Animation – Minor

With instructor recommendation, students will have the option to create an animation reel from given assignments. Students will create a reel expressing their ideas in the form of 30-second animated pieces with animals or anthropomorphic characters. To further develop their pieces, students will use basic design and staging/layout principles, basic acting or pantomime performance, and character development. Students will be evaluated on their abilities to understand and demonstrate the essential 12 principles of animation and to execute their knowledge using learned animation techniques and basic story principles. Students will also be evaluated on their ability to evoke an intended response from the audience. Students are required to have their own set of industry tools (for example, an animation light table, animation disk, punched animation paper, and pencils). Pre-req - Fundamentals of Animation

This course offers an intense investigation of character design. The objective of this course is to design model sheets of unique and imaginative animated characters. Students begin with preliminary sketches and construction drawing, and continue to develop numerous rotation drawings (turnarounds) of facial expressions and a variety of action poses that are refined and which eventually lead to more finished drawings. A variety of styles are explored. Emphasis is on working from imagination and strengthening drawing skills.

This course covers how to effectively portray the essence of a story by means of quick and accurate sketches. Students learn to develop and create a sequential series of staged drawings (the visual script of each scene in a film). A brief overview of script writing is included. The script's plot, situations, and conflict are developed from rough sketches to finished presentations. This course also examines staging, cinematography, drama, action notes, dialogue, pacing, timing, and sequencing the story's action.

This course is a continuation of Animation 1. Following similar criteria, students will continue expanding their knowledge of the 12 principles of animation: with emphasis on leading action and overlap. By employing the basics of acting and observing how to portray emotion with their characters, students will explore animating different character types and personalities in various ways. Students may take part in selected assignments or create their own 30-second short film. Students are required to have their own sets of industry tools (for example, an animation light table, animation disk, punched animation paper, and pencils). Pre-req: Animation 1

This course introduces the student to Alias's industry-leading Maya software. This course is designed for students interested in computer-generated character animation for film, TV, and the gaming industry. This introductory course covers inverse kinematics (movement of arms and legs), 3D modeling, lighting, texturing, and basic rendering. Students produce a short animation using a character developed early in the semester. Each student will provide their own external hard drive.