PROGRAM DESCRIPTION & OBJECTIVES
The Bachelor of Science in Animation with a concentration in Game Art is designed to provide students the knowledge and understanding of 3D modeling, materials and textures, engine integration, and animation needed to qualify for such entry-level positions in the game industry as prop artists, environment artists, character artists, and animators. Students will also build other skills in peripheral media and complete digital courses that will enhance their opportunities in related fields. In addition to technical proficiency and creative development, the curriculum helps students develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills that contribute to lifelong learning and provide tools that will help sustain a productive professional career in the entertainment media industry.
PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
The Bachelor of Science in Animation with a concentration in Game Art degree program is 120 credit hours and 36 months in length. Students must successfully complete all required coursework with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0.
Chronological Course Order By Month
MONTH 1
SBS 100 Media and Culture (3 Credits)
CAMPUS COURSE
Media and Culture examines the complex, mutually influential relationships between various forms of media and cultural assumptions/practices from both historical and modern perspectives. The course focuses on the cultural, political, and economic impact media has on our diverse communities and society at large. By providing a global survey of digital communications (news, information, social media, entertainment), the course will concentrate on the application of new forms of media in personal lives, organizational structures, business models, and the critical and practical aspects of both traditional and emerging technologies. The course also introduces students to the roots and contemporary applications of cultural studies — including media studies — and analyzes the bases of power and meaning in the conception, creation, distribution, and reception of media content.
MONTH 2
SBS 113 Behavioral Science (3 Credits)
Behavioral Science introduces students to the concepts of cognitive processes and the ways these can be applied to mastering their education. Concepts like Motivation, Personal Development, and Interactions will be explored, which can strengthen individual growth and improve academic performance. Application of the knowledge gained in this course will lead students to have a stronger desire for achieving mastery when learning new concepts and a greater appreciation for lifelong learning.
MONTH 3
CAN 101 Overview of Animation Production (3 Credits)
In this course, students will develop a working knowledge of the animation industry and learn the interface for industry-standard 2D software packages for image manipulation. They will learn about the animation pipeline by deconstructing and assembling a completed production shot.
MONTH 4
CAN 115 Shading and Lighting 1 (3 Credits)
This course will introduce students to the fundamentals of cameras and lighting and how they behave in the 3D environment. Students will learn to use 3D cameras and lights to emulate real-world cinematography and will further develop their knowledge of the 3D software and interface. Topics will include simulating real-life lighting conditions, atmospheric lighting, and animating a camera.
MONTH 5
CAN 110 Digital Painting (3 Credits)
This course introduces students to digital painting on the computer. Students will learn to develop a basic working knowledge of 2D and 3D painting programs. Students will also become comfortable with the settings and tools within the software and learn about the importance of layering and non-destructive workflow.
MONTH 6
CAN 120 Shading and Lighting 2 (3 Credits)
Prerequisite: CAN 115 Shading and Lighting 1
This course will build upon the knowledge gained in CAN 115 Shading and Lighting 1 by focusing on the surface appearance of 3D objects and how they react with light. Students will learn to manipulate surface properties using materials and textures within a 3D environment. Students will determine an art direction for how the objects will appear in their renders and integrate their artwork back into a production pipeline.
MONTH 7
ENG 101 Foundations of Writing (3 Credits)
Foundations of Writing is designed to help students refine their writing processes. The course provides varied opportunities for writing and for strengthening language skills. Students will apply fundamental writing principles focused on conventional rules of English grammar, syntax, and organization. Students will develop and hone their writing skills through selected readings and exercises.
MONTH 8
CAN 125 Modeling Fundamentals (3 Credits)
This course will teach students the basic tools to create and manipulate polygon surfaces. The class will focus on the design and creation of 3D meshes with the basic fundamentals for production-ready assets.
MONTH 9
AVE 190 Digital Sculpting 1 (3 Credits)
This course will teach students how to digitally sculpt in an advanced modeling package. Students will learn to digitally recreate traditional sculpting techniques from clay modeling and apply those techniques to their digital models. The knowledge gained in this course will help students improve the quality of their artwork and show them how to seamlessly integrate assets into a production pipeline.
MONTH 10
SPC 214 Creative Communication (3 Credits)
Creative Communication provides students with the skills to outline and articulate ideas in both formal and informal settings. Students will engage in communication planning exercises and develop techniques for delivering ideas effectively through various verbal and non-verbal methods for a variety of audiences. Throughout the course, students will explore the guidelines of successful communication through various media environments and enhance confidence in oral self-expression.
MONTH 11
AVE 130 Storyboarding and Previsualization (3 Credits)
This course will illustrate how to take a written story and bring it into the digital medium. Students will learn to take a completed story and turn it into a 2D storyboard. Students will then use that data to create visual timing and apply it to a 3D environment blockout. The knowledge gained will extend students’ understanding of the role of preproduction in a production pipeline.
