2D Animation Course in Haldwani — Learn Toon Boom Harmony Inside a Studio
Monal Academy · Updated Invalid Date
2D animation is acting with a pencil. Monal Academy's 2D Animation program in Haldwani is a one-year, full-time course where you learn the twelve principles the classical way — bouncing balls, walk cycles, weight — and then move onto the rig-based pipeline that real series production runs on. The studio next door makes 2D series; you'll be animating on them by month 10.
Quick facts
| Duration | 12 months, full-time, on campus |
|---|---|
| Location | Monal Academy, Karan Tower, Gas Godam Road, Haldwani 263139 |
| Eligibility | 10+2 (any stream), graduates, or career-switchers. No portfolio required |
| Software | Toon Boom Harmony, Adobe Animate, Krita, Adobe After Effects |
| You graduate with | A 2D showreel with frame-by-frame and cut-out shots, plus scenes from live series briefs |
| Fees | |
| Next intake |
Who this course is for
- You draw — in a notebook, on a phone, on the back of your exam paper — and want to make it move.
- You watch cartoons and kids' series and notice the timing, not just the story.
- You've finished 12th or a degree and want a job in Haldwani, Dehradun, or remotely, in a field that's actually hiring.
- You're a parent wondering whether "cartoons" is a real career. In India, kids' animation is one of the busiest parts of the industry; the studio this academy sits in is proof.
If you can't draw yet, that's fine — the first three months teach you the drawing you need for animation, which is different from illustration.
What you'll learn
- 01The Twelve Principles — squash, stretch, timing, spacing, anticipation: the physics and grammar of believable motion.
- 02Frame-by-Frame Animation — from bouncing balls to walk cycles to weight and drag, drawn one frame at a time until it breathes.
- 03Cut-out & Rig-based 2D — building and animating puppet rigs in Toon Boom Harmony, the workflow behind modern 2D series.
- 04Acting & Performance — lip-sync, takes, staging and character choices: making an audience believe a drawing has a mind.
- 05Effects & Polish — smears, secondaries, overshoots and the finishing passes that separate student work from broadcast work.
- 06Production Term — animate real scenes from live studio briefs to broadcast standard.
How the year runs
Months 1–3 — Foundations. Pencil tests and the twelve principles. You learn to see motion before you learn software. By month 3 you have a walk cycle you drew yourself, and you understand why it works.
Months 4–9 — Specialisation. Harmony rigs, acting, lip-sync, effects. Weekly briefs, weekly reviews. This is where you become fast — series production is about doing good work at a rate, and you build that rate here.
Months 10–12 — Studio Floor. Real scenes, real deadlines, the studio's own series. Your showreel is made of shots that shipped.
Mentors who ship
Every mentor on this program is animating on the studio's productions during the year you're here.
Careers after the course
Graduates are prepared for: 2D Animator, Character Animator, Cut-out Animator, Motion Designer. 2D series work is increasingly remote-friendly, which matters if you want to stay in Uttarakhand after the course.
We don't publish placement numbers. Meet students who finished, and see their reels, on your studio visit.
Studying in Haldwani
Karan Tower is on Gas Godam Road in central Haldwani, about 10 minutes from Kathgodam station. Day-commuters come from Kathgodam, Lalkuan, Bhimtal and Rudrapur; students from Almora, Ranikhet and Pithoragarh usually take a PG nearby, and we keep a list.
How admissions work
- 01Say hello — WhatsApp, call or email with the program you're interested in.
- 02Visit the studio — see the 2D floor, meet the mentors. Video call if you can't travel.
- 03Reserve your seat — enrol for the next intake.
No entrance test. No portfolio.
Frequently asked questions
How well do I need to draw?
Enough to hold a pencil with intent. Animation drawing is about gesture and pose, not rendering. We teach it from month one.
Is 2D still used, or is everything 3D now?
Most Indian kids' series, explainer content and a large share of streaming animation is 2D, almost all of it rig-based in Toon Boom Harmony. It's the busier half of the industry, not the dying one.
Toon Boom Harmony vs Adobe Animate — why both?
Harmony is the series-production standard. Animate is still common in YouTube and ad work. You learn Harmony deeply and Animate well enough to be hired for either.
Can I switch to 3D later?
Yes. The principles are the same; the software differs. Several people move between the two tracks over a career.
How is this different from a franchise institute in Haldwani?
The syllabus here is the studio's production schedule. You learn on shots that ship, from the people shipping them.
Is there an online option?
No. It's on campus, full-time, five days a week.
The full program, modules and tools: 2D Animation