COURSES

Carnival Figures Courses & Training

Learn Animation, CONCEPT ART, Storytelling & Production from an Industry Professional

Hi, I'm Alex Dawson — Animation Director, Animator, Story Artist, Motion Designer, Editor, Compositor, Concept Artist and founder of Carnival Figures.

I bring over 20 years of professional industry experience and more than 7 years of teaching experience, helping students develop practical skills in animation, storyboarding, editing, compositing, concept art and visual storytelling.

My teaching experience includes creating and coordinating a BA Hons equivalent 2D Animation course at SAE Institute, delivering professional training as an Adobe Certified Instructor through Academy Class, PMA and Connections HR, teaching animation internationally in Egypt, teaching Photoshop and visualisation at JJA Academy in London for over six years, and most recently delivering the "Using AI and Working Smarter" course at Escape Studios.

Alongside teaching, I have directed, designed, edited and created animation and promotional content for global clients including Disney, Passion Pictures, Puma, Nike, Adidas, Pepsi, UEFA Champions League, BBC, Microsoft, Lenovo, Burberry, Graff, Lululemon, Aston Martin, The Open and many more.

My work combines animation, storyboarding, animatics, editing, motion graphics, compositing, sound design, concept art and visual development, allowing students to learn complete production pipelines from initial concept through to final delivery.

Whether you're a complete beginner, student, hobbyist, aspiring professional or experienced creative looking to expand your skills, I offer personalised training based on real-world production techniques used throughout the animation, film, television, advertising and digital content industries.

2D Animation Fundamentals

• Professional hand-drawn 2D animation workflow

• Scene setup, rough animation, clean-up and colour

• Character animation and effects animation

• Exporting scenes for editing and compositing

• Ideal for students building a 2D animation portfolio

Adobe Animate / Flash

• Vector and frame-by-frame animation workflows

• Symbols, artwork preparation and efficient production methods

• Character animation for web, broadcast and social content

• Combining traditional animation with digital production

Photoshop Timeline Animation

• Simple, direct animation using Photoshop Timeline

• Using custom brushes for hand-drawn animation

• Rough animation, line tests and animatic elements

• Great for artists who already draw in Photoshop

Premiere Pro Editing

• Professional editing for film, animation, YouTube and social content

• Editing structure, pacing, rhythm and storytelling

• Working with dialogue, music and sound effects

• Basic grading, titles, exports and delivery settings

After Effects Motion Graphics

• Motion graphics, typography and animated design

• Keyframing, easing, timing and layout animation

• Promos, title cards, social graphics and branded content

• Integrating artwork from Photoshop and Illustrator

After Effects Compositing

• Compositing animation, live-action and 3D renders

• Green screen, rotoscoping, tracking and grading looks

• Matte painting integration and cinematic finishing

• Using After Effects as the central finishing tool

Character Rigging & Puppet Animation

• After Effects puppet-style character animation

• Preparing artwork for animation

• Rigging, controllers and simple performance animation

• Ideal for explainers, promos and social animation

Storyboarding

• Translate scripts and ideas into clear visual sequences

• Shot design, staging, composition and camera language

• Storyboarding for animation, film, promos and commercials

• Software: Photoshop, TVPaint, Adobe Bridge

Animatics

• Turn storyboards into timed moving story reels

• Editing with dialogue, temp music and sound effects

• Pitch-ready animatics and previsualisation

• Software: Premiere, After Effects and Audition

Concept Art & Illustration

• Concept art for animation, film and games

• Character design, environments, props and worldbuilding

• Composition, colour, atmosphere and cinematic storytelling

• Software: Photoshop, Procreate, Illustrator

Digital Matte Painting

• Create cinematic environments and background art

• Perspective, scale, lighting and atmosphere

• Combining painting, photographic reference and compositing

• Useful for film, animation, games and visual development

Sound Design

• Sound design for animation, film and promos

• Dialogue editing, SFX, ambience and music integration

• Working with voice actors and performance tracks

• Software: Adobe Audition, Premiere and Pro Tools

Screenwriting & Story Development

• Story structure, character, theme and visual storytelling

• Writing for animation, film and original IP

• Script feedback and development sessions

• Software: Final Draft and Highland

History of Film & Animation

• Overview of the development of cinema language

• Animation principles and visual storytelling history

• Key texts including Bordwell, Thompson, The Illusion of Life and The Animator's Survival Kit

• Ideal for students wanting deeper context and inspiration

History of Anime

• Major movements and influences in anime

Studio Ghibli, Akira, Ghost in the Shell, Satoshi Kon and Neon Genesis Evangelion

• Lectures, screenings and discussion-led sessions

PRIVATE TRAINING & GROUP WORKSHOPS

Book a Course or 1-to-1 Mentoring Session

All courses can be tailored for beginners, students, aspiring professionals, studios, schools and universities.

Training is available as personalised one-to-one mentoring, small group workshops, guest lectures and bespoke studio training, delivered remotely via Zoom.

Interested in a course or mentoring session?

Please email Alex at:

info@carnivalfigures.com

Please include:

• The course you are interested in
• Your current experience level
• Any specific skills, software or career goals you would like to develop

I look forward to hearing from you.

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