Animation Courses

FYE199: IAS: Visual Development & Storytelling
This course introduces foundational visual development and visual storytelling skills for both illustrators and animators. Projects and exercises will walk students through processes to develop successful concepts, sequence images to tell clear stories, design believable visual worlds, and create illustrations with professional techniques. Students will explore how formal design principles can be applied to character, prop, and environment design to create cohesive illustrated worlds. Emphasis will be placed on using lighting, color theory, and cohesive design to suggest mood, theme, time, and place to the viewer.

IMAT207: 2D Motion Fundamentals
Explore 2D digital animation tool sets, while practicing how animation principles, timing, and sound design can create believable, relatable, innovative, and evocative short films and spots. Students will be exposed to digital 2D animation processes that can be applied to motion graphics, character animation, and special effects. Students will continue applying ideation and visualization techniques learned in Visual Development & Storytelling to create engaging and clear sequential narratives.

2D Motion Fundamentals is part of a 200-level animation series that provides fundamental training and exploration within 2D, 3D, and interactive toolsets. These courses are designed to give students a broad understanding of the gamut of contemporary professional outcomes in animation, while also allowing them to discover areas of personal interest.

IMAT209: 3D Modeling & Animation
Practice techniques for modeling, surfacing, lighting, animation, rendering, and 3D printing. Students will be exposed to 3D tool sets with applications in animated films, interactive games, printed toys, and more. Emphasis will be placed on designing appealing objects and characters with strong silhouettes that hold visual interest from all angles. Students will continue applying ideation and visualization techniques learned in Visual Development & Storytelling to create engaging and clear designs for use in 3D.

3D Modeling & Animation is part of a 200-level animation series that provides fundamental training and exploration within 2D, 3D, and interactive toolsets. These courses are designed to give students a broad understanding of the gamut of contemporary professional outcomes in animation, while also allowing them to discover areas of personal interest.

IMAT213: Interactive & New Media
Innovate with new media tools to create dynamic, interactive, dimensional, and experiential animation projects. Through workshops and projects, students will explore how new media such as virtual reality, projection mapping, motion capture, and programming can be applied to commercial assignments within advertising and entertainment markets. This foundational technical knowledge and hands-on experience will allow students to develop innovative projects that do not fit within the traditional animation paradigm. Topics in this course will be updated annually to reflect cutting-edge technologies and trends within the animation industry. Interactive & New Media is part of a 200-level animation series that provides fundamental training and exploration within 2D, 3D, and interactive toolsets. These courses are designed to give students a broad understanding of the gamut of contemporary professional outcomes in animation, while also allowing them to discover areas of personal interest.

IMAT313: Animation Professional Practice
Prepare for the professional animation opportunities by evaluating personal strengths and interests, researching areas of commercial opportunity, and creating a package of promotional materials to engage with the marketplace. During this course students will establish portfolio websites, develop social media networks, learn best practices for putting together a reel, assemble a list of potential clients/internships/job opportunities, and create professional documents like resumes and cover letters. Lectures will outline different animation markets, business practices, and self-promotion. This course is placed within the junior year so that students may use these materials when applying for opportunities and internships during the summer before their senior year.

IMAT414: Animation Thesis Pre-Production
Pitch an animation-based project and develop pre-production artwork to prepare for a semester long animated project. Assignments will task students with creation of production schedules, concept art, and prototypes. Depending on the interests, skills, and professional aspirations of the student, projects can take many different forms including: short films, computer games, interactive experiences, and 3D models. Projects must incorporate significant content research to support the idea, concept, and/or narrative. Students may choose to work alone or in teams. Animation Thesis Pre-Production is the first of a two-part fourth-year experience. In the Spring, students will produce the finished projects in preparation for MIAD’s Thesis Exhibition.

IMAT415: Animation Thesis Production
Animation Thesis Production is the second of a two-part fourth-year experience where students will produce high-quality animation projects in preparation for MIAD’s Thesis Exhibition. With the support of a faculty mentor, students will follow the plans created during Animation Thesis Pre-Production. Students may choose to work alone or in teams.