This course is intended as an intensive overview for graduate students with NO prior 3D experience. Topics include polygonal modeling tools, texturing, principles of 3D animation, basic rigging, camera, lighting and rendering. Animation graduate students: This requirement MAY BE WAIVED BY YOUR ADVISOR with proof of previous 3D experience. PREREQUISITE(S): none

This seminar will explore the animator's role in contemporary culture, including careers in entertainment, art, game development and education. A combination of guest speakers, critical readings, animation analysis and group discussion will help students lay a foundation for their graduate study in the field.

Students in this course will rigorously investigate the foundational aspects of animation through traditional and digital methods. Basic principles, including timing, spacing and the abstraction of movement, will be analyzed and questioned through experimentation. Students will experience how the process of making work can be used to generate emergent ideas, and be challenged to push the art form beyond the accepted conventions. PREREQUISITE(S): None

This class focuses on storyboarding and animatics as key pre-production tools for animation, film, and game development projects. Areas of focus include narrative development, drawing, performance, and editing. Students will apply these techniques to create an animatic: a comprehensive time-based draft for a short film. PREREQUISITE(S): None

The history of animation is explored with a focus on inspiring the students? own work. Students will be involved in an intense study of animation throughout history and around the world, and are required to view a large amount of work outside of class. Animations will be grouped by time period, theme, and/or technique. Through writing and group discussions they will examine the significance of the technique and subject matter. They will put this study into practice by creating short animated films based on their reactions to the films. PREREQUISITE(S): ANI 421

Students will work in small groups to produce short animated films from concept to completion using the media of their choice. Emphasis is placed on a collaborative environment for pitching ideas, visual development and creative problem-solving during production. Different studio methodologies and techniques will be discussed. Each team will face various technical and aesthetic challenges to complete a finished film. PREREQUISITE(S): ANI 421 or ANI 453

This seminar course focuses on animation and cinema from the standpoint of Modern and Contemporary art. Students study the major styles and themes of historical experimental film and video, and relate these topics to contemporary animation and independent cinema practices. Emphasis is placed on theory and criticism, and how it informs experimental work. Students are expected to discuss work and theory in a seminar setting, and to engage the class material in several research papers.

The stages of development in the visual direction of a video game will be identified and detailed, and students will participate in the creation of the visual art direction of a product, giving special attention to the design of 3D models and animation. Visual Design for Games topics include: creating visual direction, concepting, art bibles, art production, and post-production strategies. Students will create proposals, create concepts, iteratively create artwork, and analyze competitive products. PREREQUISITE(S): ANI 446, ANI 425, ANI 105, GD 105, GPH 211 or ART 105 (or equivalent 2D design experience)

This course and its continuation, ANI 541, will concentrate on facilitating the graduate students' production of a short, independently animated project. The topics of idea generation, experimentation, problem solving, planning and time management, and the process of critical analysis will be applied to the students work, with the choice of animation technique, content and form left to the individual. We will have technical demonstrations on an as-needed basis, depending on the nature of your animations. This course must be taken consecutively with ANI 541 Animated Short Film Part II. PREREQUISITE(S): ANI 440

This course is a continuation of ANI 540 Animated Short Film Part I. Throughout the quarter students will continue working on their films, meeting with the instructor for advising, and other students for group critiques. Students will also learn effective post-production strategies as they near completion of their first film. This course must be taken consecutively with ANI 540. PREREQUISITE(S): ANI 540