Apply now for Unreal Fellowship: Animation

The Unreal Fellowship was created to help people like you prepare for what’s next in real-time technology. From virtual production to worldbuilding, we’ve aimed to strengthen the skills of experienced professionals in animation, production design, and beyond. To continue rounding out the skillsets of our participants, we’re happy to announce our next specialized class— Unreal Fellowship: Animation.
 

What is Unreal Fellowship: Animation?

Unreal Fellowship: Animation is a three-week, virtual course that examines the principles of animation and the technical foundations of constructing keyframe and/or motion capture data within Unreal Engine. Upon completion of the course, participants will understand the core fundamentals of real-time animation along with a variety of Unreal Engine tools in service of creating an animated performance.

Since animation is such a comprehensive subject, this course focuses on animation rules and techniques such as keyframing, additive layering, and retargeting. Additionally, participants will learn Unreal Engine tools such as Sequencer, Live Link, Take Recorder, and Movie Render Queue, and more.
 


Who is this course for?

Unreal Fellowship: Animation is open to experienced professionals in animation and motion capture fields, such as:
  • Animators, technical animators/directors, layout artists, previs artists, and motion editors
  • Directors, animation supervisors, VFX supervisors, and previs supervisors
  • Film, broadcast, and animation studio executives who have production experience in linear animation or VFX content creation
Do note: This course is meant for participants with fundamental to intermediate Unreal Engine experience.
 

What will I learn from Unreal Fellowship: Animation?

Our instructors will teach you how to:
  • Understand the state of the industry regarding real-time animation
  • Understand the fundamentals of lighting and basic rendering
  • Demonstrate the principles of animation through keyframing in Unreal Engine Sequencer
  • Leverage Sequencer and its curve editor to construct individual shots and build sequences 
  • Construct a basic control rig to animate a prop for a bipedal character
  • Modify existing motion capture or keyframe data with additive animation layering
  • Understand best practices for integrating third-party DCC animation data
 

Is there anything else I’ll walk away from this course with?

Oh, yes, there’s something new and special indeed. This will be the first Unreal Fellowship course to incorporate an exquisite corpse-style challenge project. 

Participants will first divide into eight teams. Each participant will construct a five to 15-second animated performance that will be assembled into an exquisite corpse sequence within their team, so a 12-person team would result in 60 to 180 seconds of animation.

Multiple levels of complexity incorporate much of what the course covered. It should be a sight to behold upon completion and we can’t wait to see what’s created!
 

When does this course begin?

Unreal Fellowship: Animation will run August 28 – September 15 in the US and October 23 – November 10 in Europe. Classes will be held 10 AM –7 PM EST.
Applications are open now.
 

How do I apply for the Unreal Fellowship: Animation course?

Follow the link at the bottom of this page!

Participants selected should possess some or all of the following prerequisites and should work in the fields noted above.
  • Must have a minimum of three years of production experience in film, broadcast, or game construction
  • Have two-to-three film credits or one AAA game title credit
  • Can supply an animation-centric demo reel
  • Completed a previous Unreal Fellowship course or have worked in Unreal Engine for at least three to six months
  • Have a strong understanding of mechanics, timing, and the 12 principles of animation
  • Have familiarity and experience with digital content creation
Submissions close on June 9. Unreal Fellowship courses always fill up quickly, so apply now if you want to be considered!

    Apply for Unreal Fellowship: Animation

    Does this course sound like something that moves you? Does your experience match the criteria above? If so, then we’d love to hear from you.