Meet Chad

the animation course instructor

Chad Stewart has worked as a professional animator in film and television for over 30 years! He animated with a pencil at Walt Disney Feature Animation on such films as:

  • Tarzan

  • The Emperor’s New Groove

  • Fantasia 2000

Then he made the transition over the great digital divide to Sony Pictures Imageworks and worked as a lead animator on such digital features as: 

  • The Polar Express

  • Stuart Little 2

  • Surf’s Up

Chad has most recently worked as a 3D Visual Development Artist at Sony Pictures Animation and is currently contracting with the same studio to work on sporadic development projects. He has a full home life including his beautiful wife of 26 years, 4 daughters (including one who is married) and 4 sons, adopted from Liberia, West Africa. As a family, they have just completed their 20 year homeschooling journey!

Pictured with us from this 2019 Christmas celebration is 6 of our 8 adult children - 2 sons and 1 son-in-law are absent from the picture.

Pictured with us from this 2019 Christmas celebration is 6 of our 8 adult children - 2 sons and 1 son-in-law are absent from the picture.

 

Since teaching children has been such an integral part of his family life, Chad was inspired to share his knowledge of animation with other kids via the wonders of the world wide web.  Whether you want to pursue animation as a career or would enjoy just learning for the sheer pleasure of the animation art form, this course will work for you!

 
 

Meet Kayla

Administrator

Kayla is the wife of Chad and mother to their 8 children. She has finished her 20 years of homeschooling and has jumped on board with Chad in this venture to bring the art and animation world to the online learning community. She takes care of the business and organizational side of things for The Animation Course, LLC.

Meet Our Graders

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Joe Mandia Grader for Level 1 Animation
Joe Mandia has been in the animation industry for over 17 years. He as worked in VFX, feature animated films, commercials and video games. Some projects include, The Grinch Who Stole Christmas, Harry Potter and the Sorcer's Stone, Chicken Little, Ice Age 2, and Open Season. Joe has also taught for a major online animation school for several years and has produced an instructional animation DVD for Eat3D.com.

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Han Hu Grader for Level 1 Animation
Han Hu has been a professional animator for over 11 years. He has worked on many commercials, video games, TV shows, and feature films, such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Out of the Shadows and Transformers: The Last Knight. 

Jason Lethcoe Grader

Jason Lethcoe Grader for Level 3 - Story Class

Jason Lethcoe has worked as a director, animator, producer and storyboard artist for the past 35 years at Walt Disney Studios, Warner Bros., Sony Pictures and Dreamworks SKG.

His work has been included in such features as The Little Mermaid, The Tigger Movie, Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmas, The Pagemaster, Disney’s Home On The Range, Tom and Jerry, Surf's Up, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and Monsters at Work.

He has directed several commercials for clients including McDonald's, Sega, and Hidden Valley Ranch.

He is the recipient of several awards including the Worldfest Houston Gold Jury Award for his animation of Bugs Bunny at Warner Bros. Studios and nominated for Best Debut of a new comic book title by the 2001 Lighthouse Awards. More recently, he was nominated for the 2012 Retailer's Choice award and the prestigious Lesserpries in Germany.

Amanda Tank Grader for Drawing Classes

Amanda is an American artist currently residing in Austria. After graduating from Biola University with a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Painting, she started her freelance career by working in video games, film, board games, illustration, and more. Her biggest passion is character design, and spends her free time playing Nintendo games and finding the best coffee shop in town.

Tiffany King  Grader for Level 1 Animation

Tiffany King has been an animator, illustrator and character rigger in the gaming industry for over 12 years.  Her work can be seen in games like The Sims, DragonVale, Runescape, and Atlas Empires.


Anthony Brewster  Grader for Level 2 Animation

Anthony Brewster has been a professional animator for the past 6 years. He’s worked as an animator on Spies in Disguise, SpongeBob: Sponge on the Run, The Sea Beast, and most recently on Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse.

His animation journey started in 4th grade when he learned how to make stop-motion animation and has been hooked ever since. He tinkered with stop-motion as a hobby until he graduated high school and then attended Animation Mentor to learn 3d animation. 

