Prerequisite: ICEM 101
General theories of animation as art and entertainment; history of animation; changes in attitudes towards animation; overview of the state of the art, technology, and business of animation; key concepts of visual language and composition. ICAM 102 Color Theory and Application
Historical evolution of color theory; theories of color; basic color terminology; abstract and representational color, harmony and color relationships, color schemes. Color applied to storytelling: color for characters, sequences and scenes, emotional use of color, and narrative use of color. ICAM 103 Drawing for Animation I
Introduction to technical drawing for 2D and 3D animation; animation fundamentals including posing, staging, caricature, and exaggeration. Study and creation of cartoon drawings; study of realistic drawings; studio practice in life drawing studio; drawing from a human model. ICAM 104 2D Animation I
Prerequisite: ICAM 101
Basic principles of animation including posing, timing, squash and stretch, anticipation, slow in and out, follow through. Studio practice includes a series of hand-drawn exercises. ICAM 201 Character Design I
Prerequisite: ICAM 103
Creation of animation-friendly 2D and 3D characters for the screen, emphasizing the look and appeal of a character, personality, psychology, context within an environment and within a cast of supporting characters. ICAM 202 Drawing for Animation II
Prerequisite: ICAM 103
Deeper exploration of the human muscular and skeletal structure; volumetric drawing from a model, realistic drawing, light, value, techniques for making the 2D drawing look more 3-dimensional. ICAM 203 Storyboarding I
Introduction to the development of a storyboard; combination of cinematic storytelling skills with drawing, acting, pacing, etc. Practice is based on the application of film language and narrative devices and structures, careful study of scripts and of animated and live action films; drawing and staging exercises. ICAM 204 2D Animation II
Prerequisite: ICAM 104
Acting, dialogue, and perspective; exploration of the 2D animation process: rough, breakdown, and clean-up. ICAM 205 Computer Programs for Animation
Prerequisites: ICAM 202, ICAM 204 Introduction to computer programs essential to the pre-production and production process; technical and artistic use of computer programs as a tool for creating art; specific use of each program in an integrated computer graphics production facility. ICAM 206 Storyboarding II
Prerequisite: ICAM 203
In-depth exploration of storyboarding: characterization, points of view, guidance of the eye through the sequence of the storyboard, and montage sequences. From storyboard to story reel: integrating sound and editing techniques. Special focus on story reels and storyboards for a TV series. ICAM 301 Layout Design I
Prerequisite: ICAM 206
Creating the space for animated characters to act in; visual storytelling, introduction to perspective; creating the illusion of 3D space, incorporating perspective into the design of all manner of environments. Basic design principles utilized to guide the eye of the audience around the static and moving picture: basic lighting concepts, using value to direct the eye. ICAM 302 3D Animation I
Prerequisite: ICAM 204
Foundation skills for 3D computer animation; developing a working knowledge of the underlying process of 3D animation; polygonal modeling techniques, NURBS, procedural and raster image mapping, lighting, camera, shader and rendering methods, hierarchical linking, “keyframe animation”, and pre-production fundamentals. ICAM 303 3D Animation II
Prerequisite: ICAM 302
Expansion of 3D computer animation; developing a working knowledge of the advanced process of 3D animation; complex polygonal modeling techniques, NURBS, procedural and raster image mapping, lighting, camera, shader and rendering methods, hierarchical linking, keyframe animation, and dynamic simulation ICAM 304 Character Design II
Prerequisite: ICAM 201
Creation and development of complex and multi-faceted 2D and 3D characters, emphasizing facial expressions; study and practice of a variety of animation design styles; 3D sculpting using Maya and Zbrush. ICAM 351 Animation Production Management
Aspects of managing a production: economics of the animation business; supply and demand of the global animation industry; production process and pipeline from development to postproduction. ICAM 352 Layout Design II
Prerequisite: ICAM 301
Building on the foundations of Layout Design I; in-depth practice in creating and staging of the environments in which characters act; implementation of film language principles using Maya tools; color and stylization. 2D, 3D, and live action filmmaking will be discussed. ICAM 353 Painting I
Watercolor and acrylic painting: introduction to color composition, color mixing, wet and dry techniques, light and value, and texture. Painting from still-life and outdoor landscapes. ICAM 354 Painting II
Prerequisite: ICAM 353
Introduction to computer programs used by professional 2D and 3D animation studios: Photoshop, Painter, and Body Paint; using various combinations of programs for visual paint effects, pre-production and production uses of each program. ICAM 355 Computer and Video Games
Introduction to game theory and practice; principal, technical and process of video game creation; ethical and marketing factors. Educational theory to adjust level of game design and activities to the intended user. ICAM 356 Media Compositing
Introduction to technical and principles of media compositing; conceptualizing many layers of visual material to create a complete picture; visualization of and combination of live action and computer generated pictures, not in real time during the shooting process; the marriage of multiple sources of visual material, each obtained at differing times in the production process. ICAM 370 Seminar in Animation Production
Prerequisite: Third year or higher
The course examines and finds solutions to chosen current issues or case studies in Animation Production. Students are required to participate in supervised discussions supported by experienced lecturers. ICAM 380 Selected Topics in Animation Production
Prerequisite: Third year or higher
Selected topics in animation including specific animation schools and styles, animators, character walks, 3 D game design, various topics in Maya, Photoshop, Premier, After Effects, or Flash, detailed investigation of new or emerging trends in animation, etc.; special subjects determined by student interest and available instructor or visiting faculty. ICAM 381 Independent Study in Animation Production
A directed independent study tailored to fit individual interests in a specific area of animation production. ICAM 398 Professional Internship in Animation Production
Supervised internship in the field through placement in local animation companies. At the end of the internship, a seminar will be conducted in order to summarize the main concepts in “Television Production” within a context of Mass Communication. ICAM 399 International Field Study in Animation Production
Prerequisite: ICAM 303 I
Introduction to the management styles of international media corporations; international artistic and business trends, and international media markets; foreign regulations and legal considerations; innovations, and technology. ICAM 498 Animation Production Final Project I
Preparation of the models and story reel for a short 2 to 3 minute animated film using the medium of their choice. A faculty member will supervise the progression of the project over the course of the trimester. ICAM 499 Animation Production Final Project II
Prerequisite: ICAM 498
Completion of the short film prepared in Animation Final Project part I. A faculty member will supervise the progression of the project over the course of the trimester. Upon completion, all final projects will be presented together in a film festival/job fair setting.