This course introduces the basic concepts of design for time-based digital media. Students study the principles of composition and color theory, and how these are affected by movement, duration and display. Vector and bitmap manipulation tools are explored in relation to game design, video and Internet production. PREREQUISITE(S): None

This course will focus on improving the basic skills needed for creating concept art and storyboards for animation and games. Areas of focus include practical perspective, technical rendering, observational drawing and color theory. These skills will be applied in basic prototyping projects. PREREQUISITE(S): GD 105 or ANI 105

This course is an introduction to the art and practice of animation. It is a studio-based class, which will emphasize learning through process, experimentation and creation. Students will explore the limitless possibilities of animated motion in the context of cinema, computer games and the Internet. All genres and styles are within the scope of this class, including Anime, cartoons, computer game art, experimental art and special effects. In addition to how?, we will also explore and discuss why?, and the role and potential of animation in our society, and its place in other cultures as well. This course is designed for the student who wishes to pursue further study in the field, and provides intensive practice of the basic skills and methods through production. PREREQUISITE(S): ANI 105 or GPH 211 or ART 105 or GD 105

This course is an introduction to the history and development of the field of animation. We will explore this subject from various perspectives: by chronology, from its prehistory before the invention of film to the present day; by form, including method and medium; by culture, comparing the US to Japan, Russia, Europe and others; by subject; and by personality, concentrating on the figures who have shaped the art form and continue to influence it through their example. Students are expected to bring an enthusiastic interest in the medium, and to devote serious effort to reading about, viewing, researching and discussing animation and the artists who have created it.

Students will use computer modeling to explore the principles of 3-dimensional design. Projects involving object, character and architectural modeling will emphasize the aesthetic concepts of spatial proportion (scale, angle and position), silhouette, negative space, rhythm, balance, light/shadow and texture. Students will emerge with the ability to create well designed 3D models, and be familiar with the basics of polygonal modeling, texturing, lighting and rendering for animation, computer games and cinema. This course has an additional fee. PREREQUISITE(S): None

A study of the human figure through an exploration of anatomy combined with various drawing processes. Materials Fee.

Course introduces a variety of basic animation techniques for cinema and gaming, such as hand-drawn, cutout, stop-motion and (very basic) 3D, with an emphasis on the use of computer technology. Examples of diverse animation genres and styles (experimental, cartoon, anime, special effects, computer games) from different cultures will be screened and discussed. Students will explore the unique qualities of the medium through a series of hands-on projects that can be adapted to their own personal interests. They will learn about professional animation process (storyboard and animatic) during the production of a final project that encourages them to consider the role and potential of animation in our society.

This class will focus primarily on storyboarding and the aesthetic and practical uses of research, treatments, drawings, and found images as tools in the production of animations, films and game cinematics. Students will complete a series of assignments that will utilize different methods of finding inspiration to make a cohesive, narrative work. Various methods used in both commercial and independent productions will be presented as examples, and pre-production work from both live action and animated films will be viewed throughout the quarter. Students will create several storyboards for short films, write treatments, and research design options. PREREQUISITE(S): ANI 101, ANI 201 or DC 110

This is an introductory course in 3D animation. It will emphasize traditional animation principles as applied to 3D animation. Topics will include: principles of animation, storyboarding, transformations and deformations of 3D objects, rigging, camera and light animation. This course has an additional fee. PREREQUISITE(S): ANI 230

This course applies traditional animation principles to creating stylized 3d characters. Topics will include: anatomy, character modeling, skeletons, skinning, kinematics, rigging, walk cycles, facial animation, and muscle deformations. PREREQUISITE(S): ANI 231 or GPH 338 This course has an additional fee.

Encourages the application of perceptual and media skills gained in figure drawing to more advanced and personal works on paper. Materials Fee.

