Animation
Animation is everywhere you look these days. Feature films, television shows, computer games, Internet shorts, special effects, motion graphics, advertisements and even digital billboards require animators to make the magic happen. If you see something moving on a screen that isn't a real person or animal, there was an animator behind the scenes using his or her talents to bring it to life.
A balance between fine art and commercial skills with an international perspective
The UArts Animation program believes fine art and commercial art are not mutually exclusive, that they can create a more dynamic mix of perspectives that results in innovative work. Our faculty’s backgrounds range from CGI 3D to drawn animation to photography-based stop-motion and everything in between. Their award-winning work has sold commercial products and been screened at venues from international film festivals to the Museum of Modern Art, and they work with students to find the perfect balance between mastery of technical skills and the achievement of personal vision.
The program places special emphasis on international exposure through a partnership with the summer animation workshop École Européene Supérieure de l’Image in France. Animation students have the opportunity to attend the two largest and most influential film festivals in the world, Annecy International Festival of Animation in the French Alps and the Ottawa International Animation Festival in Canada. For three years running, UArts Animation students have had their work accepted into the Ottawa festival. And they can gain professional experience and receive credit interning at a number of top New York City animation studios.
Where do UArts Animation students work after graduation?
Alumni of the University’s Animation program work in a wide range of roles for global companies such as Disney, Nickelodeon, Sony Computer Entertainment, the NFL, Marvel Comics, UNICEF, and on the film “Dogma” and the TV series “American Dad” and “King of the Hill.” They have earned internships with the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, worked as a lead animator on the video game “God of War,” created the famed Dancing Baby on the TV series “Ally MacBeal” and created scenes for “Sesame Street.”
The work of our Animation alumni has won awards in prestigious showcases including the Underground Film Festival, New York Emerging Filmmakers Series, Anima Mundi Brazil, the Red Bank Film Festival and the Florida Film Festival. They have been highlighted in The Washington Post, Wired magazine and other top national publications.
