Cel Action Starts on Tuesday 21st October 2019

2D animation with Cel Action is coming to Escape Studios on Tuesday 21st October 2019.

2D animation is making a big comeback these days, with plenty of TV series work being done right here in London.  But the new wave of 2D animation isn't just about drawing skills, it also involves learning new software.

This class runs for 8 weeks, one evening a week (tuesdays), and is an introduction to animating in Cel Action, one of the leading software packages for the creation of 2D animation.

2D Animation is back

What's this all about?
2D Animation is experiencing a revival, with many 2D productions being animated right here in London. In particular, Cel Action is used by many leading animation studios including the makers of Peppa Pig, Simon’s Cat, and Mr Bean.

Why Cel Action?
Cel Action is a very flexible software package, that allows the user to create 2D animation using rigged puppets.

Cel Action is also a software package that doesn't have a lot of online tutorials, so classroom learning makes sense for animators who want to upgrade their skills. 

What's in the course?

Simon's Cat - animated in Cel Action

The course will cover the basics of locomotion and mechanics in animation 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?

The course is aimed at animators wanting to acquire 2D software skills. This course will enable students to learn the basics of 2D animation using Cel Action; no prior knowledge of the software is required.

How it works

Mr Bean - Animated in Cel Action

You will be expected to attend an evening class one night a week, and will be set simple projects to do in-class, as well as more complex tasks to practice on at home. You will also have the opportunity to develop your portfolio or demo reel, with an industry brief.

Cel Action licenses
Cel Action have agreed an extended license period over and above the usual trial period for a Cel Action license. This means that our students can download the software and practice at home what they have learned in class, and complete their homework for the next week, over the full period of the course. 

Are there jobs for 2D Animators?
There are indeed. 2D Animation is experiencing a big revival, with many productions  being animated right here in London. Tiger Aspect Productions, for example, is always on the look-out for fresh talent trained in Cel Action.

Industry Mentor
Our industry mentor is Tiger Aspect Productions.  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: Steve Edge

Tutor
Our tutor is the very talented Steve Edge, an Escapee who studied animation with us ten years ago, and is now directing animation at Tiger Aspect. You can read more about Steve here.

You can see some of Steve's work in the video below.

Course outline
Week 1 - User interface & setup. Intro to characters and how they are rigged
Week 2 - Animation basics – Principles of animation and the Bouncing Ball
Week 3 - Animation basics – Display orders, attachment links and FX within Cel Action
Week 4 - Animation basics – character walk
Week 5 – Character actions; runs and jumps.
Week 6 - Character acting. Intro to 11 Second Club project. Blocking animation.
Week 7 - Develop final project. Blocking, tweaks, in-betweens.
Week 8 - Final project polish and review (industry brief)

Where and When
Location: Midtown campus, 190 High Holborn
Start date: Tuesday 21st October 2019
Tuition fee: £995
Mode of study: Part time (Tuesday evening: 7pm - 10pm)
Programme duration: 8 weeks

Official site
To sign up for the evening class in Cel Action, follow this link.

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.