Academy of Art University

Master of Arts in Animation and Visual Effects

Graduate students will meet the following student performance criteria:

2D Animation & Stop Motion - Traditional Animation

• Demonstrate strong drawing skills and facility with anatomy, proportion, figure, animals, perspective, color and design, and composition
• Develop visual stories that support comedic or dramatic situations
• Stage stories through effective camera placement choices
• Draw convincing characters, layouts, storyboards, and animatics
• Apply the principles of animation to create animated movement and performances
• Technical Skills - Demonstrate facility with animation technology and software
• Presentation Skills - Clearly discuss work and workflow process with a review committee, using industry terminology
• Presentation Skills - Create visually compelling, professional quality presentation materials
• Professional Readiness - Produce a cohesive portfolio or demo reel tailored to reflect career goals

3D Animation

• Apply the major principles of animation
• Create pieces that showcase expression and emotion
• Stage stories through effective camera placement choices
• Technical Skills - Demonstrate facility with animation technology and software
• Presentation Skills - Create visually compelling, professional quality presentation materials
• Preproduction Skills (Project Development) - Execute projects that demonstrate attention to: research, analytical thinking, detail, flexibility in problem-solving, and revision
• Professional Readiness - Produce a cohesive portfolio or demo reel tailored to reflect career goals
• Professional Readiness - Document project workflow

3D Modeling – Modeling

• Convincingly model forms in 3-dimensions that demonstrate a thorough understanding of anatomy and sculptural form
• Display a range of modeling skill sets, including hard surfaces and organic
• Create textures that will be applied to the surface of models
• Produce industry-standard turnarounds and wireframes
• Technical Skills - Demonstrate facility with animation technology and software
• Professional Readiness - Produce a cohesive portfolio/demo reel reflecting career goals

Visual Effects

• Design digital effects that meet the needs of the imagery
• Create believable images by combining elements from different sources
• Compose shots for narrative power
• Technical Skills - Demonstrate facility with animation technology and software
• Presentation Skills - Clearly discuss work and workflow process, using industry terminology
• Preproduction Skills (Project Development) - Execute projects that demonstrate attention to: research, analytical thinking, detail, flexibility in problem-solving, and revision
• Collaboration - Collaborate effectively to produce creative projects
• Professional Readiness - Produce a cohesive portfolio or demo reel tailored to reflect career goals
• Professional Readiness - Demonstrate accountability for planning complex projects, prioritizing tasks, and meeting project milestones
• Professional Readiness - Document project workflow

Academy of Art University Learning Outcomes

Graduates of the Academy of Art University will demonstrate the ability to:

• Produce a body of work suitable for seeking professional opportunities in their chosen field of art and design.
• Solve creative problems within their field of art and design, including research and synthesis of technical, aesthetic, and conceptual knowledge.
• Communicate their ideas professionally and connect with their intended audience using visual, oral, and written presentation skills relevant to their field.
• Execute technical, aesthetic, and conceptual decisions based on an understanding of art and design principles.
• Evaluate work in their field, including their own work, using professional terminology.
• Recognize the influence of major cultural and aesthetic trends, both historical and contemporary, on art and design products.
• Learn the professional skills and behaviors necessary to compete in the global marketplace for art and design.

Academy of Art University offers some of the best training and hands-on experience to help accelerate your animation career. We pride ourselves in doing an exceptional job preparing you to excel in your chosen profession. Our degree programs are designed to equip aspiring animators with a comprehensive toolbox of marketable skills that lead to success in the exciting animation and visual effects industry.

2D Animator

A 2D animator is concerned with creating 2D images by either hand drawing each frame or digitally manipulating flat media for games, television, the web, or feature films.

3D Animator

A 3D animator is concerned with the movement in computer graphic imagery, including characters, inanimate objects such as robots or cars, or cameras for television, feature films, or games.

3D Rigger

The 3D rigger creates a skeleton for a 3D model so it can move. Characters are rigged before they are animated so they can be deformed and moved around.

Character Animator

A character animator in traditional, 3D, or stop motion is concerned with the performance on screen. An understanding of timing, movement, of humans and animals, and acting is essential to bringing characters to life.

Modeler

Modelers digitally build objects in a 3D environment, including cartoon and realistic characters, animals, plants, buildings, and cars. Models are built so that they can be moved, painted, and lit properly.

Producer

The producer realizes the director's creative vision by building a strong crew of collaborators. The producer champions creativity, maintains the financials and schedule, influences tech innovation, and oversees the administrative process.

Stop Motion Artist

Good with your hands? With frame-by-frame manipulation, a stop motion artist creates a performance using posable puppets, props, and sets. Their work can be seen on television, in film, and in advertising.

Storyboard Artist

The storyboard artist translates the printed word into cinematic images. They provide the first look at what the final film or video game might look like. Storyboarding is a fast track to directing.

Technical Director: Compositing

A compositor uses digital software to combine separately created elements into one seamless image. They know color, lens effects, film artifacts, atmospheric effects, scale, perspective, parallax, and more.

Technical Director: Dynamics

A dynamics technical director uses particles and fluid simulation to create moving elements such as fire, water, and explosions in combination with live-action elements or used in a fully CG project.

Technical Director: Lighting and Rendering

The lighting technical director determines the visual look for a film using light and color and has a powerful influence on what the viewer sees and feels.

Unit Requirements

Degree Requirements

• Successful completion of Final Portfolio Review
• A minimum grade of C in all required 36 units
• Minimum 2.0 cumulative GPA and the following Academic Study requirements:
• 1 Art Historical Awareness & Aesthetic Sensitivity course
  • 1 Art Historical Awareness & Aesthetic Sensitivity course

Curriculum

Semester 1

• ANM 609: Gesture & Quick Sketch for Animators (Major)
• ANM 610: Figurative Concepts (Major)
• ANM 623: 3D Modeling & Animation 1 (Maya) (Major)

Semester 2

• ANM 685: Storyboarding Principles (Major)
• ANM 686: 3D Character Animation 1 (Major)
• ANM 697: Feature Animation (Major)

Semester 3

• ANM 652: Introduction to Rigging (Major)
• ANM 687: 3D Character Animation 2 (Major)
• GLA 621: History & Techniques of Character Animation (Graduate Liberal Arts)

Semester 4

• ANM 620: Advanced Character Animation (Major)
• ANM 676: MS: 3D Animation Physics and Mechanics (Major)
• ANM 770: Final Portfolio Preparation (Major)