MONTH 12
AVE 240 Character Animation 1 (3 Credits)
This course will demonstrate the basics of body mechanics and how they apply to the 12 principles of animation. Students will explore methods for creating movements based on professional references. This knowledge of body mechanics will give students a stronger sense of anatomy and how the human body moves.
MONTH 13
CAN 210 Look Development 1 (3 Credits)
This course builds upon existing knowledge gained from CAN 110 Digital Painting. Students will learn advanced techniques for creating three-dimensional assets. They will construct a production-ready asset using a production pipeline and gain a strong understanding of establishing a scene’s storytelling through look development.
MONTH 14
AVE 240 Character Animation 1 (3 Credits)
This course will demonstrate the basics of body mechanics and how they apply to the 12 principles of animation. Students will explore methods for creating movements based on professional references. This knowledge of body mechanics will give students a stronger sense of anatomy and how the human body moves.
MONTH 15
AVE 100 The Fundamentals of Surface Anatomy (3 Credits)
This course introduces students to multiple aspects of human anatomy by utilizing figure drawing, posing, movement, and the basic human form. The students will utilize both 2D and 3D to gain knowledge of the human form. The knowledge gained in this course will be extremely valuable to students who would like to design, rig, or animate characters.
MONTH 16
AVE 230 Character Rigging 1 (3 Credits)
This course will familiarize students with core rigging techniques. Students will develop a keen understanding of how a joint hierarchy works, math-based connections, and how to create a 3D puppet rig that relates to human and animal anatomy.
MAT 121 Quantitative Principles (3 Credits)
Quantitative Principles is designed to enable students to build skills and confidence in foundations of algebra, geometry, and real-world mathematical applications. These concepts will enhance students’ problem-solving skills in a wide variety of professional and academic settings. Students will begin with a review of basic concepts and build upon these ideas by completing work that uses these principles in practical situations.
MONTH 17
CAN 220 Look Development 2 (3 Credits)
This course builds upon the knowledge gained from CAN 210 Look Development 1. Students will learn finalization techniques for creating three-dimensional assets. They will finalize a production-ready asset using a production pipeline and continue to gain a strong understanding of storytelling through look development to finish a scene.
MONTH 18
CAN 330 Character Rigging 2 (3 Credits)
Prerequisite: AVE 230 Character Rigging 1
This course will reinforce the knowledge gained in AVE 230 Character Rigging 1 by teaching students to explore advanced rigging techniques. Learning these techniques will enforce the importance of good binding and weighting to deform models organically based on preproduction and accurate anatomical references. Students will create an advanced rig that will feature an advanced stretchy system and high-level, math-based connections. Students will integrate their rigs into a production pipeline.
MONTH 19
HUM 251 Historical Archetypes and Mythology (3 Credits)
Historical Archetypes and Mythology is a comparative survey of a wide variety of cross-cultural myths, epics, and legends and the archetypal patterns that inform their universal themes. Students will examine how mythic storytelling transcends geographical, historical, and cultural boundaries and compare the connections between historical examples of mythic storytelling and their modern counterparts.
MONTH 20
CAN 250 Portfolio Development (3 Credits)
This is an assessment course focused on gauging a student’s comprehension of the computer animation pipeline. The course will be project-driven and will prepare students to meet production deadlines. Students will create portfolio assets focusing on one discipline and a presentation on how to integrate these assets into a production pipeline.
HUM 310 Art of Visual Narrative (3 Credits)
Art of Visual Narrative serves as an introduction to the development of the visual narrative arts from a cultural, artistic, and commercial perspective. The course will explore the historical links between artwork of ancient cultures, illustrated novels in the era of the printing press, and the comic book industry from its inception in the late 1930s to its current state in multimedia corporate franchises. From an artistic perspective, the course will examine the creative processes behind the development of a sequential narrative, from conception to final product, as it applies to multiple genres in modern entertainment.
MONTH 21
AVE 200 Digital Sculpting 2 (3 Credits)
Building on the principles from Digital Sculpting 1, students will learn how to sculpt high-fidelity character meshes. Students will focus on sculpting the human form and reintegrating their animations back into a 3D package. This course will also increase students’ understanding of anatomy and help them grow as artists.
MONTH 22
AVE 170 Art Creation for Games (3 Credits)
This course provides students with a strong knowledge of the way real-time 3D content is modeled, textured, and exported for today’s video games. Students develop game resolution models of hard-surface environment props while studying various environments in professionally created immersive video game levels.
MONTH 23
AVE 375 Specialized Applications Methodology (3 Credits)
This course is designed for the use and implementation of production tools such as mocap, photogrammetry, and other specialized production tools. Students will research tools, develop processes, and employ techniques that could be utilized in visual effects and CG/game production.
HUM 223 Cultural Studies (3 Credits)
Cultural Studies examines the role and importance of culture by exploring its roots, historical effects, social impact, and modern environment. Students are introduced to the factors that create and shape culture, such as media, technological advancements, influential people, and economic conditions. Students will develop critical thinking skills to understand the meaning, significance, and value of the different aspects of culture.
