I was at a point in my life where I felt that I needed an extra push in my animation. I knew about Griffin Animation Academy from a dear friend and also saw some of the work that was being produced by many of Eddie’s students.
It has always been a dream of mine to do something “action-packed, different and eye-catching” for my animation showreel. I knew Griffin Animation Academy was going to enable me to help achieve this mind set goal. So, I decided to enroll.
I have been trained in the martial arts for many years and always been disciplined in every aspect of the form. You probably ask, “Why would I be mentioning this, what is the relevance?” The way you get trained at Griffin Animation Academy is unmatched. You start from beginning to end, weekly fine-tuning areas where you most need improvement. Truth be told, I have animation industry experience however, Eddie’s training allowed me to go above and beyond from my current skill set. Every week, I noticed more and more progress as well as animation growth with my shot. Eddie is full of great ideas, strategies and invaluable knowledge which will aid you in your goal or whatever it is you may want to achieve. Eddie is patient and extremely supportive in every aspect during your training. He also taught me a way of incorporating a new animation workflow which not only enabled me to produce at a much rapid pace, but visualize my animation before I even clicked my mouse.
“The mentor ship which I received from Eddie helped me gain my confidence and reach a goal that I never thought would ever be possible. In short, Eddie is truly a gifted and a phenomenal teacher.”
When you join Griffin Animation Academy you also become part of The Griffin Animation Community. The community also was always there to help me if I ran into any animation related questions, challenges or just simply to make me feel part of a great family.
I wholeheartedly and highly recommend joining Griffin Animation Academy. If you are serious about becoming ready for the industry or just really want to sharpen your skills, Griffin is the place for you. Your journey at Griffin Animation Academy will be extraordinary as it was mine.
–Steve Filatro- Graduate 2020
Florida, U.S.A.
Even if I was already working in the industry, I felt like I needed to push myself and learn new things outside of work. Thanks to a friend and Griffin grad, Marcelo Muñoz, I was introduced to this amazing school.
Adrian Millington, my mentor, gave me a new perspective on how best to approach a shot. With his way of teaching and his positive attitude, he helped me gain more confidence with my work. His methods and tips will now be ingrained in me.
Eddie Chew, the founder of Griffin, was extremely supportive all throughout. He paired me with a talented fx artist, Deividas Ivaskevicius, to make my shot look even more amazing. He also gave additional notes and extra guidance, especially during the final rendering and comping stages of this piece.
“Thank you Griffin Animation Academy for helping me level up and gain more confidence overall. It was tough and challenging, but ultimately, it was very rewarding. Bring in your passion and hard work. You won’t regret it!”
–Mariel Sanchez-Graduate 2020
Toronto, CanadaWithout a doubt the best animation course that I have taken.
Eddie is more than a teacher, he is a friend who helps you with your animation and you learn a lot from him. And the Griffin Animation Academy community is great. There will always be someone to help you if you have technical problems or anything. Definitely if I have another idea for another animation, I would take the course again.
–Juan Garcia-Graduate 2020
Mexico
GRIFFIN ANIMATION ACADEMY STUDENT TESTIMONIALS
Thank you very much Eddie!!, for all the advice and the knowledge you have passed on to me. Also the workflow, tips and trick.
Now after the course, I’m very confident in planning the shot to actually finishing it with the great quality.
Joining the workshop is one of the best thing I’d done in my career.
Also I get to know so many other amazingly talented artists.
I learned animation by myself but Eddie being my first mentor, I get to surf on the next level. Eddie is an amazing mentor!!
–Ajay Saini–Graduate 2020
India.
Let me start off by saying I’ve taken other courses before, but none have been so comprehensive, and in depth as “THE BEST SHOT YOU’VE EVER WORKED ON”
I work 6-7 days a week, and, while I didn’t have a lot of time to work on my skills, I’d fit it in when I could, and Eddie has been extremely flexible, and made sure that as long as I was passionate about my shot, he’d be there for me.
