Improv for 3D Animators by Ere Santos

This live course flips the usual animation training on its head. Instead of starting with graphs and polish, you start with improv games, comedy instincts, and spontaneous ideas — then bring that energy into character animation.

🎯 What you’ll learn

• Use improv rules like Yes-And to come up with shot ideas faster
• Build stronger comic timing, reactions, and pauses in your shots
• Apply stand-up comedy thinking to acting choices and staging
• Turn raw improvised ideas into clean, funny animated clips
• Develop your own creative voice instead of copying reference

✅ Requirements

• Skills: Basic understanding of character animation principles, familiarity with animation UI and keyframing
• Tools: Any 3D animation software (Maya, Blender), 3-button mouse
• Hardware: Computer capable of running 3D animation software, stable internet connection for live sessions

📝 Description

This isn’t your typical pose-to-polish class. Ere built this as a live, hands-on lab where you perform, mess up, laugh, and then animate. You meet every Tuesday and Thursday for 18 sessions total, so you get constant feedback and momentum.

The idea is simple: most funny shots die because animators overthink them. Improv gives you a way to react fast and commit. Stand-up comedy gives you structure for setups, punchlines, and reading an audience. You’ll practice both, then translate that straight into character performance.

Expect a lot of doing, not just watching. You’ll pitch ideas, try weird choices, and find out what actually reads as funny on screen. By the end, you’ll have a better sense of comic timing, stronger acting instincts, and a workflow for generating original ideas when the reference runs dry.

🧑‍🎓 Who this course is for

• 3D animators who want funnier, more original acting choices
• Students tired of stiff, over-polished performance and looking for spontaneity
• Anyone curious about comedy, improv, and how it applies to animation

🧑‍🏫 About the Author

Ere Santos is a professional 3D character animator with 3+ years in production and 6 years of experience in stand-up comedy. That combo is rare, and it shows in how he teaches. He brings real stage knowledge about timing, audience, and delivery, plus practical studio experience in bringing characters to life. His focus is on helping animators find their own creative drive and not be afraid to be funny.

🏁 Final Result

• A set of short, hilarious dialogue / comedy clips animated during the course, ready to cut into your reel and share