This course will introduce the concepts and mechanics of movement for animation, focusing on, but not limited to, character based movement. Animation principles will be introduced and applied using hand-drawn methods, which will serve as the foundation for their application in any desired medium. Weekly exercises will be recorded using standard animation software, and will be reviewed, discussed and open to group critique.

This course focuses specifically on the sequential stages of hand-drawn digital animation. Students will explore every stage of production of a short animated scene, including dialogue, from ideation to clean up. Each week builds on the previous week’s progress. The final result is a complete rough-animated scene.

This course concentrates on the structures of temporal organization for the screen in all animated productions. Particular attention is paid to the structures of writing and the layout of movements and visual composition via editing into storyboards. Various individual written projects will be required of the student, leading to a final story for an animated film that will be fully storyboarded and formatted.

Students will explore phases of animation short film production in their area of interest as determined by their experiences with their second-year films. Through identification of project needs and exploration and fulfillment of determined objectives, unique filmic assets will be created.

This course will focus on the continued development of students’ skills in the two-dimension animation medium, using computer software. As an intermediate course, students will build on the skills they accrued as well as learn new, advanced techniques. A variety of examples of 2D computer animation will be screened in class.

SOFA Independent Study will provide students with the ability to study in a specialized area with an individual faculty member. Students, with the assistance of a faculty adviser, should propose a course of study or project with clearly defined deliverables. Students must obtain permission of an instructor and complete the Independent Study Permission Form to enroll. Student must have a minimum of a 3.0 GPA to apply.

This course will provide an in-depth examination of structural elements of both the written and visual aspects of the animated film and the pre-production process. Particular attention will be given to: the application of materials, short film format, and layout of movements, visual composition, and storyboarding. Along with visualization and writing exercises, students will conceive a story idea, develop it in to formatted animation storyboards and create an animatic.

This is the first of two courses designed to advance a student towards completion of their thesis. Students will work independently on their approved plan of work for their thesis while meeting on a regular basis with their committee chair. They are required to meet at least twice with their full committee during the semester.

Film and Animation Graduate Independent Study will provide students with the ability to study in a specialized area with an individual faculty member. Students, with the assistance of a faculty adviser, should propose a course of study or project with clearly defined deliverables. Students must obtain permission of an instructor and complete the Independent Study Permission Form to enroll. Student must have a minimum of a 3.0 GPA to apply.

This is the second of two courses designed to advance a student towards completion of their thesis. Students will work independently on their approved plan of work for their thesis while meeting on a regular basis with their committee chair. They are required to meet at least twice with their full committee during the semester as well as present a final screening of their thesis.