Class Catalog

Class Details

Summer 2026:

TERM DATES: Jul 5, 2026 - Sep 19, 2026
LEVEL: Advanced
COURSE PREREQUISITES:Facial Performance

Animating Appeal and Entertainment

$1620

Now that students have a solid foundation in moving and acting, the focus shifts to acting choices. This final animation class is designed to help students get that extra spark of life and appeal in their animation. Taught by veteran animators, their goal is to help students learn to make better, entertaining acting choices and to achieve a high level of polish and sophistication. Instructors guide with the broad strokes and the tiny details that will help take students' work to the next level. Students animate new acting shots, and get help polishing their demo reel.
Critique Time * Class Time Instructor Notes
Tuesday 8:30 PM - 10:00 PM Thursday 8:30 PM - 10:00 PM
Bill Haller
Tuesday 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM Thursday 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM
Kevin Jackson
Tuesday 10:00 PM - 11:30 PM Thursday 10:00 PM - 11:30 PM
Tony Mecca
Monday 10:00 PM - 11:30 PM Wednesday 10:00 PM - 11:30 PM
Tyler Phillips

ABOUT INSTRUCTORS

Bill Haller

United States Flag United States

I'm an Animation Director with over 20 years of experience in Animated Features, VFX, Short Films & Commercials. I've worked at Sony Imageworks, ReelFX, Rhythm & Hues, WildBrain, and some others where I've been passionate about bringing characters to life for many entertaining films & projects. I've recently just finished directing the animated feature "SCOOB Holiday Haunt" for Warner Animation Group.
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Kevin Jackson

United States Flag United States

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Tony Mecca

United States Flag United States

I've been a professional animator for over 20 years spanning major feature films, games, mixed reality, and most recently - theme park attraction ride and creative development. I have animated on everything from VFX heavy realistic style shows like Snow White and the Huntsman, RIPD, and X-Men Days of Future Past to fully animated cartoony blockbusters like Rio 2 and Hotel Transylvania 2. Before feature film I worked in video games animating everything from super realistic combat simulations to sci-fi fantasy adventures. I was a primary member of the team that developed the critically acclaimed and award winning Conduit first person animation system. After spending a few years working at Magic Leap developing the next generation of story telling for mixed reality, I am currently "at home" working as a creative lead with the amazing Universal Studios Creative producing the next generation of rides, lands and attractions for Universal studios theme parks world wide. I am also a muti-patent holder (some of which include character animation technology) and work with almost every single major animation and VFX studio directing next generation character performances for our theme parks around the world.
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Tyler Phillips

United States Flag United States

Tyler is a Supervising Animator at DreamWorks Animation originally from San Diego, California. After earning his bachelors in Graphic Design and Mixed Media, he worked as a compositor and 3D Generalist in live action, in Prague in 2005. He then went back to school to learn Character Animation and before finishing, he landed a job working at Blue Sky Studios on Ice Age 3. He then went to work at Sony Games on God of War III just before starting at DreamWorks Animation to work on How to Train Your Dragon. He's worked on all three Dragon films, Megamind, Puss In Boots, Madagascar 3 and Rise of the Guardians, Trolls, Bad Guys and more. Tyler has been working at DreamWorks from 2009 to Present.
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