE: Advanced Acting Techniques must be passed with at least a C average for
the student to advance to Short Film Development.

DESCRIPTION: This is the first of our short film studies Classes, and where students will take all
of their animation training and fold it into a solid storytelling foundation while creating the foundation of their own short film! Any good animation studio knows that a carefully planned story is the single most important key to a successful film, and some of the worlds top story people will guide our students through the process of molding their ideas into the most entertaining and original story it can be! Students will also explore ways to overcome roadblocks when creating story ideas, to help them understand how to pull from their vast library of experiences and imagination that each one of us has inside. Step-by-step processes will help students understand how to get the best possible ideas from their story and characters while bringing them to life in cohesive and exciting ways.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this Class is to provide students with the skills and understanding
to develop a solid story and to have a fully edited animatic that they can use in the next Class to create their animated short-film!

ASSIGNMENTS: The goal of this Class is to finish with a fully fleshed out animatic, a rough 3D
version (or 2D layout depending on the medium) of their story in basic movie form with only the essential drawings and camera angles that are necessary to portray their story ideas. This allows students to work the story out in a very basic form, just how the pros do it. If a story reads and communicates well from this simple form, then they have a crafted a great story idea that will only get better when they animate it in the next Class! MINIMUM TOTAL HOURS OF INSTRUCTION: 264 HOURS

CLASS TITLE: Short Film Production (12 sessions) PREREQUISITE: Short Film Development must be passed with at least a C average for the
student to advance to Short Film Production.

DESCRIPTION: This is it! This is where it all comes together, and where the students will truly
be immersed in a production environment, giving them not only a stronger understanding of animation in general, but invaluable production experience. Students will be animating the story they created from the previous Class, and mentors will be reviewing their work in a production-like setting to better prepare them for the challenges they will face in a studio setting.*

OBJECTIVE: The goal of AnimationMentor.com is to graduate students who are prepared to

compete for positions in top-level animation studios. As such, we refuse to simply dump students out into the real-world with no concept of what its like to work on an actual production, have their work reviewed in front of their peers in dailies, keep up with deadlines, etc. The goal of the Short Films Studies program is to not only provide true experience in those areas, but to help students create a memorable short-film to maximize their chances of being noticed by recruiters. Mentors will guide students through the entire process, not only in terms of general storytelling methods and principles, but staging, advanced composition, comedic timing, story pacing, and character arcs.* In Short Film Development, students create an animatic for their film. In this Class, they will animate their film! We will also go over how to specifically tailor your portfolio/demo reel to get the maximum response from recruiters.*
*Selected students may be asked to participate in the production of other short films. This is optional and not required if the student chooses not to participate.

TOTAL HOURS OF INSTRUCTION: 264 HOURS

ADDITIONAL RULES OF OPERATION AND STUDENT CONDUCT POLICY: All students are required to conduct themselves in accordance with AnimationMentor.coms additional rules of operation and student conduct policy set forth in the Site Usage Agreement that is contained in AnimationMentor.coms Student Enrollment Agreement. AnimationMentor.com has received approval to operate from the Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education (Bureau). The Bureau has determined the institutions operational plan satisfies the minimum standards listed in Education Code Sections 94900(a) or 94915 (a) and (b).

AnimationMentor.com, located at 918 Parker Street, Suite 12, Berkeley, California 94710, has been granted institutional approval from the Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education pursuant to California Education Code Section 94310. The Bureaus approval means that the institution and its operation comply with the standards established under law for online instruction by private postsecondary educational institutions. Institutional approval must be re-approved every three years and is subject to continuing review. Approved is the following program: Diploma for Advanced Studies in Character Animation. Instruction is online with each incoming Class is being limited to 300 students. California statute requires that students who successfully complete programs of study be awarded appropriate degrees, diplomas or certificates verifying the fact. Prospective students are encouraged to visit the schools website, AnimationMentor.com, and to discuss personal educational and occupational plans with the schools personnel prior to enrolling or signing enrollment agreements. This school currently does not have available sponsored programs, government or otherwise, to provide grants or to pay for portions of tuition and fees. Students seeking to resolve complaints should contact their Mentor. Requests for further action should be made in writing/email to the School Director. Unresolved complaints may be directed to: Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education 400 R Street, Suite 5000 Sacramento, CA 95814-6200 (916) 445-3427 All information in the contents of this School Catalog is current and correct, and is certified as true by: Becky McDonald School Director

