Want to be the next Walt Disney? Think you’re the person to write the new Simpsons? If you’d wished you could go to cartoon school, now you can at the Cartoon Network Academy.
Superheroes exist and animals come to life at the Cartoon Network Academy, where cartoons aren’t just the name of the game, they’re the name of the school.
Abu Dhabi’s media and entertainment hub, Twofour54, has teamed up with Turner Entertainment’s Cartoon Network to provide classes and courses for aspiring animators, character designers, screenwriters and production managers.
The programme, which is offered through Twofour54’s vocational training academy Tadreeb, was introduced in 2010 at MIPTV, a worldwide television content development forum that takes place annually in Cannes, France.
Maryam Al Mheiri, chief operating officer of Twofour54 tells us, ‘The aim of the partnership is to provide a platform for young talent to undertake industry-relevant training in animation and for Cartoon Network, which will result in a stream of talented individuals who could work in their studio.’
Full-time students complete 16 months of training, which consists of four trimesters and three one-week master classes taught by professional animators. Individual courses include basic two-dimensional training, such as drawing and illustration, as well as advanced animation techniques using industry standard technology. Students learn to work with professional software such as Photoshop, InDesign and Maya, a 3D animation software used in motion pictures and TV shows.
‘You can learn animation only by doing it and it takes many years of hard work, dedication and passion to become really good at it,’ says Maryam.
The courses help students develop skills in all stages of animation. From the actual idea, to writing a script, creating a visual representation of the script and audio and film production, students are guided by lectures, critiques and independent projects. There are also team projects where students gain experience working with others to create a final product.
The three master classes supplement the animation instruction with more practical career skills such as consulting, direction and production. They also teach students savvy business techniques, including how to pitch ideas that are relevant as well as being topical. This combination of creative and professional training is designed to produce well-rounded graduates that are ready to work in a competitive field.
To date, the course has enjoyed steady growth in popularity and a growing respect among industry professionals. Three of the programme’s graduates have landed full-time positions with Cartoon Network as animation artists and more have been hired in the network’s production department, while others have found work in the creative labs of media organisations such as Lammtara Studios, a leading animation studio in Dubai.
For each graduating class, at least two of the strongest students are offered an internship with Cartoon Network Studios Arabia. The hands-on training sees them participating in the development of existing projects and the chance to create their own content under professional supervision. Depending on their work and the needs of the studio, the internships may turn into freelance work or in some cases full-time employment. Students have also gone on to video game companies such as Gamified Labs, which uses interactive game-like features to encourage consumer engagement with technology, and application developers such as AlphaApps, a UAE-based company.
An important goal of the Cartoon Network Academy is to give Arab students the skills and training to work in the TV and media industry. Although the courses, which are taught in English, are open to all eligible students in the UAE, special scholarships are offered for Emiratis. The regular cost of the course is Dhs80,0000.
The Cartoon Network Academy accepts applications at any time for both full-time and part-time programmes. Starting dates depend on the talent and availability of the applicants. The next course is due to start in 2015, but Tadreeb is considering adding a second class of students based on growing interest in the programme.
Cartoon Network Academy, Eastern Ring Road, opposite Khalifa Park, www.tadreeb.twofour54.com (02 401 2454).
Improve your animation
Here are five things to do before you even start animating that will add that oomph that you need:
1. Write out your story. Start with a strong story from beginning to end – not just an idea.
2. Do several sketches of your characters so you know what they will look like in every setting and circumstance.
3. Plan your scenes. Look at your story and decide exactly where each scene will start and end. This will give you a better idea of the backgrounds and provide a framework for your animation.
4. Figure out your timing. Certain actions will take more frames than others.
5. Create a work plan. Determine how you will approach the animation and break the work into stages – perhaps scene by scene. Then stick to this plan to see your animation through.
