In this introductory quarter, you will learn the practical skills and knowledge that form the foundation of visual art in animation. In your initial Character Animation course, you will be introduced to the principles of animation and the application of traditional drawing in  2D animation. You will get an Introduction to the Animation Industry which covers the history of animation, its changing cultural significance, major past and current players/influencers, types of animation (2D, 3D, stop-motion, motion capture).  In your first Life Drawing course, weekly life drawing sessions will train you to render the human form accurately – a skill essential to 2D Animation.

In your second quarter, you will build upon the fundamental principles of animation acquired in your first quarter with further traditional study of human and animal mechanics and acting. You will concentrate on fine-tuning your life drawing skills such as shading, perspective, anatomy, proportions, and other elements essential to artistically represent the human form.  The principles and rules of linear and organic perspective are covered alongside other drawing elements.  Digital painting and design for animation will be introduced to complement and broaden your artistic palette.

In your third quarter, you will transition from traditional animation into Digital Character Animation where, in addition to animating with studio-quality assets, you will be introduced to the tools and techniques of working in this digital medium.  You will continue with more advanced life drawing training in which you will gain further knowledge of anatomy, structure, composition, line weight and rendering for portraying the human and animal form alongside developing the techniques and principles for strong character design. You will also become familiar with Storyboarding, where you will practice creating sequential art to convey story and character in visual media.

In your fourth quarter, you will continue honing the process and techniques of 2D Digital Character Animation through the application of industry-standard methods and software tools.  You will add essential breadth to your 2D art portfolio through traditional mixed media study in life drawing with watercolour painting, marker and ink rendering, pencil and pastel as well as design principles and elements as it relates to design in animation.  You will begin the pre-production process of pitching and developing an idea for your final project which allows you to explore the creative freedom of realizing your own idea while putting into practise everything you have learned about the process of an animated show pipeline.

In this crucial final quarter, you will benefit from the guidance and mentoring of your professional instructors and success coaches designed to aid you in securing employment after graduation. Digital Character Animation will continue to teach and reinforce more advanced techniques, allowing you to hone your animation skills to the level of employability.  Your final project will enter the key production phase and you will learn to use digital editing and post-production processes in the delivery of this final project and professional demo reel and portfolio site.