Jim Richardson

Meet Jim Richardson

2D Animator (Disney, Warner Bros)
Jim Richardson

About Jim

About Jim

Mentor of 2D Animation

Jim has worked in various animation roles on commercials, film, TV, and games, as well as teaching 2D Animation. He runs a YouTube channel called Animateducated which features interviews with animators, authors, artists and other creative folks, past and present. He continues to happily teach animation online while working at CG Spectrum.

  

Jim's work

Credits include Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster, Medal of Honor: Allied Assault, Medal of Honor: Frontline,  and Tiny Toon Adventures,  to name a few.

Jim Richardson demo reel

Q&A with Jim

Which city are you currently based in?

Burbank, California, USA

What did your pathway into the industry look like?

I studied at Columbia College in Chicago where I won a student academy award for my student film Cat & Rat. I freelanced in Chicago in animation, working on  commercials and as an Art Director at Leo Burnett USA. I also assisted with animation on Warner Bros' Tiny Toons, Tazmania and Animaniacs. I also started teaching 2D animation at Columbia.

Eventually I moved to Portland to work on the first M&M commercial in CG. While I was there for 5 years, I animated both 3D and 2D projects as well as teaching.

I moved to California to EA Games on the Medal of Honor games, learned some magic at the Hollywood Magic Castle, worked on a few feature projects at Rhythm and Hues and eventually began to teach more at Woodbury University in Burbank.

What has been the best experience of your career so far?

Working with other creative people, not just in production, but in education as well.

What's your advice for your students?

Learn as much as you can and figure out what you enjoy doing. Ask questions, get answers, make contact with others. You will always be learning something new and while you are doing all this, make some short films to show people your storytelling and artistic skills.

Learn animation from industry pros

3D Animation Essentials

3D Animation Essentials

3 months - Beginner

Learn 3D animation basics for beginners! Start with the essentials, including the 12 Principles of Animation, character rigs and posing, then animate your first walk cycle using industry tools.
2D Animator Specialization

2D Animator Specialization

9 months - Advanced

Study advanced aspects of 2D animation and create compelling characters, expressive acting and FX animation. Increase your technical skills and build a polished portfolio with mentor support.
3D Animator Specialization

3D Animator Specialization

9 months - Advanced

Master complex character animation techniques to create impressive 3D scenes. You’ll also focus on portfolio preparation and career development with your industry mentor to help you get job-ready.
2D Animation Essentials

2D Animation Essentials

3 months - Beginner

Learn 2D animation basics. This short course covers hand-drawn-style animation, the 12 Principles of Animation, and classic exercises like the bouncing ball and walk cycle led by industry artists.
<b><br>2D Animation</br></b>Bachelor of Digital Art


2D Animation
Bachelor of Digital Art

24 months - Beginner to Advanced

Master the industry tools and techniques to pursue a career in 2D animation. Breathe life and personality into your creations and delve deep into production pipelines and creative workflows.
<b> <br>3D Animation</br></b>Bachelor of Animation & VFX


3D Animation
Bachelor of Animation & VFX

24 months - Beginner to Advanced

Discover how to bring your digital characters and creatures to life for film and games. Build your 3D animation skills from beginner to advanced and discover key production pipelines and processes.
2D Animation Foundations

2D Animation Foundations

9 months - Beginner to Intermediate

Build your 2D animation foundations using both modern and traditional animation workflows to create animations from scratch. Receive guidance from industry pros who’ve worked on iconic cartoons.
3D Animation Foundations

3D Animation Foundations

9 months - Beginner to Intermediate

Forge foundational 3D animation skills taught by industry experts. Learn to make your 3D characters walk, talk, and interact with their environment as you build your understanding of body mechanics.
2D FX Animation Course

2D FX Animation Course

1.5 months - Intermediate

Master the art of hand-drawn 2D animated effects—including flames, gasses, liquids, magic, and more—from initial design to final rendering, guided by an industry expert.
2D Storyboarding Course

2D Storyboarding Course

3 months - Intermediate

Master the essential tools of storyboarding for character-driven dialogue & drama scenes and create fully realized storyboards with guidance from industry pros.
What do you enjoy most about being a CG Spectrum mentor?

Helping people see what they can do in animation and to gain a critical eye.

How do you stay creative outside of work?

I have a YouTube channel called Animateducated. Recently I added clips of animated commercials I have collected, but there are a lot of interviews with directors, producers, animators and other creative folks. Subscribe if you like what you see or learned something new!

What excites you most about the future of animation?

Animation is a powerful medium that can get a message across to anyone who can view it in an entertaining or educational way.

Learn more about Jim's experience or connect with him on LinkedIn.

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