Thank you for your interest in the Hollywood Animation Academy of Kansas City!
We are scheduled to open for classes in January of 2023 in the Crossroads Arts District in Kansas City Missouri. There will be an online class this Fall starting September 20. If you are interested in attending please sign up for more info! Because of our late start, we will be in class partially through summer in order to be on schedule for the Fall. We hope you will be a part of this fantastic program!
For information on tuition rates, location, and news about the school please sign up for more information so we can send you an introduction package. We are always available to take your call or schedule a Zoom meeting where we can answer any questions you have.
A portfolio review is required to attend. We require students to have a level of foundation in either drawing, CG animation, storytelling, filmmaking or acting. When you sign up for more info you will receive portfolio guidelines.
Students will receive job placement assistance from our Student Success Supervisor. We do not guarantee job placement but our connections in the industry and advanced training will give our students a huge advantage over most any other school in the country. While students are taking the program we will be meeting with you to discuss the types of projects and studios you want to work for so they can be lined up for you as you graduate.
Classes will be held 9:30am to 3pm Monday through Friday and the school will be open for their use until 6 daily. Students will have a desk and assigned machine at the school that is their own for the length of the program. To ensure that students are equipped with optimal equipment to complete their homework, they will need to purchase a home computer set up. Please ask us about the specs you need and whether we have some computers available for you to purchase.
For students who will take both 2D and CG courses, this includes a computer with the proper specs, a Maya and Toonboom license, a Wacom(what most major studios use), or Huion(equally rated but half the price) Cintiq 22 or 24 inches, and one extra monitor, keyboard, and mouse.
For CG-only animation students, your home computer will consist of a computer with the proper specs, two HD monitors, a mouse, and a keyboard.
Qualifications
We like to have a consultation with our potential students to assess their experience level and goals
*We will customize your program toward your interests and abilities. No drawing experience? No problem, we will start you in computer animation and help you discover where you will be most prosperous. Have a look at our basic requirements and please contact us so we can get to know you and get you on our exclusive list for year one of the Hollywood Animation Academy!
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High School GPA or GED |
Required |
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High School Record (or Transcript) |
Required |
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Completion of College Preparatory Program |
Recommended |
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Recommendations or references |
Recommended |
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Formal Demonstration of Competencies |
Required |
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Admission Test Scores |
Neither required nor recommended |
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TOEFL |
Required |
Portfolio Submission Guidelines
For New Students
The traditional animation program we need to evaluate your drawing skills. You will need to have advanced drawing skills to qualify. You will need to send a link to your online portfolio or submit a folder through mail.bigfile.com to our email address.
For Advance Students
This is for students who already have a strong draftsmanship in drawing and are already equipped with the foundation of basic, storytelling, acting and posing from a previous college, school or work experience. The advanced class instructors will help these students reach the standards needed to be sought after in major studios and address other goals they have.
Email us and fill out your contact information on our Sign Up page.
Did you know when you are watching animation 30 frames go by per second? Did you know the voice actors act out the script into recordings for storyboard artists to then be the first to visualize the script? They say animators are actors, only with a pencil, well now they use a lot of different tools. This course will introduce you to the basic fundamentals that make animation work, and where animators fit into the process of making films, games, and television shows. We will discuss the history of animation and see where it is going. It is an eye opening introduction to the magic, the art, and the craft. Great for younger students as well ages 14 up with strong basic computer skills. On the final day of class, you will learn to animate the Iron Giant or Lego Batman!
3D Animation fundamentals will teach you how to use Autodesk Maya to create animation using character rigs. It’s like puppeting your character without drawing! You will learn the basics of weight, posing, timing and movement to create some awesome pieces for your portfolio using characters like the Iron Giant, Homer Simpson, Woody and Buzz and even Spongebob!