Experimental Animation

This course expands on the fundamentals, applying the basic concepts to further develop skills in locomotion and acting for animation. Students will progress their understanding of motion, weight, and balance, develop pantomime character performance skills, and have their first introduction to animating dialogue. Students will gain a deeper grasp of traditional animation principles and character animation techniques.

This is a figure drawing course for animators that focuses on gesture and how to capture the essentials of movement, dynamic expression, and the individual model's attitude. A variety of drawing media will be introduced.

This intermediate level course builds on the FD 155 Fundamentals of Story as students learn to brainstorm, storyboard and pitch original ideas suitable for television or new media production. This course focuses on the specialized needs of story design for limited animation formats including storyboard formatting, planning for digital puppetry and digital asset archiving. It introduces students to concepts in episodic storytelling.

This course covers concepts in character design suitable for digital limited-animation and stop-motion production environments. Students will create character designs for the unique workflows in both mediums. In the digital limited-animation pipeline will design for strategic use of libraries, nesting and 2D rigging. In the stop-motion pipeline students will create designs that plan for the limitations of traditional stop-motion rigging and rigging removal.

This course utilizes tablet-monitor technology to create a full-animation 2D pipeline that bypasses traditional paper in favor of digital drawing. Traditional full-animation 2D methods are adapted for the digital 2D animation environment, including hybrid digital enhancements of 2D full animation techniques. Digital keyframes, visual effects and lighting applied early in the pipeline redefine the scope of the animator’s role in production. This course is a track-elective and can be taken in place of AN380.

This intermediate level course builds off Fundamentals of Maya and CG Modeling, focusing on CG-based 3D character animation. Based in character performance and storytelling, students utilize keyframe animation while exploring the basics of 3D motion, body mechanics, motion-graph editing, and cycles via projects for tv, multimedia and game animation. Students produce individual and collaborative projects while investigating methods to create compelling character staging utilizing the 12 principles of animation, thumbnails, and personal video reference.

This advanced course draws on the practical knowledge developed in EX282 and EX284 focusing on art direction as applied to episodic, limited animation production pipelines. Stylization, set/prop design, character asset strategies and color/lighting design will be explored. Both TV and streaming media needs will be highlighted as students create show-design portfolio projects.

This advanced course builds on previous knowledge and skills as students conceive, plan, design and produce their own series of web-shorts suitable for weekly uploads on streaming media platforms such as YouTube. Students will also be introduced to uses of 2D and 2D animation assets in mobile games, 360-degree filmmaking, virtual reality and augmented reality platforms.

This advanced class will require students to conceive, develop, present and pitch a concept for an original episodic animated series. Students will produce a comprehensive portfolio of show sample assets including character models, set mock-ups, synopsis of episodes and backstory for all major and supporting characters. EX 350 is a required prerequisite for this course.

This course focuses on stop motion techniques outside the normal realm of character rigs and clay armature-based techniques. Experimental approaches including motion design, and other stop-motion based visual effects will be explored. Students will produce stop motion animation elements for chroma-key compositing into analog and 3D digital environments.

This course requires that students have proficiency in prior 2D or 3D tools. Students will use their animation skills to create work they will import into their compositing workspace. Students will work to enhance their animation production using a wide array of video filters, effects and strategies. Digital keying, chroma-keying, 3D space, virtual lighting and camera moves will be explored. Students will bring together animated elements from a variety of digital and analog sources using compositing strategies.

This course will prepare students in the Experimental animation track for their final sequence of Experimental Thesis Film 1 & Experimental Thesis Film 2 where they will make their senior thesis project. Using linear and non-linear narrative approaches, students will design and storyboard their original concept for the film component of their thesis project. Students will also create a final story-reel of the film component of their thesis project, with final sound. Projects will proceed through a clear sequence of pre-production stages and be designed specifically for limited animation, stop-motion animation and experimental approaches to filmmaking.