Not only is Eddie an amazing teacher, mentor, and friend…he’s built a network of students, and professional contacts, and created a COMMUNITY of animators, excited about learning and sharing their creativity and expertise.
“Over the course of the class, I could see my idea, expand, adapt, and become fully realized. I can’t express how happy I am with the shot progression and the sheer amount of experience I gained from working with Eddie. I’d do it all again in a heartbeat!
Not only did I animate THE BEST SHOT I’VE EVER WORKED ON, but this was THE BEST CLASS I’VE EVER TAKEN!”.
–Nick Mills–Graduate 2020
USA.
‘The Best shot You’ve Ever Worked On’ Animation course
Before I started doing the creature animation course at Griffin Animation Academy I found it hard to do body mechanics and I focused more on the acting while working on my animations.
But because I was going to work on a VFX film I decided to follow a course at Griffin Animation Academy to prepare for the work I had to do for the film and feel more confident about my creature mechanics skills.
“I learned so much doing this course! I especially learned a lot about weight, posing, timing and spacing. I also learned that the motivation of a creature will make it move differently and that the size of a creature will have an influence on the way it moves.”
Eddie takes his time to explain things and will help you if you cannot figure stuff out. He’s always there for you!
I feel way more confident about my skills and I’m super motivated to do more of this kind of work! I really recommend doing this course!
–Ruth Taylor-Graduate 2020
Amsterdam, Netherlands.
‘Photo Realisitc Creatures in Movies’ Animation course
“If you have passion for animation and want to get some serious knowledge, I would recommend to join Griffin Animation Academy.”
After getting a good experience in cg and gaming industry, I wanted to work in VFX too. But it was not very easy for me as my skills and knowledge was not enough. Doing a creature animation course at Griffin Animation Academy was a really great idea. It helped me gaining lots of knowledge, shaped and improved my animation skills which helped me to get a job in VFX industry.
I am very thankful to Eddie Chew for his great mentor ship and kindness. At each and every session I was very amazed with his knowledge and keen eye on details. Whatever the problems I faced during the course, whether it was technical, financial, availability or anything, I found Eddie was always there for me. Besides the knowledge bank, Eddie is a great motivator too. On top of that I love his kindness that he is offering free webinars for everyone. Those webinars are very informative. Griffin Animation Academy is not just any typical online animation academy, it is beyond that.
–Yogesh Khairnar-Graduate 2020
Vancouver Canada.
‘Photo Realisitc Creatures in Movies’ Animation course
“Hello. My name is Hakob Muradyan. I am from Armenia/Yerevan. I first fell in love with animation when I was 18 and since then I had a dream to work for animation studios like Disney, Dreamworks, Sony. If you are born in a small country like Armenia your chances to achieve those dreams are low. Then I heard about Griffin Animation academy which was a brand new academy for animators.
“I applied to learn at Griffin Animation Academy and now I realize that this was the best choice I’ve ever made in my career. I have learned more in 8 weeks at Griffin Animation Academy than the past 12 months trying to learn by myself. “
“I’ve learned so much, thanks to my awesome mentor Eddie Chew. This academy is different. Here it’s not only about learning awesome things but motivation too. I gained so much knowledge and confidence that I started to believe in my dream again.I realize now that it’s not about the country you are born in, it’s about hard work, passion and confidence to never give up on your dreams. To conclude, here is my advice to you all– If you want to become an awesome animator, take part in incredible projects and fall in love with animation, then this is the place for you. “
–Hakob Muradyan–Graduate 2019
Yerevan, Armenia.
‘The Best shot You’ve Ever Worked On’ Animation course
“Applying to Griffin Academy been the best decision of my career so far. “
“It boosted my skill level in only 8 weeks and now I get to easily point out places where I need to improve and polish. Eddie is a great and fun instructor. At first, I thought I will have a hard time with communication and the project itself but I’m glad it turned out fun and a great learning experience. I’m very thankful to Griffin Animation Academy as it boosted not only my skills but also my confidence in the work that I do.”