 Meet Our Admin Staff

 
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Samantha Williams
Administrative Assistant

Samantha is wife to Sam, a graphic designer and teacher, and mom of two wild boys and 1 brand new baby boy to boot! She is also a hobby gardener and plant lady. Samantha enjoys working from home to help Chad and Kayla with the administrative side of The Animation Course. Her favorite role at TAC is compiling the feedback from students and parents and hearing what a positive impact the classes have on our students and their families.

 

Official Partners

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The Animation Mentor

Established in 2005, Animation Mentor is the original, online animation school. Students learn directly from working industry professionals – with more instructors from major studios than any other school – and get the one-on-one time they need to prepare for a successful career in the animation industry. Animation Mentor students learn using our proprietary online campus, exclusive feedback tools and real-world production pipeline. We have an alumni community of more than 5,000 students in 105 countries, now working in world-class studios like Pixar, DreamWorks, Industrial Light & Magic, Sony, Blue Sky and more.

Visit Animation Mentor
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SPED Homeschool

We at SPED Homeschool believe every child can succeed when provided individualized instruction and that homeschooling is one of the best options a family has for providing this type of education for a unique learner. SPED Homeschool’s team and board are homeschooling pioneers. We have each experienced the trenches of special education homeschooling while teaching our own unique learners. Relying on different resources, support, and available training, our children have flourished in the adapted environments we’ve created in our homes plus our years of educating have equipped us with valuable hand-on and real-life perspectives.

Visit SPED Homeschool
 
 

Additional Recommended Schools

CalArts

Southern California

The BFA Program in Character Animation is designed for students who seek an understanding of the art of character performance and storytelling in animation. The Program provides comprehensive artistic and technical training to help each student develop as a fully-fledged animation artist within both the traditional and computer graphic (CG) animation environments.

 

Lipscomb University

Tennessee

Learn the foundations and practice of animation, from character design to top-end computer graphics and 3D graphics. At Lipscomb, you'll grow your creative skills under some of the most prominent animators in the U.S., including Tom Bancroft and John Pomeroy. You’ll connect with and learn from experts in Maya software, the industry standard in computer graphics and CGI effects. You’ll even have the option of taking on opportunities in Los Angeles — our department’s Los Angeles internship program as well as a yearly trip to work at an animation studio there.

 

Asuza Pacific University

Southern California

Azusa Pacific University's Bachelor of Arts in Animation and Visual Effects will prepare you to make a difference in a creative and growing industry. Learn to bring characters, creatures, and objects to life in stories you create in this animation degree program with classes covering animation’s many facets, and cultivate your narrative techniques with a comprehensive cinematic arts curriculum. Learn in a small classroom environment under caring faculty-mentors who work in animation and entertainment, and take advantage of strategic internships in the industry.

 

Exceptional Minds

Exceptional Minds is a nonprofit academy and post production studio for people with autism. Our full-time three-year program, private lessons, summer workshops, and small group instruction prepare students for careers in animation and visual effects. Graduates work full-time for studios including Disney/Marvel, Nickelodeon, and Cartoon Network.

 

Ringling College of Arts & Design

Florida

In the Ringling College Computer Animation program, students do it all. In our world-renowned animation program, you will learn to create characters and tell their stories, as well as design, paint, model, texture, animate, light, composite, and edit original films. As a Computer Animation student, you will combine essential technical skills with conceptually original ideas that affect an audience emotionally, visually, and intellectually.

 

Savannah College of Art and Design

Georgia

Named a top animation program in the U.S. year after year by Animation Career Review, SCAD provides every resource to help you develop your signature style in 2D, 3D, and stop-motion animation, digital modeling, rigging, lighting, and look development.

 

Art Center

Southern California

ArtCenter's Entertainment Design department offers three tracks:

  • Concept focuses on the skills and creative ability required of entertainment industry concept designers

  • Animation develops students in the disciplines of character animation, storyboarding, modeling, art direction, and lighting for 3D and 2D animation

  • Game Design prepares students to create and convey game concepts through prototyping and production for multiple platforms