Animation Mentor launched in 2005 and offers an 18-month
program built from the ground up by founders Bobby Beck, Shawn Kelly and Carlos
Baena, whose combined credits include work on Cars, Finding Nemo and Star Wars: Episode 3. The curriculum includes student mentoring; expert
audio/video lectures; live, realtime Q&A sessions (Web classes); eCritiques
and a 24/7 creative community.
"The quality of animation coming out of all of our classes
is amazing," says Beck, who serves as CEO/president. "And the short films are
so nuanced, imaginative and fun.
The reel demonstrates why so many of our graduates have gone on to land
the studio job of their dreams."
The showcase is designed to exhibit students' understanding
of body mechanics, weight, squash and stretch, arcs, anticipation, acting and
other animation fundamentals. The reel can be viewed online (www.animationmentor.com/quicktime/winterShowcase),
and a future reel is expected to coincide with the 2007 SIGGRAPH show.