This course will provide an expansion and enrichment of skills in modeling the human figure for students with a basic background in the figure. All class work will be done from a nude model. Home assignments will consist of figure drawings either from departmental Open Studio Figure Drawing sessions or from assigned figure drawings of great masters. Students in this course will develop farther their technical and eye/hand coordination skills necessary to depict the human figure three dimensionally in a more professional manner as well as full understanding of the proportions of the human figure and the ability to implement them freely in a dynamic human figure. Course will also point towards the potential possibility of the exploration, conceptualizations and interpretations of the human figure within the contemporary art context or other applications related to the students' interests.

This course introduces digital cinema majors to dramatic writing for motion pictures. The topics covered include theme, plot, story structure, character, and dialogue. Emphasis is placed on telling a story in visual terms. Students are expected to develop and write a short screenplay. PREREQUISITE(S): None

Students analyze and assemble dramatic scenes under a variety of conditions and narrative strategies. Editing theories, techniques and procedures, issues of continuity, effects, movement and sound are examined as they relate to the fundamentals of cinematic montage and visual storytelling. This course has an additional fee. PREREQUISITE(S): NONE.

This course will concentrate on facilitating the student's production of animation projects. The topics of idea generation, experimentation, problem solving, planning and time management, and the process of critical analysis will be applied to the student's work, with the choice of animation technique, content and form left to the individual. Students will learn the importance of bringing projects to completion. PREREQUISITE(S): ANI101 or ANI201 AND sophomore standing

Students will build on the skills learned in Animation II, and produce more ambitious projects. They will be expected to exhibit sophisticated technique, storytelling and content, and work to develop as creative artists through self-critique. The successful planning and completion of projects on time is essential. PREREQUISITE(S): ANI 220 and ANI 240 and junior standing

This course will instruct students in the process of 3D polygonal based character modeling. Students will learn professional techniques for building quad-based polygon meshes with an extra emphasis on proper topology to help prepare their model for rigging. Students will learn complete UV unwrapping for the entire figure as well as effective techniques for advanced texturing. This course has an additional fee. PREREQUISITE(S): ANI 230 or GPH 250

Students will study the processes and techniques for texturing and lighting in 3D. Procedures including preparing models for texturing, creating and manipulating shading networks, laying out UV?s, and painting textures will be explored. Topics in lighting will be approached from the foundation of traditional cinematography with a focus on driving both mood and story. Students will utilize complimentary skills in lighting and texturing to create high quality renders for both still and moving images. PREREQUISITE(S): ANI 230 or GPH 250

This course is a beginning workshop in narrative film production. The course provides an introduction to the fundamentals of cinema, including camera and lens technology, composition, lighting, directing and sound recording. Utilizing digital technology, students will produce several films with an emphasis on visual storytelling and personal expression. This course has an additional fee. PREREQUISITE(S): DC 220

This course examines the history of cinema as one of the most influential cultural forms of the 20th Century. We will study the aesthetic and technological developments of cinema during its first 50 years, as well as examine the social and economic factors shaping its history. Initially influenced by other art forms (theater, literature, painting) filmmaking quickly acquired its own formal system, language, and traditions. We will trace the changing styles, techniques, content, and methods of filmmaking as an art form, as popular culture, and as an industry. We will consider how cinema is bound to its social context via audience relations, economics, technology, and ideology. The limited scope of this course will cover primarily feature-length, narratives films as the dominant mode of filmmaking, although we will also look at the development of documentary and experimental filmmaking. The class will consist of lectures, screenings, and discussions.

This course covers the continued rise and development of cinema from 1945 to 1975. The course will have a dual focus, looking simultaneously at both the American studio system and international cinemas. The lectures, screenings, and discussions place equal emphasis on charting the development of cinematic techniques as well as examining the growth of specific national cinemas. In addition, the course surveys international stylistic trends in narrative, documentary, and avant-garde film. Students will acquire a broad understanding of the institutional, social, technological, and aesthetic forces that have shaped the development of cinema during the mid-twentieth century. Lab for film viewing required.

