Animation Insights

Student Case Study From Generalist to Senior Animator: Alessandro Poli’s Path Through ILM, MPC and Framestore By Filippo Dattola — Lead Animator, 12+ years in high-end cinematic productions An animation mentorship case study spanning more than a decade — from graphic design and self-taught 2D work in Italy to senior animation credits on some of […]

Student Case Study The Bouncing Ball That Changed Everything: Alessandro Savergnini’s Path to Framestore By Filippo Dattola — Lead Animator, 12+ years in high-end cinematic productions How several mentorship workshops with Filippo Dattola built a career — from early fundamentals to a role at Framestore. Current StudioFramestore Career PathPreviously MPC (closed 2025) → DNEG →

Animation by Fernando Mejia — Creature Animation Course How to Become aCharacter & Creature Animator By Filippo Dattola — Lead Animator, 12+ years in high-end cinematic productions How to become a creature animator — or a character animator, for that matter — is one of the most searched questions among aspiring animators, and one of

Shot animated by Riccardo Pietracaprina — Advanced Creature Animation How to UseAnimation Reference By Filippo Dattola — Lead Animator, 12+ years in high-end cinematic productions Knowing how to use animation reference is not a beginner skill — it is the foundation every shot is built on, regardless of style, genre, or complexity. Creatures, cartoon characters,

Body Mechanics for Character Animation Explained – Body mechanics for character animation is the single most decisive skill on any animator’s reel, and the one most consistently undertrained. It’s the foundation every acting performance, every action shot, every creature piece relies on — and the moment it falters,

Dinosaur animation workflow is one of the most demanding disciplines in VFX production.
Unlike animating living creatures, you cannot simply film a reference and match it frame by frame. Every movement decision must be reverse-engineered from fossils, biomechanics research, and comparative anatomy with modern animals.

Shots animated by Mink Kungsapiwattana & Riccardo Pietracaprina – Action Animation Course How to Animate Creatures for VFX By Filippo Dattola — Lead Animator, 12+ years in high-end cinematic productions Learning to animate creatures VFX is one of the most demanding specialisations in the animation industry. Creatures don’t come with motion-capture suits or established walk

Animation — Advanced Creature Animation Course Quadruped Animation:Common Mistakes and Fixes By Filippo Dattola — Lead Animator, 12+ years in high-end cinematic productions Quadruped animation mistakes are some of the most common issues holding back creature animators. Animating quadrupeds is one of the most challenging skills in character animation. Learning to avoid quadruped animation mistakes