Another Successful Student Interviews Mr. Stewart - Mitchel Kline

A note from Mitchel Kline...https://www.instagram.com/mitchelklineanimation/
 https://www.instagram.com/key.frame.zero.studio/

I started taking classes at TAC (The Animation Course) in high school. I had just wrapped up classes at an online high-school and hated it. I never wanted to take another online class again. But, then my mom found TAC on Facebook, and everything changed.

Within a year, I had learned all twelve principles of animation, the basics of storytelling, and had even made my own short-film. Through the CAT (Continued Animation Training) classes, I was able to learn the basics of environmental and character modeling, rigging, work on several group short films, and start working on my portfolio that got me into Lipscomb University’s animation program. 

At Lipscomb, I refined my skills, working on many more short films, as well as several professional projects. After graduation, I started training with Vertex School to learn how to use Unreal Engine. All the skills I learned at TAC, and refined at Lipscomb and Vertex earned me a job working at Shiloh and Bros YouTube channel, where I’m working on Pre-vis, VFX, and researching new pipelines. 

I’m eternally grateful for everything Mr. and Mrs. Stewart have done for me, as well as their amazing graders, who continue to give feedback and support even now. I’ve learned so much from them all, and wouldn’t be where I am today without them. Thank you guys so much!

Part 1 from Keyframe Studio and The Animation Course

Part 2 from Keyframe Studio and The Animation Course

Part 3 from Keyframe Studio and The Animation Course

Kendall Hood - an OG Student Interviews Mr. Stewart!!

You’re not too young to start animating — and this conversation proves it. I sat down with my former animation teacher to talk about overcoming roadblocks, starting young, and building a path into animation.

I had the pleasure of recording an interview with my middle/high school animation instructor, Chad Stewart, who has seen me grow from my very beginnings to where I am today. 💖✨ In this interview, Chad unpacks several areas where young artists often feel stuck on their journey toward animation and storytelling. 💫 With decades of experience working with aspiring artists, he shares vital advice and encouragement that you truly need to hear.

Ten years ago, Chad and his wife, Kayla, created an online animation course for students who wanted to begin learning animation before heading to college. 🎓✨ Before launching The Animation Course, Chad worked in the animation industry in both 2D and 3D since 1990. 💫 Some of the prominent films he contributed to include The Polar Express (2004), Cat’s Don’t Dance (1997), Tarzan (1999), The Emperor’s New Groove (2000), Surf’s Up (2007), and Open Season (2006). ✨💖

I took Chad’s course from ages 13–18, and it helped grow my skills not only for YouTube, but also throughout my college career and now into my professional career. 💖🎓 Learning the fundamentals at an early age truly set me up for success! 🤩✨ ✨I am happy to announce I am now fully employed at Glitch Productions as a 2D animator on Knights of Guinevere! ✨

Interested in learning more about The Animation Course?

Visit their website and social media! ✨💫

• 🎥 @the_animation_course

• 📮Instagram: https://www.theanimcourse.com/

• ✏️Website:   / theanimcourse  

My socials:

🌸Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/toonzee_ani...

🌸Portfolio: https://majesticstudios.wixsite.com/k...

Chapters: 00:00 Intro 02:17 Meet Chad 05:51 His Learning Journey 08:28 Advice for Young Animators 11:23 Problems With Learning Today? 16:58 Most Important Fundamentals 20:26 Overcoming Imposter Syndrome 23:10 Common Beginner Mistake 25:15 What Student Success Looks Like 29:21 My Definition of Success 30:41 How to Start Young 33:23 The Animation Course 34:53 Closing Thoughts

Interview with My Mom

Throughout the years we have had many conversations with our students’ parents, specifically our students’ mothers.  And it got me to thinking about my mom, and the journey she went through alongside mine as I began my career in animation.  So, I thought I would get her thoughts firsthand through a video interview.  Here it is below in 2 parts.  Enjoy!

