Skip to main content
Home
Find a school 
  • Home
  • Programs
    • Animation
      • 3D Animation
      • Computer Animation
      • Cartooning
      • Illustration
      • Web Animation
    • Art
      • Digital Art
      • Electronic Art
      • Entertainment Art
      • Studio Art
    • Design
      • 3d Graphics
      • Digital Design
      • Graphic Design
      • Interactive Design
      • Motion Graphic Design
      • Simulation
      • Virtual Modeling
      • Visual Effects
      • Web Design
    • Gaming
      • Game Animation
      • Game Art
      • Game Design
      • Game Development
      • Game Management
      • Game Production
    • Media
      • Digital Media
      • Digital Video
      • Electronic Media
      • Film
      • Multimedia
      • Visual Communications
  • Rankings
  • Interviews
  • Schools & Colleges
    • Alabama - Kentucky
      • Alabama Schools
      • Alaska Schools
      • Arizona Schools
      • Arkansas Schools
      • California Schools
        • Academy of Art University
        • Animation Mentor
        • Art Center College of Design
        • CalArts
        • California College of the Arts
        • California State University, Fullerton
        • California State University, Northridge
        • Chapman University
        • Gnomon School of Visual Effects
        • Laguna College of Art and Design
        • Long Beach State
        • Loyola Marymount University
        • Otis College of Art and Design
        • San Jose State University
        • SAE Ex’pression College
        • University of California, Irvine
        • University of California Los Angeles
        • University of California, Santa Cruz
        • University of Southern California
        • Woodbury University
      • Colorado Schools
        • Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design
        • University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
        • University of Denver
        • University of Colorado, Denver
      • Connecticut Schools
        • Quinnipiac University
        • University of Connecticut
      • Delaware Schools
      • District of Columbia (DC)
        • American University
      • Florida Schools
        • The Digital Animation & Visual Effects School (DAVE School)
        • Florida State University
        • Full Sail University
        • Ringling College of Art and Design
        • University of Central Florida
        • University of South Florida
      • Georgia Schools
        • Georgia Institute of Technology
        • Kennesaw State University
        • Savannah College of Art and Design
      • Hawaii Schools
      • Idaho Schools
        • University of Idaho
      • Illinois Schools
        • Bradley University
        • Columbia College Chicago
        • DePaul University
        • Northern Illinois University
        • School of the Art Institute of Chicago
        • Southern Illinois University, Carbondale
        • University of Illinois at Chicago
      • Indiana Schools
        • Ball State University
        • Indiana University - Bloomington
        • Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
        • Purdue University
      • Iowa Schools
      • Kansas Schools
      • Kentucky Schools
    • Louisiana - North Dakota
      • Louisiana Schools
        • Louisiana State University
        • University of Louisiana at Lafayette
      • Maine Schools
      • Maryland Schools
        • Maryland Institute College of Art
        • University of Maryland Baltimore County
      • Massachusetts Schools
        • Becker College
        • Boston University
        • Emerson College
        • Hampshire College
        • Massachusetts College of Art and Design
        • Massachusetts Institute of Technology
        • Montserrat College of Art
        • Northeastern University
        • School of the Museum of Fine Arts
        • University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth
        • Worcester Polytechnic Institute
      • Michigan Schools
        • College for Creative Studies
        • Eastern Michigan University
        • Grand Valley State University
        • Kendall College of Art and Design
        • Lawrence Technological University
        • Michigan State University
      • Minnesota Schools
        • Minneapolis College of Art & Design
        • Minnesota State University, Moorhead
      • Mississippi Schools
      • Missouri Schools
        • Kansas City Art Institute
        • Missouri State University
      • Montana Schools
      • Nebraska Schools
        • University of Nebraska, Lincoln
      • Nevada Schools
        • University of Nevada – Reno
      • New Hampshire Schools
        • Dartmouth College
      • New Jersey Schools
        • Bloomfield College
        • The College of New Jersey
        • Montclair State University
        • Stevens Institute of Technology
      • New Mexico Schools
        • Eastern New Mexico University
        • New Mexico State University
        • Santa Fe University of Art and Design
      • New York Schools
        • Adelphi University
        • Cornell University
        • Marist College
        • New York University
        • Parsons The New School for Design
        • Pratt Institute
        • Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
        • Rochester Institute of Technology
        • School of Visual Arts
        • Stony Brook University
        • Syracuse University
      • North Carolina Schools
        • East Carolina University
        • North Carolina State University
        • University of North Carolina - Charlotte
        • University of North Carolina School of the Arts
      • North Dakota Schools
    • Ohio - Wyoming
      • Ohio Schools
        • Bowling Green State University
        • Cleveland Institute of Art
        • Columbus College of Art and Design
        • Kent State University
        • Miami University
        • The Ohio State University
        • Ohio University
        • Shawnee State University
      • Oklahoma Schools
      • Oregon Schools
        • Pacific Northwest College of Art
      • Pennsylvania Schools
        • Carnegie Mellon University
        • Drexel University
        • Edinboro University
        • University of Pennsylvania
        • The University of the Arts
      • Rhode Island Schools
        • Rhode Island School of Design
      • South Carolina Schools
        • Clemson University
      • South Dakota Schools
        • Dakota State University
        • South Dakota State University
      • Tennessee Schools
        • East Tennessee State University
        • Middle Tennessee State University
      • Texas Schools
        • Baylor University
        • Sam Houston State University
        • Southern Methodist University
        • Texas A&M University
        • University of Texas at Austin
        • University of Texas at Dallas
        • University of the Incarnate Word
      • Utah Schools
        • Brigham Young University
        • University of Utah
      • Vermont Schools
        • Champlain College
      • Virginia Schools
        • George Mason University
        • Virginia Commonwealth University
        • Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
      • Washington Schools
        • Academy of Interactive Entertainment
        • Digipen Institute of Technology
      • West Virginia Schools
      • Wisconsin Schools
        • University of Wisconsin – Stout
      • Wyoming Schools
    • Canada
  • Careers in Animation
    • eSports
    • Animation Firm Profiles
    • Employment Trends
    • Salary Trends
    • Types of Jobs
    • Education/Training Requirements
  • Software & Technology

