Anim 05 – Introduction to Acting for Animation Winter 2026
Enrollment For This Workshop Closed On 12/18/2025
Introduction to Acting for Animation is for students with a strong understanding of the body mechanics, and a pantomime acting. Introduction to Acting for Animation begins by learning the “Facial Mechanics” We touch upon how to properly animate the eyes (variety of blinks, darts, pupils) brows, and mouth. Expression tests are added to learn how make the entire face work correctly together. Following an understanding of Facial Mechanics; small, focused exercises will help students develop their acting muscles and specific skill sets required to create unique and memorable dialogue shots.
The goal of Introduction to Acting for Animation is to build a solid understanding of Facial Mechanics, and acting choice awareness. Preparing the student for the next class (Advanced Acting for Animation) which will further push the size, scope, and complexity of the acting assignments.
Get to Know Your Instructor:
Victor Navone is a traditional artist and computer animator. He currently works as an Animation Supervisor at PIXAR.
He was born in Chula Vista, California, and has a degree in Fine Arts from the University of California, Irvine. He worked for several years as a Conceptual Designer and 3D Artist in the computer games industry. In 1998, Navone began studying 3D character animation in his spare time. One of his early animation exercises, “Alien Song,” went on to become a viral internet clip and caught the attention of Pixar Animation Studios, who hired him as a full-time Animator in 2000. He has worked at PIXAR for 25+ years now.
Navone has worked on numerous films and shows, including the films Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, The Incredibles, Cars, Toy Story 3 & 4, Brave, The Good Dinosaur, Inside Out, Coco, and Onward and the recent streaming shows Dream Productions and Win Or Lose. He’s also contributed to several short films, including “Lou,” “Bao,” and “Kitbull.” For his work on WALL-E, he won an award from the Visual Effects Society. He’s also co-directed a series of short “Cars Toons” for television. Navone has been teaching animation since 2005, and he currently resides in Oakland, California with his wife and two children.
See Victor Navone’s animation work at vimeo.com/victornavone and follow his personal artwork on Instagram @victornavone.
Curriculum: Introduction to Acting for Animation
- Weekly Assignments
– Assignment 1: Posing for Subtext
– Assignment 2: Expression tests
– Assignment 3: Eye darts & blinks
– Assignment 4: Thought process
– Assignment 5: Lip-synch
– Assignment 6: Student choice blocking
– Assignment 7: Polishing
- Weekly Lecture Assignments
– Acting theory
– Subtext
– Thinking
– Lip-Synch
– Eyes & Brows
– Polish
– Camera & Staging
…and more!
Attendee Information :
One session every Wednesday for 10 weeks. Starting January 12th, 2026 - Ending March 21st, 2025, 7:00pm – 10:00pm Pacific time
We recommend that students take Advanced Body Mechanics before taking Introduction to Acting for Animation. A link to your demo reel is required with your registration. *Introduction to Acting for Animation is limited to 8 students to allow for maximum individualized focus. We encourage a comfortable, collaborative environment so that students can learn from their own assignments, the critiques of others’, instructor demos, lectures, and guest speakers.
Tuition: $1,600.00 Includes a $200.00 non-refundable registration fee Note: Animation Collaborative accepts Paypal and Checks. To pay by check, just fill out the form below, hit Register, and select the Pay by Check option underneath Paypal.
We offer the option to register and pay your deposit, and set up a payment plan. To Register for a course and pay the deposit, click here. For information on how to make a payment for a Payment Plan, click here. You can break your tuition into four easy payments with a Payment Plan. Here are the details of the payment plan. Payment 1: $200, deposit due with registration. Payment 2: $466.67 due on the Monday of the 1st week of the Session. Payment 3: $466.67 due on the Monday of the 4th week of the Session. Payment 4: $466.66 due on the Monday of the 7th week of the Session. *Note: payments are not automatically scheduled. You must schedule them individually. Note: Animation Collaborative accepts Paypal and Checks. To pay by check, just send us an email at with the information below, and mail your check by priority mail, or expedited shipping with tracking to: Animation Collaborative PO BOX 5261 Walnut Creek CA 94596 Information to Include in your email is as follows: Tell us you are interested in registering and are sending a check (for Deposit, Payment Plan, or full Tuition). Please provide the Student's Name, Email, Workshop Selection and Link to your portfolio, or samples of your work. Thanks!