Animation (ANIM)

This course will introduce students to the practice of animation and the various techniques employed in its production. Short exercises involving hand-drawn, stop-motion and other non-digital means will serve to expose students to the fundamental concepts involved. Students will then apply these concepts to their digital toolkit in order to create a longer final project.

This course will seek to give students a strong foundation in storytelling. Emphasis will be placed on visual storytelling, as the storyboard is the script for animation. In addition to story structure, students will explore screen composition and editing as means of relating narrative content. The class will consist of several storyboard exercises, culminating in the production of an animatic, a filmed version of the storyboard with a soundtrack.

This major studio course explores time and motion in the creation of primarily graphic narratives. The techniques of abstraction, motion typography and musical synchronization are studied in the context of increasingly complex projects. A major aspect of the course will be the screening of both abstract films and reels from contemporary motion graphics films.

This studio course focuses on exploring the basics of virtual reality including understanding virtual environments and how users interact within a virtual space. Two major components of the class are contemporary practical examples and tutorials with new and emerging technologies. Student projects will provide a space for a hands on learning experience. Class discussion portions of the course will allow for further explorations on current and future VR implementations and their significance in the digital era.

WRITING INTENSIVE: This class will expose students to the range of animated cinema, from the early days of film to contemporary computer-generated work. Class will consist of screening and discussing a range of short and feature-length films. During the semester, students will be expected to write responses to the films as well as conduct further research into the medium and its history. [Writing Intensive]

This course will give students a foundation in the concepts and techniques of 3D modeling and rendering. Specific attention will be paid to modeling environments, objects and characters. Students will explore polygonal, NURBS and subdivision-surface modeling and their respective workflows.

This course builds upon the concepts learned in 3D modeling to include animation and character setup. Special attention will be given to applying the techniques of traditional character animation to this contemporary medium. Projects will range from short animation exercises to a longer, character- driven piece. In addition, the class will view and discuss current and classic animated film.

This course introduces students to intermediate digital audio concepts and skills for use in a broad array of multimedia including instructional applications. Students will generate a variety of professional grade digital audio artifacts using industry-standard software and processes; instruction will focus on common elements of digital audio production to allow transfer of knowledge to various tools and platforms rather than focusing solely on the mastery of a single tool. Prerequisite: DIGD-318 Media Production

This class explores the concepts covered in Motion Graphics I but with the introduction of 3D graphics and video as elements of motion graphics. In addition, the mediums of dance, photography, architecture and painting will be discussed as possible inspirations.

This class will allow students to delve deeper into areas covered in prior 3D classes. Topics include advanced modeling techniques, character setup, special effects, dynamics, lighting and rendering. The creation of a character interacting with its environment will drive the projects in this class.

WRITING INTENSIVE: This course focuses on preparing the student to create a short film in the Spring. The pre-production phase includes conceptualizing the story, writing the script and creating storyboards. In the process of preparing, students will also learn to schedule, budget and distribute their film. Before the end of the semester, students will have all necessary materials to begin production on their short film.