Session 1: From Blocking to Spline

• Introductions and course overview

• Preparing your shot for spline

  • Revisiting animation principles

  • Pushing poses for clarity and organic feel

  • Setting keys on the right controllers

  • Anticipating what spline curves will give you "for free"

  • Planning for IK/FK switches and rotation hierarchy

  • Managing foot contacts

• Turning spline on

• Q&A

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Session 2: Timing, Spacing & Simplification

• Building complexity from simplicity

• First pass of timing and spacing across the body

• Using visibility to simplify the process (hiding limbs, etc.)

• Working from hips outward to limbs

• Thinking in terms of weight and inertia

• How far to push timing and spacing

• Focus on acceleration and deceleration (ease in/out), not every movement

• Q&A

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Session 3: Revisiting Intention & Refinement

• Step back to clarify the shot’s intention

• Playblast at 2x/3x speed to check rhythm and clarity

• Retiming specific parts of the animation

• Reapplying principles to support the idea

• Bringing in thought process and character personality

• Identifying source of force and its direction

• When to bounce vs. when to ease

• Tracking color flow and silhouette clarity

• Q&A

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Session 4: Facial Animation & Polish

• The art of deleting keys and keeping things clean

• Adding moving holds and subtle head shakes

• Applying principles to facial animation

• Making the eyes feel alive: blinks, eye darts, focus

• Giving your character a soul through subtle facial work

• Final polish pass

• Receiving and applying feedback

• Cheat to camera: what matters visually even if not "correct"

• Q&A

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Session 5: Texture, Layers & Organic Feel

• Making animation feel fleshy and natural

• Using scaling (carefully) while preserving volume

• Adding texture and micro-movements

• The importance of eyebrows in expression

• Polishing using animation layers

• Curve copying and offsetting

• Checking for mesh penetration

• Revisiting foot contacts—grounded but alive

• Q&A

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Session 6: Advanced Touches & Final Review

• Revisiting animation principles in depth

• Arcs, pins, and hitting invisible walls

• Smears, stretch, and strobing techniques

• Thinking beyond animation—how your shot serves other departments

• Recap of all sessions

• Next steps for continued growth

• Final Q&A