–Marcelo Munoz–Graduate 2019. –The Phillipines.
‘The Best shot You’ve Ever Worked On’ Animation course
“Coming fresh out of school and a newbie to the industry there was still a lot I didn’t know about animation, believable body mechanics and cameras especially were things I found challenging. Eddie Chew and Griffin Animation Academy has given me a huge confidence boost with their ‘The Best Shot You’ve Ever Worked On’ course. I learnt a lot from camera moves, weight of characters and cameras, composition and how to make your shots look more presentable. I couldn’t believe how much I improved in the short 10 weeks I had with them.“
“Eddie was very informative and thoughtful with his critiques/time. He genuinely wants his students to become the best they can be and you can see it in the final products the Griffin students create. The price is very generous for what you get out of it and the FX passes the school provides is just the cherry on top.“
“The animation I did at Griffin is literally the best shot I’ve ever worked on! “
-Paulo Man– Graduate 2019–Vancouver, Canada.
‘The Best shot You’ve Ever Worked On’ Animation course
“I studied animation before this course and even if I was and still am happy with my previous school, I also knew that I still needed help in improving and mastering the many skill that animation requires. I asked Eddie about the course and we talked to make the course more suitable to my needs.
Eddie helped me improving and more important understanding better the basics of animation which are responsible for the most part the outcome of animation, I now see them more clearly and with this knowledge, I can improve even more by myself which is something very important and special to gain from a course. In addition, I learn stuff that I didn’t plan to learn or thought were less important, like the cameras and the environment and how to implement them better.”
“Eddie is a really good teacher and cares very much about his students putting a lot of effort in making sure you’re understanding, learning and getting the best result of your shot.”
-Francesca Giunchedi– Graduate 2019–Italy.
‘The Best shot You’ve Ever Worked On’ Animation course
When you’ve been chasing a dream like animation for as long as I have it is easy to feel like you’ll never actually get there no matter how much you practice but with Griffin Animation I’ve gain a new confidence. Beyond the fact that Eddie has an eye for action and can turn any shot into animation gold, he teaches you how to do it with YOUR OWN ideas. We all learn differently, you don’t know what you don’t know, but through this course I’ve been able to not only identify my weakness with animation but developed skills to fix them early so they don’t create major problems in my shots down the road.
“I was on the fence about picking this course but I believe it was probably the best thing I could have done for my career.”
-Tayo Falaiye– Graduate 2020–USA.
‘The Best shot You’ve Ever Worked On’ Animation course
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Before enrolling, I was in a serious all time low in my career and considered giving up as an animator entirely. Soon after enrolling in Eddies Griffin animation academy he proved how wrong I was into thinking that. Timing and posing were concepts I had trouble understanding, and getting over that learning curve seemed impossible. Through Eddies mentoring I learned what a fast, efficient workflow was, the importance of stitching real live reference into your scene, the weight of characters and camera, composition/framing to make the animation feel more alive. I honestly couldn’t believe my progress at Griffin Animation Academy.
In the 15 weeks of being mentored I learned way more than in my whole career.
Eddie is very informative and cares so much towards his students growth and that shows in his students work. My confidence
as an animator skyrocketed. I still have a lot more learning to do and my skills aren’t sharp enough but with Griffin Animation Academy and Eddie’s support my goal of becoming an animator for features and Cinematics doesn’t seem so impossible.
If you’re looking to take your animation skills to multiple levels from what it is now. Enroll In Griffin Animation Academy, it’s a golden investment.
FRANCISCO COMACHO– Graduate 2020–CANADA.
‘The Best shot You’ve Ever Worked On’ Animation course
“I would recommend Griffin Animation Academy to any animator at any level of comfort.”
“Eddie puts in a lot of time, effort and its clear he’s here to help you succeed. In depth critiques coupled with sketch overs really help visualize his point of view, and he offers an extremely easy lane of communication. I had my demo reel looked over as well as a shot I was working on, I felt I learned a lot about the things I didn’t consider, as well as some neat workflow adjustments. All in all, I feel more confident in approaching not only the fixes for those shots, but approaching new and more challenging shots as well”.