Find the right school for you

Academy of Art University

Did you know? Academy of Art University’s School of Motion Pictures & Television offers a BFA program with six areas of emphasis -cinematography, directing, editing, producing, production design, and screenwriting- designed to equip the storytellers of tomorrow. Learn more

Sowing the Seeds: Q&A with Garth Drake of Rocket Sky Online 3D Animation School

January 24, 2016 written by Bonnie Boglioli...

Sowing the seeds of a new online animation school is not exactly an easy or quick endeavor. It takes commitment, time and guts. It also takes patience while you build a curriculum, attract students, and graduate them. None of that deterred veteran animator Garth Drake who took the leap to teach character animation the way he knew worked best.

Founding online 3D animation school Rocket Sky just last year, Drake brings two decades of experience to his online students. He cut his teeth at Electronic Arts and Mainframe Entertainment (now Rainmaker) before going on to fulfill a variety of senior positions in animation studios. He also spent years teaching animation in his native Canada, where he noticed voids that he was desperate to fix.

Coupling his professional expertise with the personalized mentoring he’s honed over the years (he’s a personal trainer and hockey coach), Drake envisioned an online program suitable for anyone… except button pushers. At an enviably low pricetag (currently $5400 US total) and the ability to work full or part time, we were eager to learn more about the new school. We hope you enjoy our latest Q&A with Garth Drake, Founder of Rocket Sky 3D Animation School!

ACR: Garth, tell us a little about your background and why you decided to start Rocket Sky…

Find a school

Garth Drake:  I started Rocket Sky last year in response to what I’ve seen firsthand in the industry. I’ve been an animator for 20 years (still working for DHX Media); I’ve also been teaching animation for a number of years. In that time, I’ve seen pretty low success rates for graduating students across the boards. They spend a lot of time and money in school but just don’t make the transition to the studio afterwards. A big part of the problem is the emphasis on software in animation education. Students spend so much time mastering a particular software but they lack what they really need to thrive.

At Rocket Sky, we’re teaching classical principles that can be applied to 3D. Software is just a tool of the animator- if you can learn one, you can learn another. All software have the same attributes- setting keys, posing characters, and using constraints. The menus and UI is a little different between them, but ultimately they are all the same. Believe me, I’ve used ten programs and I’m not a tech guy! So instead of teaching software, which animators learn on the job- we teach art and the fundamental skills and practices needed.