MONTH 24
AVE 310 Visual Effects 2 (3 Credits)
PREREQUISITE: AVE 290 VISUAL EFFECTS 1
This course will introduce students to the foundations and creation of real-time visual effects for games. Students will build on the knowledge gained from their prior visual effects courses to develop, design, and create real-time particle and material-based effects for enhancing a game level or character’s actions. The effects will combine both static and animated 2D/3D elements.
SBS 305 Leadership and Organizational Behavior (3 Credits)
Leadership and Organizational Behavior is an exploration of the characteristics that are essential for inspiring others to action. Students identify their personal strengths and weaknesses through self-assessment, expanding their awareness of these qualities to include their effect on other individuals and group behavior. The course provides strategies for decision-making and building effective teams, and encourages students to explore the difficulties, compromises, and rewards of the collaborative process. At the successful conclusion of Leadership and Organizational Behavior, students will be able to identify the major qualities of leadership, examine personal leadership strengths and weaknesses, and analyze factors that contribute to the success of organizations.
MONTH 25
AVE 385 Virtual Production 2 (3 Credits)
This course continues building upon the knowledge gained from AVE 320 Virtual Production 1 by focusing on the application of learned techniques in the creation of a Virtual Production project. Students will collaborate throughout the Virtual Production pipeline, starting with a script and continuing all the way through working with the sequencer in Unreal Engine.
MONTH 26
AVE 380 Lighting and Rendering (3 Credits)
This course bridges the roles of a lighter/compositor and technical director, expanding on practical lighting techniques to seamlessly blend CG into practical environments. Focusing on matching real-world lighting, students will learn to acquire reference HDRI imaging, apply it to 3D assets, create multi-passes for photorealistic renders, and composite elements into live-action footage.
MONTH 27
AGA 360 Environment Art (3 Credits)
The Environment Art course trains students in the techniques involved in modern game-environment creation. Students will gain a deeper technical understanding of environmental creation and will develop assets for use in a game engine. The course focuses on the modularity of materials and meshes that adhere to industry standards, both visually and technically.
MONTH 28
AVE 450 Project Management for Production (3 Credits)
This course is designed to instruct students on tracking and managing art assets, as well as managing interdepartmental communication on a production. Using industry-standard software, such as Autodesk ShotGrid, will not only help the students organize their own work, but also prepare them for production assistant, production coordination, and visual effects coordination duties.
MONTH 29
HUM 251 Historical Archetypes and Mythology (3 Credits)
Historical Archetypes and Mythology is a comparative survey of a wide variety of cross-cultural myths, epics, and legends and the archetypal patterns that inform their universal themes. Students will examine how mythic storytelling transcends geographical, historical, and cultural boundaries and compare the connections between historical examples of mythic storytelling and their modern counterparts.
MONTH 30
AGA 345 Game Art Production 1 (3 Credits)
In this course, students will learn advanced 3D modeling techniques to achieve higher-quality assets while also optimizing for the intended delivery platform, whether it be for prerendered animations, previsualizations, or a real-time game engine.
MONTH 31
AGA 346 Game Art Production 2 (3 Credits)
Building on the skills acquired in Game Art Production 1, this course delves deeper into the art of game asset and environment creation. Students will learn advanced techniques in a game engine, create more complex game environments, and apply advanced lighting and texturing techniques.
MONTH 32
ENG 326 Professional Writing (3 Credits)
Professional Writing provides students with a practical set of communication tools for a diverse range of written applications. In this course, students will analyze the form, style, diction, grammar, and structure of a variety of nonfiction writing examples. Students will develop an array of writing skills designed to communicate ideas with clarity that effectively reach a target audience.
MONTH 33
CAN 480 Portfolio Preparation (3 Credits)
This course develops students’ ability to plan, coordinate, study assets, and use traditional methods to demonstrate their acquired knowledge as 3D artists. Successful completion of this course arms students with the knowledge of how to use good references and artistic studies to create production blueprints.
MONTH 34
CAN 481 Portfolio Content Creation 1 (3 Credits)
This course is designed to allow students to review and continue advancing their overall knowledge of computer animation workflow, timelines, professional behavior, and mindset. This course prepares students to experience a four-week production deadline and introduces them to the challenges of working under production constraints. Students will create assets that are managed and critiqued by an art director to help guide projects toward industry expectations under defined deadlines.
MONTH 35
CAN 482 Portfolio Content Creation 2 (3 Credits)
In this course, students will continue working with the art directors and within the critique process as they work to create production-ready content. Students work at optimal speed and precision while maintaining a keen understanding of artistic appeal, time management, asset creation, and professional behavior — skills that will prepare them for the methods, environments, and conditions experienced in the production arena.
MONTH 36
CAN 483 Portfolio Content Creation 3 (3 Credits)
This course provides students with the time to develop a portfolio, which is an important tool for obtaining a job in the animation industry. Candidates for a job are expected to show their portfolios to their prospective employers. During this time, students take the content developed throughout their degree program and assemble it into a presentable package. Before the creation of the portfolio, instructors review the student’s work to help the student determine the best material for showcasing their talents as computer animation artists.