This final course in the film history sequence is designed to introduce students to a sense of modern film history and the multiple permutations of cinema around the modern film history and the multiple permutations of cinema around the globe. It presents film history from a global perspective, concentrating primarily on the development of new national and transnational cinemas. The course continues to chart the development of the American studios since the mid-1970s while examining the effects of media consolidation and convergence. Moreover, the course seeks to examine how global cinemas have reacted to and dealt with the formal influence and economic domination of Hollywood filmmaking on international audiences. Class lectures, screenings, and discussions will consider how cinema has changed from a primarily national phenomenon to a transnational form of communication in the 21st century.

This is an introductory course in scripting for a 3D production environment. Students will learn and apply basic programming concepts in order to improve the productivity of animators and modelers. Using script, we will automate repetitive tasks, customize the interface, and create new tools. Students will gain a fundamental understanding of how a 3D animation package functions behind the interface. PREREQUISITE(S): ANI 230 and ANI 231

This course is an introduction to sound editing and sound design. The course examines the place of sound in cinema, both artistic and technological. The course will cover the basics of sound, microphones, and analogue-to-digital conversion. Lectures, readings, and film clips will be used to illustrate the language of film sound, as practiced by film directors, sound designers, and editors. Students will learn to edit sound assignments with Pro Tools and current technologies. This course has an additional fee. PREREQUISITE(S): None

Students will study the processes and techniques for creating professional quality character rigs. Following a professional production workflow, students will create character skeletons, learn aesthetic and technical considerations for skinning, learn techniques for optimal parameterization, and learn to construct character animation controls. PREREQUISITE(S): ANI 231

This production-based course is the first half of a two-course sequence that provides the student with an Animation capstone experience. These courses connect the student?s Animation coursework with their overall Liberal Studies coursework through three components: class lectures and discussions, independent analysis and reflection, and the creation of a significant animation project. Students will employ the knowledge they have learned and the skills they have acquired in all their Animation courses to date to produce a significant animation project. The course sequence is designed to be taken in two consecutive quarters. PREREQUISITE(S): ANI 340 and Senior standing

Continuation of ANI 394. This production-based course is the second half of a two-course sequence that provides the student with an Animation capstone experience. These courses connect the student's Animation coursework with their overall Liberal Studies coursework through three components: class lectures and discussions, independent analysis and reflection, and the creation of a significant animation project. Students will employ the knowledge they have learned and the skills they have acquired in all their Animation courses to date to produce a significant animation project. The course sequence is designed to be taken in two consecutive quarters. PREREQUISITE(S): ANI 394

This course concerns theoretical concepts and empirical research relating to administrative behavior in organizations with special reference to educational organizations. Concepts are examined within the typical decisional framework of supervisors, chief school business officers, principles, and superintendents, and similar positions in the helping professions. Assignments are individualized.

This course provides students additional theory and practice with an emphasis on game design and storytelling for games. Students continue learning about game development processes and techniques and how to apply advanced game design principles to create components of a 2D game.

Level design is the art of creating believable environments, stages and missions for video games. This course explores topics including architecture, flow, pacing and puzzles. Using a 3D level editor, students will investigate technical design issues including the construction, texturing, lighting and scripting of modern game levels. The roles, duties and challenges of the level designer will also be discussed. PREREQUISITE(S): (GAM 224 or GAM 226) and GAM 245

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 105, GD 105, GPH 211 or ART 105 (or equivalent 2D design experience)

This course emphasizes 3D game production. Students apply advanced 3D game design development principles to create deliverables for 3D games. Students will work with an existing game engine and content pipeline. The focus of the class will be on the creation and use of different types of content, key development issues, process management, and professional practices. PREREQUISITE(S): GAM 244

In this course, students will develop skills in game design and development through the construction of a "mod" of an existing game. Emphasis will be placed on the game development life cycle from concept through release, on productivity in a team environment, and on effective project management practices. Prerequisite: GAM 245

Students work in teams to design and develop a videogame that demonstrates their mastery of game design and development. Additionally, students will reflect on ethical decision making and professional ethics in the game industry. This course and its continuation, GAM 395, must be taken consecutively. PREREQUISITE(S): GAM 374 (Senior standing)

Continuation of GAM 394. PREREQUISITE(S): GAM 394