DEGREE JOBS ABOUT FACULTY STUDENT
ASSOCIATE OF ARTS DEGREE IN ANIMATION
To acquire the Associate of Arts Degree in Animation, it is necessary to complete the graduation requirements of the college along with the following.
Entertainment Art-Digital Environment
Entertainment Art students work in a collaborative environment on project based assignments that revolve around creativity and innovation. Students are taught the skills they will need in order to create amazing artwork using the latest digital tools. The curriculum centers on the current production techniques used in designing the visual components found in games, apps, feature films and the web. From the fundamentals of 2D visual development through the pipeline for creating a finished 3D piece, students are guided by industry professionals. Entertainment Art students finish their training with portfolios full of captivating digital environments, vehicles and props.
To acquire the Certificate of Achievement in Entertainment Art-Digital Environments it is necessary to complete the following courses:
Required Courses
ART 170 Introduction to Digital Painting / Units – 3
ANIM 130 Modeling for Games / Units – 4
ANIM 134 Mech and Vehicle Design / Units – 4
ANIM 135 Environment Design / Units – 4
ANIM 140 Animation Portfolio / Units – 3
Degree Total/ Units Required 19
Certificates Of Achievement
Entertainment Art-Digital Characters
Entertainment Art students work in a collaborative environment on project based assignments that revolve around creativity and innovation. Students are taught the skills they will need in order to create amazing artwork using the latest digital tools. The curriculum centers on the current production techniques used in designing the visual components found in games, apps, feature films and the web. From the fundamentals of 2D visual development through the pipeline for creating a finished 3D piece, students are guided by industry professionals. Entertainment Art students finish their training with portfolios full of intriguing and elaborate digital characters.
To acquire the Certificate of Achievement in Entertainment Art-Digital Characters it is necessary to complete the following courses:
Required Courses
ART 170 Introduction to Digital Painting / Units – 3
ANIM 110 Digital Character Animation / Units – 4
ANIM 130 Modeling for Games / Units – 4
ANIM 133 Character Design / Units – 4
ANIM 140 Animation Portfolio / Units – 4
ANIM 260 Figure Drawing for Animators / Units – 3
Degree Total/ Units Required 22
Check out student work from the animation classes
CLASSES
Class Schedule-Access Rio
ANIM 101 / INTRO TO DIGITAL 3D ANIMATION
Articulates to Cal State Fullerton
This course is an introduction to the art of creating digital character animation. Students will be introduced to the concepts of digital sculpting, lighting, rendering, rigging and animating 3-D objects. This course is beneficial for all students in classes related to Graphic Arts (Multimedia, Illustration, Web and Game Design and Film Production) and Industrial Design (Architectural, Automotive, Furniture, Clothing and Product Design).
ANIM 105 / PRINCIPLES OF DIGITAL ANIMATION
Articulates to Cal State Fullerton
This course introduces students to the basic principles that are the foundation for the art form of animation. The topics covered in this course are the starting point for any student interested in becoming a digital animator. Through the use of a computer, solid drawing and 3D software such as Maya, students will learn to master fundamentals like squash and stretch, timing, weight, drag and follow through. This course provides students with the opportunity to build and refine the basic skill set necessary to be a digital animator.
ANIM 110 / DIGITAL CHARACTER ANIMATION
This course will provide students with an opportunity to further develop their skills in the art of creating three-dimensional digital character animation. Students will learn how to create short animation sequences and loops using digital characters. This course is appropriate and beneficial for all students in courses related to Graphic Arts (Multimedia, Illustration, Internet Web Design, Game Design and Broadcast Media Production) and Industrial Design (Architectural, Automotive, Furniture, Clothing and Product Design). Students will be introduced to the concepts of storyboarding, Body Mechanics, acting for animators, Pose to pose and straight ahead animation, control rigging, and animating mechanical subject matter.
ANIM 120 / LIGHTING AND TEXTURE
This is an introductory course for all students interested in learning about lighting, rendering and texturing for 3D animation. Students focus on creating lighting scenarios and texture editing systems to generate and render surface details on a variety of 3D objects. This course is beneficial for all students in courses related to Graphic Arts (Multimedia, Illustration, Internet Web Design, Game Design and Film Production) and Industrial Design (Architectural, Automotive, Furniture, Clothing and Product Design).
ANIM 130 / MODELING FOR GAMES
This is an introductory course in the creation of assets and environments for games. The course focuses on the creation of forms to be integrated into a game, and students will begin to grasp the design and digital sculpting of both organic and hard surface game assets. Aesthetics, construction, communication, light, form and quality of work are stressed. This course is beneficial for all students in courses related to Graphic Arts, Multimedia, Illustration, Internet Web Design, Game Design, Film Production, Industrial Design Architectural, Automotive, Furniture, Clothing and Product Design.
ANIM 133 / CHARACTER DESIGN
This class is intended to teach the fundamentals of character design. Students learn the basics in character development by revising and polishing innovative designs of visually intriguing characters. The course helps students’ master and use gesture, construction and anatomy in their designs. Students learn to use digital tools to sketch, paint and build a visually compelling portfolio of characters.
ANIM 134 / MECH AND VEHICLE DESIGN
This class is geared towards designing mechs, and vehicles of all types for the entertainment industry. Centered on digital drawing and rendering using Photoshop, students create and present finished portfolio pages. The course takes students through a clear and efficient design process emphasizing storytelling, gesture, shape, and color.
ANIM 135 / ENVIRONMENT DESIGN
This class introduces students to the artistic and technical requirements needed to work in the entertainment industry as environment artists. Through class projects students learn the latest techniques in the construction of game levels using Maya and Unity. In addition to level design and the practical aspects of modeling and lighting, an emphasis is placed on the artistic merit of the students work through value, color, design and composition.
ANIM 140 – Animation Portfolio
This course will prepare digital artists to talk about and present their artwork in a professional manner. Students will select an area of concentration within Entertainment Design to focus a portfolio project around. Using programs such as Photoshop CC, Premier CC, ZBrush, Maya and the Unity game engine students will create an online portfolio. This course is an excellent opportunity for students interested in developing and presenting a body of work that will help them take the next step in their professional career.

ART 260 – Figure Drawing for Animators
Articulates to Cal State Fullerton
This figure drawing course for animators and art students focuses on gesture and how to capture the essential movement, dynamic expression, and the individual attitude of the model. It provides an introduction to figure drawing for animation and is designed to promote deeper understanding of life drawing that will serve as a foundation for further studies in animation and entertainment arts. Students will refine basic skills in drawing human anatomy while learning to draw the figure in sequential movement, understand weight and balance, facial and body expression, and figure invention. This course may be taken by art majors wishing to further life drawing skills and is recommended for all animation art majors.