"Attending the SquashnStretch.net course was a fantastic learning experience for me. Throughout the course, Filippo Dattola gave me the opportunity to grow as an animator by training my eye and constantly pushing me to give my best in every shot I tackled, always with great patience and availability. His ability to guide you through all the production phases, from choosing the shot, how to approach it, to the final polishing, is crucial for professional growth. Another of his great merits is that he always lets the animator develop their own inclinations and sensitivities naturally, without ever resorting to "invasive corrections" or unexplained changes. What I like most about SquashnStretch is precisely this: not a mechanical tutorial-style teaching, but a constant education of the eye to catch the "right" movements, leading the animator towards progressive self-improvement. Personally, I believe the school gave me the necessary push for the qualitative leap I was seeking.."
SquashnStretch.net is a magnificent training and personal experience. I started this course when I was already working, but I wanted to give my reel a big boost and grow as an animator. I never thought I would get into MPC in two years. I couldn't be happier. Filippo's reviews are precise and clear. Filippo has an expert eye as an animator and experience as a teacher. The method used at S'ns is effective. After learning the fundamentals, you learn how to tackle a shot. The planning is very important,from the study of the references, the blocking, to the addition of the final details. Step by step, with patience, Filippo puts things in order, teaches you how to progress step by step and how to organize your work. He is always there for you, showing you where to improve and encouraging you to do better. Difficult moments (I had too many!) are the order of the day, it's normal; it's the process of growth. It is precisely in these cases that you understand how important it is to be able to compare yourself with an expert and how much this makes you improve. Another aspect that surprised me is the relationship that is created between the students, the school's forum encourages the exchange of advice and ideas between the students, creating a beautiful community of animators. I am fully satisfied with the path I have taken and I believe it is a great luck to have a school of this level.
I took the Workshop 3 Animals after a recommendation from Filippo when I showed him my showreel. Filippo is a patient teacher that listens to any feedback that you might have on the workshop itself. He has a variety of experience and an eye for detail. Furthermore, he pushes you until you have the best animation possible, and also tries to explain how and why things work a specific way. He went step by step with the feedback, first trying to get the basics working, alongside the layout and camera. I believe that the dragon shot that we worked together helped me land a job at Pixomondo on a relevant show.
"What struck me most about SquashnStretch.net is the method used by Filippo to teach the various aspiring animators. It is not limited to tutorials as often happens, but guides you step by step in your personal development, guiding you without ever taking too much by the hand, leaving you free to experiment but directing everything flawlessly, helping you to notice your own mistakes even before correcting them. The method he taught me is the one I still use at work today, with personal preferences developed over the years, but the solid basis It was provided by Fil. Even the animation style doesn't seem to be a problem for him: I made both super cartoon shots and realistic shots and thanks to his guidance the final result has always been of the highest level! In short, I believe that in Italy you cannot find better if you want to make animation your job. "
Filippo Dattola is incredible, always available and capable of finding the most effective way to help any student improve both in their shot and as an animator. Squashnstretch.net knows very well how to push the students skills and guide them through it. Enrolling in it has been crucial in my journey to becoming a Professional Animator!
SquashnStretch.net has been an incredible experience for me, and I couldn't be happier with my choice today! I've learned so much and had so much fun!
Filippo is able to transmit his experience, talent, and passion to you. Through his patience and dedication, I have become even more passionate about this incredible world of animation.
Thanks to this school, I have achieved my biggest dream, to be hired at MPC, one of the best studios in London and to be able to work on a fantastic project!
Animation is tough, but every effort will be rewarded: I remember with pleasure when I thought I had finally finished a shot...but during the lesson Filippo would find a thousand little details that could still be improved and added to give that animation more realism and credibility. And it was precisely in those moments that you realized how much experience he could pass on to you!
Thank you SquashnStretch.net!!!
