Character Animation Bootcamp
Become a Confident Character Animator
If you’ve ever tried to animate a character in After Effects, you know how difficult it can be. In this course, you'll learn key character animation techniques in After Effects. From simple movements to complex scenes, you'll be confident in your character animation skills by the end of this course.
Registration Opens
October 17, 2022
Class Start Date:
May 8, 2023
April 10, 2023
April 10, 2023
Course Length:
Session Duration:
12 Weeks
3 Payments of
Instant-Access! Start learning immediately.
100% Free! Start learning immediately.
This Course Bundle Includes:
12 Weeks
of video lessons,
guides, and access to our 24/7 motion community
podcasts, guides, and support
from our amazing team!
guides, and access to our
24/7 motion community!
podcasts, guides, and access to
our 24/7 motion community!
podcasts, guides, community
and critique from pros!
WEEK 1
What's in a Pose?
Meet your classmates, get comfy with the course format, then dive right in with a lesson on using rigged characters. Be prepared for an Evaluation exercise designed to let us see where you are starting from.
Jumping right in
We'll kick things off by creating strong silhouettes and poses, which are the foundation of good character animation. After that you’ll move on to your first big animation challenge: setting the key poses for a jump. Nailing these key poses will enable you to easily transition to a solid jump animation next week.
Of Weight and Walk Cycles
Now we’ll move on to the fun part: Start animating the jump by "tweening", or adding the in-between frames, which After Effects does for you automatically. You will get plenty of practice in the graph editor tweaking the timing and spacing of those key frames to make the jump feel realistic, as if it has weight and mass. Then move on to your next challenge, nailing those key poses for a walk cycle.
Time to Throw Down
It's time to polish up that walk cycle and learn how to “stick” a character’s feet to the ground. You can even speed things up and take your character for a run in a bonus lesson. After that you'll learn the basics of a ball throw. This challenging pose requires a good understanding of how a character's body should move when completing a motion.
Momentum and Reference
This week is part lesson and part focus time. Start off with tweening your ball throw, which requires a mastery of demonstrating weight transfer in a character. During the focus week portion, Morgan will give you a quick lesson on how to create your own animation reference, and why it's important as a character animator to have this skill.
Breaking Down a Scene
Practice putting all of your skills to the test by animating an entire scene with a character. This is a great opportunity to start stringing all of the various movements you’ve learned together into a complete performance.
The Devil's in the Details
Practice putting all of your skills to the test by animating an entire scene with a character. This is a great opportunity to start stringing all of the various movements you’ve learned together into a complete performance.
Let's See what You've Learned
We'll put the final touches on the scene that you started in Week 6, and then it's time for your final project! We've devised a movie trailer complete with music, VO, character rigs, and extra artwork, giving you everything you need to create a killer piece of character animation for your portfolio.
Extended Critique Period
The final 4 weeks of class are Extended Critique. You can use this time to catch up, complete your final project, and then turn it in for critique.
Learn the secrets of high-end work
Better than in-person training
School of Motion instant-access courses are unlike anything you've ever experienced. Along with world-class training, you'll also get access to tons of professional project files and a 24/7 network of likeminded artists, and more support than you'll know what to do with.
Over 20,000 artists have taken School of Motion courses, find out what all the hype is about.
School of Motion courses are unlike anything you've ever experienced. Along with world-class training, you'll also get 1-on-1 feedback from an industry pro, a 24/7 network of likeminded artists, and more support than you'll know what to do with.
Over 17,000 artists have taken School of Motion courses, find out what all the hype is about.
This instant-access course features
Exercises and project files for every lesson
Each course comes packed with free project files, assets, and additional material to keep you learning and growing long after the course ends. Our exercises are designed from real world briefs, so you’re learning the skills you need to excel on your next project or venture.
Permanent access to course materials
We all need a refresher now and again, which is why you’ll keep access to your course—and all the assets and project files—for the rest of your life. Come back to listen to exclusive interviews, review old lessons, and try out new techniques using your old assets.
Support from the School of Motion team
Reach out to our incredible support team at any time to answer questions about the material, or to help you find the best way to achieve your career goals. We are here to help.
This instant-access course features
Exercises and project files for every lesson
Each course comes packed with free project files, assets, and additional material to keep you learning and growing long after the course ends. Our exercises are designed from real world briefs, so you’re learning the skills you need to excel on your next project or venture.
Real-world examples and video training
We go above and beyond when producing our courses, making sure that the curriculum is presented in the right order, with the right examples, and using the best practices currently used in the industry. In short, you're learning to do things the way they're done in the real world.
Permanent access to course materials
We all need a refresher now and again, which is why you’ll keep access to your course—and all the assets and project files—for the rest of your life. Come back to listen to exclusive interviews, review old lessons, and try out new techniques using your old assets.
A world-wide artist community
You’ll gain instant access to our 24/7 motion design community, The Square. Here you can network with professional artists at every stage of their career. You’ll get to meet new friends, ask for help, and build your network.
This instant-access course features
Exercises and project files for every lesson
Each course comes packed with free project files, assets, and additional material to keep you learning and growing long after the course ends. Our exercises are designed from real world briefs, so you’re learning the skills you need to excel on your next project or venture.
Real-world examples and video training
We go above and beyond when producing our courses, making sure that the curriculum is presented in the right order, with the right examples, and using the best practices currently used in the industry. In short, you're learning to do things the way they're done in the real world.
Permanent access to course materials
We all need a refresher now and again, which is why you’ll keep access to your course—and all the assets and project files—for the rest of your life. Come back to listen to exclusive interviews, review old lessons, and try out new techniques using your old assets.
