Game Animation: Cinematic
Cutscenes
Pro Animators Mentor You to Be Successful
Our mentors are the heart and soul of Animation Mentor: veteran game-studio animators from studios like nDreams and Riot Games, who work with you 1:1 every week and review your shots.
Why Take Game Animation: Cinematic Cutscenes at Animation Mentor
Personalized Mentorship
Our mentors are working professionals with years of experience under their belts, and they're passionate about training the next generation of animators. In this course, you will learn from your mentor in live sessions as they share insights about what studios are working on and what guides they put up for animators.
Studio-Level Animation Training
Our program immerses you in studio-like environments, ensuring you're job-ready upon graduation. You'll learn with the same tools and workflows as industry professionals, mastering Unreal Engine to gain skills that set you apart in the competitive game-animation industry.
Live Weekly Q&As
Join weekly 1-hour live sessions with your mentor, on top of pre-recorded lectures and animation assignments, and get direct, personalized feedback on your cinematic cutscene shots.
Ongoing Rig Access
Keep access to a deep library of full studio-quality character rigs and skins so you can keep building your game-animation reel long after class ends.
What You'll Be Able to Do
- Master cinematic storytelling through character performance and cinematography in games
- Stage and animate in-engine cutscenes that read clearly and carry emotion
- Direct camera and composition to support the story you're telling
- Bring acting and performance to game characters using full studio-quality rigs
- Build production-style workflows that move animation between Autodesk Maya and Unreal Engine
- Block, refine, and polish a cinematic shot into a reel-ready piece
- Apply weight, timing, and appeal to dramatic, story-driven sequences
- Assemble portfolio-ready cutscene work to show studios and potential employers
Skills You'll Gain
Reel Pieces You'll Walk Away With
Cinematic Cutscenes is built around hands-on, story-driven animation: each exercise becomes a polished, portfolio-ready cutscene for your game-animation demo reel.
Acting & Performance Shot
A character-acting beat that conveys emotion and intent through performance, the heart of any cinematic cutscene.
Cinematic Camera & Staging
A shot composed and staged with deliberate camera work that directs the viewer's eye and supports the story.
In-Engine Cutscene
A finished cinematic cutscene assembled in Unreal Engine, refined and polished into a reel-ready game-animation piece.
The Game Animation: Cinematic Cutscenes Curriculum
Storytelling & Performance
Learn the foundations of cinematic storytelling and character acting for game cutscenes.
Start with the story: what your character wants, feels, and does.
- Acting and performance for cutscenes
- Conveying emotion and intent
- Story-driven shot planning
Camera & Cinematography
Direct camera, composition, and staging to support the story you're telling.
Use the camera as a storytelling tool, not just a viewpoint.
- Cinematic camera and composition
- Staging and framing for clarity
- Directing the viewer's eye
Blocking the Cutscene
Block out your cinematic shot using studio-style workflows in Autodesk Maya.
Lay down strong poses and timing before you refine.
- Blocking poses and timing
- Weight, appeal, and body mechanics
- Studio-style workflow in Maya
In-Engine Polish
Bring your cutscene into Unreal Engine and refine it to a reel-ready finish.
Take your shot from blocking to a polished, in-engine cinematic.
- Moving animation between Maya and Unreal Engine
- Refining and polishing the cutscene
- A reel-ready cinematic shot
Ready to Start Animating?
Game Animation: Cinematic Cutscenes is a 12-week, mentor-led course. Apply at Animation Mentor, choose your mentor, and register for class.
- 12-week mentor-led course
- Weekly live Q&As + 1:1 feedback
- Taught in Autodesk Maya & Unreal Engine
- $2,499 USD
Frequently Asked Questions
A cinematic cutscene is a story-driven, non-interactive sequence in a game that uses character performance and cinematography to advance the narrative. In this course you'll learn to animate these moments using acting, camera, and staging in Autodesk Maya and Unreal Engine.
Storytelling is what makes players care. Cinematic cutscenes carry emotion, motivation, and stakes, and great game animators use performance and camera to tell those stories. This course is built to develop that storytelling muscle.
A strong game-animation reel shows clear, polished, story-driven work. Cinematic Cutscenes is built so every assignment becomes a portfolio-ready shot you can put on your reel to showcase your skills to potential employers.
12 weeks, mentor-led: pre-recorded lectures, weekly 1-hour live Q&As, and animation assignments with weekly 1:1 feedback from your mentor.
Autodesk Maya and Unreal Engine, plus a computer that meets the minimum requirements. The course is taught in English and is open to students 18 and older.
Cinematic Cutscenes is application-based. Apply at Animation Mentor, and once you're accepted you choose your mentor and register for class.
