Matt Dombrowski

It has been 4 years now since we opened HAA, the first specialty school for animation in the US. 100% animation in person for 8 hours a day with training from experienced Hollywood animators and directors. Students learn with classical animation training and industry geared projects for film, games, and television. It has been a great joy to develop the kind of curriculum I wished I would have gotten from Cal Arts after working in the industry for 30 years. Most colleges leave their students without guidance on what they specifically need for a competitive portfolio today. Students do character designs and student films that are misguided and unpolished. We build projects that are industry relavent and train students 6 semesters deep in order for them to reach pro levels. We even help our students build their portfolio websites and teach them how to be a professional within a studio system. This is a school striving to lead education with cutting edge technology and experience. Learn feature storyboarding from experienced feature story artists. Learn TV production boards from primetime directors or TV board artists. Learn Previs from a top previs lead from Marvel and Universal. Learn game animation and cinematics from an experienced lead and game cinematic director. Learn Unreal Engine for filmmaking from feature and game directors. The animation industry is more challenging than ever and for serious students we offer one of the best solutions. Daily in person professional guidance with a structure that is second to none in practical real world training. In 2026 we launch our next intermediate level program for online students called Creative Edge and grow our 3rd year Mastercraft program with fantastic pro level projects. It's going to be an exciting year and we invite new students to check out our website and contact us if you are interested in learning more. https://lnkd.in/g8E8uFuU #animation

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Got a brand new Adobe Substance 3D Painter course coming out on School of Motion and wanted to share some of the awesome ways it fits into your motion design workflow and this one is definitely a super helpful feature — decal placement and iteration of product renders!

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To fellow artists who may be actively commenting on Ay-EYE imagery, if you're opposed to it's use, the process, I suggest that you not provide notes about why and how the work is 'bad'. I believe that doing so is feeding that machine, as even a brutal critique will provide guidance and serve for more successful thieving of your peers creative work in the future.

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Makes it ever harder… ruining the field. I have several examples of things you can’t prompt with words. Spend more time wrangling the machine than doing the work. Sets generic expectations in the clients mind and we can do a lot better. Not to mention so much is stolen and will guarantee show up in the final, some studios (who shall remain nameless), force it to be used in the final images. Then we get blamed when it backfires… 🤦‍♂️

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When artists integrate AI into their workflow, they can either use Additive or Subtractive AI workflows. With Subtractive AI workflows you create a large swathe of different content. And curate it down to the few items that most closely represent what you may have been going for. With Additive AI, you start from some piece of media, be it a storyboard, concept art, photography or something else that already has a large amount of intentionality behind it. And iterate upwards from there. In my view, both are valid. But Additive workflows are the best for total creative control, resulting in media that is precisely what the artist intended. This is an example of an Additive AI workflow. I start with a clear idea of my character. He's a half Maori head of a security firm. Battle hardened, but from a sophisticated social class. I start by drawing and describing the character and his backstory. I then enhance this drawing in the storyboard mode to speed up the rest of this workflow (optional) And then in Cinematography mode, I bring the character up to a final character sheet. Along the way there were many iterations - over 30 paint overs and modifications, but I'm happy with the result and ready to start filming. Filming itself is done using an AR camera in real or virtual environments, and directed using natural language. Eg. "Mate, can you give it a little more intensity? There's more at stake". You can also use a real actor to drive these performances. This was done in LiveMind Aperture. I'll share more workflows soon.

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One of my favorite things is teaching (video production, animation, and motion design) to in-house design teams, college classes, and even one-on-one. 📚 I get to see how all kinds of people and groups like to learn, and am constantly discovering new things: about teaching, people, design, animation, and of course workflows & apps. Here are some of the most valuable things I have learned about teaching: 1.) In-person learning works best for most. Live-via-Zoom is a close 2nd. 2.) Group critique/feedback is not dead. To encourage those who are shy, explain why it’s important (& how it helps both the critiquer and the one being critiqued). 3.) Students have some amazing ideas about how I can improve classes. This Fall, I’ll be trying a concept one of them introduced: the “reverse homework” where they watch all the demos as homework and work on their projects during class. 👇 If any of this resonated with you, or you've been looking for training that really understands you, let's chat! DM me or drop a comment with your questions.

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🟣 The new Sora 2 STORYBOARD interface hints at a quiet shift in how AI video generation actually happens: from text-prompting to full scene composition This early beta screen shows what most people haven’t seen yet: prompt-driven sketch alignment, frame iteration, and fidelity refinement, an undocumented capability I explain in detail in my new guide: “100+ Tips and Tricks for AI Video Generation: Complete Guide to Veo 3, Imagine, and Sora.” The article covers how new systems are redefining direction, lighting, and temporal coherence

Heading to ITP (Interactive Telecommunications Program) New York University to teach my "Motion Design for User Feedback" class, and I keep thinking about how vibe coding is pushing me to redefine the syllabus. I prompted this toggle button's motion using the latest Gemini and Claude models, while not perfect both impressed me. The UX motion designers who are going to shine aren't the ones who are fastest with keyframes or most precise with easing curves (Waaaay too time consuming). They're the ones who know how to think and speak motion, who can articulate timing, emotions, and intent regardless of the motion tool. That skill translates to better creative judgment, observation of motion and deeper understanding of animation theory. What does it mean for startups like Lottielab or Rive? Motion Designers - would love to hear your thoughts, I'll share them with my class. Prompt in the comments. #UXDesign #AI #MotionDesign #UXMotion

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Higgsfield AI just introduced Higgsfield Relight. ✨ Studio-grade lighting control without the studio. 🎬 Set direction, intensity, and color temperature - then lock in 3D positioning, shadow softness, and instant presets.