This course will be the first semester of the student’s year-long Thesis Project effort. Storyreels and preproduction work prepared in EX390 will be utilized as students create the animation, effects and other visual strategies necessary to bring their plan to life. By the end of this course students will complete 50% of their overall film project or students will produce a show bible of the episodic animated concept. All films in the Experimental Thesis Film track will be taken to a finished color state with final sound. In this senior-level course the instructor will act as a facilitator, guiding students through the production of their films or show bibles. A mastery of techniques learned earlier in the Experimental BFA program will be necessary before taking EX480, therefore a successful completion of the Advancement Review process (EX001) in all relevant categories is necessary.

This course is a continuation of EX418. By the end of the course students will have completed their experimental animated film they storyboarded in AN390 and took to 50% completion in EX418 or students will complete the finished first episode of their series concept developed in the show bible. Students projects may be limited animation, stop motion animation or experimental CG in their approach. Mixed techniques and post-production processing of animation footage will be encouraged. The instructor acts as facilitator in this advanced course which is the final studio class in the Experimental Animation BFA program.

This course is an introduction to drawing the human form that explores observational and imaginative drawing techniques using graphite and charcoal. Students work from the draped and undraped model. Emphasis is on accurate representation of the figure utilizing observation with the elements of gesture, measurement, construction line, volume, proportion, and surface anatomy. Materials include graphite and charcoal.

This course is an exploration in story structure and the incorporation of classic storytelling techniques/archetypes in the medium of film.

This introductory course covers the principles of classical, full animation technique on paper, dimensional constructive drawing techniques as well as the analysis of action and movement in the natural world. Students explore these concepts through exercises which isolate the core principles being taught. Students will learn the fundamentals common to all animation techniques.

This course introduces the students to the complex interface of Maya, one of the leading software programs in animation and graphic design industries. Students will learn how to navigate Maya's interface exploring basic modeling, rigging, lighting, texture, and camera set-up.

This class focuses on representing the construction of a 3D object in a 2D image. The class will cover the basics of observational drawing, traditional drawing technique, perspective, and foundational design for concepting and building objects in game art. The class introduces one, two, and three point perspective to accurately construct the appearance of 3D forms. Other topics covered are camera lenses and field of view, the importance of camera placement, and placing shadows based on light sources through perspective guides. Throughout this course, students will learn the role of drawing and design in the game industry. Students will build a sketchbook composed of lessons, observational drawings and original illustrations over the course of the semester. The emphasis will be on building their visual library so they can effectively express their own ideas.

Every character artist in the game industry is expected to understand all organic and anatomical structures to their character designs; this understanding and ability to execute this skill set is key for a character artist. This course will teach students the anatomical structures of animals in order to understand how their organic forms are built in real life. Additionally, students will further develop their understanding of these structures by creating creature designs, where they will be challenged to push the anatomical principles they’ve learned to create fantasy creatures that make sense both anatomically and organically.

This is an introductory-level course designed for students to develop or enhance their 3D modeling skills.   Instruction will focus on the artistry needed to create compelling, "feature-length-quality" characters, while showing how to design and implement geometry best suited for rigging and animation.   Students may focus on character or background geometry for their projects.  Students will be introduced to new software tools and techniques based upon professional practices utilized by top studios in the industry.

Experimental Animation's "Fabrication" class offers students a comprehensive learning experience that encompasses essential skills in Real-World mold making, casting, character and prop sculpting, and miniature set construction. These skills are frequently encountered in fields such as Stop Motion, Visual Effects Animation, and Environment Design. Throughout the course, students will develop proficiency in both traditional and digital mediums. The curriculum combines traditional craftsmanship with hands-on experience in woodworking and foam cutting tools, as well as painting and airbrushing techniques to realistically simulate a variety of real-world textures and materials. Additionally, students will be required to explore modern technology through an introduction to 3D-CAD, 3D-Sculpting, and 3D-Printing. The culmination of students' learning journey involves designing and creating a captivating set and a compelling character for their final project. This project serves as a platform for students to showcase their creative and technical abilities, demonstrating the skills they have acquired throughout the course.

