This week The Gnomon Workshop releases a long awaited series of three DVDs by Dreamworks Character Animator Chris Kirshbaum. These lectures on character animation for feature animation range in topic from the fundamentals and mechanics to lip sync. All taught in Maya, Chris delivers thorough breakdowns of the steps needed to animate your character. Chris teaches at the Gnomon School of Visual Effects and he brings to his DVDs the same high level of instruction and obsessiveness for perfection. See the descriptions below for more detailed information on each DVD.

Accolades:
Chris is very fluent in the art of animation. Whether it is animating very subtle emotions or commandeering an extremely complex scene with multiple characters performing Kung Fu moves, Chris has the talent, patience and perseverance, assuring every scene he animates is of the utmost quality. In addition to his skill set, Chris has the remarkable ability of presenting his knowledge and experience to many others in a clear, concise and constructive forum. He "Can do" and "Can teach". Any student would greatly benefit from the tutelage of Mr. Kirshbaum.
-Dan Wagner
Head of Character Animation
Kung Fu Panda

Chris is an amazing artist, able to apply timeless animation principles to the newest of technologies and bring characters to life. Here at DreamWorks, we don't assign characters to a single animator. Which meant that on Over the Hedge, animators had to master the individual traits of a dozen different animals and personalities. Chris did a lot of heavy lifting on the movie, shifting seamlessly from one character's gestures to another's, bringing each one to vibrant life with specific acting intent. His knowledge, and this DVD, is priceless.
-Tim Johnson
Co-Director
Over the Hedge, Antz

Chris has never ceased to inspire me and others to reach for that extra bit of perfection that makes animation into magic. His upbeat attitude and engaging team spirit bring everyone he works with into the mindset of being up for any challenge. Chris is always a major and irreplaceable influence on any team, and he plays the drums like an animal!
-Mike Pettengill
Background Artist
The Simpsons

Successful CG character animation is achieved by a creative mind able to clear technically challenging hurdles to carry out their intended vision. Chris is a perfect example of this, and is one who seeks out the challenge. I would encourage you to watch how Chris achieves this, as he demonstrates his approach on everything from the basics of a bouncing ball, to advanced techniques of character performance.
-Jason Reisig
Head of Character Animation
Dreamworks Animation

I have worked with Chris professionally at DreamWorks animation and have known him personally for many years and am thrilled he is presenting instruction for aspiring animators. He definitely knows his stuff and his professionalism blends beautifully with his raw creative talent. Chris is an asset to the industry and anyone wanting to learn the art of animation.
-Conrad Vernon
Co-Director
Shrek 2, Monsters vs. Aliens

Chris has that rare and terrific blend of both technical know-how and creative ingenuity essential to any first class animator. On Kung Fu Panda Chris took on very challenging shots, always seeking to push himself outside his comfort zone. Chris always found a fresh approach to the material and was able to bring subtlety, clarity and genuine spontaneity to his actors' performances. If he encourages this same kind of courageous exploration in his students, I'm certain they will have a distinct advantage and will soon dominate the world at his side.
-Mark Osborne
Co-Director
Kung Fu Panda

DVD Descriptions:

Character Animation: Fundamentals
with Chris Kirshbaum
This is Chris's first lecture in a series on character animation using Maya. In this lecture Chris introduces the basics of feature film style character animation. Starting with the bouncing ball and then moving on to using a character rig, Chris gives you a guided tour of the inner workings of Maya, covering the interface and how to develop good workflow habits. He discusses the basics of acting and emotion and demonstrates how to setup the always challenging walk cycle, from blocking in and smoothing out the animation to refining it by adding attitude and feeling.

Character Animation: Mechanics and Emotion
with Chris Kirshbaum
This is Chris's second lecture in a series on character animation using Maya. Using the same character rig as in Character Animation: Fundamentals, Chris leads you down the twin paths of successful character animation: mechanics and emotion. Conjoining believable motion with believable acting is the holy grail of animation, and this duality is demonstrated by animating the "bouncing man." Chris covers appealing poses, believable weight distribution, activation of limbs, use of gesture to demonstrate attitude, the "aura" of the character and effective utilization of the stage.

Character Animation: Acting and Lip Sync
with Chris Kirshbaum
This is Chris's third lecture in a series on character animation using Maya. In this lecture, Chris delves ever deeper into the world of acting and its most important aspect: the character's internal thought process. Chris covers the fundamental principles of lip sync and dialogue, from keying the audio track and breaking it down to phrasing and inflection. Building on earlier themes, including dynamic posing, contrast of shape and emotion, line of action and use of negative space, Chris shows you the step-by-step process of bringing a scene to the level of full 3D theatrical animation.

Instructor Bio:
Chris Kirshbaum is an alumnus of CalArts Character Animation, and has a BA in fine arts (drawing) from Arizona State University. He is currently a Character Animator at Dreamworks. Chris's film credits as a character animator include Shark Tale, Flushed Away, Over the Hedge, Kung Fu Panda and Monsters vs. Aliens. In addition to teaching in the Dreamworks internal artistic development and training programs, he currently teaches character animation at the Gnomon School of Visual Effects. When not ensconced in the world of animation, Chris can usually be found either on a football field or behind a drum kit.

Since 2000, The Gnomon Workshop has provided artists and students with the educational resources they need to succeed as artists in the entertainment industries. Whether they're interested in design, modeling, effects, animation, storytelling or matte painting, these DVDs provide a valuable educational resource for students around the world. The Gnomon Workshop is the sister company of The Gnomon School of Visual Effects, which provides professional caliber visual effects instruction to students and professionals in Los Angeles, California.

Visit http://www.thegnomonworkshop.com for more information on The Gnomon Workshop and our library of over 200 training DVDs.