School of Animation
Online Certificate Course
Build your character design skills and create a powerful portfolio.
Register for VFS’s School of Animation Online Certificate Course to gain experience in character design for animation & video games and acquire the prerequisites for Vancouver Film School’s one-year, full-time animation programs.
We welcome enthusiasts, high school students, mature students, and anyone looking to make a career change. When you finish an online certificate course at VFS, you will receive a digital certificate of completion confirming your experience.
* Upon successful completion of this CONNECT course, the cost can be deducted from any full-time Advanced Production program tuition at VFS. Only one discount may be applied. Contact a VFS Advisor for eligibility.
**Students must confirm they are at least 16 years old at the beginning of the course in order to register.
***Please note that courses may be cancelled at any time due to low enrolment. Upon cancellation, registrants will receive a full refund.
To meet your industry instructor(s), click here.
If you have any questions, please contact: [email protected]
Introduction to Character Design (online)
Ever wondered how famous characters like Batman are created? Want to learn what makes a character stand out in a compelling narrative? In this 7-week course, you will discover how to design effective characters for animated stories & video games and analyze & distill what makes a character memorable. From shape to clothing to prop colour choices, character designers consider every detail of how a character becomes an integral part of a story.
You’ll learn from industry professionals about the character design pipeline, from concept to research to actual design. By the end of this course, you will have designed a basic character that can be used as part of your portfolio to apply for post-secondary study.
- Identify what makes a character stand out and be memorable.
- Learn how design choices are made to enhance a character’s effectiveness.
- Create and organize character sheets – an important piece of the puzzle.
- Learn about the industry pipeline.
- Learn how to draw with intent.
- Explore how to give critiques and constructive feedback to your peers.
- Create stories for your character and design a basic character to use as part of your portfolio.
- Computer with dual monitors (recommended), microphone, and camera
- Stable Internet connection (wired connection recommended)
- Sketchbook and sketching materials (pen, eraser)
- Something to sketch on (i.e., a notepad, iPad, tablet, pen & paper)
- Drawing tablet/Cintiq/iPad (i.e., some sort of drawing tablet)
- Adobe Photoshop or drawing program of your choice (Procreate, Infinite Painter, ClipStudio Paint, Fresco, etcetera)
Some experience with character drawing OR knowledge of human anatomy relating to design
Course Details:
Dates: Thursdays, May 29 to July 10, 2025
Duration: 7-week course, one online class per week
Time: Thursdays, 5:30p.m. – 8:30 p.m. PST (Vancouver Time Zone)
Cost: $950
Dylan Moore
Instructor, VFS
Dylan started working as a Freelance Cartoonist in high school and began animating soon after. In Vancouver studios, he’s done everything from effects on animated commercials to lead animation on various TV shows. Independently, he’s animated music videos, promos, and animated segments in live features & under his banner, Outhouse Cartoons. Dylan has also written and directed the feature-length animated films The Case of the Midnight Murderer and The Snot That Ate Port Harry, and he is also the creator of a number of indie comic books.