This course concentrates on preparing students to enter team-based creative environments with emphasis on digital portfolio and reel development, communication skills, industry networking opportunities and success strategies for collaborative projects.

This internship lab provides students with a supervised, practical learning experience in a work setting that is relevant to their major. Through virtual assignments and workplace projects + training the student will apply what they have learned in their LCAD classes in order to solidify professional goals, test possible career choices, build their networks, and gain a better understanding of employer expectations. This lab is to be taken concurrently with an internship for-credit and is designated as CREDIT/NO CREDIT for up to three (3) units of academic credit. This lab may be repeated one time for credit (a total of 6 units)

Ellen Coons has worked in animation, specifically stop motion, since her graduation in 2012 from the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, Michigan. Her focus of study was indeed that ridiculous but entrancing art of bringing inanimate objects to life. Her professional career includes work on 3 feature length films, 7 network series, 1 live stage musical and a slew of commercials and odd bits in between; all of them are stop-motion productions. She has worked in multiple roles on these projects including animator, art director, set builder, set dresser and visual effects compositor, mostly based in Los Angeles. Her experience also includes 3 semesters as an on-site Adjunct Faculty in the animation department of her alma mater.

Kristin Donner is a Los Angeles-based artist, educator, and 17 year veteran of the animation industry. Her portfolio includes creative work for Nickelodeon Animation Studio, Warner Bros. Animation, and Cartoon Network. Her screen credits include color design on the 2D animated series Harley Quinn (Warner Bros.) and The Fungies! (Cartoon Network), as well as background paint for The Fairly OddParents and T.U.F.F. Puppy (Nickelodeon).

As an active member of The Animation Guild, Kristin has served as a committee chair, convention delegate, and panelist. She has been featured in industry publications such as Keyframe (2021), Toon Boom (2021), Cartoon Network Studios First Look (2020), and The Pegboard (2019). Kristin has moderated professional panel discussions at San Diego Comic-Con International and The Animation Guild, and has shared her passions for creativity and inclusivity at schools, conferences, and exhibits around the globe.

Kristin holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in Illustration from the Academy of Art University, San Francisco (2003), a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Entertainment Art/Animation from California State University, Fullerton (2000), and is currently a Co-Executive Producer in Development at Nickelodeon Animation Studio.

Taber Dunipace is a southern California production artist and educator specializing in 3D art and animation. He has taught a wide range of subjects for more than 10 years, including 3D modeling, 3D character animation, rigging, 2D digital animation, digital painting, and game design. He also frequently does freelance work for both commercial animation and mobile games.

Glen David Miller, BFA, MFA, began his career in the early 90's. He has worked over the years creating and supervising award-winning CGI for Steven Spielberg's Amblin Imagining (seaQuest, Star Trek Voyager), Digital Domain (James Cameron's Titanic), Marvel/Seban (Silver Surfer and Captain America), DNA/Nickelodeon (Jimmy Neutron), was a founder of Station X Studios (Dogma, Hunley), and continues to create for the industry as a director, cinematographer, and visual effects supervisor.

Vee Peony is a 2D animator and character designer from the South Bay Area. She recently graduated from LCAD with a BFA in Experimental Animation, and is currently developing her own animated series while working as a freelance artist.

Robert (Bobby) Sassone is a traditional animator and story artist from Cypress, CA. During his college years he workedas a concept artist for See Here Studios, a Bay Area production company owned by Pixar Alum Valerie Mih. Hegraduated from the University of Hawaii at Manoa in 2016 with a BA in Creative Media, and was awarded theUniversity’s inaugural “Future Animator” Award for his work in short fi lms. Currently he works as a freelance artist in thecomic industry while furthering his artistic studies with the 212 Creative Network, a mentorship program based out ofFort Wayne, Indiana.