The Animation School

The Animation School The Animation School offers a three-year full time Animation Diploma - leading specialist animation training institution in South Africa. Enjoy.

A proud member of Honoris United Universities Hello and welcome to what could just be your exciting future in 3D-Animation and Visual Effects! Given the ever-changing nature of the thrilling animation industry, the learning curve is becoming increasingly steep. And the days of self-taught hopefuls breaking into the business without any formal training are over. The Animation School is Africa’s leading higher education institution specialising in Animation. We are a registered private higher education institution with the Department of Higher Education in South Africa, and are internationally recognised as one of the top 25 institutions in the world, by international career review. As a third-year student of the school you will get to work on ad hoc projects alongside industry colleagues to gain very real on-the-job training and experience. Something potential employers will expect - and something you can’t learn from a textbook. Practical training like ours is now more important than ever before. Our curriculum has also been designed to give you a powerful command of the current tools and techniques used in Animation and Visual Effects production. But most importantly, the 3-year programme will heighten your aesthetic senses and push your artistic development even further. Thank you for taking the time to consider us. This site is jam packed with a lot of important information and excellent student work so read it closely. We also suggest that you catch our presentation. Click “play video” to watch it.

From The Animation School to Warner Bros. Pictures Animation, Celeste Jamneck has built an incredible career across the ...
30/09/2026

From The Animation School to Warner Bros. Pictures Animation, Celeste Jamneck has built an incredible career across the global animation industry. 🎬
A graduate of The Animation School, Celeste is now at Warner Bros. Pictures Animation as a Story Artist on Oh, the Places You’ll Go!, a huge milestone in her career.

Her journey has already taken her across a range of exciting projects, including working as a Character Designer on Kizazi Moto: Generation Fire and Disney+’s Kiya and the Kimoja Heroes, as well as a Concept Artist on Aau’s Song from Star Wars: Visions Volume 2.

She also attended Gobelins, where her Master’s film, The Soloists, went on to receive numerous awards, including an Annie Award. 🏆 She later spent time as a Professor of Animation at SCAD in Atlanta, sharing her industry experience with the next generation of animators.

From The Animation School to Gobelins and now Warner Bros. Pictures Animation, her story is a brilliant example of where a career in animation can take you.

Her story began at The Animation School.

🎨 When will yours begin?
🎓 Enrolment for 2027 is now open — link in bio.

In this episode, Tim Argall sits down with visual effects supervisor and long-time industry professional Brad Stillwell ...
29/09/2026

In this episode, Tim Argall sits down with visual effects supervisor and long-time industry professional Brad Stillwell to discuss how AI and emerging technologies are changing the animation and VFX landscape.

Brad's career began in editing. He then pursued 3D animation which evolved into lighting, compositing and visual effects. Brad has worked abroad on The LEGO Movie at Animal Logic and Pirates: Band of Misfits at Aardman. He is skilled in both 2D and 3D disciplines and this versatility has turned out to be really valuable for his career.

Brad encourages young artists to explore AI, but not at the expense of the fundamentals. He believes lighting, composition, staging, editing, timing and storytelling matter now more than ever. As AI tools makes content creation more accessible, the ability to recognise what makes an image, a shot, or a story good is an important differentiator for those pursuing a career in the animation industry.

🎙️ Watch the full interview now on YouTube.

Something BIG is coming… 👀Join us for our next Open Day and get a closer look at life at The Animation School! 🎨✨Explore...
28/09/2026

Something BIG is coming… 👀

Join us for our next Open Day and get a closer look at life at The Animation School! 🎨✨

Explore our programmes, discover what it’s like to study animation, and get your questions answered.

Plus, we’ll be making a HUGE announcement on the day… 👀🔥

📅 Saturday, 3 October
📍 The Animation School | CPT & JHB
🕚 10:30 for 11:00

Save the date, you won’t want to miss this one!

25/09/2026

🎃 Spooky season is almost here…

And what better way to get into the spirit than with our next student film, The Legend of the Jack O’ Lantern?

Created by our 2025 graduating class, this film brings together storytelling, creativity and animation to create a hauntingly fun tale.

👏 A huge congratulations to the team behind The Legend of the Jack O’ Lantern!
Dan Sandoval
Joshua Hinrichsen
Jayden Thomas
Saskia Truter
Alexandra Van Loggerenberg
Kirsten Baatjies
Jordan Ovens
Jaydon Van Schalkwyk
Ethan Hein Laubscher
Aidan Pansegrouw
Sound and Music Design: Janco Mouton

🍿 Head to YouTube to watch the full film NOW!
https://youtu.be/2lrKjKnMq9s

We’re incredibly proud to announce that five films from The Animation School have been selected as finalists in the Stud...
25/09/2026

We’re incredibly proud to announce that five films from The Animation School have been selected as finalists in the Student Film category at ! 🏆

✨Laika Goes Home
🎃 Legend of the Jack O’ Lantern
⚡ Nexus
🪲 Undeturd
⏰ Just Like Clockwork

This recognition belongs to the students behind these films, who took their ideas from concept to screen and are now seeing their work recognised by the Loeries.
A huge congratulations to all teams involved, we are so proud of you!

