WHERE ARTISTS BECOME THE PROFESSIONALS STUDIOS HIRE
Animation · Story · Character Design · Previsualization
2100 Hours of hands-on training in 2 years- From $62,000
The First Trade School for Animation
Built by Hollywood Animators
Real pipelines. Real credentials- without the university debt.
Our experience-crafted curriculum balances traditional Disney animation and modern Anime alongside the most cutting-edge 3D pipeline training available — simulating the real studio environments students will enter as working professionals.
Most four-year university animation programs deliver roughly 800 hours of hands-on training. Hollywood Animation Academy delivers 2,100 in two years for half the cost. That is not a small difference. That is an entirely different level of preparation.
HAA is a state-certified private school in Missouri, and is unbound by the federal accreditation requirements that force traditional colleges to fill schedules with general education curriculum. Every hour here is animation. Not a department. The entire school.
Students learn from the artists and directors actively working on shows and games they love.
Our founder, Gavin Dell, is a Kansas City native who spent decades in professional animation and built HAA to bring serious, studio-caliber training back to the Midwest — the kind that rivals CalArts and SCAD. He is proud to start the first trade school for animation in Walt Disney’s hometown where he started his first animation studio just over 100 years ago.
Studios where our faculty have worked
You won’t just learn animation.
You’ll train the way professionals train.
Program Paths
Start where you are with an introductory online class:
Introductory Online Classes - Beginners 15 and up
Creative Edge - Intermediate level for those with experience in Storyboard Pro or Maya
Two-Year Professional Certificate- in person and online available
Mastercraft Certificate (Advanced Industry Prep for graduates and professionals)
Each path leads to a studio-ready portfolio, industry connections, and the professional skills studios hire.
Explore your path and choose your program!
Mentored BY INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS
These are student projects developed under professional- level guidance and studio-style critique.
When students are taught by instructors who evaluate portfolios for major studios, they gain direct insight into current industry standards and expectations.
LEARN MORE ABOUT:
REGISTER by May 29th for our Summer Animation courses!
Taught in person and online daily by our founder, Gavin Dell, who has over 30 years of experience at Disney, Warner Bros, Universal, and more!
June 1st thru 24th
Animation Fundamentals and Design - ages 10-14
Mondays and Wednesdays 9:30 to 11:30 am
$1500
June 2nd thru 25th
Rising Artists - ages 15 and up
Tuesdays and Thursdays 9:30am to Noon
$1,995
Summer- INTRODUCTION TO 2D ANIMATION
Ages 14 and up
Tuesday nights 7:30 to 9pm June 16th for 6 weeks
$1250
Summer- INTRODUCTION TO 3D ANIMATION
Ages 14 and up
Thursday nights 7:30 to 9pm June 18th for 6 weeks
$1250
how many hours are students actually learning animation?
Animation instruction hours only
100% Animation Curriculum | All instructors are working animation industry veterans averaging 25+ years of professional studio experience.
HAA delivers equivalent animation content (within 120 hrs) in half the time, less than a third of the cost.
The #1 Ranked Program; HAA delivers +660 more hours of animation instruction at a third of the cost.
HAA delivers 2.6x more animation instruction than SCAD's Animation major.