OCAD University

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Experimental Animation

What You’ll Do in the Program

First Year

In the first year, in addition to an art class of your choosing, you’ll take:

• Sculpture Concepts
• Form and structure
• Wearable art
• Photography
• Painting
• The Moving Image: Production I
• 3D Animation and Modelling
• Painting & Digital Imaging
• Sonic Art
• XR Playground
• Body and technology
• Printmaking
• Art and code

Second Year

In second year, you’ll start developing core storytelling and technical skills. You will be exposed to many different animation practices, approaches and theories. You’ll take Animation Reframed, a course covering the state of animation art today and a Visual Storytelling course to learn about storyboarding and building meaningful concepts. You’ll also take a Hybrid Animation Workshop to focus on expanded animation like installations, game engines and virtual/augmented reality. You can also take three animation electives of your choice, such as:

• Compositing & Digital Animation
• 3D Modelling and Animation
• Intermediate Animation
• Stop-Motion Material Mashup
• Character Design & Animation

You’ll also take a Contemporary Issues seminar and two Liberal Arts electives of your choice.

Third Year

In third year, you’ll work on a year-long project. You’ll take Advanced Animation Studio 1 and 2 to develop your personal vision, research and core media and animation skills. You’ll also have a choice of electives that could include:

• 3D Modelling & Animation 2
• Advanced 2D Character Animation
• Stop-Motion Puppet Show
• Advanced Compositing
• Sound Design

You’ll also choose an experimental learning course that will help you prepare for your career:

• Professional Practice
• Learning in the Field
• Independent Study

Fourth Year

In fourth year, you’ll take an Experimental Learning course. You could work with one of OCAD U’s many partners. Past projects have included making animations for billboards at Yonge-Dundas Square or the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, developing projections for the Toronto Youth Wind Orchestra, projection mapping animations on buildings for the City of Toronto with AVA Animation, teaching workshops or assisting professional animators at the Toronto Animated Image Society.

Everything else is up to you. You’ll be able to choose your focus and do a deep-dive on a personal, year-long project in the EXAN Thesis Course. This is a six-hour a semester course where you will work closely with your classmates and faculty to develop your vision into a final project that you will be able to show in festivals and venues around the world.

At the end of the year, you’ll showcase your work at GradEx, OCAD U’s Graduate Exhibition, the biggest free art and design exhibition in Toronto with more than 40,000 visitors.

In this program, you’ll develop a personal artistic vision and push the boundaries of animation as a contemporary art form. You’ll mix traditional and digital media using 2D, 3D, stop-motion, digital compositing and augmented/virtual reality.

At the end of this four-year program, you will earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree.

Jobs You Can Get

Graduates of the program work in:

• Artistic practice
• Animation
• Mural work
• Film, video and TV production

Co-ops/Internships

OCAD U offers so much more than co-ops because creative careers take many forms. Our approach is specialized and individual to every student’s needs and goals. You will be able to take advantage of:

• Short experiential learning placements from among hundreds of organizations
• Creative in-class projects with real-world industry partners
• Exclusive summer internships
• Gallery exhibitions of your work
• Freelance creative opportunities
• Jobs after graduation

OCAD University’s dedicated support services will help you build a professional community, valuable experience, and skills necessary for a meaningful career.