- Looking for a great Animation Tutorial to help YOU out?
- Searching for a mentor who can guide YOU?
- Love to discover how YOU can get started in animation?
- Want an inside look at how some of your favorite films were made?
If so, then welcome to my site!
I’ve worked in the animation & film industries for over 15 years and now have created a bunch of great animation tutorials (like my Free Animation Pipeline Video Overview (it’s the #1 thing you guys said you wanted to learn) to help you have the success you know you deserve!
So if you’ve been dreaming of becoming a successful animator, then you’ve found the right site!
The Magic of Movies...
All the the other sites out there are confusing, with no real path to getting started. It’s like animation information overload. That’s why I’ve designed this site to be easy to navigate.
I went to one of the best animation schools in the country (CalArts) and one of the world’s top art schools (ArtCenter College of Design).
Both schools prepared me to be an artist BUT they gave me virtually ZERO education on how the business side of art works.
Things like:
- Marketing
- Branding
- Making & Saving Money
- Planning Your Career
- Getting Your First Job
- & How To Be A Success!
(Who wants to be a struggling artist?)
According to Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary for an animator on feature films is over $80,000 a year. It’s really good money, IF you know how to get your foot in the door.
That’s why I’ve spent the last 15 years figuring that all out (sometimes the painful way). I don’t want you to have to struggle and be frustrated. I’m here to mentor you on the business side of animation & art.
So if you need an animation tutorial that shows you the pointers of animation PLUS the secret sauce on how you start working, then read on…
What Makes My Animation Tutorials So Different?
BUT
They’re also going to show you how to apply all the animation pointers and techniques into getting your dream job or keeping the one you’ve got.
You’re an artist after all, so why stress about work?
(It’s the anti-thesis of being creative. So know that I’ve got your back and it’s my mission to share all my experience with you.)
Imagine having a mentor who has worked at most of the big studios in Hollywood.
Imagine getting an insiders looks at the world of filmmaking, storytelling, animation, video games & special effects.
My biggest passion is storytelling, so beyond teaching you skills on how to get the job, I’m going to help make you a storytelling master! Because the foundation of all great animation is a simple, well told story.
To quote John Lasseter:
“You cannot base a whole movie on just the imagery alone.
It has to be the story and the characters.”
- Basic Drawing
- Basic Design
- Basic Animation Fundamentals
- FIlm Grammar (staging)
- Story, Writing (3 act story structure)
“The software will change and evolve, but the basics stay the same.
It’s what you do with the software is where the magic happens.” – Me (paraphrasing Mr. Hawaii Shirt)
Here are some of the main things you’ll want to explore:
Animation Blog
Here you’ll find only the best:
- Animation Advice (like my FREE Animation Pipeline course)
- Tips & Tricks
- Inspiring Videos
- Special Animation Tutorials
- & more!
I spend hours a day scouring the best news and advice so you don’t have to.
Every Free Animation Tutorial You’ll Ever Need
Here I’ve included instant replays of my webinars.
Just enter your email (or enroll via Facebook) and you’ll get instant animation training. You can’t beat that!
And you can request me to make a new free training by leaving a comment in the section on the Free Training page. If you’re just starting out in animation, that’s the page you’re going to want to check out!
Animation Courses, Workshops & Trainings
Here are all my ‘secret weapon’ animation tutorials that will guide you towards ‘making it happen’.
I’ve spent the last 3 years lecturing at animation schools around the world in order to find out, firsthand, what you guys want to learn.
My animation tutorials are meant for people who are just starting out OR people who have some animation experience and are ready to start working (either getting that first job, or getting a better one).
Contact Me
If you need to get ahold of me, check out the contact form. I’m crazy busy, but you can leave a message and someone from Successful Animator will get back to you as soon as possible.
Need An Animation Tutorial?
Simply go to the animation tutorial blog up top and check out the latest posts.
I’m Excited, Are You?