Part 1 - Inteview with the one and only Cindy Stewart

Part 2 - Interview with my mom aka: 'Mimi’

How to Get a Job in Animation?

I go to my LinkedIn profile and there is the temptation to feel very discouraged.  Lots of people out of work (which has been the case in the past), lots of new worries and information about computers and A.I. taking over our jobs (which has been the case in the past, except replace ‘A.I.’ with ‘CGI’ or ‘Motion Capture’), and so much uncertainty about whether or not students can ‘make it’ once they finish college (which here too, has been the case in the past). 

Working in animation has never been easy, or for the faint of heart.  If anything, there is more work now than there was 35 years ago when I started out.  But there are also way more people in the industry now than there were back then, too.

But truth be told…

If I were starting out all over again, I don’t think any of this would matter to me.  When I got on a plane and headed to LA, everyone I knew was pretty worried for me.  And when I’m honest with myself, I know that I was pretty worried too.  BUT I COULDN’T WAIT!  I was going to draw until my arm fell off and see if I could make it!  I was so excited to finally learn how to animate!  Going to classes with professionals as teachers, studying, waking up early and animating for hours, editing my film, watching movies for homework and truly looking at this magical art, from every angle, to learn everything I could about it. 

I had spent 3 years getting into CalArts and now I finally had my chance.  And when I showed up to my first class, The Little Mermaid hadn’t even come out yet.  The industry was just getting a reboot.  I didn’t really think I would make that much money.  And that wasn’t really my goal.  My goal was to create!  To work in the movies!  I truly thought that I would be a starving artist my whole career, but at least I would be doing something I cared deeply about and had passion for.  That passion transformed into dedication, and I tell students all the time, more than anything else, dedication was my most important quality.  More than talent, more than timing, opportunities, the secret tips and tricks.  Just a simple willingness to not give up.

And if I was starting out today, I’d do it the same way all over again.  With passion and dedication to create and animate.  And a simple willingness to not give up.

If I was starting out again today, that’s how I would try and get a job in animation.

What to do about A.I.?

I’ve heard so much about A.I. in the last few months and I often get questions about it from students and parents.  Mainly something along the lines of ‘How do I see it affecting the animation industry?  Will it take away jobs?’  But now I have started to get asked the question, ‘Can I use A.I. in my assignment?’  To be fair, in all of these cases the student was asking if they could use it for a voice that they would animate to.  But I’m sure it won’t take long for the question to come ‘Can I use A.I. to create my animation assignment?’  And it might not even be a question.  They may just do it.  So, what are we to do next?

Here, in no particular order, are my thoughts about A.I.

1)       I’ve been told two other times in my career that the computer was going to take my job away from me.  In both cases, (the development of CG animation, and the development of Motion capture technology) the computer didn’t erase my job, but it did change it, and I had to adapt.  I learned how to animate  on the computer, and I learned how to work with motion capture.  Many of my friends and co-workers changed their focus to character design or story.  But the reality is that with those new technologies there are now more animation jobs, and the industry is larger than at any point in my 35 year career.  My guess is that it will be similar with A.I., that artists will have to adapt, but they will still be necessary. 

2)      I do think that A.I. will take over a number of assistant and entry level jobs.  It will probably do these jobs very well.  I’ve found that I love working with my ‘computer assistant’ as a CG animator.  My thought on this is that it will be more important than ever to really develop yourself as an artist.  It’s been my experience that there are never enough truly dynamic artists.  Those who have honed their skills and can paint, draw, design and understand light, texture, and composition.  And even more importantly, they can apply those in creative and unique ways that no one has ever thought of before.  In  my opinion those artists will be, as they have always been, in high demand.

3)      For the future student who might be thinking of using A.I. to create imagery.  I ask the question, ‘Why would you want to?’  The time put into developing your craft, including the frustration and irritation when you can’t do it the way you want, that is what brings the satisfaction when you see yourself get better and develop.  Why would you want to rob yourself of the process of your own growth?  Animation and art are extremely hard mediums to master, but trust me, it’s worth it!

