B.F.A. Digital Animation Degree Plan/Courses
Curriculum Plan for BFA DA Undergraduates
Once accepted, the student must then complete the following courses totaling 42 credits (for a total of 72 credits). GPA requirements continue through each assessment period with annual reviews occurring at the end of spring semester each year.
Once accepted, the student must then complete the following courses totaling 42 credits (for a total of 72 credits). GPA requirements continue through each assessment period with annual reviews occurring at the end of spring semester each year.
Year One as a BFA Major
Fall
MAR 323 3D Motion Design - 3 cr.
MAR 305 3D Animation I - 3 cr.
MAR 330 Princ. of Sound Design - 3 cr.
Spring
MAR 326 Intro to Cinematography - 3 cr.
MAR 333 3D Animation II - 3 cr.
MAR 335 Experimental Animation - 3 cr.
MAR 340 Princ. of Interactive Media - 3 cr.
MAR 326 Intro to Cinematography - 3 cr.
MAR 333 3D Animation II - 3 cr.
MAR 335 Experimental Animation - 3 cr.
MAR 340 Princ. of Interactive Media - 3 cr.
Year Two as a BFA Major
Fall
MAR 416 Pre-Prod for Animation - 3 cr.
MAR 425 Tech. of Digital Animation - 3 cr.
MAR 465 Special Projects - 3 cr.
MAR 416 Pre-Prod for Animation - 3 cr.
MAR 425 Tech. of Digital Animation - 3 cr.
MAR 465 Special Projects - 3 cr.
Spring
MAR 440 Tech. of Interactive Media - 3 cr.
MAR 450 Topics in film/media - 3 cr.
MAR 457 Post-Prod for Animation - 3 cr.
MAR 460 Senior Project - 3 cr.
MAR 440 Tech. of Interactive Media - 3 cr.
MAR 450 Topics in film/media - 3 cr.
MAR 457 Post-Prod for Animation - 3 cr.
MAR 460 Senior Project - 3 cr.
Course Descriptions
Please see the Course Catalog for a complete listing of Media Arts courses.
101L Introduction to Media Arts
3 cr. Offered every term. Overview of the media arts and their interaction, integration and development in the creation of story beginning with early years of photography and movie-making through the introduction of radio and television up to the digital revolution.
102 Digital Technology in the Arts
3 cr. Offered every term. An introduction to the relationship between aesthetics and the emerging capacities of digital technology. The course will explore the basic evolution of hardware, system software, and the internet and will present a brief history of the pioneers of both traditional and digital art. It will also look at contemporary and emerging trends in the artistic application of digital technology.
111A Fundamentals of Integrated Digital Art
3 cr. Offered every term. A project oriented editing and design course that focuses on artistic expression and its relationship to digital technology. Using Final Cut Pro, Adobe Photoshop and Adobe After Effects, students will create audio/visual work in both the still image and time based mediums.
112A Intro to Non-Linear Editing
3 cr. Offered every term. Study of the history, process and philosophy of narrative film/video editing and an introduction to Final Cut Pro nonlinear editing software.
210 Creation of Media Story
3 cr. Offered autumn. Media Arts Majors only. An introduction to screenwriting and visualization for media story. Focus is on developing visual writing skills and effective utilization of critical story elements.
221 Fundamentals of Digital Image Design
3 cr. Offered autumn. Media Arts Majors only. Introduction to the fundamental concepts, principles and practices of digital still imaging in order to establish a common aesthetic and technical language necessary to develop quality designs on the computer.
251 Digital Video Production Techniques
3 cr. Offered autumn. Media Arts Majors only. Intermediate study of digital video cameras, lighting, sound, and their use in specific production situations.
300 Visions of Film
3 cr. Offered spring. Media Arts Majors only. Study of major film theories that led to the constitution of visual film language and their application in contemporary film narrative and direction.
302 Intro to Motion Design
3 cr. Offered spring. Media Arts Majors only. This project-oriented course will introduce students to the basic technical and aesthetic components of digital motion design using the industry standard software programs Photoshop and After Effects.
