TREVOR BATES

"Ron tutored me for a few years, and over that period of time he taught me a lot about animation. His instructions were clear and helpful, and taught me to make my animations feel much more alive and vibrant. Through his help, I was even able to get into college with a focus on 3D animation!"

BRIAN COLBY

"Prior to having classes with Ron, I had never animated a character before. I have had the privilege of working with Ron one-on-one for the past 3 months after having worked with him in classes at school, and during this time my skills in animation have grown tremendously. Ron has taught me the principles of animation which have provided me with a strong foundation to become a better 3D character animator altogether. Anyone with an interest in the field and passion for learning would highly benefit from his tutoring. With years of professional experience in both the gaming world and movie production, I felt comfortable knowing that I was learning from a true veteran in the field."

ETHAN "MooM" GETTMAN

"There are several things that make Ron a great animation teacher, but these are my top three:

1) He's honest. You won't get any sugar-coated comments from him, which ends up being a great incentive to try harder. If I can get him to say "That's awesome!" when viewing an animation, then -- wow! -- I know I've done a good job.

2) His experience. He's got an eagle eye when it comes to pinpointing animation issues. Don't even think about cutting a corner when presenting an animation to Ron because he's going to see it. Believe me. And this also makes me try harder.

3) He's a great storyteller. That, plus his great sense of humor, has helped me take my animations from simple exercises to actual stories.

And if I had to add a last one: 4) You get results. Animation is a challenging and fascinating craft to learn, and you will learn a lot from Ron. He helps you to think like an animator, and that's the stuff you can't get from books or videos."

MATT CASSIDY

"I have been in the industry for about a year and realized that my animation needed some serious polishing to get it to a place where I felt it should be. Since working with Ron, I have already seen a significant improvement from what I was previously capable of.

Ron doesn't just critique what you have done, but also works with you and suggests different ways to improve the animation and makes sure you understand why things are done a certain way. While it's true that my animation itself has seen an improvement, he has also worked with me on the animation principles of anticipation of motion, timing, and arcs. We have also covered things such as shot positioning, silhouette and negative space to really give the animation, as a whole, a very well-polished feel."

"With the help and guidance Ron has provided, my animation skills have drastically improved. I originally went to school to become a general 3D artist, but realized later that I wanted to strengthen my animation skills. Since my classes with Ron, I've been hired to work on several animation projects including documentaries, children's iPad apps, commercials, and currently on a feature-length independent animated movie.

What makes Ron different from other teachers I've had in the past is that he actually cares about his students and their work. He is also extremely motivated and enthusiastic about animation and teaching in general. He never just "tells" you what to do, he works with you and your skill level to produce the best work you're capable of doing.

I have nothing but great things to say about Ron, and I feel very fortunate that I'm able to apply the skills and knowledge I've gained through working with him to my current job and future projects to come.