In the summer, I started the 3D Character Animation program at Animation Mentor. My first class, Animation Basics, was taught by Robyne Powell. I thought she was a fantastic teacher and offered invaluable insights about animation and the industry in general. For me, it was also a great experience just getting back into character animation. I hadn’t touched a 3D animation program in over a decade, so it felt like a tall mountain to climb at first. But as the class progressed and I re-learned Maya, it slowly felt more like a steep hill.