Watching the amazing animation done by Ken Duncan's animation studio on Mary Poppins Returns underlines just how much 2D animation skills are still in demand.
It was also clear at last summer's Annecy animation festival in France that a big 2D animation revival is in progress. Here in London, Blue Zoo animation is expanding into 2D work and aggressively recruiting fresh animation talent. So, there are plenty of opportunities for 2D animators - as long as they are properly trained in the right software, of course.
What's this all about?
Toonboom Harmony, and the growing revival of 2D animation. Harmony, made by Montreal-based software co Toonboom (they also make Toonboom Storyboard Pro, which we are also acquiring licenses for) is one of the leading software packages for 2D animation, and we're trialling a new class in the software next week. The class runs for 8 weeks, one evening a week (tuesdays), and is an introduction to animating in the software.
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| Artwork by our industry mentor, Blue Zoo |
2D Animation is experiencing a revival, with many 2D productions being animated right here in London. Not just Blue Zoo, but also Aardman, and Brown Bag Animation all use Toonboom Harmony as their 2D animation software platform.
Why Harmony?
Toonboom Harmony is a very flexible software package, that allows the user to combined 2D rigged puppet-style animation with the ability to hand-draw elements in the traditional way.
The course will cover the basics of locomotion and mechanics in animation, and also 2D rigging, and aims to get students familiar with the software, to enable them to apply for the many studios in the UK and overseas that are embracing this software package.
Who is it for?
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| Blue Zoo is our industry mentor for this course |
How it works
You will be expected to attend an evening class one night a week, and will be set simple projects to do in-class. You will also have the opportunity to develop your portfolio or demo reel, with an industry brief.
Are there jobs for 2D Animators?
Yes, lots. 2D Animation is experiencing a big revival, with many new productions being animated right here in London.
It's important to note that Harmony isn't the only game in town. Many productions, such as Peppa Pig, Simon's Cat and Mr Bean are made with Cel Action, a similar software package that also achieves excellent results.
We are also working on developing an evening class in Cel Action, so keep an eye out for the launch of our Cel Action class.
Industry Mentor
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| Plamen Ananiev |
As with all our courses, the class builds up to a live industry brief, ensuring that student work is well targeted towards employers looking to recruit talent.
Tutor
Our tutor is the very talented Plamen Ananiev, an experienced 2D animator who is currently working on Simon's Cat in London.
You can see some of Plamen's work in Harmony in the video below.
Plamen Ananiev Toon Boom Harmony Rigging Showreel from ananiev.plamen@gmail.com on Vimeo.
Course outline
Week 1 - User interface & setup
Week 2 - Animation basics – the Bouncing Ball
Week 3 - Rigging basics 1
Week 4 - Rigging basics 2
Week 5 - Locomotion cycles
Week 6 - Final project – planning
Week 7 - Develop final project
Week 8 - Submit final project (industry brief)
Where and When
Location: Midtown campus, 190 High Holborn
Start date: 8 January 2019
Tuition fee: £995
Mode of study: Part time (Tuesday evening: 7pm - 10pm)
Programme duration: 8 weeks
The Escape Studios Animation Blog offers a personal view on the art of animation and visual effects. To find out more about our new BA/MArt, now recruiting for September 2019, follow this link. To apply, visit the offical page here.
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