Tales of owls and magic have been told many times over the decades. They have been spoken, written, illustrated, and of course, animated! From the early days of hand-drawn techniques to stop-motion and even 3D animation, these whimsical birds come in all shapes and forms to display their mystical...
Reluctant heroes have always been a part of a good adventure. The farm boy who must slay the evil sorcerer; the princess who refuses to be betrothed; even the boy who pulls a magical object from its resting place to become king. In celebration of such tales, this Studio Series will look at heroes...
This eight-week course continues to refine artist and animator skills explored in After School Animation I. Continuing students should arrive prepared to work on their individual projects during the class as well as learn additional animation techniques and tips throughout the course. Students will...
Every Wed, Nov 1–Dec 13 (No class on November 22)
Successful animators have a comprehensive understanding of basic animation techniques and principles. This eight-week course focuses on one of these concepts each class by working traditionally with pencil and paper. Students will develop a strong foundation, continue to build their knowledge of art...
As the winter season starts to roll in this month, so do some of our favorite animated character birthdays! From deep breaths to excitedly blowing out candles, examine the techniques artists use to simulate lungs filling with air and escaping our lips. Join us for a happy day of animating as we use...
The act of humans shifting into creatures has been a feature of our folklore for as long as we have been sharing stories. Whether passed down from generations through conversation or in books, images, television, or film, the act of transformation has a deeper meaning than simply changing form—and...
The act of humans shifting into creatures has been a feature of our folklore for as long as we have been sharing stories. Whether passed down from generations through conversation or in books, images, television, or film, the act of transformation has a deeper meaning than simply changing form—and...
In celebration of The Walt Disney Company’s 100th anniversary, enjoy an exclusive screening of Westward Walt (2023), a new documentary from Disney Legend Don Hahn that chronicles the incredible events that led Walt and his brother Roy to Hollywood to open their animation studio 100 years ago. The...

Strolling the galleries at The Walt Disney Family Museum, visitors discover how brothers Walt and Roy O. Disney formed a business partnership in October 1923. They quickly began producing animated short subjects known as the Alice Comedies from a small office in Los Angeles.
‘Tis the season to be spooky! And what would a lovely October day be without at least one journey through the forest? The woods are a wonderful location for storytelling and venturing into the unknown. Often used as a place for witches, monsters, and darkness, trees are also vehicles for thought...
Nothing screams Happy Halloween like pumpkins, witches, and monsters! However, who can forget about the traditional black cat, who themselves can get spooked by an evening of hauntings? Join us for this Studio Series as we explore frightful felines throughout animation and cinema history. Then using...
Just remember to leave the night light on for this Studio Series! The closet at home can feel like a simple place to store your stuff, hang clothes, or hide your laundry in, but at night it becomes a doorway into another world. For this ghastly workshop, we examine the lore of monsters in the closet...
Nothing screams Happy Halloween like pumpkins, witches, and monsters! However, who can forget about the traditional black cat, who themselves can get spooked by an evening of hauntings? Join us for this Studio Series as we explore frightful felines throughout animation and cinema history. Then using...
Join us in welcoming Gregg and Jeff Sherman, the sons of multiple Academy Award®- and Grammy Award®-winning composers Richard and Robert Sherman, known as the Sherman brothers. Gregg and Jeff will share stories about their fathers’ careers as part of a prolific sibling songwriting team; expand on...
“Everybody scream” for 30 years of the Pumpkin King! Join us in celebrating the 30th anniversary of Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993) with a panel of experts, including director Henry Selick, assistant production coordinator Kat Alioshin, and animator Anthony Scott—moderated by set...
On-site: Wed–Fri, 10am–2pm
In this workshop, students will learn the history of Audio-Animatronics® technology during the early 1960s. This hands-on activity will challenge students to collaboratively work in teams to navigate a Sphero SPRK robot through trial and error, using math-based calculations and computer block programming.
On-site: Wed–Fri, 10am–2pm
Students will learn and reflect on the tasks of Imagineers, who worked under Walt at WED Enterprises during the 1950s and 60s to imagine, research, design, and build some of Disney’s most iconic and revolutionary projects and park attractions. In this hands-on workshop, students will apply these concepts to collaboratively build a prototype ride, and creatively problem-solve challenges that may arise.
On-site: Wed–Fri, 10am–2pm
Before flips books, stop-motion films, and computer animated movies, zoetropes were created as a form of animation technology from the early 1800s. A zoetrope is a device that produces the illusion of motion through a sequence of drawings. In this workshop, students will learn about the early forms of animation, illustrate their own drawings, and watch them come to life when seen through the zoetrope!
Virtual: Mon–Fri, 10am–2pm PST
On-site: Wed–Fri, 10am–2pm
How we travel around the world—in trains, cars, planes, and rockets—has evolved exponentially over the past century as new innovations have been developed. Join us as we explore various modes of transportation, and use colors and shapes to create and design our own scenes with two-dimensional trains and railcars.