ANIMATION

This course provides a basic introduction to 3D animation, and is intended for students to gain a general understanding of 3D software. ANIM 3A is not equivalent to ANIM 3, 3D Fundamentals. This courses uses Autodesk Maya.

This introductory course prepares students to create effective stories for entertainment projects through an understanding of the fundamentals of storytelling and story structure. Covering a broad history of story from cave paintings to video games, the course will explore archetypal figures and motifs as well as the evolution of hero myth narratives. Emphasis will be placed on the social and cultural impact of modern storytelling.

This introductory course provides a basic overview of the tools used in the creation of 2D digital animation. Through lectures and hands-on projects, students will learn the core principles of 2D animation and be introduced to 2D animation software. This course serves as a foundation for advanced courses in 2D and 3D animation.

Students completing this course will have a familiarity with all major issues involved in drawing and visualizing the figure as an animate, three-dimensional form, and will have developed perceptual and manual skills equal to the challenge of understanding the human body as a structure in space, in both static and dynamic modes. Comprehension of figure structure will be both anatomical and perspectival with special emphasis on developing a model of the human figure that can be easily visualized in the imagination and adapted for use in animation and related disciplines.

This introductory course provides a basic overview of the tools used in the creation of 3D digital animation. Topics covered include modeling, character rigging, animation, shading, lighting and rendering. This course emphasizes the fundamental concepts of 3D digital animation as well as an understanding of the software. In addition to completing weekly exercises, students will apply the skills they learn to create an individual project. This course uses Autodesk Maya.

This class focuses on all aspects of creating 2D animation for the web, giving special attention to characters and graphics. Students learn the tricks of controlling file size, special approaches for importing and creating animation, and all other production techniques needed for building complete web animation projects. This course uses Adobe Animate CC.

This introductory course explores the fundamentals of the storyboarding process used in the entertainment industry. Through the use of computer software and the digital drawing tablet, students will learn the basic principles of visual storytelling including techniques such as staging, composition and camera movement. The class will analyze and discuss the various applications of digital storyboarding for games, web, 2D and 3D animation, and visual effects.

This course will explore the history of animation through its earliest beginnings to the present. In addition to the chronological order of events, this course will look at the multi-faceted aspects of this relatively modern art form. The influences of economics and social/political pressures on the art form will be examined. Included will be the study of individual animators and studios, big and small; different art techniques, materials 2D and 3D. The class will also examine the principles of movement and how they apply to the zoetrope as well as the computer.

This course focuses on the principles of three-dimensional drawing. Emphasis is placed on fundamental concepts such as diminution, foreshortening, convergence and shading. Concepts such as horizon lines, vanishing points, and picture planes will be covered. Perspective drawing methods will be applied to rendering interiors, exteriors, objects and figures.

Students in this course will study the development of color perception, harmony, expression, visualization, and the application of color in traditional and digital imagery using a 2D, 3D, or 4D format through a series of problem-solving exercises and projects.

This course allows students to further their understanding and application of the core principles of animation including squash and stretch, anticipation, staging, overlapping action, arcs, timing, and exaggeration through lectures and hands-on projects. Students will also be introduced to the basics of lip-sync and character animation.

This advanced 2D animation course is an in-depth analysis of emotion and acting principles as applied to a digital character. Emphasis will be placed on creating convincing performance animation in which characters think, feel, and speak.

This course covers the digital production pipeline for producing 2D animated short films, commercials, TV series, and feature-length films. Students will have hands-on experience with the following stages of digital production: scanning, timing, clean-up, ink and paint, background painting, sound design, camera movement and compositing. Asset management of digital files will also be covered.

This course focuses on the core principles of animation as applied to 3D characters, covering techniques including posing, timing, weight, anticipation, squash and stretch, overlapping action, and staging.

This course provides an overview of the tools and methods used to texture, light and render 3D characters and environments for pre-rendered or real-time scenes. Areas covered include surface materials, UV mapping, texturing, scene lighting, and rendering for production or portfolio development. This course uses Adobe Photoshop, Allegorithmic Substance Painter, Autodesk Maya and Unity.

This course focuses on advanced principles of 3D character animation. Students will learn to create effective performance animation using the fundamentals of acting, staging and exaggeration. Advanced topics such as facial animation, lip-synch and motion capture will also be covered. This course uses Autodesk Maya.

This course explores the process of designing compelling characters for entertainment projects. Students will learn how to develop characters in a variety of styles for 2D and 3D animation production. The course will emphasize the importance of self-expression in character design, and enable students to develop an effective personal style.

In this course, digital previsualization will be covered through the process of using virtual cameras, characters and environments to visualize complex shots or sequences before final production begins. Students will use digital tools along with traditional filmmaking techniques to create compelling 3D cinematic sequences for entertainment projects. Topics covered include shot composition, camera rigging and movement, staging, timing, and editing.

This course provides an overview of the production process used to create digital assets for pre-rendered and real-time entertainment projects. Using industry-standard tools and methods, students will learn to create production-ready 3D models. Hard surface modeling and UV mapping workflows will be covered. Students will also learn the basic principles of 3D texture mapping as well as methods for optimizing models for 3D game engines. This course uses Autodesk Maya, Algorithmic Substance Painter and Unity.

This course covers the creation of an individual visual development portfolio for transfer or entry-level employment in the animation industry. Students will visually develop an idea using the pre-production process established by the entertainment industry. Areas covered by this course include story development, writing, concept art, character and background development, storyboarding, layout, sound design, and timing. Students will create an individual story bible, a style guide and an animatic of their project. The course will also examine the differences in the design process for film, broadcast and video game production.