–Belden Pham
Canada
Animation Critique
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“The animation review i received from Eddie Chew was clear and precise ! He went into details on how to improve my animation. Showed me alot of links and references that helped me through my work. Having someone with a clear vision and alot of experience helps you not only with your work but also to improve your workflow. Most of the time when you stay stuck on a animation for too long you can’t see whats going wrong. Thanks to Eddie i was able to improve my quadruped walk cycle. “
“If you are looking for a great review to improve your work for your demo reel or anything else he’s your man ! “
“When I wanted to challenge myself with animating a creature – I turned to Eddie and Griffin Animation Academy for help. It was personally a challenging piece of animation because it was very dynamic and also had some nuances to the performance that I wanted to bring out more than the reference. Eddie not only provided me with very detailed draw-overs but also recorded himself critiquing my work. This process allowed me not to miss a step.”
Griffin Animation Academy really helped hone my skills frame by frame with their professionalism and attention to detail.
“I highly recommend Eddie and Griffin Animation Academy to any Animator needing that extra help and push to creating an awesome shot for the reel!”
“Eddie and Griffin Animation Academy provide an amazing course. I highly recommend this course for anyone that wants to improve their skills and portfolio.”
– Charles Icay–Student Graduate–Canada.
“FACIAL and PERFORMANCE Animation” Online Course.
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“Eddie is extremely detailed, every frame has to be perfect.”
“I did one shot with him and I learned a tonne. I am planning to do more once I get some free time. The webinars are very informative. One should definitely try those. “
I will recommend “Griffin academy” for individuals of any level. There is always something to improve.”
-Pranav Virdi, India.
Animation critiques
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“When you are bettering yourself as an artist in any medium, there comes a point where your peers only know as much as you do, and can no longer give you critique to better your art. Finding a professional in the industry to critique you is essential to getting that first job. I started a wolf walk cycle with the intent of making it realistic. I reached out to Griffin Animation Academy and they immediately had notes to give. I felt like I was learning so much through different iterations and by the end, I had a very professional looking asset. My art continues to use the techniques that Eddie Chew gave me. After learning so much through Griffin Animation Academy, I went back and fixed up some earlier work of mine with the new knowledge I was given. I had been looking for a more stable job and was getting a lot of rejections, but promptly was offered a job within a short time after fixing my work. I can’t promise that you’ll find your dream job immediately after taking a course, but if you are looking to become an Animator in the industry, having professionals actively working in it is one of the best things you can do for your demo reel.”
“Griffin Animation Academy is created to boost your skills and give you tools to better your eye. If you’re looking for a positive environment to get a trained, experienced animator’s eye to look at your work, Griffin Animation Academy is that and more.“
“You will learn how to look at animation and become the animator you’ve always dreamed of being.”
–Natalie Spangler, USA.
Animation Critiques
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“I’ve been in the cartoony animation industry for a handful of years and was keen on dipping my toes into the live action side. I knew I wanted to animate a dog but needed direction.
“With the help of Griffin Animation Academy, I was able to have a better grasp at a quadruped’s physicality and learn what to look for in terms of nuances of a dog.“
Eddie is always encouraging and has a sharp eye when it comes to details, which pushed me to polish it more than I thought I could.
“Now, I’ve transitioned into working on a VFX show! I’m positive that my dog piece helped me land the job one way or another.“
I absolutely recommend taking a course if you’re looking to improve and/or challenge your animation skills!”
–Steff Parker, Canada.
Animation Critiques
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“I first met Eddie in 2006 when we animated on one of our first shows together, Zeke’s Pad in Sydney. We sat next to each other for almost a whole year so we got to know each other well. Eddie is an outstanding animator and artist. He’s also very well natured and pretty much one of the most genuine and decent guys in the industry that I know. I’m absolutely honoured to be part of Griffin Animation Academy. I’m working in a technical support, modelling and rigging capacity at the school and have dabbled in particle effects too. I hope to also complete one of the animation creature courses too at some point in the next month or so so that I can pick at Eddie’s glorious pink brain matter.”
