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The top-level an animator can reach in the Japanese pipeline is “Layout” (LO), which requires not just classic character animation skills but a broader understanding of everything on frame: character emotions, animated visual effects, volumes, and their light/shadows, understanding the storyboard and visual storytelling, basics of environment art, etc.
To help artists gradually approach that final level, we've created a cyclical program that covers the four main areas (subjects) of focus for animators: drawing, painting, animation, and storyboarding.
Check Instructor Pedro's explanation to understand more about our method!
Lessons System
Lessons System
Cyclical Learning
Cyclical Learning
Each cycle lasts four months. So, in the first month, you'll study drawing with a focus on the fundamental elements. In the second month, you'll be studying painting, also focusing on practicing the basics, and the same goes for animation and storyboarding.
When the second cycle begins, in the fifth month, the focus for the 4 major areas changes to artistic and more complex aspects.
In the third rotation, from the 9th month onwards, the focus shifts to more technical concepts specific to mastering anime.
The benefit of this rotation-based methodology is that students can study continuously until they feel satisfied with that area. Let's say a student has done the program for 1 year and wants to focus more on the technical aspects. They could enroll in just that module and study that specific area again, gaining a deeper understanding of nuances that they might have missed the first time around due to a lack of experience.
Inverted Class
Inverted Class
The key to our program is PEOPLE LEARN THROUGH PRACTICE!
The key to our program is PEOPLE LEARN THROUGH PRACTICE!
The activities and theoretical studies will be done before the live sessions through set assignments. During lessons, the instructors will focus on feedback and complementary presentations to help the students understand how to correct the issues present in the exercise and improve a specific skill.
After the live lesson, the lead instructor delivers the assignment to students through Discord so they can prepare for the next one!
Within 5 days, Thursday-Monday, students submit their work (upload to their assigned Drive folder)
After the live lesson, the lead instructor delivers the assignment to students through Discord so they can prepare for the next one!
Within 5 days, Thursday-Monday, students submit their work (upload to their assigned Drive folder)
On the last 2 days before the next lesson, Mar and Pedro take a look at deliveries and discuss what should be the focus for the next day's lesson (considering what students struggled with the most)
On the last 2 days before the next lesson, Mar and Pedro take a look at deliveries and discuss what should be the focus for the next day's lesson (considering what students struggled with the most)
On the live session, the lead instructor corrects roughly 10 of the students' works: due to time constraints, corrections consist mainly of notations and not a full, detailed redraw.
On the live session, the lead instructor corrects roughly 10 of the students' works: due to time constraints, corrections consist mainly of notations and not a full, detailed redraw.
Just like in the anime industry pipeline!
Just like in the anime industry pipeline!
Assignment example (instructions summarized!):
Drawing Cycle 01 - "Gesture drawing practice"
Create 3 gesture drawings in HD format: Draw a character doing some action, while (1) inside a building, (2) outside the building, and (3) on a panoramic view with or without living beings.
To guide you, see this X explanation about gesture drawings and these X two short ideo tutorials. This X book is also recommended.
Assignment example (instructions summarized!):
Drawing Cycle 01 - "Gesture drawing practice"
Create 3 gesture drawings in HD format: Draw a character doing some action, while (1) inside a building, (2) outside the building, and (3) on a panoramic view with or without living beings.
To guide you, see this X explanation about gesture drawings and these X two short ideo tutorials. This X book is also recommended.
Students should allocate 3~6 hours on average to complete each weekly assignment + 1 hour for the live session itself.
And... the weekly work restarts!
And... the weekly work restarts!
Program Schedule
Program Schedule
The scheduled start of the program is September 4th, 2025.
Lessons will be held weekly, every Thursday. Students are divided into two slots:
Slot 1: Thursday* 8:00-9:00 Japanese Standard Time, “08JST Group”
Slot 2: Thursday* 19:00-20:00 Japanese Standard Time, the “19JST Group”
*Careful, since depending on the time zone, this may be a Wednesday!
Additionally, there will be two trial lessons on Maru Exposito Community Discord server on:
31st July 2025 19:00JST
14th August 2025 08:00 JST
Up to 10 applicants who have passed portfolio screening can participate in each!