A world-wide artist community
You’ll gain instant access to our 24/7 motion design community, The Square. Here you can network with professional artists at every stage of their career. You’ll get to meet new friends, ask for help, and build your network.
What makes us different?
Cohort-Based Learning
Join artists from around the world on our custom learning platform. Never learn alone, as you’ll have immediate access to a forum of fellow students to share work, ask questions, and improve together.
Exercises and project files for every lesson
Each course comes packed with free project files, assets, and additional material to keep you learning and growing long after the course ends. Our exercises are designed from real world briefs, so you’re learning the skills you need to excel on your next project or venture.
Technical and creative support along the way
You’ll be assigned a Teaching Assistant with years of experience in your chosen course. They’ll provide technical and creative feedback to guide you through new skills, improve your techniques, and provide encouragement along your journey.
Verified credential upon course completion
Completing a course isn’t just about bragging rights. Once you’ve completed at least 70% of your work in a given course, you’ll earn a verified credential that can show current and future employers exactly what you’ve accomplished.
Permanent access to course materials
We all need a refresher now and again, which is why you’ll keep access to your course—and all the assets and project files—for the rest of your life. Come back to listen to exclusive interviews, review old lessons, and try out new techniques using your old assets.
A world-wide alumni community
You’ll gain instant access to our alumni platform, The Square. Here you can network with professional artists at every stage of their career. You’ll get access to new job opportunities and exclusive alumni events, such as meetups, virtual hangouts and reel reviews.
Meet your instructor
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Morgan Williams
Animator & Educator
Morgan has been a professional animator and animation director for over 20 years. He has created work for numerous clients including Sony Pictures, the BBC, Comedy Central, and WGBH Boston and have been the recipient of several awards including a local ADDY®, a Telly, and a Best in Show award at Minnesota Siggraph. His short film work has been screened at festivals around the world including the Philadelphia International Film Festival and the Annecy International Animation Festival. Morgan is a Certified Duik Instructor and a full time faculty member at Ringling College of Art and Design teaching and developing curriculum in the Department of Motion Design.
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Our no-risk money back policy
We want to make sure you have a positive learning experience with us, so for any session based course you're enrolled in, you can request a refund any time within 30 days of purchase.
We want to make sure you have a positive learning experience with us, so for any session based course you're enrolled in, you can request a refund up until the end of Week 3 of the course
Registration Opens
October 17, 2022
Class Start Date:
May 8, 2023
April 10, 2023
April 10, 2023
Course Length:
Session Duration:
12 Weeks
3 Payments of
Instant-Access! Start learning immediately.
100% Free! Start learning immediately.
Join over 20,000 alumni around the globe
Frequently Asked Questions
Character Animation Bootcamp is for people who have a good understanding of the principles of Animation, and preferably have taken Animation Bootcamp. If you've been looking to add character animation to your skillset, Character Animation Bootcamp will teach you how to animate everything from walks, to throws, and facial expressions. By the end of the course you'll be ready to animate an entire project with a character from start to finish.
Adobe After Effects CC 2014.2 (13.2 or Higher)
Character Animation Bootcamp is a 12-week course. You'll have the flexibility to watch the course content and complete your course work on your schedule. However, you can expect to commit at least 15 - 20 hours per week on course material. The video lesson are 1-2 hours in length. There are 13 assignments total. Assignments are typically assigned on Mondays and Thursdays with soft deadlines the next day. We have designated catch-up weeks built into the schedule so students have extra time to complete their assignments if needed. There is also an extended critique add-on for those that want more time with a Teaching Assistant after the 12-week course or need more time to complete assignments towards earning a credential.
Yes! Once you complete Character Animation Bootcamp, you’ll have lifetime access to all the course lessons and materials, so you can revisit them whenever you like. Also, if we make any changes to Character Animation Bootcamp following your session, you’ll automatically receive access to the latest version.
Please note: Video critiques change each session, so you’ll only have access to the video critiques during the session you're enrolled in. The written critiques you receive in your homework locker as well as the classroom content will also remain available to you forever!
You need to be comfortable in After Effects to take this course. We recommend taking Animation Bootcamp first, as many of the lessons in that course will help you immensely when you move into the realm of characters. Animation Bootcamp isn’t required, just recommended.
Character Animation Bootcamp is an 12-week course. Lessons become available at a specific time each week but you can watch them and do your work whenever it is convenient for you. The lessons include pre-recorded videos, podcasts, PDFs and assignments with working files.
All student work is critiqued by our highly trained Teaching Assistants. School of Motion TA's are professional Animators with real life experience in the industry.
During the course you will be invited to a private classroom that contains all of the students and Teaching Assistants in your session. This is a great tool for connecting, asking or answering questions, sharing thoughts or insights, and winning cool contests!
Yes, if you complete, submit, and have 70% of your course assignments approved by your Teaching Assistant you will be eligible for a Course Credential through Credly. With your Credly Course Credential, you can share your accomplishments across your social networks, the blockchain, or to print out yourself.
You will not recognize your work when class is over.
Our courses have been meticulously designed to simulate real-world situations so that you're learning best-practices from day one. You'll be challenged, supported, and celebrated by your fellow artists as you level-up in real-time.
Are you ready to take the next step in your career?
Registration Opens
October 17, 2022
Class Start Date:
May 8, 2023
April 10, 2023
April 10, 2023
Course Length:
Session Duration:
12 Weeks
3 Payments of
Instant-Access! Start learning immediately.
100% Free! Start learning immediately.