For this course, you will be sent all the specialist equipment needed.  

This includes your very own copy of Dragonframe, a Dragonframe USB / Bluetooth controller and a professional-grade armature produced exclusively for the Aardman Academy.

All of these items are for you to keep!

Due to shipping regulations we will provide you with a coupon code to redeem your free Dragonframe controller direct from them, shipped to wherever you may be! You will have to cover the shipping expenses yourself but we will cover the rest. For the Dragonframe software you will be sent your own unique download code. 

To partake in the course, you will need a computer than can run Dragonframe and a camera to capture your animation. Dragonframe will work with a smartphone if you do not have your own camera, but it also works with many cheap webcams and almost all DSLR’s. For more information, you can find a list of cameras compatible with Dragonframe  HERE, and specifications for a computer running Dragonframe HERE.  

We also advise you have some sort of simple lighting and a way of keeping your camera locked down securely. This can often be simple household table lamps and a cheap table-top tripod. On week one of the course, you will be presented with a lesson from the Studio Manager at Aardman with advice about how to create this simple home set-up. 

Each Aardman Academy course is devised by industry professionals with expertise in the specific field of study.

Stop Motion 1 is taught by highly-experienced stop-motion professionals from the Academy Award®-winning Aardman studios, through video lessons that you can watch as many times as you want. Once a week you will have a one-to-one video session with your mentor. This is a chance for you to be mentored and supported throughout the course.

Course Lead Stuart Messinger - who worked on Aardman’s feature film “The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!” before becoming one of the UK’s leading animation teachers - will deliver live-streamed lectures once a week, where the entire course cohort will meet.

The active community where you can share ideas, thoughts and problems is supported by Aardman Academy staff and mentors.

We have built a team that is passionate about supporting you and helping you grow.

Due to the pressures of our active studio productions, the final list of mentors is built during the 2 months prior to the course launch. We can promise that you won't be disappointed with the calibre of mentors we have lined up!

Regular Mentors Include:

Inez Woldman

Will Becher

Maraike Kraemer

Sam Hines

Hannah Brooks

James Carlisle

Carmen Bromfield Mason

Andy Symanowski

Grant Holden

Suzy Parr

Emanuel Nevado

Masterclasses From:

Peter Lord

Carmen Bromfield-Mason

Merlin Crossingham

Andy Symanowski

Maraike Kraemer

Will Becher

Hannah Brooks

Nat Sale

Stuart Messinger

Mark Simon Hewis

The Aardman Academy delivers world-class industry education and skills training as an alternative or addition to the traditional university pathway.

We are interested in your talent and the skills and passion you can offer the industry, rather than focussing on the grades you received at school, college or university.

All of our courses are written and taught by highly experienced professionals from the Academy Award®-winning Aardman studios, not academics. Our courses are less expensive than university degrees, yet we are able to offer weekly one-to-one mentoring with industry leaders and real-person support five days a week.

Each 12-week programme is taught online and follows a flexible structure that gives you time to complete your tasks at a time that best suits you, making this the perfect option for international students. We will find a convenient time for the weekly one-to-one session, whatever your time-zone and commitments, and the Aardman Academy team will be available if you have questions or need advice.  

We’ve also self-imposed a strict limit of 55 participants on any course. That way we can offer you a personal experience; one where you never get lost in a huge teaching group and where everyone knows your name!

In addition to the Course content, we offer a series of guest speaker Q&A events throughout the 12-week programme.

Previous Stop Motion 1 guest speakers have included:

Suzie Templeton - BAFTA & Academy Award® winning Director

Jim Parkyn - Aardman Senior Model Maker

Fiona Copland - Producer of 'Kiri & Lou'

Sarah Cox - Executive Creative Director at Aardman

HelloStopMo & Animation Wildcard

Peter Lord - Aardman co-founder & creator of Morph

Will Becher - BAFTA & Academy Award® nominated Aardman Director

Stop Motion 1 is designed for graduates, postgraduates, those looking for an alternative to university, and those with animation experience who want to refresh their skills. Applications to the course are portfolio-based. This is not simply to “check you’re good enough”. We only ask for portfolios to make sure the level of the lessons and mentoring are appropriate and to avoid you paying for a course that isn’t right for you. If we look at your work and think there’s a more appropriate course for you, we will let you know. To apply you must provide a link to either a showreel or other moving image work created by you and a 200-word explanation to why you are applying.

Please note that applicants will not be selected due to their writing ability! We just want to know a little bit about who you are and why you’re applying. Feel free to write a short summary about you and what you’ve done as a bullet list if you’d like. In fact, use whatever style, form or structure that you find easiest.

If you would like to use your own copy of Dragonframe we will happily reduce your fees accordingly.

• Using your own copy of Dragonframe - 5% discount

When you receive your acceptance email you will be invited to contact our Academy PA who will arrange this discount for you.

Payment Options
You can pay for our courses using Google Pay, Apple Pay, or a debit/credit card. Courses can also be purchased as a gift for someone else*.

Payment Plans
To make things easier, we offer 3-month or 6-month payment plans. Please note that the full balance must be paid before the course starts, so we recommend booking early to give yourself enough time.

If there isn’t enough time to complete a payment plan before the course begins, you’ll also see third-party options such as Klarna and Afterpay* when you receive your offer.

Need Help?
If you have any questions about payments, just drop us a line at [email protected] – we’re happy to help.

_{^{*Gift purchases and third-party finance options are not available alongside Aardman Academy payment plans, and availability depends on your location.}}