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S C H E D U L E

SPRING TERM 2007..............................April 2, 2007 June 22, 2007

Applications for Spring Due...............................February 23, 2007 Break................................................................June 25, 2007 July 1, 2007

SUMMER TERM 2007............................July 2, 2007 September 21, 2007

Applications for Summer Due............................May 18, 2007 Break................................................................September 24, 2007 September 30, 2007

FALL TERM 2007......................................October 1, 2007 December 21, 2007

Applications for Fall Due.....................................August 17, 2007 Break................................................................December 24, 2007 January 6, 2008

WINTER TERM 2008...............................January 7, 2008 - March 28, 2008

Applications for Winter Due...............................November 16, 2007

SPRING TERM 2008...............................March 31, 2008 - June 20, 2008

Applications for Spring Due................................February 22, 2008

S P R I N G

T E R M

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The following Tuition and Fee Schedule has been announced and set for all students enrolled in the Certified Diploma course for Advanced Studies in Character Animation scheduled to begin Spring Term 2007. Registration Fee Student Tuition Recover Fund Fee (California Students only) Tuition Spring Term 2007 Summer Term 2007 Fall Term 2007 Winter Term 2008 Spring Term 2008 Summer Term 2008 Total Tuition and Fees Class 1 Class 2 Class 3 Class 4 Class 5 Class 6 Basic Foundations The Principles of Body Mechanics Introduction to Acting Advanced Acting Techniques Short Film Development Short Film Production $ $ 150.00 40.00

$ $ $ $ $ $

2,550.00 2,550.00 2,550.00 2,550.00 2,800.00 2,800.00

$15,990.00

PAYMENT OF TUITION AND FEES The Registration Fee, the Student Tuition Recover Fund Fee (California Students only), and Tuition for the program are due within two weeks after the application due date. Upon request, a student may be allowed to participate in the Tuition Payment Plan. A student who chooses the Tuition Payment Plan will be allowed to divide the tuition into six payments. Each payment will be due two weeks after the application due date. A Payment Processing fee of $75 per payment will be charged after the first payment.

S U M M E R

T E R M

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The following Tuition and Fee Schedule has been announced and set for all students enrolled in the Certified Diploma course for Advanced Studies in Character Animation scheduled to begin Summer Term 2007. Registration Fee Student Tuition Recover Fund Fee (California Students only) Tuition Summer Term 2007 Fall Term 2007 Winter Term 2008 Spring Term 2008 Summer Term 2008 Fall Term 2008 Total Tuition and Fees Class 1 Class 2 Class 3 Class 4 Class 5 Class 6 Basic Foundations The Principles of Body Mechanics Introduction to Acting Advanced Acting Techniques Short Film Development Short Film Production $ $ 150.00 40.00

$ $ $ $ $ $

2,550.00 2,550.00 2,550.00 2,550.00 2,800.00 2,800.00

$15,990.00

PAYMENT OF TUITION AND FEES The Registration Fee, the Student Tuition Recover Fund Fee (California Students only), and Tuition for the program are due within two weeks after the application due date. Upon request, a student may be allowed to participate in the Tuition Payment Plan. A student who chooses the Tuition Payment Plan will be allowed to divide the tuition into six payments. Each payment will be due two weeks after the application due date. A Payment Processing fee of $75 per payment will be charged after the first payment.

F A L L

T E R M

2 0 0 7

The following Tuition and Fee Schedule has been announced and set for all students enrolled in the Certified Diploma course for Advanced Studies in Character Animation scheduled to begin Fall Term 2007. Registration Fee Student Tuition Recover Fund Fee (California Students only) Tuition Fall Term 2007 Winter Term 2008 Spring Term 2008 Summer Term 2008 Fall Term 2008 Winter Term 2009 Total Tuition and Fees Class 1 Class 2 Class 3 Class 4 Class 5 Class 6 Basic Foundations The Principles of Body Mechanics Introduction to Acting Advanced Acting Techniques Short Film Development Short Film Production $ $ 150.00 40.00

$ $ $ $ $ $

2,550.00 2,550.00 2,550.00 2,550.00 2,800.00 2,800.00

$15,990.00

PAYMENT OF TUITION AND FEES The Registration Fee, the Student Tuition Recover Fund Fee (California Students only), and Tuition for the program are due within two weeks after the application due date. Upon request, a student may be allowed to participate in the Tuition Payment Plan. A student who chooses the Tuition Payment Plan will be allowed to divide the tuition into six payments. Each payment will be due two weeks after the application due date. A Payment Processing fee of $75 per payment will be charged after the first payment.