It all started about two and a half years ago, after a somewhat restless period of my life. I had just graduated from university and started a job that didn’t satisfy me. One fine day, I asked myself if what I was doing was really what I wanted to do and if it was right to settle. So I decided to drop everything and try to follow what I had set aside for too long: my passion. I wanted to bring to life what I had in my head, move my ideas, my thoughts, my emotions. Cartoons and animated films had always been my passion; they were what made me daydream. I found them the best way to convey any kind of idea, feeling, or simply a concept. But I was ignorant of the entire work process behind an animated film. I didn’t know what animation really was. I knew a bit about the 3D world, specifically modeling, which was closer to the studies I did at university, like drawing and sculpture. But I was looking for something more than just something that stayed still and had nothing to tell. So I searched for something that could help me with what I was looking for. It wasn’t easy; the internet offers so many choices that it’s easy to get lost. Here, I think I had my first stroke of luck. I came across a link on Google that said, “squashnstretch.net Italian School of Digital Animation by Filippo Dattola.” Clicking on that link was the most important and wise decision I ever made. I did it with some fear because I realized I was about to “collide” with what I was seeking most in the world: my passion! I wrote more than one email to be more than sure of my choice, or maybe to buy some time, I don’t know. But I let some time pass. The person who responded to my many emails did so with an Olympian and disarming calm. It seemed like anything but someone who was only interested in making money. So I decided to enroll in the first module of this Animation school by Filippo Dattola. For me, it was the first time for everything; it all seemed strange. Live online lessons, recorded lessons to follow, a forum to post animation progress and receive comments, downloadable rigs (which I didn’t even know what they were), playblasts, webinars (we studied animations from Disney and DreamWorks films... A dream). Everything was new, everything was strange, but everything was so damn well organized, so simple to follow and understand. I immediately thought that this was what I was looking for! But when the first lessons started, I have to admit, it was very tough. I was the only one in the first module; the other students were much more advanced than me and were doing really nice and interesting things, as well as fun ones. I had to make a ball bounce and stop. It felt frustrating and boring; I thought, a whole module bouncing balls, making springs jump and sacks of flour bounce, and swinging a pendulum against a wall. I have to admit, I was very inconsistent in the first few weeks. I didn’t follow the lessons much, I didn’t feel like it, and it all seemed so useless. I thought maybe I had gotten everything wrong about myself. I almost thought about giving up, also because Filippo checked every detail of that bouncing ball. I asked myself, all this care for this? Then one fine evening in class, it took just one sentence from Filippo to make me understand the “power” of that bouncing ball. It may sound silly to say, but after what he told me, I became that bouncing ball, that spring that jumped, and that pendulum that swung. And from that evening, not a day went by that I wasn’t in front of the computer, in front of a book, or in front of an animated film, observing everything that moved to study animation. Slowly, that ball turned into walking cycles, running, actions, and acting, until it became flying creatures and characters interacting with each other and living, all because of that bouncing ball. And it was great to see Filippo never sparing himself in anything, giving his passion 100%. It was a rare thing for me, and it was fantastic, learning with the best. For this, I will never stop thanking him for everything he taught and conveyed to me with his passion.
The experience at Squashandstretch.net has been fundamental for my career as an animator. I attended other animation schools, but only at SquashnStretch.net was I able to take my animation from an amateur level to a professional one, ready to work in a major studio. SquashnStretch.net prepares you for the working world, helping you grow technically and getting you accustomed to production dynamics. Being an animator is a difficult job, but it can bring immense satisfaction. You have to work hard and be tenacious, and the results will surely come!
"Filippo Dattola is an exceptional instructor. His commitment is focused on the growth of each individual student, dedicating all the time they need. The educational path is stimulating and well-structured. The workflow you learn is that of the major studios, so you are ready to immediately face the working world. With professionalism and friendliness, the instructor is ready to repeat concepts that are unclear in each review if necessary. I am very happy to have realized my dream of becoming a 3D animator, and if I succeeded, it is thanks to Filippo."