Watch these films as they’re released on our YouTube channel and experience the talent of the next generation of animators for yourself.

🎥 Subscribe to our YouTube channel and keep an eye out for each film!

🎬 Episode 4 | Is AI where Animation goes to die? Join us as Tim Argall chats with Stuart Coutts – Story Artist and Lead ...
22/09/2026

🎬 Episode 4 | Is AI where Animation goes to die?

Join us as Tim Argall chats with Stuart Coutts – Story Artist and Lead Animator at Triggerfish about exploring the impact of AI on animation and the next generation of artists.

Stu's path into animation began with an interest in sculpture. He then pursued life-drawing and 2D animation before eventually finding his way into 3D. As an animator and storyboard artist, Stu brings a perspective grounded in the fundamentals of visual storytelling and years of production experience pushing and honing his craft.

In this convo, Stu encourages young artists to explore AI, not insisting they embrace it, but simply to understand what it can and can’t do. As yet, Stu does not think AI can deliver the level of control or attention to detail the medium demands.
As technology evolves, he believes that strong visual communication and traditional artistic skills become increasingly valuable. Stu believes curiosity could be one of the most important skills an artist can develop.

He cites observation as a core ability to hone through figure drawing and studying body language or simply getting away from the computer and experiencing the world.

For creatives who feel threatened by the emerging tech, Stu has this advice: "Know your enemy".

🎙️ Watch the full interview now on YouTube:
https://youtu.be/kvKNsV5wt3Y

18/09/2026

Introducing Nexus, our next student film from the 2025 graduating class. 🐝

Created as a pure 2D animation, Nexus showcases the creativity, artistry and technical skill of our students as they bring their story to life frame by frame.

👏 A huge congratulations to the team behind Nexus!
S. Caleb Wakaba
Rebaone Ntoko
Nkosingiphil Ngcobo
Caleb Van Wyk
Nhlanhla Khumalo
Lethabo Tshabalala
Mpho Montodoei
Lethabo Putuka
Sound and Music Design: Upstanding Production and NowNow Studios

🍿 Head to YouTube to watch the full film NOW!
https://youtu.be/DPM8YX6FIgo

🎬 Episode 3 | Is AI where Animation goes to die? Today, Tim Argall sits down with Goddy Roodt, director of Polycat Anima...
15/09/2026

🎬 Episode 3 | Is AI where Animation goes to die?

Today, Tim Argall sits down with Goddy Roodt, director of Polycat Animation and TAS alumnus, to explore his journey in the animation industry.

From his early career at Black Ginger to eventually founding his own studio, Goddy shares the experiences that shaped his path toward founding Polycat.

Goddy encourages young animators to explore AI and to test its capabilities – suggesting that the barrier to entry is low. He shares his insight into some of the AI tools currently in use at Polycat - predominantly in their post-production pipeline.

Goddy emphasises the importance of artists being clear on their creative vision before employing AI – which serves only as a production tool to aid and augment their ideas. Goddy says he cannot imagine a future where AI replaces story – as story needs soul.

Watch the full interview now on YouTube: https://youtu.be/_umV3ytGRzI

✨A heartfelt thank you to Sunrise Animation Studio’s Alison Parker, ENV Look and Dressing Lead, and Dave Walvoord, Cinem...
14/09/2026

✨A heartfelt thank you to Sunrise Animation Studio’s Alison Parker, ENV Look and Dressing Lead, and Dave Walvoord, Cinematographer, for such an illuminating and inspiring talk.

Currently working on DAVID ©️ Giant Slayer Media, LLC, Alison and Dave shared valuable insights into the creative and technical decisions that shape the visual world of a production. 🎬

We were reminded that, no matter how beautiful the light, it should always shine on the story and emotion. Thank you for the inspiring talk and for reminding us that great lighting isn’t just about what we see, it’s about what we feel and how it serves the story.

Got a head full of characters, stories and worlds you want to bring to life?Come and experience The Animation School for...
14/09/2026

Got a head full of characters, stories and worlds you want to bring to life?

Come and experience The Animation School for yourself at our Open Day and get a glimpse into what it’s really like to study animation! 🎬✨

Get a feel for our campus, explore our programmes and see how we help turn creative ideas into industry-ready skills.

Also, we’ll be giving away free Comic Con tickets to two lucky winners! 🎟️✨

📅 Saturday, 19 September
📍 The Animation School | CPT & JHB
🕚 10:30 for 11:00

Come curious. Leave inspired. Start creating your future. ❤️

Address

42 Searle Street
Cape Town
7925

Opening Hours

Monday 08:00 - 16:00
Tuesday 08:00 - 16:00
Wednesday 08:00 - 16:00
Thursday 08:00 - 16:00
Friday 08:00 - 16:00

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