Homman Work - Animsquad Master Class Disney S Zach Parrish Brent

The AnimSquad Master Class featuring Disney animation veterans Zach Parrish and Brent Homman is widely regarded as a pivotal educational resource for aspiring and professional character animators. This 17-hour intensive course focuses on high-level workflows and the "Disney appeal" that defines modern feature animation. Master Class Overview

This masterclass is designed to "revamp your workflow" by providing a deep dive into how top-tier studio animators approach complex shots.

Total Duration: Approximately 17 hours of HD recorded content.

Software: Primarily utilizes Autodesk Maya, the industry standard for 3D animation.

Curriculum Structure: The course follows a shot from initial setup through blocking, breakdown, and final polish. The Instructors: Disney Legends

Both instructors bring decades of combined experience from major productions like Tangled, Wreck-It Ralph, and Frozen. Zach Parrish

Zach Parrish is known for his incredible speed and ability to verbalize every technical and creative step he takes. Role on Big Hero 6: Head of Animation. animsquad master class disney s zach parrish brent homman

Career Highlights: Contributions to Tangled, Zootopia, and The Sea Beast (as Animation Director).

Instructional Style: In this class, Parrish demonstrates a 10-hour workflow including "golden nuggets" for cartoony animation and weight management. Brent Homman

Animsquad Zach Parrish & Brent Homman Masterclass Trailer - Vimeo

The Collaboration

The highlight of the evening was a joint critique session. Students submitted 10-second clips. Homman handled the technical layering (overlapping action, follow-through), while Parrish handled the narrative intent.

One student’s piece—a character trying to open a jam jar—was technically flawless but felt sterile.

“You’ve got the squash and stretch perfect,” Homman noted. “But why is this jar important?” The Collaboration The highlight of the evening was

The student admitted it wasn’t. It was just an exercise.

Parrish leaned into the mic. “Then the animation is lying. At Disney, even the spoon in Beauty and the Beast has an opinion about being a spoon. Give your jar a memory. Give it a grudge.”

The student laughed, but the point landed hard. Animation isn’t movement. It is thinking made visible.

Zach Parrish: From Clean-Up to Director

Zach Parrish carries a unique title: Disney Animation Director. He is best known for directing the Oscar-nominated short "Us Again" (2021) and serving as the Head of Animation for the billion-dollar hit "Zootopia."

However, his journey is what resonates with AnimSquad students. Parrish started on the technical side of visual effects before transitioning to character animation. He worked on "Big Hero 6," "Wreck-It Ralph," and "Frozen." In the master class, Parrish focuses heavily on "acting through animation." He teaches that a bouncing ball is easy, but making a cartoon rabbit sob convincingly requires understanding behavioral psychology.

Part 2: What is AnimSquad? Beyond the Traditional School

For those unfamiliar, AnimSquad is not a traditional university. It is a boutique, high-intensity online workshop built by professional animators at studios like Pixar, DreamWorks, and Disney. While other online schools focus on software (Maya, Blender, 3ds Max), AnimSquad focuses on performance. Live Quicksync Reviews: Unlike pre-recorded courses

The AnimSquad Master Class specifically is their premium tier. It is not for beginners. It assumes you understand the graph editor, interpolation, and basic posing. This master class is designed to break bad habits and instill the "Disney polish" that separates a demo reel from a studio job offer.

Key features of the class include:

  • Live Quicksync Reviews: Unlike pre-recorded courses, students get live feedback on their shots.
  • Reference Analysis: How to film yourself and abstract that into cartoon physics.
  • Shot Tuning: The "last 10%" of a shot that takes 90% of the time.

Final Takeaway

As the master class wrapped, Homman and Parrish stayed for nearly an hour, sketching in student books and reviewing reels. The energy wasn’t about fame or box office numbers; it was about craft.

For those in attendance, the lesson was clear: Zach Parrish and Brent Homman don’t just animate characters—they animate consequence.

And if you can master that, you don’t need a magic pencil. You just need a deadline and a story worth telling.

AnimSquad will announce its next master class lineup next month. Spots sold out within 48 hours for this session.

The Workflow Breakdown

Both animators usually walk through a shot from start to finish. This is the "Golden Standard" of Disney workflow:

  1. Reference: How they film themselves and what they look for (not just copying the video, but caricaturing it).
  2. Blocking: Creating the key poses. Zach might focus more on the silhouette and emotional beat, while Brent might focus on the timing and spacing charts.
  3. Splining & Polish: How to transition from stepped keys to smooth motion without losing the "snap" of the original poses.