Animation Webinar with Michael Morgan

Recently we uploaded a Character Animation Webinar with Escape Studios animation tutor Michael Morgan to our Animation YouTube Channel. In this webinar, Michael talks about his approach to character animation, and how he approaches the blocking and execution of a shot. Michael teaches our 20 week evening class in animation, and brings a wealth of experience to teaching, including films such as Guardians of the Galaxy, Beauty and the Beast, and Black Panther.

About Michael Morgan

Michael Morgan at Escape Studios

Veteran animator Michael Morgan teaches our 20 week animation evening class at Escape Studios.  

Michael's film credits include Guardians of the Galaxy, Beauty and the Beast, and Black Panther.  

Traditional approach

Michael teaches a traditional acting approach to character animation, emphasising the importance of animators filming themselves acting out a shot - shooting live action reference and then using this reference for their animation.

Acting and performance
For example, on Guardians of The Galaxy , Michael explains that every animator "had to act out their own shot"; sometimes you "even act out other people's shots".  And someone else might have given the best performance - in which case that's the one you pick. It's a team effort, and you "have to get comfortable acting stuff out".

Disney approach
Michael's approach to animation is based on years of study of the workflow of the classic Disney movies, showing how a traditional approach to animation, and traditional methods, can still be applied today.

Michael Morgan - from Classroom to Studio
To see more about Michael's work and how he approaches the character animation process, read this post.

Study animation at Escape Studios
There are four main ways to study animation at Escape Studios

• Animation Short Course. Our 12 week zero-to-hero intensive course.  
• Animation MA in 3D Animation. One year intensive course of study, 5 modules including a studio project.
• Animation Evening Class. 20 weeks of study, two nights per week.
• BA/MArt. Three (four if you do the MA) years of undergraduate and post-graduate study. This course remains the gold standard for learning the art and craft of animation.

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 2021, follow this link.   To apply, visit the official page here.