Analysis of samples of other filmmakers' works and targeted exercises will give students deeper understanding of visual storytelling. Course goals include: proficiency in planning and executing incremental motion to give life to a story; refinement of drafting skills to depict acting, posing, gestures, staging, composition, framing, and the physics, choreography and psychology of motion.

An introduction to the creation of digital art using Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. Students explore the medium of digital photography and its application to individual expression. Students are required to have an approved laptop with Illustrator and Photoshop and access to a digital camera.

Students explore webbased animation techniques using Toon-Boom and other webrelated software packages.

Course content focuses on selection, processing, editing, synchronizing, and mixing dialog, music, and sound effects for animated sequences. Students will explore checkerboard A-B-C Rolls and their application to non-linear editing environments, reconciling audio file formats, maintaining synch, scrubbing, locating and transcribing phonemes and syllables, using built-in spreadsheet utilities to recreate classic animation exposure chart functionality.

Introduction for students who may have had little drafting instruction in the fundamental skills of professional illustration, rendering, drafting, storyboarding, or animation. Classes will include directed sessions sketching models, live and inanimate, under various lighting conditions. Skill development includes shape delineation using outline, basic human anatomy, shading, volume, positive and negative space, balance and composition, and elements of perspective.

A study of 3D animation principles using Autodesk's Maya. Students are required to have an approved laptop with Autodesk's Maya software.

Prerequisites:ANIM 100, ANIM 103, ANIM 115

Study of the unique opportunities and challenges found in writing for animation in a variety of formats: the short subject, half-hour program, and feature length film, with an emphasis on integrating visual elements such as sketches and storyboards into the writing process from the very beginning in order to maximize creative discovery.

Study of the techniques required to develop professional storyboards for animation and film. Styles of storyboards and their specific target audiences will be addressed.

Students gain the skills required to rig and animate characters in Maya. A fully planned, animated, rendered, and edited 10-second animation is required. Students are required to have an approved laptop with Autodesk Maya software, Adobe Photoshop, Premiere and After Effects.

Prerequisites:ANIM 203

Explores in-depth techniques for creating quality 2-D animation. Students create their own characters, storyboards and final animation of a short piece utilizing Toon Boom Studio software.

Prerequisites:ANIM 112

Students will focus on the quick sketch to capture fluidity of motion while maintaining an anatomical understanding of the human body. Students will illustrate how emotion can be affected by line quality, medium and use of color. Exercises include ambidextrous drawing and blind drawing techniques to strengthen hand-eye coordination. Exaggeration and improvisation concepts are explored to heighten the psychological and emotional response of the human form in motion.

Explores the roles of the various people and positions involved in the production of animation. Pitching, budgeting, and business plans are studied. Each student submits a budget and business plan for a project. Students also present a pitch for their final project.

Prerequisites:ANIM 112, ANIM 203, ANIM 213, ANIM 218

Study of intuitive aspects of perspective drawing, 2-point perspective and development of constructed perspective, use of camera oscura and camera lucida, constructed cast shadows, construction of an architectural rendering from elevations, anamorphosis, projective geometry, conceptual basis for 3-D graphic software, and trace development. Students completing this course will understand general methods for constructing accurate renderings from plans and elevations, and how to sketch convincing informal perspective views.

A critical look at the development of animation styles, both American and international. Students view animation and analyze the social, technological, financial, and political factors that helped shape the development of this art form from its beginnings to 1950.

A critical look at the styles of animation, both the American and international and how television, computers and the internet have affected the art form.

Designed to help students build a compelling, well-rounded artistic portfolio to best represent their work to potential clients. Students evaluate and develop presentations of their own artistic work and address deficiencies in their portfolios. Both hard-copy and digital portfolios will be covered.

Examination of detailed similarities and differences among various creatures and humans, including skeletal structures, dentition, pelts, musculature, limb and torso proportions, dynamic balance in various gaits, analysis of characteristic modes of movement, facial features and pedal extremities, feeding habits, grazing, stalking, and attack. Artists completing the course will have mastered a method to convincingly portray existing creatures and to develop new characters and creatures for future projects.

Students explore the artistic concepts of simplification, stylization and exaggeration as they apply to the cartoon art form. Caricature will be examined as a way to recognize essential visual identities of characters, objects, vehicles, animals, and landscapes. Includes analysis and exploration of rendering techniques that enable students to find personal voice or style in filtering choices.

Students learn graphics needed for television news, sports, promotion, and advertising. The course examines the needs of each area, issues of typography, and how to design for the Chyron Duet and other systems currently used in postproduction and live production.

Prerequisites:ANIM 112, ANIM 115, ANIM 203

A study of the history of special effects in film and television as well as hands-on projects that demonstrate the techniques needed to work with green screen, miniatures, CGI, lighting techniques, cloud tanks/liquids, glass mattes, editing tricks, shooting tricks, and color correction. Motion capture, motion control, stunts, and wire tricks are also discussed.

Prerequisites:ANIM 203, CTVU 356

Under the supervision of the instructor, students work independently to develop a 5-minute animation project, meeting weekly to discuss their progress. Permission of advisor and instructor.

A critical study, through lectures, readings, viewings and discussion, of the ways in which Christian principles can be applied to the arts. Course also gives students an introduction to the methodologies and language of the arts.

Required for those who plan to check out equipment for media projects. In an intensive time frame video cameras, grip/electric, sound basics, set operations, laptop proficiency, and the film cameras are studied.

Study of the way meaning is structured and perceived in the screen image of both film and video; introduction to basic narrative and screenwriting techniques. Includes viewing and analysis of narrative examples. Class includes three lecture hours and one two-hour film screening each week.

Texture mapping, lighting, cameras, dynamics, rendering techniques, and MEL are addressed.

Prerequisites:ANIM 213

Students explore the unique methods used in creating limited 2-D animation, which is designed for smaller-budget productions. These include productions for smaller screens and lower resolutions on computers and mobile devices. Content includes cresting electronic greeting cards, webisodes, banner ads, short videos and low-budget television and video training programs.

Business theory and practice for the growing number of artists and animators who choose a self-employment approach to their career field. Covers business license setup and basic tax record-keeping, networking, supporting arts resources and publications, marketing, working with contractors, brokering, time management, business etiquette, finding and following up on job leads, bidding and contracts as they specifically relate to the unique challenges of the animation and art world, as well as ethical implications for independent Christian artists.

Course will examine concepts of the visual expression suggested by and related to the elements of a musical score. Carl Stalling arrangements for Warner animation, John Hubley films featuring performances of jazz musicians, Disney shorts, and George Pal's Puppetoons will be examined. Previous training in music is not required.

Students work on the crew of any cinema-television production, animation project, or advanced degree class project within the School of Communication and the Arts. Students may work on up to three productions, obtaining one credit per production with approval of the faculty executive producer overseeing each project.

Special topics courses offered at instructor's discretion.

The independent study affords the student an opportunity for specialized research or project in the field of animation. An independent study cannot be offered for a course that is already designated and listed. Students must submit a written proposal stating the reason for and parameters of the project, as well as a comprehensive schedule for its completion within the semester format.

Prerequisites:Senior standing and permission of advisor