Emeryville, CA, November 1, 2011 — Animation Mentor, the state-of-the-art online animation school founded by animators for animators, announced today they will be attending CTN animation eXpo (CTN-X) as an educational partner and sponsor. Animation Mentor is inviting students and artists to visit their booth, meet mentors and attend presentations by Dr. Stuart Sumida, mentor Kevin Koch and Animation Mentor CEO and Cofounder, Bobby Beck. CTN-X takes place Nov. 18 — 20, 2011, at the Burbank Marriott Convention Center.

The animation industry’s foremost authority on anatomy and fight choreography, Dr. Stuart Sumida, professor of biology at California State University, San Bernardino, will be conducting a martial arts demonstration sponsored by Animation Mentor on Saturday, Nov. 19, 5:30 — 6:30 p.m. Sensei Bill Ryusaki, who is Dr. Sumida’s sensei, Sensei Nurys Saldana, Sensei Tim Komori and senior martial arts students will be participating in the event. For animators, this presentation will combine physical demonstrations with detailed descriptions of anatomical principles, explanation of skeletal anatomy and other valuable insights that are necessary to animate realistic fight sequences. The demonstration will build upon the techniques Dr. Sumida recently discussed in Animation Mentor’s highly-attended Anatomy of a Fight webinar.

“We’re honored to have Dr. Sumida, Kevin Koch, our mentors and the senseis take part in CTN-X this year,” states Beck. “CTN-X is a perfect forum for Animation Mentor to reach aspiring animators and to inspire them to pursue their dreams. We are always excited to have new students meet our mentors and guests, and to enjoy some of the Animation Mentor experience.”

Beck will also participate in the Educators Panel, Are They Trained and If So For What?, Friday, Nov. 18, 5 — 6:15 p.m., with Lori Hammond (AI/Hollywood), John Mahoney (CalArts), Brian Bradford (Gnomon) and moderated by Tenny Chonin. Additionally, Koch will be presenting a workshop on the “Dos and Don’ts of a Demo Reel” on Saturday, Nov. 19, 2 — 3:45 p.m.

Animation Mentor and CTN-X are co-sponsoring a party that will be held on Friday, Nov. 18 from 7 p.m. — midnight.

The Animation Mentor booth (B44) will be open: Friday, Nov. 18, 12 — 7 p.m.; Saturday, Nov. 19, 10 a.m. — 7 p.m.; and Sunday, Nov. 20, 10 a.m. — 5 p.m. Attendees are invited to stop by (or register online) to schedule one-on-one meetings with an admissions advisor or to visit the Animation Mentor booth. Attendees can meet a mentor on Friday, Nov. 18, 1 — 2 p.m.; Saturday, Nov. 19, 10 — 11 a.m., 12 — 1 p.m. and 3 — 4 p.m.; Sunday, Nov. 20, 10 — 11 a.m. and 12 — 1 p.m. Also in attendance will be the Animation Mentor crew, including Cheryl Hoke, director of student enrollment and admissions; Suzanne Francois, student care manager; Becca Romeo, career services manager; and other Animation Mentor staff.

For further information about Animation Mentor’s activities at CTN-X, please visit www.animationmentor.com/events/ctnx2011/

Chris Arrant

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