I don’t really know what the future will bring, but I like to think that a human mind and a simple pencil still have more creative power than a massive supercomputer that can only mix up and ‘re-create’ what has already been created before.  Keep drawing!  Keep animating!  Keep telling stories!  I think it will be worth it.

Do I Miss the Studios?

People ask me all the time; “Do you miss the studios?  Do you miss working on a big movie?”  There are of course things I miss, being a part of the team, launching a film for an audience to see, getting excited as the film gets some recognition.  All of those things are fun and energizing.  And I still get to do them, but now instead of a team of professionals, I get a team of students. 

In our Continued Animation Training class (C.A.T. for short), one of the things that we do is to work on a single collaborative film with a ‘crew’ of students.  Each student fills a different role, just like in the studios.  It’s a long process, but with a lot of time and hard work, we eventually finish the film and launch it.  Just last year, we finished the film Life Isn’t Fair, a fun little back and forth between a grandfather and granddaughter about the kinds of things they think are unfair about life.  About 30 former and current students created this film, and it’s been a joy to enter the film into film festivals around the world! 

The film has been screened at WonderCon in Los Angeles, in New York City where it won Best 3D Animation at the New York Short Animation Festival, and in Illinois at the Anim8 Student Film Festival where it won an Award of Excellence.  There are other festivals too, and in each of these festivals it competed with college student work.  I’m extremely proud of what these students have achieved! 

Click here to Watch Life Isn’t Fair

But there’s another reason I’m enjoying being away from the studios, and it’s one that I didn’t see coming.

Over the course of my career, I’ve had many short film ideas, and I would use some of these in class.  When the students figured this out, they encouraged me to start finishing them.  The idea kind of hit me upside the head that if my students wanted to see these shorts, then maybe others would too.  So, I began chipping away, mainly because I could use the work I did for learning opportunities, but also because I got to work on ‘my own stuff’ and just have fun and fulfillment animating in different styles and at a high level.  It had been a decade and a half since I truly animated with paper and pencil, and I loved doing it again. 

I’m still working on many shorts in many styles, but I finished one tiny little film with pencil and paper.  It’s been in some festivals, and won a couple of awards too.

I won Best Character Design at the New York Short Animation Festival, an Award of Excellence at the Best Shorts Competition, and the Golden Pencil Award at the Drawtastic Animation Festival.

Click here to watch Who Do We Appreciate?

So, with all of this going on, plus classes and a new grandson, there isn’t much time to miss the studios.  Well, maybe a little…..Nah!

We're 10 Years Old!!

In January 2015, we started our first classes with The Animation Course.  We had about 40 students and offered two Level 1 Animation classes.  I taught them at night while I was still working at Sony Pictures Animation.  Class sizes and offerings quickly grew and within the year I left Sony and we ventured into running the Animation Course as a full time endeavor, something we never expected to do.

So much has happened between now and then, our kids growing up, going to college, we’re even grandparents now, and the Animation Course, more importantly, the thousands of students who have taken classes with us, have been with us through it all.  We are so thankful to all of you: students, parents, educators, who have helped us and been a part of this journey.

We hear occasionally from some of our early students.  One had an internship with Pixar, one has 167 thousand subscribers on YouTube, one just got a credit with National Geographic as a videographer.  Many have gone to college to study all kinds of things: dance, medicine, and of course, animation. 

It’s so exciting to know that in a very small way, we’ve been a part of so many young people’s lives and helped them as they ventured out into the world.  If you are reading this and took a class with us a few (or many) years ago, would you mind reaching out and letting us know what you’re doing?  We’d love to hear from you!

And if you’re still taking classes with us, we can’t wait to see what happens in the next 10 years!

chad@theanimcourse.com

kayla@theanimcourse.com