Find Your Direction.

Tell Your Story.

Every animator has a story to tell. Sometimes, all you need is a little guidance to bring it to life.

Lighthouse is a personal, one-to-one animation coaching experience focused on helping you understand character, emotion, movement and the creative decisions behind every frame.

Explore Coaching ➜

Book a session ➜

One-to-one online coaching · Personal feedback · Real industry experience

It's Not Just About the Final Frame.

You can animate a simple bouncing ball and make someone feel something. You can spend months perfecting a complex character and still leave an audience unmoved.

Because great animation isn't just about how something moves.

It's about why.

What is your character thinking? What are they feeling? What are they trying to communicate? And how do you translate all of that into movement?

In a world where technology and AI are changing the way we create animation, I believe understanding the art behind the movement matters more than ever.

At Lighthouse, we'll explore the thinking, planning, experimentation and creative decisions that turn movement into meaningful storytelling.

The final frame shows what you made. The journey shows how you think.

Our Coach ➜

Hi, I'm Sam.

I've spent nearly 20 years working in animation, games, motion capture and post-production.

Over the years, I've worked on AAA games, cinematic performances and animation pipelines, including projects such as Dune: Awakening and Shadow Warrior 3. I've also led teams of animators and motion editors, including during my time as Head of Motion Capture and Post Production.

But the most valuable thing I've learned isn't a software trick or a technical shortcut.

It's how to approach a creative problem.

How to observe movement, understand a character, plan a performance, work through feedback and make decisions that serve the story.

That's what I want to share through Lighthouse.

I'm not here to animate your work for you or give you another tutorial to copy. I'm here to share my experience, challenge your thinking, help you solve problems and support you as you develop your own creative voice.

Because ultimately, I want you to become confident enough to find your own direction.

20 Years

Animation experience

AAA Games

Professional productions

1-to-1

Personal coaching

Explore My Work ➜

Nearly 20 Years of Bringing Characters to Life.

From AAA games to cinematic animation and performance capture, my career has taken me through different projects, creative challenges and production pipelines.

Here's a glimpse of the work I've been involved in over the years.

Every shot has a story behind it — from the first creative decisions to the final performance.

Book a Session ➜

Learn to Think Like an Animator.

Software is a tool. Animation principles are the foundation. But it's your observation, judgement and creative decisions that bring a performance to life.

Character & Emotion

Understand your character's intentions, feelings and personality, and learn how to communicate them through performance.

Movement & Physics

Planning & Execution

Portfolio & Presentation

Explore timing, weight, balance, momentum and body mechanics to create movement that feels believable and purposeful.

Learn to research, observe, gather references, plan shots, block performances and refine your work through feedback.

Develop work that communicates your creative decisions, problem-solving abilities and the process behind the finished animation.

Every Journey Starts Somewhere..

You don't need to commit to eight weeks to benefit from coaching.

Sometimes you need a fresh perspective. Sometimes you need regular guidance. And sometimes you're ready to take an idea all the way from concept to completion.

Choose the path that works for you.

Find Your Direction

Bring an animation shot, showreel, university project or creative challenge.

We'll review your work, discuss what's working, identify what could be stronger and explore practical next steps.

Build Your Confidence

Already working on an animation but finding it difficult to move forward?

Over four weeks, we'll work through your creative challenges, review your progress and develop your animation through regular feedback and practical exercises.

Eight weeks of personal animation coaching, taking one carefully planned shot from concept to final delivery.

You'll learn to understand your character, explore emotions, study movement, plan your performance, develop your animation and document the creative decisions behind your work.

The Journey

Single coaching session

Four-week development coaching

Eight-week portfolio coaching

A fresh perspective can make all the difference.

Progress comes from practice, feedback and reflection.

One shot. Eight weeks. Your creative journey.

Book a Session ➜

£59

£177

£413

4 sessions for the price of 3

One 60-minute session.

8 sessions for the price of 7

Book a Discovery Call ➜

Block

Understand the student, their current skills and the story they want to tell. Define a realistic shot and its creative intention.

04 Discover

Research

Plan

01

02

03

Study character, emotion, physical behaviour, acting references and visual storytelling.

Establish strong key poses, silhouettes, timing and readable character intention.

Develop thumbnails, staging, timing, shot composition and performance references.

The Journey

Proposed 8-week structure

Build the performance through body mechanics, weight, spacing and emotional clarity.

05 Develop

06 Refine

Improve the animation through feedback, iteration and technical problem-solving.

07 Polish

Focus on consistency, secondary motion, detail and final presentation quality.

08 Present

Finalise the shot, organise the development process and create a portfolio breakdown explaining the decisions behind the work.

More Than a Finished Shot.

A finished animation is important. But understanding how to approach the next one is just as valuable.

Your Animation

A developed piece of work that reflects your skills, creative decisions and progress.

Your Process

Your Confidence

Your Next Direction

A record of your research, references, planning, iterations and creative problem-solving.

A stronger understanding of how to approach challenges and make independent creative decisions.

A clearer sense of your strengths, areas to improve and what to focus on next.

Wherever You Are in Your Journey.

Graduates & Aspiring Animators

You're building your showreel, improving your portfolio and trying to understand what professional animation production expects.

Self-Taught Artists

You've been learning independently but want experienced feedback, structure and someone to help you identify what to work on next.

Animation Students

You're studying animation and want additional feedback, help with your creative decisions or guidance on your projects.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need previous animation experience?

Not necessarily. We can start with your current level. However, the eight-week portfolio programme is best suited to someone with basic animation and software knowledge.

Which software do you work with?

My main professional experience is in 3D animation, including Maya, MotionBuilder, Unreal Engine and motion capture workflows. We can also work on broader principles of animation, performance and storytelling.

Will you animate my project for me?

No. My role is to guide you, demonstrate techniques, review your work and help you develop your own skills and creative judgement.

Can I bring an existing project?

Absolutely. The single session and four-week programme are particularly suitable for existing work. For the eight-week programme, we'll first make sure the scope is achievable.

Will I have a portfolio-ready shot after eight weeks?

The programme is designed to help you develop a scoped animation shot and document its process. The final outcome depends on your starting ability, the complexity of the project and the time you invest between sessions.