Job growth from 2020-2030 is expected to increase by 16 percent – much faster than the average for all occupations.
Students learn to blend creativity and imagination with technique and technical skills rewarding careers in television, streaming, feature films, video games, and more.
Program Benefits
- Students learn about character animation, storyboarding, CG modeling and rigging, 2D Harmony rigging, and character design.
- Program focuses on traditional animation and the latest in CG animation with an emphasis on
narrative storytelling. - ̨ÍåSwag works closely with studios throughout the U.S. to help place students with exciting internships.
- All faculty are industry professionals having worked at Disney, DreamWorks, Cartoon Network,
Nickelodeon and more. They continue to be active in the animation industry. - Program is structured to meet the demands of a modern studio. The software and curriculum is aligned with current industry techniques.
Student-Animated Films Win Five Telly Awards
̨ÍåSwag student-animated short films recently earned international recognition at the 43rd annual Telly Awards, which received more than 12,000 entries. This year marks the second year in a row ̨ÍåSwag students have taken home Tellys.
Judged by more than 200 industry professionals, the Tellys honor TV commercials and programs; video and film productions; and online commercials, video, and films.
Career Outlook
From Walt Disney and Adult Swim to Legend of Zelda and Cuphead, this multibillion dollar business relies on a 100-year-old animation tradition that blends creativity and imagination with technology and technical skills.
Graduates can pursue rewarding careers in many areas of the animation field, including television, streaming, animated feature films, visual effects for live action films, video games, and more.
Popular career options include
- Animator
- CG modeler or rigger
- Storyboard artist
- Character designer
- Background designer
- Animation director
- Color stylist
- Concept artist
Director of Animation Michael Jones works with students at ̨ÍåSwag who want to pursue a degree in animation. He has worked on animation projects for Walt Disney, DreamWorks and Cartoon Network, among others.
Amherst Bee article on Director of Animation Mike Jones
A television campaign for the British Broadcasting Corp. caught the attention of seven-year-old Michael Jones for a particular reason: it used the art of animation.
An animator had shown the commercial that they created for the campaign and hung up their drawings in a town hall building in England. The campaign promoted the action of looking both ways when crossing the street.
Program Specifics
First Year
During freshman year, students will complete a foundations program in drawing and design while beginning their liberal arts requirements. Introductory courses in animation, editing, and animation history are introduced within the first year.
Sophomore year
The second year of the animation curriculum continues building strong animation skills, as well as character design, layout, and storyboarding. Additional coursework will introduce advanced skills necessary for both hand-drawn and computer animation before students specialize in a traditional track or a Computer
Generated Imagery animation track during the next two years.
Junior Year
Courses in advanced drawing skills and a liberal arts curriculum continue in the junior year of the animation program, but students begin to specialize in further developing skills in traditional or Computer Generated Imagery animation. Among the several animation electives available to third-year students are gesture drawing, background painting, Maya animation, modeling and texturing in Maya, 2D animation effects, and advanced character design.
Senior Year
Advanced training continues during the senior year, but students are supervised on individual projects culminating in a short animated film. While completing their instruction, qualified students will have the option to intern in professional animation studios with industry partners, both local and international. By the
end of this year, students will have developed a professional portfolio and completed a short animated film to present to future employers and exhibit in various festivals.