Today (Friday, Nov. 17), Titmouse Foundation, the nonprofit created by the team behind animation studio Titmouse (Big Mouth, Venture Bros., Beavis and Butt-Head, The Legend of Vox Machina), in partnership with Warrior Art Camp, announced a new scholarship course that enables equitable education for animators looking to advance their careers.
Entitled ‘Future Art Directors Program,’ the 20-week online course will take place from late January 2024 to June 2024, marking the first Warrior Art Camp collaboration with an animation studio. Spots are limited with application submissions now open through December 22, 2023. Awardees will be notified by mid-January 2024.
“Titmouse is thrilled to host this special course with Warrior Art Camp to nurture the next generation of animation art directors,” said Titmouse Co-founder Shannon Prynoski. “Our goal is to empower creatives to focus on honing their craft and to think big when it comes to their career, relieving any concerns of financial limitations that could be roadblocks in their journey. We hope that in offering this scholarship-based education, we ultimately open the door for more diversity and inclusion at the studio leadership level moving forward.”
Kayleigh Ma, Founder of Warrior Art Camp, commented, “We are deeply grateful for the collaboration with Titmouse Foundation in establishing this distinctive scholarship program. In our two years of operation, we’ve noted the increasing need for comprehensive training to access higher positions within the animation art department. With the invaluable support of an esteemed animation studio, we have curated a curriculum tailored to fulfill the industry’s practical demands.”
Taught by Arthur Loftis, an art director at Titmouse, whose 2D and 3D projects include popular series like The Legend of Vox Machina, Voltron: Legendary Defender, Motorcity and Son of Zorn, the Future Art Directors Program is available to candidates across the U.S. with at least four years of animation experience. Course participants will learn all aspects of an art director-level role through lectures, guest panels, co-working sessions, and practical exercises. Topics include technical skills like style guide creation, script/animatic breakdown, and asset packaging, as well as soft skills development, including cross-department collaboration, problem-solving and effective team communication.
“Mentoring aspiring animators is something that’s extremely important to me,” said Loftis. “Through the Future Art Directors Program, I want participants to feel equal parts inspired and armed with the right kind of knowledge that will help them have a competitive advantage in taking their careers to the next level.”
Future Art Directors Program is funded through scholarships provided by Titmouse Foundation and made possible by the support of Amazon Studios. Only recipients of the scholarship will have full access to the curriculum and assignment feedback. Other participants will be able to join the guest lectures for a fee, with more details to be announced soon.
For more information about the Future Art Directors Program, including curriculum and scholarship submission guidelines, please visit: warriorartcamp.com/future-art-directors.