There are also 4 weeks for holidays during the year. See the Student Specifications for the Anime Training Program for details.
Important note
Important note
To ensure the program operates at its best and instructors' schedules are respected, lessons can only officially start when a minimum number of portfolio acceptances and students are reached for each available group. With that, we’d like to point out that the starting date can be postponed until that happens. However, once a student’s portfolio is approved and the payment process is completed, their slot will be secured and updated on the new schedule.
Grading System
Grading System
All students will be graded after completing three full cycles (12 months) and, if they are successful in meeting the minimum requirements, will receive a PDF to certify their program achievements. If students enroll in only one subject or cycle, they will receive a specific certificate for that cycle and subject.
Evaluation process
The focus of our program is to train artists so that they can work in the Japanese animation industry and/or create their own projects in the language of Japanese animation. As such, the assessment method will be rigorous and detailed to fulfill this objective. Everyone who works as a professional animator knows that artists need to be highly developed and technically proficient, but they also need to be responsible, open to criticism, and highly organised. To encourage this, in addition to specific technical guidance, soft skills will also be evaluated.
Therefore, the final grade will have two parts:
Part 1 - Soft skills
Intrapersonal skills such as the ability to communicate well, organization, openness to feedback, interpretative skills, capacity to work in a group, etc.
Part 2 - Hard skills
Specific skills for animators, such as drawing skills, colour-painting skills, the ability to tell stories with images (storyboards), and the ability to bring drawings to life (animation).
Enrollment Process
Enrollment Process
Step 1
Step 1
The applicant fills in all required information in the form and submits the portfolio for evaluation.
Step 2
Step 2
The instructors review the portfolio and application content, and decide if the applicant has passed the screening.
Step 3
Step 3
ATP's production assistant emails the applicants to inform them whether they were accepted.
Step 4
Step 4
If approved, we'll proceed to the payment process to secure the slot.
Step 5
Step 5
After the payment is confirmed, the student receives the Discord server invitation
Live lessons are held through Maru Exposito Community’s Discord server, within a group of channels only accessible to ATP students.
Students are free to join the community anytime, but will only get access to the specific ATP areas after passing the enrollment system.
To fulfill this program, you will need:
To fulfill this program, you will need:
Internet access and a device capable of participating in online lessons held on Discord
English fluency
Clip Studio Paint EX license
Experience in animation-related fields (there is a portfolio screening during the enrollment process)
Payment options
Payment options
The more months you pay in advance, the more bonuses you get
The more months you pay in advance, the more bonuses you get
Per subject
37,500 JPY monthly
Per subject
37,500 JPY monthly
Regular lesson structure
Recommendation on selected cycle matching your goals.
Per cycle
150,000 JPY every 4 months
Per cycle
150,000 JPY every 4 months
Regular lesson structure
Recommendation on selected cycle matching your goals.
One of your assignments will get a full redraw by Mar or Pedro.
Full 1-year
450,000 JPY once
Full 1-year
450,000 JPY once
Regular lesson structure
Recommendation on selected cycle matching your goals.
One of your assignments will get a full redraw by Mar or Pedro.
Access to the Maru Exposito Studio's Staff Guidelines, our document to train animators.
Applying for the scholarship
Applying for the scholarship
One person from all applicants will be awarded a scholarship if they are selected to participate in the scholarship selection process. The student can skip the ATP cycle’s payment step, but the enrollment procedure is the same. If they paid to secure a slot, they will be refunded!
The scholarship student will have access to 1 group of lessons (08JST Group or 19JST Group, to their choice) for 12 consecutive months from the start of the training.
The application deadline for scholarship students is July 31st.
Let's start your application!
Let's start your application!
To secure your spot in the program, fill out the form below and submit your portfolio for the instructors' evaluation. Be sure to write the information as clearly as possible, and don't forget to read all terms and conditions carefully.
Find the detailed program information in the Student Specifications for the Anime Training Program, Terms & Conditions, and Privacy Policy.
If you have any questions, please contact the ATP team at: hello [@] maruexposito.com
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