A 6-week, in-person animation course exploring the art of rotoscoping from concept to completion.
Discover the art of rotoscope animation in this immersive six-week, in-person course. Through hands-on instruction, you’ll learn how to transform live-action footage into expressive hand-drawn animation—combining illustration, movement, and film to create something truly unique.
Ideal for students and aspiring animators, this class is perfect for those who already have a video project they’d like to enhance through rotoscoping. Guided by a professional visual artist and animator, you’ll receive both creative input and technical training as you bring your concept to life frame by frame.
By the end of the course, you’ll complete a 2-minute animated short using your own video files—an original piece that merges analog artistry with digital technique.
Topics Covered Include:
Introduction to Rotoscope Animation: Understanding the basics and history of rotoscoping.
Concept Development: Developing ideas and planning your animation project.
Video Preparation: Selecting and preparing video files for animation.
Rotoscoping Techniques: Learning the key techniques and tools used in rotoscoping.
Animating Frame-by-Frame: Creating smooth, dynamic animations from live-action footage.
Editing and Refinement: Fine-tuning your animation for the best visual impact.
Final Output: Preparing your animated short for presentation.
Throughout the course, you'll work on a project of your own, transforming video footage into a unique animated piece. This class offers a comprehensive introduction to rotoscope animation, providing both creative and technical skills needed to bring your artistic vision to life.
Class features images provided by lead educator Matthew Hemenway, showcasing his rotoscope work for Minnow Mountain on Amazon Studios' "UNDONE" and "Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood." Additionally, a still of Matthew himself rotoscoped!
MORE INFORMATION
Location: This course will be held at the Austin School of Film in our iMac computer lab at The Clayton. All materials, equipment, software, and computers are provided for use during the workshop. To learn more about our locations, visit this link.
Who Should Attend: Ideal for filmmakers, illustrators, and artists interested in learning the fundamentals of rotoscope animation. No prior animation experience is required, though basic computer literacy is recommended. Students must be 16 years or older to enroll.
Supplies & Materials: All materials, Wacom tablets, and software (Adobe Animate and Photoshop) are provided. Participants are encouraged to bring their own laptop or drawing tablet if preferred, along with any short video clips or footage they’d like to animate during the course.
Prerequisites: None. This beginner- to intermediate-level course is designed for students looking to explore animation through a hands-on, creative process.
Certification: This course, along with all Austin School of Film programs, is approved by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to provide Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits.
Receive a notification when a seat becomes available in this class!
A 6-week, in-person animation course exploring the art of rotoscoping from concept to completion.
Discover the art of rotoscope animation in this immersive six-week, in-person course. Through hands-on instruction, you’ll learn how to transform live-action footage into expressive hand-drawn animation—combining illustration, movement, and film to create something truly unique.
Ideal for students and aspiring animators, this class is perfect for those who already have a video project they’d like to enhance through rotoscoping. Guided by a professional visual artist and animator, you’ll receive both creative input and technical training as you bring your concept to life frame by frame.
By the end of the course, you’ll complete a 2-minute animated short using your own video files—an original piece that merges analog artistry with digital technique.
Topics Covered Include:
Introduction to Rotoscope Animation: Understanding the basics and history of rotoscoping.
Concept Development: Developing ideas and planning your animation project.
Video Preparation: Selecting and preparing video files for animation.
Rotoscoping Techniques: Learning the key techniques and tools used in rotoscoping.
Animating Frame-by-Frame: Creating smooth, dynamic animations from live-action footage.
Editing and Refinement: Fine-tuning your animation for the best visual impact.
Final Output: Preparing your animated short for presentation.
Throughout the course, you'll work on a project of your own, transforming video footage into a unique animated piece. This class offers a comprehensive introduction to rotoscope animation, providing both creative and technical skills needed to bring your artistic vision to life.
Class features images provided by lead educator Matthew Hemenway, showcasing his rotoscope work for Minnow Mountain on Amazon Studios' "UNDONE" and "Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood." Additionally, a still of Matthew himself rotoscoped!
MORE INFORMATION
Location: This course will be held at the Austin School of Film in our iMac computer lab at The Clayton. All materials, equipment, software, and computers are provided for use during the workshop. To learn more about our locations, visit this link.
Who Should Attend: Ideal for filmmakers, illustrators, and artists interested in learning the fundamentals of rotoscope animation. No prior animation experience is required, though basic computer literacy is recommended. Students must be 16 years or older to enroll.
Supplies & Materials: All materials, Wacom tablets, and software (Adobe Animate and Photoshop) are provided. Participants are encouraged to bring their own laptop or drawing tablet if preferred, along with any short video clips or footage they’d like to animate during the course.
Prerequisites: None. This beginner- to intermediate-level course is designed for students looking to explore animation through a hands-on, creative process.
Certification: This course, along with all Austin School of Film programs, is approved by the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to provide Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits.
Who Should Attend: individuals interested in exploring the artistic technique of rotoscoping, this course is perfect for those who have a video project they want to transform with animation. It offers a practical introduction to rotoscope animation for aspiring animators or students looking to expand their skill set in film production.
PRE-REQUISITES: None.
SUPPLIES: Students are expected to bring in 2 minute video project to work with. We recommend a scene from a film that is you own.
PAYMENT PLANS: Payment plans are available to anyone for any class or workshop. We require 50$ of the tuition price as your “down payment”. The additional balance can then be split in up to 2 equal payments over the course two months. All payment plans are customized, to inquire & get started on a plan, please email classes@austinfilmschool.org.
This course and all ASoF courses are certified with the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to provide Continue Professional Educational (CPE) credits.
Image 1 of 2
Image 2 of 2
