Signups for AAI classes begin Monday

Signups begin on Monday, January 17 for the Spring 2011 semester of the American Animation Institute, the program of art and craft classes sponsored by the Animation Guild. This semester features a master class by BOB KURTZ.

The Spring 2011 AAI catalog can be found here on our website.

To sign up, call (818) 845-7000 between 8:30 am and 5 pm. You must sign up by phone; signups are not accepted online. It’s not unusual for classes to fill up very quickly, so we recommend you call during office hours to make sure your signup is received and accepted, rather than leaving after-hours voicemails.

After signing up by phone, registration can be completed by sending a check to our offices made out to the American Animation Institute. Registration is complete when payment is received. Do not wait until the first class session to pay for the class; if the class is full you may be turned away even if you previously signed up by phone.

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Among the classes offered in the spring is Film Sense and Nonsense: The Bob Kurtz Master Class in Comedic Film Staging, Timing and Storytelling, taught by master animation artist BOB KURTZ.

Kurtz has championed the composition, film story and design principles of T. Hee, Don Graham, Marc Davis and Bill Moore for more than thirty years and has successfully utilized those principles in his own career. As founder of Kurtz and Friends, Bob is the recipient of over two hundred and fifty international awards for animation including an Emmy, a Peabody and an Annie Award for lifetime achievement. His wealth of expertise and information will inspire students and professionals alike.

This is a must-do class for anyone who wants to learn or re-experience the fundamentals of the creative process and the basic principles of composition, staging, timing and storytelling for film, storyboarding and animation. By breaking down classic film clips and analyzing their staging, timing and structure, you'll see what works, what doesn't work and why. Through a series of assignments and follow-up critiques, you'll learn how these principles can be applied to your own work and see results right away. Demonstrations, lectures and film analysis will inspire you to apply the principles to your work as soon as possible.

The class runs for four Monday evenings from March 21 to April 11, from 7 to 10 pm. Enrollment is limited and is on a first-come, first-served basis. This class is likely to fill up, so sign up and pay for the class promptly.