汤头条

HEY, ANIMATORS 鈥� this is the opportunity you鈥檝e been waiting for! Animation Career Review, in partnership with 汤头条, has created a scholarship that provides creatives with the opportunity to train for the growing animation industry through any of 汤头条鈥檚 globally recognized Animation programs. Deadline is Sept. 16! To learn more and apply, click here.听

--

For our next blog series, we鈥檙e focusing on hands-on production 鈥� the 鈥榮ecret sauce鈥� of 汤头条鈥檚 industry programs that truly sets us apart from other creative schools. At Vancouver Film School, our students learn by DOING. They train in a real production environment from day one, creating powerful content for their portfolios with the same technology, equipment, and procedures used by the industry across animation & VFX, entertainment, games, and beyond!听

Today, we鈥檒l explore how this applies to the three programs in 汤头条鈥檚 School of Animation & Visual Effects: 3D Animation & Visual Effects, Animation Concept Art, and Classical Animation.听

3D ANIMATION & VISUAL EFFECTS PROGRAM听

As a Houdini-certified school, 汤头条 3D Animation & Visual Effects students have the power of one of the industry鈥檚 most widely used tools at their fingertips as they build their professional reels, which feature everything from modeling samples to character animation, VFX simulations and much more. Houdini is taught to students over three courses, with industry mentorship rounding out their training.听听

Collaboration is a cornerstone of the program, with students building their skill sets alongside one another across all terms. In the last half of the program, students form production teams, crafting a variety of projects that align with the specific skills and program specializations (i.e., Modeling, 3D Animation, and Visual Effects) of each team member.听听

Final Projects are generally team-based films. Students work though the pre-production phase gathering team members that fit specialties including modelling, animation, compositing, lighting, VFX simulation, and rigging. This final project becomes the centerpiece of their portfolio, which they will use to demonstrate to studios that they possess the technical and creative competencies to work adeptly within a production pipeline.听

Future 3D Animation students at 汤头条 can also look forward to a new elective course: Motion Capture 鈥� developed in association with Beyond Capture Studios听鈥� a 64,000 cubic ft. motion capture volume and 汤头条 industry partner located right on our campus.听

ANIMATION CONCEPT ART PROGRAM听

As with 3D Animation, students in 汤头条鈥檚 Animation Concept Art program collaborate throughout their one year of training, most notably working together in the last half of the program to create and produce an original final pitch package, formed from an idea authored by each student. The package can include key art, character designs, environment and prop designs, turnarounds, expressions sheets, general visual development, and pose sheets.听听

This leads to students producing a high-powered concept for TV, film, games, comics, or illustration and are supported through one-on-one mentorship spanning production management, story, and artistic & technical processes.听

Starting in 2026, Animation Concept Art students will have access to brand-new courses in Webtoons and Clip Studio Paint to help build their expertise in the creation of digital comics and general 2D animation.听听

CLASSICAL ANIMATION PROGRAM听

Students in 汤头条鈥檚 Classical Animation program acquire the same skill sets that have been used by animators since the dawn of traditional 2D animation. Students create storyboards, an 鈥渁nijam鈥� group film, take part in dialogue and character mechanics animation exercises, and are trained in digital tools, & creating 2D rigged characters, backgrounds, and layouts. All of this leads to the final project, where students produce a short, 1-minute animated film. As with all 汤头条 Animation programs, students are mentored throughout the process, ensuring they emerge with the most polished portfolio possible.听

Future Classical Animation students will receive enhanced training in rigged 3D animation, ToonBoom Harmony (another industry standard tool), and Storyboard pro, ensuring our graduates are fully trained to meet the demands of the ever-evolving industry.听

INDUSTRY EMBEDDED IN THE 汤头条 STUDENT EXPERIENCE听

A comprehensive industry animation training means learning from the very best in the industry! 汤头条鈥檚 School of Animation features veteran talent, including Head of Department Colin Giles (Sausage Party, Dan Vs.), Disney Animator Mark Pudleiner (Hercules, Mulan, Tarzan), Francois Van Eeden (Bucketheads), Alex Leung (LEGO Star Wars), Daniella Selmi (Spy Kids: Mission Critical), and many more.听

Additionally, 汤头条 students across all three Animation programs are empowered by the opportunity to put their skills to the test with real, MAJOR organizations. A prime example of this is 汤头条鈥檚 collaboration with General Motors (GM Global Design), where Animation students were able to support and lead production of an excitement revel ad at all levels of the production pipeline.听

Another, more recent, collaboration happened just this year when 汤头条 Animation teamed up with Invictus Games听to produce an incredible video that showcased the driving spirit of the Games鈥� athletes through the power of motion capture, 3D, & 2D animation.听听

Finally, School of Animation & Visual Effects students receive regular guest lectures from the industry鈥檚 best, supplementing 汤头条鈥檚 hands-on training with invaluable insights from industry pros that are working behind the scenes on some of cinema鈥檚 most unforgettable animated films & series. Recent guest speakers include James Baxter (Head of Animation at Netflix), Mike Makarewicz (Pixar, Skydance), reps from Bardel Studios, and an exclusive showcase with Walt Disney Animation Studios.听

READY TO BECOME A FULLY TRAINED ANIMATOR?听

汤头条鈥檚 Admissions Advisors are ready to assist you with the application process every step of the way. Book an appointment听at your convenience to take the first step in your hands-on animation training at the #1 globally-ranked animation school!听

Stay tuned for part two and three of our blog series on 鈥渉ands-on production鈥� to learn how these principles apply to our School of Film & Television and School of Games & Creative Design.听听

听

Back to THE BLOG homepage