Performance Animation is the artistic and technical process of translating subtle emotional acting and body language into the animated character, demanding that the animator act as a virtual stage director and actor simultaneously. This involves moving beyond basic body mechanics to focus on micro-expressions, subtle shifts in posture, and the intentionbehind every movement, ensuring the character’s actions align with their inner emotional state and dialogue delivery.

We emphasize study of non-verbal communication and scene analysis, training students to break down human performance footage into key poses and transitions that convey character depth. The technical execution involves mastering the timing of eye darts, brow movements, and lip-syncing (often called phoneme matching), ensuring the facial performance is both emotionally genuine and technically precise in its alignment with the voice track.