How I Accidentally Taught 50,000 People to Animate (and Created My Own Competition)
And created my own competition.
I never planned to become a teacher of thousands. I just made cartoons, posted how I made them, and kept answering questions.
Then one day I looked up, and more than 50,000 people had learned animation from my videos, tutorials and breakdowns. That number is still going up.
This is the story of how I built an army of animators, and how that army is now bidding against me for jobs.
1. How it happened
I didn't set out to start a school. I shared my process because I wished someone had shown me theirs. I explained things the way I'd want them explained. I tried to make animation look like what it is: hard, slow and the most fun you can have with a pencil.
It turns out that when you make something look fun and possible, people try it. Thousands of people.
Verdict: Completely unintentional. Completely my fault.
2. The math problem
Animation has always been a small industry with a big fan base. Software is cheaper now, tutorials are everywhere, and new tools are changing how studios work. That means more animators than ever, competing for a limited number of jobs.
I helped make that happen. Every time I posted a tutorial, I was handing out the map.
3. I trained my replacement (many times)
Some of my former students now take jobs I would have bid on. A few of them are better than me at things I taught them. One of them recently sent me a portfolio so good I had to sit down.
The student has become the master. The master would like to know if anyone needs a storyboard.
4. What "making it" looks like now
If you're starting out in animation today, here's my honest take:
There's more competition than ever, so your voice matters more than your software skills.
Anyone can learn the tools. Not everyone can tell a story.
The people who last are the ones who keep learning and keep making their own work.
That last one is advice for me, too.
5. So what do I do?
I'm not going to stop teaching. That ship has sailed, and honestly, it's the thing I'm proudest of. Instead, I'm doing what I tell students to do: getting better at the things that are hardest to copy. Storytelling. Characters. Building worlds people want to live in.
That's what Animation Anarchy is: me practicing what I preach, in public.
Final thought
I can't be mad about it. Somewhere out there, 50,000 people are drawing because something I made convinced them they could. That's not a ruined job market. That's a legacy.
But seriously, if anyone needs a storyboard.
Your turn
Did you learn animation online? Who taught you? Tell me in the comments.
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