Animatron University - Beginner Course

Explore the origins of animation from pre-computer era to the digital age, highlighting early studios, the Lumière brothers' public projections, Windsor McKay's iconic characters, and the rise of digital projection.

Learn what animation is and how persistence of vision creates motion from a sequence of images, including 24 frames and web animation basics.

Learn to use text and basic drawing tools in Animatron University, including the text tool, fonts, color, stroke, and breadcrumbs, plus pen, pencil, and brush with bezier handles.

Master shape tools to draw circles, rectangles, and polygons, adjust color and stroke, and use precise size and position with alignment and hotkeys for exact designs.

Explore Animatron marketplace to access animated assets—shapes, backgrounds, sound effects, and audio tracks—drag and drop to build vector graphics and reusable library items for quick, copyright-safe projects.

Learn to assemble a selfie card animation by importing a background, adding a baby selfie, applying a shadow, styling text with color and font, and exporting a shareable video.

Explore the history of branding, the role of logos and identity, and how authentic design and research shape brands for the digital age.

learn how to create a branded design by selecting a marketplace graphic, adding text and shapes, customizing colors, and applying brand elements before sharing.

Explore brands and bumpers across print and motion, using transitions and design to tell stories in time and compare each medium's strengths.

Create an animated bumper by building a scene from the marketplace, design an animated brand label, and animate both—the brand and bumper—before placing the bumper on a scene for sharing.

Learn smart fonts and colors for effective design, focusing on legibility and usage; explore serif, sans-serif, and display fonts, color psychology, blue for trust, and RGB versus CMYK.

Learn to design an original logo by importing a sketch, tracing with the pen tool, refining shapes, applying color and font, and sharing, with gradient tips and element reuse.

Duplicate the project, set access (public, unlisted, private), then assemble a bumper by animating a logo, text, and a beach scene using keyframes and export for sharing.

Explore editing basics through juxtaposition and framing, learning how image sequences shape meaning, montage, and depth of field to tell compelling stories.

Learn to tell a story with three frames, outlining a beginning, middle, and end using frame animate and transitions. Explore marketplace graphics and keyframes to convey a complete narrative.

Polish your projects by adding gradients and drop shadows, and manage layers and layouts with attention to aspect ratios. Learn naming conventions and nesting to adapt designs across screens.

Create a Ken Burns style video by telling a story with a beginning, middle, and end using establishing shots, camera pans, moving text, and sound.

Create a Ken Burns style video by animating a deep ocean scene with pan and zoom, keyframes, text, and undiscovered jellyfish monsters.

Learn to outline compelling presentations by starting with why, identifying your audience, and shaping an emotional, energy-driven story that highlights beliefs, motivation, and key messages.

Create an animated food pyramid in a beginner-friendly course using marketplace graphics and sounds, learn to explain concepts through explainer-video style, and customize visuals for engaging classroom projects.

Develop presentation etiquette by knowing your stuff, proofreading, and keeping it simple to deliver a clear, researched message. Seek feedback to refine your narrative and respect your audience time.

Duplicate a project and design a custom bacteria scene by merging shapes with the pathfinder tool, animating scaling and movement, adding text and sound, then share your work.

Learn to tailor your format and content to the audience context, use a solid outline to ensure enough to say, and give listeners time to pause and absorb.

Explore how to craft depth and focus by balancing background, foreground, and middle ground, using perspective, restrained animation, and selective text to tell a story.

Create a complete water cycle animation using marketplace graphics, plan with a brainstorming canvas, build multiple scenes, and share your finished project.