Bachelor of Fine Arts - Animation

The BFA in Animation provides students with a solid foundation in the art of animation and its history combined with insight into the latest techniques used in the rapidly-moving fields of high end 3D animation in the film, television, and game development industries.

T​he area of 3D animation dominates the film industry—five of the twenty-one top grossing films of 2017 were 3D animated, and eight of the top ten were heavily dependent on 3D animation for special effects.

The technically demanding art of modern 3D character animation is grounded in the core fundamentals of animation mechanics, visual storytelling and acting. Right from the start, students in the Cinema Animation concentration gain hands-on experience bringing digital characters to life. They are given in-depth instruction in the most up-to-date software and technology available, including motion capture and green screen, but the emphasis is always on creativity, experimentation and expression.

Becoming a game development artist requires a solid foundation in animation, visual design principles, color theory, and drawing. Students in the Game Art concentration also receive in-depth instruction in the latest advanced game modeling and animation technology and practices, including motion capture, rigging and digital sculpting. They learn about real-world problem-solving, team dynamics, and pipeline requirements while working alongside programmers and game designers on cross-disciplinary game development projects.

Motion Graphics, sometimes known as Motion Design, involves putting graphic forms, text, and photographic elements into motion using the principles of animation. These are almost always paired with sound and music for a specific purpose, such as in advertisements, educational and industrial videos, films and television titles, visual effects, and video games. Chicago is a major center for commercial advertising production, and Motion Graphics is a significant part of the commercial production and post-production process.​

Storyboard artists are in demand in the television and feature film animation industries. A storyboard artist can also find work storyboarding live action films, visual effects, and commercials. The skills of the storyboard artist can also be applied to graphic novels and comics. Character design is a much sought-after role in animation, game art, live action film, comics, and children’s literature. Both disciplines share a requirement for strong traditional drawing skills.