Many believe that Stan Winston鈥檚 lifelike computer animation鈥攈is menacing 鈥渄inosaur animatronics,鈥 featured in Jurassic Park鈥攆orever changed the way audiences could experience special effects. And there鈥檚 more groundbreaking work being done in animation and special effects every day by people with amazing ideas and the skills to pursue them. Not all programs combine the two fields, but some do, and much of the material overlaps. During your studies, you鈥檒l learn the basics of animation, such as stop-motion and two- and three-dimensional animation, as well as how to best integrate all the elements that make an animated character come alive鈥攖he drawing itself, the dialogue, the sound effects. And the characters you create need something to do鈥攕o you鈥檒l also learn how to plot a story.
If your interest is special effects, you鈥檒l learn how to manipulate audiences鈥 audiovisual senses to create your desired impact. You鈥檒l gain an understanding of how perception works and how this perception can be 鈥渢ricked.鈥 With your new knowledge and technical skills, you鈥檒l be on your way to learning exactly how the jaw-dropping effects that you鈥檝e always loved in the movies are created鈥攁nd, eventually, you鈥檒l be able to create those effects on your own or with a team.
In your pursuit of a degree in animation and special effects, you鈥檒l also dabble in art history. And by evaluating great animators and special effects artists of the past and present, you鈥檒l begin to perfect your own aesthetic and carry out your own creative visions.
3D Character Animation
Animation Storyboarding
Digital Video & Audio
Figure & Context
Figure & Dynamics
Historical & Contemporary Issues in Electronic Art
Image & Color
Motion for Computer Animation
Observation & Color
Perceptual Systems
Raster Imaging for Computer Graphics
Special Effects for Film & Video
Vector Imaging for Computer Graphics
Visual Programming
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