I love teaching (my mom was a kindergarten teacher for 35 years, so it’s in my blood).
That’s why I’m honored that you’re here and eager to learn. Since I’m giving you all this great, free animation tutorial advice can I ask a favor back?
Please spread the word by sharing this page on your Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus (love G+!) or other social media accounts. The more people who show an interest in this, the more time I can justify in creating that new animation tutorial, course & workshop to help you. Deal?
Alright, enough blah-blah…go explore the site and starting animating!
-Mike L. Murphy
PS, If you want more information on how you can plan your animation career out, so you can get working on the movies, games & shows you dream about working on, then enroll in my 100% FREE Pipeline Production Training. It’s a 12 minute, no-fluff video that will give you some good insights on how animated projects are made– and how YOU fit into that!
Yep, it’s gonna show you how you can make a plan to start making your dreams a reality. It’s the best animation tutorial around!
Check out the PIPELINE animation tutorial now and start learning. Discover how you can become an animator today!
"Thanks for being one of the few who wants to give back and help others. Few mentors can 'pull the creative beast out of hiding'. Thank you for being such a powerful guide and influence."
Kristin Rinaldi "Would it be okay for me to call you my mentor? Role models are becoming rarer and rarer for us kids these days… I've been looking for someone who knows how to balance the creative and entrepreneurial side of things (which you seem to be doing)."
-George Siosism "We were very excited to have Mike volunteer to speak with our students…his presentation was very thorough and given with a lot of energy and interest. He provided a unique perspective that has been otherwise missing from our students’ courses."
-Courtney Stricklin, Associate Director, Career Development, Art Center College of Design “Mike is not only a natural as a filmmaker and animator – he’s a passionate storyteller. He’s a friend who’s inspirations and ideas have elevated my own work time and again.”
-Thor Fruedenthal – Director, Dreamworks ‘Hotel For Dogs’, "Diary of a Wimpy Kid’ & 'Percy Jackson 2'
“Mike’s expertise is unparalleled. He has a passion for teaching and is a snazzy dresser. He really knows how to pick stylists.”
-Ron J. Friedman – Writer, Disney’s ‘Chicken Little’ and ‘Brother Bear’, and Sony’s ‘Open Season’ “Mike has such a great ability to keep feedback and criticism in a simple, yet directly informative way. He believes and encourages those under his mentoring. His passion and patience to help students like me exceeds many other mentors out there, and for that I’m grateful.”
-Dustin Garcia- Otis College of Design “I learned a lot of things about being more professional and doing things to make myself a better artist. I would definitely recommend this class to other students. Your teaching was clear and to the point.”
-Regine Francois- Art Institute Atlanta “I will defiantly ask my school to have you back! You are really inspiring and great at delivering a clear message with whatever you are bringing forward!”
-Catherine Tokanova Jacobsen, Art Institute Decatur
-Brad Roth – Co-Founder of Stun Creative, Los Angeles “It was a great honor to work with Mike L. Murphy, who brought Greg Heffley and the Wimpy Kid universe to life in animated the form for the first time. Mike is an amazing talent and I hope to work with him again!”
-Jeff Kinney – Writer, Illustrator and Creator of ‘Diary of a Wimpy Kid’
“I wanted to email you and thank you for stopping by my 2D animation class. The students seemed to really appreciate your comments and advice.”
-Jason R. Butcher- Art Institute Decatur “The short time you taught definitely inspired me to try harder or push past 100%.”
-Quantrell Northcut- Art Institute Atlanta “Even with my limited knowledge in After Effects, attending your demonstration for the vfx class was greatly beneficial…Your process was very intuitive and could easily produce quality work.”
-Kevin Murphy- Art Institute Atlanta “One of the things that I liked most is that you were VERY consistent. From observing you, I was able to see first hand, how to interact with people. That was something that I had been struggling to figure out the week before. I’m refering to that balance between professional, and casual when networking.”
-Leonord Nicolas- Art Institute Atlanta
