Then this may be the course for you!
As I create a short animated movie in front of you..
This course really is quite unique in that it is being created "live" in front of you.
I am creating the course as I create the short animated movie, and it is a continuous process that will happen over the course of around a year.
I have created the first 3 parts of the movie - there will eventually be 8 parts - and the first 3 parts of the course. Now I am working on the next part of the movie, part 4, and will update the course in part 4 as I go, so that it is "current" and "live", so to speak. So the course is quite unique in that way. It's like looking over my shoulder as I create the movie.
Once the movie is finished, and that is expected to be in 2025, the course too will be wrapped up and finished, and this "live" aspect of it will be over. So there is a real advantage to joining the course early, if you want to take advantage of this "live" aspect to it
Observe as I go through the process of creating an animated short.
You can join this course at any time. I am creating this animated short from scratch, and you can see my process, from beginning to end. It is a unique process, as this movie is made in front of your eyes! Join the course early to see it build step by step over the months it will take to create, or join in the process along the way, or at the end, when it is all wrapped up and off to the film festivals. The choice is yours!
Welcome to the course - text.
Welcome to the course - video.
What this course is about, and what it isn't about
How the course is structured.
A little bit about me.
My animated short films thus far.
The tools of my trade - what I use and why
The Seed Of An Idea - The Goal, The Plan & The Method
The initial ideas - a look at my sketch book
The Initial Moves - Working Them Out
Dropping in the backgrounds - and The Painter is born
Ideas for "The Painter" shorts - diving back into the sketch book.
Introduction Episode
Episode #1 - "Big Ben"
Episode #2 - "The Pyramids"
Episode #3 - Mount Rushmore
Episode #4 - "Lunch Atop A Skyscraper"
Episode #5 - "The Tunnel"
Initial ideas and sketches
The Need For More - Thinking bigger
The finished movie: "The Painter In Paris"
The need to do better - better stories, better characters, better backgrounds, better animation.
Looking at a bigger goal - a better end product
Re-Looking at the Structure & Length of the film
So what IS the ideal length for a short film?
Starting with the end in mind - the length of your film
So, what about "The Painter On Safari"?
A "modular" approach so as to leave options open at a later stage.
Leaving it open to being added to at a later stage.
"The Painter On Safari" idea is conceived - The whole film sketched out
Gathering material - reference etc
Initial back ground sketches - setting the scenes
The Backgrounds - The Skies - and my biggest inspiration (Studio Ghibli).
Designing all the (human) characters.
The main stars - the animals!
Part 1 - The Initial Storyboard and Dialogue
Creating the Back grounds - The Landscapes
Creating the characters - The Tourists
Creating The Characters - The Pilot & The Game Ranger
Creating the animals - The Springboks
Animating The Painter
Creating the Assets - The Cessna Caravan
Creating The Assets - the Toyota Landcruiser
Animating The Game Ranger - Using The Templates To Make The Game Ranger Walk
Rigging The Characters - Using Mesh & Bones On The Cut Outs
Animating the Characters - Using The Templates
Animating the Game Rangers Walk - Using the Walk Cycle Templates
Adding Sound Effects, Music and Voices
Putting The Scene Together - Using The Editing Suite
Part 1 - "Into Africa"
Life imitating art - a look at a fly in Safari just like on "The Painter On Safari"
Assessing Part 1 - Doing a "Crit". Looking at what's good, what's bad and what I could improve on.
Part 2; "A Walk On The Wild Side" - Initial Storyboard
Painting the background
Creating The Acacia Tree
Creating The Lion Animation
Recreating the Titles for "A Walk On The Wild Side"
Part 2 - "A Walk On The Wild Side"
Creating the set for Part 3
Using 3D in a 2D movie
Working with Voice Over talent
Part 3 - "Dinner for One"
How to use the Templates
How to download the Templates (PNG files) so you can use them.
The Walk - the walk cycle used in Scene 1 (Walk B)
Walk B - Zip files
These will be yours to keep, for your own animation!
My way of working is that I create templates of the moving parts to my work. You will get access to these templates, they are downloadable and yours to keep, so you can just import them into your animation platform and start creating your animations off them, right away! These are incredibly valuable, as they take days and sometimes weeks to create, each. Plus a lot of research goes into the specific movements of each particular creature, whether human or animal. And the best part is, I am sharing them with you, they are yours to use as you wish! Alone, these templates have real value, as I sell them as part of some of my other courses. But in this course there will be several that are created during the time of the animation of this film, and they will all be included in the once off price of this course. Now that sounds like a great deal to me!!