305 3D Animation I
3 cr. Offered fall. Media Arts Majors only.
This course is an introduction to fundamental concepts, principles, and practices of 3D digital modeling with Maya. Students will develop 3D modeling techniques, including production of geometric and organic objects. Through lectures, tutorials, in-class exercises and projects, students will be exposed to various techniques that may be used for innovative and artistic content such as filmic animation and compositing.Open to Media Arts majors only.
323 3D Motion Design
3 cr. Offered fall. Media Arts Majors only. Introduction to fundamental concepts, principles and practices of digital compositing and rendering in order to establish a common aesthetic and technical language necessary to develop quality time-based art and design.
325 Fundamentals of Digital Animation
3 cr. Offered every term. Media Arts Majors only. Introduction to two-dimensional digital animation, focusing on character and motion design animation fundamentals including: cell animation (frame by frame), motion-tweening, working with key frames and motion paths, moving elements on a 2D stage, object choreography and text animation.
326 Intro to Cinematography
3 cr.Offered spring. Media Arts majors only. Preliminary study of digital cinematography including color theory, composition, lens choice, continuity, camera movement/support, lighting for film and video, and grip in both studio and location situations.
330 Principles of Sound Design
3 cr. Offered fall. Media Arts Majors only. Introduction to fundamental concepts, principles and practices of digital sound recording and editing in order to establish a common aesthetic and technical language necessary to develop quality audio design.
333 3D Animation II
3 cr. Offered spring. Media Arts Majors only.
Building on the modeling skills learned in 3D Animation I, this course teaches students how to animate, texture map, add visual effects and render. The course will also cover advanced rigging techniques. As a continuation of this series, students will be introduced to animation, dynamics (including particle and fluid systems), and MEL scripting.
335 Experimental Animation
3 cr. Offered spring. Media Arts Majors only.
This course focuses on the development and creation of experimental animation projects using traditional stop motion animation techniques such as hand drawn, silhouette, object and clay. Projects created in this class may have elements created using iStopmotion, Dragonframe and other digital capture platforms.
340 Principles of Interactive Media
3 cr. Offered spring. Media Arts Majors only. Overview of the fundamental techniques and principles of interactive media and exploration into it's artistic application. Topics include internet structure, cloud computing, basic HTML and CSS, mobile devices, browsers, and internet-based collaboration.
416 Pre-Production for Animation
3 cr. Offered fall. Media Arts Majors only.
This course offers a thorough look at storyboarding/previsuals, idea sketches and writing synopsis, as well as identity and promotion of finished animated works. Promotional imaging, treatments and festival entry work will also be a focus in this class.
425 Techniques of Digital Animation
3 cr. Offered fall. Media Arts Majors only. Advanced techniques of 2D animation using Macromedia Flash as well as integrating those techniques with the basic 3D digital animation capabilities of Adobe After Effects, including virtual lighting and the virtual camera.
440 Interactive Media Techniques
3 cr. Offered spring. Media Arts majors only. Building on the principles and techniques covered in MAR 340, this project-based class focuses on the artistic applications of interactive media in an internet environment.
450 Topics in Film and Media Studies
3 cr. Offered spring. Media Arts Majors only. Research and exploration of contemporary film, video, digital art and design. Focus on areas of student research both in commercial and non-commercial venues and styles.
457 3D Compositing
3 cr. Offered spring. Media Arts Majors only.
This course covers the principles and techniques of finishing projects/animations. Students will focus on advanced rendering tools and applications, refined editing and titles/credits, enabling students to leave with a well polished finished animation project.
460 Senior Project
3 cr. Offered spring. Media Arts Majors only. This capstone course gives the student an opportunity to create an integrated senior project which brings together all of the elements of their course of study.
465 Special Projects
3 cr. Offered fall. Media Arts Majors only. Focus on the production of short commercial works as well as paper projects with potential clients. Students develop an internet portfolio for entry into the profession upon graduation. The class serves as a synthesis point for analysis and presentation of techniques and principles learned throughout the program.