School of Film and Animation
Overview
The School of Film and Animation is where the timeless art of filmmaking meets cutting-edge technology. It’s a creative community that allows students to explore their talents in the art of filmmaking or the science and technologies used in the motion picture industry. Students discover their unique potential, experiment with ideas, and express them to the world. Guided by award-winning faculty who exhibit their work around the world, students are prepared to pursue successful careers across a wide spectrum of industries upon graduation: motion picture, television, and non-broadcast. Alumni have gone on to hold research engineering roles at places like Sony and Dolby and have positions in filmmaking and animation at Walt Disney Animation Studios, Lucasfilm, and myriad other reputable companies.
Students have access to professional-level opportunities, such as Coca-Cola Refreshing Films, a program affording college students a chance to create content for the big screen. Film and animation students won the 2022 program and had their short film shown nationwide in Cinemark and AMC movie theaters.
Express your ideas on the big screen
Study Away: LA
The School of Film and Animation's recently launched Study Away: LA program allows students to benefit from a West Coast classroom at the epicenter of the filmmaking universe. The program gives students the opportunity to spend time in Los Angeles for a semester, directly networking and working side by side with industry professionals while gaining a hands-on understanding of the film industry's culture. The inaugural fall 2022 cohort includes 16 students who are interning at top studios and companies and taking two courses that complement the study-away experience.
Access to industry-leading software
RIT's School for Film and Animation is a designated Center of Excellence (COE) by Toon Boom Animation, a leading animation and storyboarding software company. Toon Boom software is utilized by prominent studios, such as Disney, DreamWorks, Netflix and more, in the creation of feature film, animation and TV Series. As a Center of Excellence, RIT is recognized as a reliable source of industry-standard training and an enhanced educational environment through exposure to Toon Boom software.
960
The school’s equipment cage has 960 video- and audio-related items available for students to check out in support of projects and other coursework.
77K
Combined, the School of Film and Animation and MAGIC Spell Studios — which expands the capacity of the school while supporting research and entrepreneurial activities in the area — provides 77,000 square feet of facility space.
100s
Alumni have earned hundreds of screen credits for their work on major motion pictures and popular TV shows — from Frozen to Rogue One to The Simpsons and much more.
Latest News
-
March 20, 2025
![Woman in a navy blazer and headwrap works on a laptop at a modern, well-lit indoor space with large windows overlooking a campus.]()
Celebrating Women’s History Month through interdisciplinary research
The inaugural Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies symposium, hosted on March 28, will feature original work by individuals from across the RIT community.
-
March 3, 2025
![A snowshoer raises their arms in triumph as they cross the finish line.]()
RIT storytellers capture the heart and hustle of Special Olympics athletes
Students from various majors across RIT made a website providing wall-to-wall coverage of the 2025 Special Olympics New York Winter Games. This was the fourth year RIT partnered with Special Olympics to document the events.
-
February 25, 2025
![Five professionally dressed men stand together at an event, two wearing gold medals on orange ribbons. A large screen behind them displays 'John Traver Professorship' along with the RIT logo.]()
Ricky Figueroa honored as the inaugural John Traver Endowed Professor
An electrical engineer turned creative technologist, Ricky Figueroa is invigorated by working at the intersection of technology, the arts, and design. Embracing an interdisciplinary approach to teaching and research has led to success for both Figueroa and the students who pass through his classroom.
Featured Work and Profiles
-
The Snowman
Diane Lee The snowman's head came out too small. Time to fix it.
Read More about The Snowman -
![Seth Meyers holds up his children's book he wrote.]()
Emmy Award-nominated series
Amy Adrion, Meghdad Asadilari, Don Casper Assistant Professor Amy Adrion, with the help of RIT students, alumni and faculty, has directed and produced many episodes of Storyline Online. The series was nominated for a Children’s and Family...
Read More about Emmy Award-nominated series -
![An animated character stands and directs a pair of birds.]()
Launching an educational series
Chelsea DeMott Wildey Film and animation MFA student Chelsea DeMott Wildey led an animation team in the creation of the series ScienceLore through the MAGIC Maker Program.
Read More about Launching an educational series -
![Gabriel Ponte-Fleary, Anna McClanahan and Shanti Thakur pose for a photo.]()
RIT, NTID team up to create pioneering film
Students Anna McClanahan (BFA) and Gabriel Ponte-Fleary (MFA) brought together the deaf/hard-of-hearing and hearing communities in creating their finalist film for a Coca-Cola-sponsored program.
Read More about RIT, NTID team up to create pioneering film -
![Building a Virtual Production Curriculum video]()
Building a Virtual Production Curriculum
Supported by MegaGrant from Epic Games, MAGIC Spell Studios has brought groundbreaking research and filmmaking techniques to RIT.
Read More about Building a Virtual Production Curriculum -
![A goat as the logo of "That Damn Goat" — a video game being developed in MAGIC Spell Studios.]()
Video Game Development
“That Damn Goat!” is a party game where chaos reigns, frustrations mount and everything you think you know about your situation is instantly thrown out of whack by a head-butting goat with magical...
Read More about Video Game Development
Undergraduate Programs
The film and animation (BFA) degree offers options in animation and film production, with the curriculum supplying an experience unlike any other that spans the entire creative spectrum. The unique motion picture science (BS) program produces graduates who may not be artists directly involved in the motion picture industry but support the field with the science- and engineering-based education they receive. In the program, students learn how to address complex motion imaging workflow issues.
Graduate Programs
The film and animation (MFA) program is designed to educate complete filmmakers. With four options within the program — 2D animation, 3D animation, production, and screenwriting — students obtain the advanced training required to create remarkable live-action production, scripts, and animations that facilitate career success.
Student Resources
For internal College of Art and Design resources such as academic information, forms, FAQs and more, visit inside.cad.rit.edu. For information about academic advising, visit here.