I would certainly recommend this school to anyone interested. Eddie will guide you well and push you to make something you would be very very proud of. “
“Excited for the future!”
–Bachir Kazzi, Australia.
CG Generalist.
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“I am heartily Thankful for you to give me this opportunity and trust me this addition experience helped me a lot to get in VFX Industry Job for a 1-year contract with Mill Film.
I appreciate your hard work for Griffin Animation Academy and love your passion for Animation, You are helping a lot of new learners.
Keep going and I always wish you the best.”
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“Many of my clients had complained about how their knowledge gained from college/university don’t bring them a good job in the market. The issue is college/university and most of the learning institutions teach students theories but not the skills needed in the real job market.”
“Griffin animation academy’s online courses help students to close the gap and to land their dream jobs in the animation industry. “
“The courses offered at Griffin Animation Academy are practical, effective, and most importantly USEFUL. For example, you want to learn 3D animation, you take the course and there you go, 8 weeks after, you are a 3D animator!
I witnessed real examples when working with Eddie’s students. I saw their demo-reels before and after, and I am amazed by how much their skills had grown. I can feel their confidence when talking about their career plans with me.
It has been a pleasure to work with Eddie and his students! Eddie and his team have years of industry experience and dedicated their effort to provide the best learning experience to students and to help new talent enter the industry.”
–Moon Wang. Top Talent Solutions Recruitment
Vancouver, Canada.
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WEBINAR GUEST SPEAKERS
“Guest speaking for Griffin Animation Academy was an absolute pleasure.”
“Everyone who tuned in was engaged and passionate about the material discussed, and animation as a whole. It’s always energizing to be around people who are in love with the craft, and Griffin Animation Academy is filled with just that. I can see there is a lot of great work coming out of Griffin, and that the students are proud of what they produce there. I’m excited to see where they go!”
–David Han, Senior Animator and 2018 Annie Award Winner
June 2019 Webinar Titled –‘‘THE STYLISTIC ANIMATION OF SPIDER-MAN:INTO THE SPIDER-VERSE’
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“It was such an honor being invited to speak at one of Griffin Animation Academy’s live webinars.”
“The learning community and culture created at Griffin Animation Academy is amazing.”
‘You can tell the students and attendees are hungry and determined to become the best animators they can be and Griffin Animation Academy are proving they do it best by providing a learning platform such as free webinars for every animator to build their network, socialize with like-minded individuals and ,most importantly, grow as an artist.”
Industrial, Light and Magic Lead Animator Alfonso Sicilia.
July 2019 Webinar Titled–‘PHOTO-REALISTIC CREATURES IN MOVIES‘
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“Having the opportunity to speak at Griffin Animation Academy’s webinar was a great honour to us both, a huge promotion for our film, and an irreplaceable experience! To give the presentation to interested participants, who are eager to learn allowed us to go deeper into various aspects of film making and really demonstrating our strengths. It is so amazing to present to, and become a part of the Griffin community!”
“Really in all honesty was the most amazing experience!”
Alisha Steinberger and Goody Wu
August 2019 Webinar titled ‘THE ART OF BLENDING 2D and 3D-THE MAKING OF A SHORTFILM”.
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“The informal discussion platform that Griffin Animation Academy use to share information to animators is uniquely fun and informative.”
“I genuinely had a great time presenting to animators around the world.”
Aidan Martin – WETA Digital Animation Supervisor
September 2019 Webinar titled “Facial Animation”.
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“I look forward to watching more webinars, as there’s no limit to what you can learn! “
Nathan Thomas – Senior Animator ILM. Creator of ‘Norman’s Island’
November 2019 Webinar titled The Creation of the Animated Epic Adventure ‘Norman’s Island’.
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