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Design

Foundational

Storytelling Through Animation

Storytelling Through Animation

Duration:

6 weeks

When:

September 09 - October 16, 2025

Schedule:

Tuesday/Thursday | 6–8pm

Difficulty:

Foundational

Ages:

15 - 19

Cost:

FREE

Where:

About this class

Short stories, big personality. In this animation class, you’ll bring characters to life—one strut, joke, or dramatic pause at a time. You’ll create short animated scenes (3–10 seconds) that show off everything from a walk cycle with attitude to a punchline that lands just right. Using iPads and professional tech, you’ll dive into storyboarding, movement, and emotions that make your animations feel alive. This class is all about adding meaning, style, and storytelling to every frame.

Gear + Software:

  • iPads & computers
  • Procreate & Procreate Dreams
  • Aseprite
  • Adobe After Effects
  • DaVinci Resolve

Great for students who want to explore animation and storytelling. Whether you’re new to animation or already sketching in the margins of every notebook, this class is perfect for beginners and budding animators looking to bring characters—and their stories—to life.

Meet the Mentor

Mercedes Roberts (she/they)

Design Mentor

I am a jack of all trades when it comes to the arts, tech, and media and have a degree in game development/art from the University of Utah. I love all things game related, from animation and coding to recreating my favorite characters through cosplay. I was fortunate enough to make pixel art for “TAC Heroes: The Big Red One” for Nintendo DS in 2009 and have also worked on a number of game-based exhibits at Clark Planetarium. My final project at the U of U can be downloaded and played for free on Steam. Its called “Dive: Starpath” and I was the lead designer for that project.

I am so excited to share my experiences over the years with my students and inspire them to bring their ideas and stories to life. You can achieve anything!

Fun fact: I am named after the car. My dad has a passion for cars and named all of his kids after them. Ask me about my siblings’ names! My passion for games and the arts is as big as my dad’s love for cars.

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