Lighting An Animated Film
Lighting an Animated Film has everything! Animated characters, complete sets, and training from both Jasmine and Mike on how to make it all beautiful!
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This course is as close as you will ever get to working as a lighter in an animation studio.
Jasmine and Mike will take you through lighting an entire sequence of animated shots in a way that simulates the workflow of a major studio. No other course offers something this close to genuine industry work experience.
You will take your shots through each step of the lighting process from gathering reference images, to generating color keys, to creating a master lighting rig, to propagating that rig to other shots, and ultimately rendering out layers and compositing a final animated short. They will show you how a series of animated shots are evaluated in daily lighting reviews to ensure each shot looks great and matches the shots surrounding it.
The best part of this class...we will be providing you all the animated assets you will need! We have worked with industry experts to get sets and characters that are fully rigged and animated. All you have to do is demonstrate your ability to light a scene and you will have professional level work to plop right into your demo reel.
Most Academy of Animated Art courses are taught by one professor, but this class is just too big for that. So both Mike and Jasmine will be guiding you through this entire lighting journey! They have worked on over a combined 20 animated films!!
So what are you waiting for!?!? Get on it today!
Your Instructor
P. Jasmine Katatikarn is a Creative Leader, CEO of the Academy of Animated Art, and Coach/Educator. She holds a B.A. in economics/art history from Vassar College and received her Master of Science in Digital Imaging and Design degree from NYU. After graduate school, she began working in the field of 3D medical visualization and moved onto VFX/commercial work, working at The Mill, Framestore, and Rhinofx/Gravity before moving into feature animated film work at Blue Sky Studios, where she worked for over 10 years as a Senior Lighting Technical Director. Her lighting credits include Spies in Disguise, Ferdinand, Peanuts, Rio, Rio 2,Epic, Ice Age: Continental Drift, Rio, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, Ghost Town, and The Nanny Diaries.
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Mike is currently a Senior Lighting TD at Blue Sky Studios. His lighting credits include Ferdinand, Peanuts, The Rio Franchise, Epic, Ice Age: Continental Drift, Scrat's Continental Crack-up, Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, and is currently working on Spies in Disguise (2019). Along with lighting, he has also received credits as a Compositing Artist and Sky Artist. Michael began his career as a photographer and studio artist after completing his BFA degree in Photography from Ohio State. Michael switched his career focus and began freelancing as a 3D artist. He attended the Savannah College of Art and Design and received his MFA in visual effects before joining Blue Sky Studios in 2008. http://michaeltanzillo.com/
Course Curriculum
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StartScene Setup (7:24)
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StartMaking The Sky (4:02)
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StartCreating The Key Light (10:24)
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StartThe Sky Dome (4:18)
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PreviewGobo Lighting (12:07)
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StartCharacter Light Linking (8:18)
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StartOhhhhhh....Volumetric Lighting (8:00)
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StartTaking Advantage of Aerial Perspective (1:54)
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StartSetting Up Ambient Occlusion (1:35)
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StartCreating Separation With Rim Lighting (4:44)
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StartLayer Breakouts (6:22)
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StartInitial Comp Setup (9:13)
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StartSky Tracking (6:35)
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StartRack That Focus! (6:48)
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StartCryptomattes (4:37)
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StartNotes and Feedback (3:16)
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StartCreating a Window Reflection Pass (3:17)
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StartFinal Render Settings (10:18)
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PreviewFinal Composite (16:36)
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StartPrepping The Scene To Passoff (3:37)
“I don’t believe I would have been able to get the job I have today without the skills and knowledge I gained from Academy of Animated Art .
I was a little hesitant about signing up because I wanted to make sure I was getting my money’s worth out of an online class. These courses are worth every penny and then some! The investment I have made in my career.”
- Anthony Ragusa, Senior Lighting Technical Director, Blue Sky Studios
"I knew I wanted to be a lighter, but didn't feel I had enough experience or quality showreel material to get the jobs I wanted.
The showreel I used to get my current job contained a large majority of work from the assignments I did at Academy of Animated Art . It has also helped improve how I go about breaking down the lighting in a shot and ensuring that my lighting starts on strong fundamentals."
- Chris Wetherly, Compositing & Finishing at The Foundry
"This course was so beneficial in my career because now I no longer doubt the decisions I make regarding my work.
Also, I didn't have money to afford college so I did not want to spend time just doing some boring tutorials I would just forget. I use what I learned from Academy of Animated Art everyday!"
- Anuar Figueroa, Lighting TD at Sony Imageworks
Is Academy of Animated Art right for you?
If any of this sounds like you, Academy of Animated Art is right for you.
- Are you someone that has always dreamed of a challenging, rewarding career that pushes you both technically and artistically? We are right for you.
- Have you been trying and trying to make better looking 3D images, but just can’t figure out where to begin?Academy of Animated Art is right for you.
- Do you live where there are no schools are teaching visual effects or computer animation? Academy of Animated Art is right for you.
- Are you looking to change careers but even the thought of paying to go back to a traditional school sounds like torture? Academy of Animated Art is right for you.
- Have you ever dreamed of seeing your name in the credits of the next animated or VFX film? We are right for you.
Still, not sure if Academy of Animated Art is right for you?
Believe me, we get it. Although these courses are a fraction of the cost you would pay a traditional school, this is still a lot of money. So here are some reasons why you should be willing to give us a try.
- We also offer a 15-day money back guarantee. If you sign up and find that Academy of Animated Art isn’t right for you, we will offer a refund, when you show us that you have gone through one lecture and done the work, we want to make sure that you try!
- We offer lifetime access to all our courses. This means that you will have access to all the updates and changes we make to the classes as this ever-changing industry continues to evolve.
Who is behind Academy of Animated Art?
Jasmine Katatikarn and Michael Tanzillo are the Co-Founders of Academy of Animated Art. They are both Senior Lighting Artists at Blue Sky Studios with a combined 20+ years of working on VFX and Animated Films.
Mike and Jasmine created The Academy of Animated Art because working in animated features and visual effects has been a dream come true. They were both struggling, young artists who were a bit lost before making the decision to try and become lighting artists. Since then, they have been able to launch careers that have allowed them the opportunity to not only work in an industry that is challenging and fulfilling, but also lead a full life outside of work including traveling the world and starting a family.
This success did not come without a price. Mike and Jasmine have combined to spend over $100,000 on their education before getting their first jobs in animation. Even after that, there was still a gap between what they learned in school and what they needed to know to ultimately succeed in this industry. Now, after more than 20 films and countless student loan payments, they have designed a way to teach artists the necessary skills in order to be successful in this industry without the huge financial burden. The system included a school designed to be an online education system that was affordable and accessible to everyone around the world who wants to chase their dream of working on the next big animated film.
In other words, they have designed a school they wish existed so they could get their dream job faster and save $100,000 in the process.
That school is Academy of Animated Art.
This is the average salary for a Lighting TD according to Glass Door.
Would you like to make a 6-figure salary working a job that is both technically and aesthetically rewarding on animated films?
Academy of Animated Art can help!
Frequently Asked Questions
Academy of Animated Art works hard to create courses that will provide value to our students. We are confident you'll LOVE this course, too. But if for some reason you don't, then we will gladly give you a full refund within 15 days.