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Can AI handle long-form consistency? I have created ​this 20-second piece using Google Veo 3.1, utilizing its new scene extension and "first/last frame" controls to maintain a coherent narrative. For me, AI isn't just about the "wow" factor—it’s about building a reliable pipeline for high-end production. ​Looking for a Subject Matter Expert or VFX Artist to integrate AI into your studio? Let’s connect. @Google @GoogleDeepMind and @GoogleCloud #GoogleVeo #AIFilmmaking #VFX #GenerativeAI #VideoProduction #OpenToWork #DigitalStorytelling #Veo3 #AIAnimation #CinematicAI #HiringVFX

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Used Photoshop's generative fill for the plates to create this simple composite. It did save me a lot of time. I didn't have to mask, crop and spend time in matching the B/Ws. I prompted, and it was there! This method works well when there is minimal camera movement. #VFX #CameraProjection #Compositing #NukeVFX #ColorGrading #Keying #VisualEffects #VFXBreakdown #VFXEncodeAcademy #DigitalCompositing #compositing #chroma #keying #nuke #generativeai #aivfx #aiforvfx

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In 3D animation, an eye blink is never just “closing and opening the eyes.” It’s a micro-performance. A natural blink involves the entire facial system. As the lids close, the eyebrows drop slightly and the eyeballs dip downward for a fraction of a second. Without these subtle secondary actions, the blink feels mechanical. The key detail most beginners miss: the hold. Give 1–2 frames of contact. Without that pause, it reads as a mistake — not a blink. Timing matters even more: • Closing → first frame ~20%, next frame ~80% • Opening → first frame ~80%, remaining frames ~20% This asymmetry is what makes a blink feel biological instead of robotic. We also explored how humans naturally look down before rotating the head. The eyes lead, the head follows never the other way around. Great animation is not in big action shots. It lives in tiny believable moments. Swarnim India Swarnim India MONARK UNIVERSITY Gandhinagar University #animation #3danimation #animationtips #animator #animators #characteranimation #facialanimation #actingforanimation #animationmentor #learnanimation #animationstudent #maya #blender3d #aftereffects #unrealengine #vfx #cgartist #digitalartist #animationprinciples #12principlesofanimation #motionstudy #performanceanimation #gamedesign #vfxartist #filmmaking #storytelling #reelsinstagram #instaart #creativeeducation #behindtheanimation

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Quick intro to Adobe After Effects today for the Cert 4 design students @the_gordon. Showing how small animation fundamentals can (and do) make the difference. #design #aftereffects #motiongraphics

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At a December meeting of the Columbia College Chicago School of Design AI Working Group, Janell Baxter and I gave a presentation on the impact of impact on animation. The animation production pipeline is undergoing a shift comparable to the early internet era, but with even greater consequences for authorship, labor, and education. Just as the internet transformed how knowledge was accessed and distributed, AI is reshaping how creative work is generated and taught. I discussed “Guardian Supernova,” a music video work in progress that combines live action, computer animation and AI-generated content. (Screencap attached: the only non-AI element is the actress.) AI isn’t just one thing. It isn’t a single tool, but rather a toolbox of specific apps that enable unprecedented speed and scale. Analysis, preproduction, optimized graphic design/rendering, and tools like face replacement and music composition are all handled by different systems. Each of them require different human skillsets and oversight. But don’t let Microsoft fool you, AI slop is real. These tools can absolutely generate incorrect, misleading, or bizarre content. Anyone who puts AI content in front of stakeholders without careful review is asking for embarrassment. To paraphrase David Thornburg, “Any creator who can be replaced by AI, should be.” Students and career professionals are concerned about AI as an existential threat to their livelihood, but they fail to realize that tools don’t replace thinkers: people who understand context, ethics, and craft remain essential. Make yourself irreplaceable! AI will reward those who can direct it effectively, avoid producing slop, and manage stakeholder expectations. The real question isn’t whether AI belongs in the animation pipeline, but how we integrate it responsibly. Looking forward to exploring these ideas with colleagues and students at Columbia College Chicago, and integrating it into Pres. Shantay B.'s #RenaissanceRising initiative in 2026. 

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I recently wrote a brief article for Animation Studies, an organization dedicated to the history, theory, and craft of animation. You can read if you'd like 😊 https://lnkd.in/ey3sQUW3

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This workshop with ArtCenter College of Design and Rivian gave students the chance to dive deep into the most important aspects #automotivedesign. With the #Substance3D tools, they explored how materials can shape emotion, identity, and storytelling in a vehicle. Read more: https://lnkd.in/ga-2EpXk #3d #transportationdesign #productdesign #cmf #automotivedesign #substance3D #Substance3dEducation #nextgen #ZCaptis

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Good advice. This is how I recommend working. Don't get locked into keying on a set # of frames, find your key or "golden" poses and key them first (these are your timing keys), then add your breakdowns to define how you get in and out of those poses (those are your spacing keys). I also recommend staying in splines as opposed to stepped. You'll get your spacing or "feel" quicker and easier in splines.

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