Learn How to Think Before You Animate.
Animation does not begin when you set keyframes.
It begins when you understand the performance, the character’s intent,
…and the role the shot plays in the story.
Thinking Animation
Thinking Animation began as a book and has since become a dedicated resource for character animators.
Angie Jones created this website as a place to collect ideas, examples, and teaching material developed through decades of professional animation work, critique, and instruction.
This is not a single course or a fixed curriculum. Thinking Animation supports animators as they develop judgment, refine their approach to performance, and learn how to see what matters in a shot.
Although the site includes recommended tools, rigs, and resources, the focus is not to shortcut your education. The focus is on developing clarity, intent, and a trained eye for unique, idiosyncratic character performances.
Kristiina Szabo - iAnimate WS5 – Full Body Acting & Dialog 2023
Angie Jones Drawovers forNathaniel Bruce -
iAnimate WS3 – Advanced Body Mechanics and Pantomime Acting 2025
Developing the Eye
Learning animation is not only about learning how to move a character. It is about learning how to see.
Early in an animator’s development, it is difficult to recognize what is unclear in a shot, what is distracting, or what is undermining a performance. That ability develops over time through careful observation, critique, and comparison.
Thinking Animation places strong emphasis on building this eye. The goal is to help animators learn how to evaluate their own work with greater clarity, understand why something is not working, and make more intentional decisions as a shot evolves.
As this skill develops, feedback becomes more useful, iteration becomes more focused, and animation choices become more specific and purposeful.
Jeff Barnes, Founder, Café FX
The Book
Thinking Animation: Bridging the Gap Between 2D & CG
Thinking Animation was the original expression of the ideas behind this site.
The book deliberately delays discussion of keyframes and technique, focusing instead on understanding performance, intent, and decision-making before Animation begins. That structure reflects the core philosophy itself. You have to know what you are trying to make before you try to make it.
This website builds on that foundation. It extends the ideas in the book through ongoing examples, critique, teaching material, and practical application drawn from real production experience.
The book is not required reading to use this site, but it remains the conceptual starting point for the Thinking Animation approach.
Thinking Animation Workflow
The Thinking Animation workflow is centered on understanding performance before Animation begins.
Rather than rushing into motion, this workflow prioritizes clarity. What is the character doing? Why are they doing it? What does the shot need to communicate within the larger story?
By answering those questions first, animators reduce unnecessary iteration and make stronger decisions earlier in the process. The result is work that moves forward with purpose instead of trial and error.
This workflow guides shot planning, critique, and revision. It helps animators focus their time where it matters most and work more efficiently without sacrificing performance or intent.
Resources for Animators
Thinking Animation is here to help animators make stronger choices and think more clearly about acting, intent, and structure for performance-driven animation.
The general material on the site is openly available. Resources, examples, and lessons can be explored freely and at your own pace.
Over time, an additional vault Angie offers her students through one-on-one mentoring and iAnimate workshops will transition to a membership-based format. That material will provide deeper, ongoing access to written resources, analysis, videos, and teaching explicitly developed for character and creature animators. For now, everything here is an open invitation. ~Enjoy!