This includes some of the vehicles, aircraft, backgrounds etc
Many of the assets and back grounds that are created for this film, will become available for your download and free use. That's A LOT of stuff, and it's all included in the once off price of the course.
James Whitelaw
Here is the 1st update of the status of the course
Why not join in on the action early and benefit?
Below is part 1 of the movie.
This is the first part of the 8 part movie. There are still a few details that need to be ironed out in this part, before the entire movie (all 8 parts) is put together, but we will go through all this detail in the course.
There are 3 options according to when you decide to enrol;
1. The current price option
Currently at $35 - for those wanting to start the course from the early stages of the films' creation, and follow as it gets created, in real time, as it were.
2. The future price option.
This price will be increasing in increments at regular intervals as parts of the film and course are completed.
3. The full price option.
At $65-$70, this will be when the film - all 8 parts of it - and the course, are completed.
So, when would you like to join?
The current price is now at around a 50% discount of what the final price will be in 2025 when it is finally completed.
So if you are thinking of joining the course at all, it makes sense to do so early, the earlier the better, and not wait until the course increases or gets to the full course price of $65-$70 in 2025
Here is the 2nd update of the status of the course
No, the course will be available on Thinkific for you to log in and engage with at any time. The advantage of this is it is "always there", and can not ever be lost.
That is another great advantage of having it on the Thinkific platform; all new material that may be added after your initial purchase will automatically be available to you. So you will always have access to the most current version of the course you purchase, no matter when you purchase it.
As long as it is within 30 days of purchase, you will receive a full refund if you decide for what ever reason that you no longer want the course.
Here is the 3rd update of the status of the course
All the courses are priced at their lowest prices.
There is no reason to wait to make a course purchase. Each and every course is priced at the lowest price it will EVER be. They start at the lowest price, when they are launched, and only increase in price over time. They will never get "cheaper". There is a very good reason we do this; to protect you, our valued student and client. Please see the more detailed explanation in the "Pricing of courses" section below if you need to know more.
Here is the 4th update of the status of the course
Why the price of any course will never come down.
We price our courses at the most cost efficient price we believe is possible. We are very aware that many of our students are young and/or very price sensitive, and we are also very aware of the current economic environment, so we set the prices at the lowest possible level we can, whilst keeping in mind the time and effort that goes into our courses.
We don't want to offer "cheap" courses, we would rather offer the best courses we can make at the best prices we feel we can offer them at.
We want to create "value" in all the courses we make.
We also do not, and will not, reduce our prices in the future. So we don't have "sales", offer discounts or jump on the "Black Friday" sales wagon that comes around every year.
So, we will never reduce the cost of a course once we have students on board.
The reason for this is simple; we appreciate the students that part with their valuable cash, and we don't want to "cheapen" or "under cut" their purchase. So if anything, the courses will only increase in price, and value, over time. But they will never get cheaper.
This is to protect you, our valued student and student and client.
So if you purchase one of the current courses at $25, it won't get cheaper next week, next month, or next year. What will most likely happen, however, is the price will increase over time as more material, and new sections are added to the course over time. So the courses going for $25 today, may be going for $30 next year, and possibly $40 the year after.
A good example of this is the "Making A Short Animated Movie" course. It was initially priced at $15 and now is is currently priced at $35.
It will be repriced at $40 when part 4 of the film and the course are completed, then it will be be priced at $45 after part 5 is completed, $50 after part 6, then at $55 after part 7 and finally it will be priced at $60 after part 8 is completed, and the full course is completed.
The price may rise even higher than the $60 mark in future as more material is added post production, and the course work is updated. I expect it will eventually be priced at $65-$70 when it is fully completed.
So, it will increase in price later as new material is added after completion. But it will never go down in price. So if you buy it now at $35, you are locking in a 50% saving on its future price. But if you buy it in a few months at $40, or even $50 - you never need to fear that it will be repriced at $35 again, or even it's initial price of $15 - after you have bought it.
It won't.
This is to protect the value of your purchase. What you buy today, you will never get "cheaper" tomorrow, or next month, or next year.
And so it will be that no matter what price point you purchase this or any other course on James Whitelaw Animation - the price will never go down.
So you can rest assured the value of your purchase will never be under mined. Plus, you can be sure too that your purchase price will always be the lowest it can be. It will never be "cheaper".
We hope this gives you some reassurance that the value of your purchase will never be discounted in future.
Also, we hope this encourages you to make a purchase at any time, knowing that the price you see for a course is the lowest it will ever be. You needn't wait in the hope that it will be discounted in the future - it won't be. If anything, the price may be higher in future,
So if you want to purchase a course, there is no time like today.