ACR:  What are the fundamental concepts and skills your students dive into at Rocket Sky?

GD:  From day one, we teach our students everything they need to know. There are no prerequisite skills necessary of our students. They learn art and drawing for animation- they need to learn the human body, balance, weight and gesture. If you compare a classically animated film to a 3D animation, you’ll see they are exactly the same in terms of performance. So we approach our program from that way. We have four stages of learning beginning with Foundations 1 and 2 before moving on to Intro to Character Animation and finishing with Advanced Character Animation where they produce the character animation that will ultimately appear on their demo reels.

ACR:  Do you encourage your students to sketch with pencil and paper when not online?

GD:  Yes, absolutely. It’s the first stage… you have to draw your poses. If Frank Thomas and all the great Disney animators did that and produced the timeless work they did, why wouldn’t we do it now? (Animation) is a process. You need to thumbnail your ideas, act them out and search for references. Then you draw it and only after all of that do you apply it in 3D. That’s why I’ve had success with my students. Going to industry is a shocking experience for a lot of new animators, but for my students its a seamless transition.

ACR:  Besides yourself, who else is or will be teaching courses at Rocket Sky?

GD:  There’s a wealth of professional talent that I’m excited to draw from and a few can be found on our site right now. I teach the fundamentals because I think it’s where students need the most mentoring. I bring in feature film mentors including Chris Buckley (Transformers and The Smurfs) and Kelsey Wagner (Sony Pictures) in the advanced stages of the program to teach the nuances.

ACR:  Despite being online, it’s important to you that you offer students a personalized approach. How do you achieve that online?

GD:  This is big for me. Though it’s online, we offer a lot of 1-on-1. And currently because we’re new, I have fewer than a dozen students so I can offer a lot of mentorship. Students watch my recorded tutorials which I’ve found to be more effective than lecturing in a live setting. If I’m lecturing in a live setting, you might not be listening or taking good notes, but by recording my lessons I can really hone in on the details and students can watch it multiple times. I say all the time that repetition is the mother of skill. They can go back to previous lessons and use them as reference material, too. Being online enables them to go at a pace that works for them, and to revisit content as necessary.  

ACR:  How important is the ability to work remotely on the future careers of your students?

GD:  Being accountable and responsible is everything.... this industry is all about YOU and what you do with the work you earn and are given. Ultimately, Rocket Sky is a test for students. If you can stick with it and get through the foundation stage of this school which can get tedious, you can make it as an animator.

ACR:  Graduates of your program have lifelong access to Rocket Sky mentors and alumni. Talk a bit about that, Garth...

GD:  I think this is pretty unique to us- I can’t think of any other programs that offer graduates the ability to log in anytime they want and get access to the learning materials even years later. I’ve always hated saying goodbye to my students, so to give them access to our school and network is a no-brainer. Why wouldn’t we want them coming back to learn and share what they’ve learned in the industry from wherever they may be in the world? They can help the next group of students which is phenomenal and add to our growing community.

 

Related Articles

Rocket Sky 3D Animation School Rocket Sky 3D Animation School - Program Profile
Animation Mentor Animation Mentor's Cheryl Hoke Discusses Online Animation Education
Spain’s Answer to Innovative Animation Education: a Q&A with Trazos School’s Enrique Gato
Animation Mentor Animation Mentor's Nicole Herr Shares How She Got Her Start, and What it is Like Working and Teaching in the Industry
Vancouver Film School’s New Animation + Concept Art Program: Q&A with Vanessa Jacobsen
Animation College The Right Tool for the Job: Q&A with Animation College’s Raymond McGrath

Categories

Animation Programs Interviews Schools & Colleges Careers in Animation

Short Animation Contest

We are proud to announce our first short animation contest of 2019.

View contest gallery More info

The Los Angeles Film School

Online
More Information
Home
© 2019 Animation Career ReviewCompany info
Sign in | Register

Resources

  • Home
  • Programs
  • Rankings
  • Interviews
  • Schools & Colleges
  • Careers in Animation
  • Software & Technology

Connect

  • Follow
  • Friend

Discover

 Find a school