BFAAnimation
Overview
Learn how to animate for film and television
Studios and shops
Approach animation as a fine artist
At the heart of our curriculum is rigorous interdisciplinarity, meaning you’ll extend your artistic reach beyond the work of a standard animation studio. You’ll study the media of the fine artist—drawing, sculpture, acting, storytelling—to develop your unique film grammar, including the way you build your frames, shots, scenes, and sequences. This kind of immersive, interdisciplinary practice not only shapes you into a well-rounded maker, but also gives you an edge when you enter the industry.
Experiment in our open-lab environment
Our various studios, shops, and labs are spaces to develop core studio skills, including life drawing, color and design, digital painting, storytelling and dialogue, acting, and character animation. State-of-the-art equipment, such as our 24-inch Cintiq monitors, help students hone their technical expertise in 3D animation, sound effects, layout and lighting, and post-production processes.
State-of-the-art animation tools
- Drawing light tables
- 27-inch iMac workstations
- Wacom Cintiq displays for digital drawing
- Dragonframe, TVPaint Animation, Adobe Creative Cloud, and Toon Boom's Harmony and Storyboard Pro
- Down-shooter cameras for stop-motion animation
- Foley room for voice-overs and sound effects
- Sound studio for mixing and editing soundtracks
- Latest Autodesk software, including Maya and Mudbox
- Hybrid Lab for experimental making
Faculty
Learn from award-winning animators
Our faculty, which also include visiting artists, work on a wide range of projects, including animation software tools, app development, illustration for magazines and newspapers, gallery commissions, and short films. Many of them are part of animation teams for DreamWorks, Pixar, Tippett, and other studios that have won prestigious awards for their animated films.
Meg Bisineer, Chair of Animation
Meghana Bisineer is an artist and filmmaker based in London and Oakland. Her animation films have screened at international festivals in Asia, Europe, and North America, and her artwork has been exhibited in solo and group shows. Her practice spans traditional animation, prints, live media, and installations. She has received numerous awards, including the Judge's Prize for Animation/Film at the East West Arts Award. BA, National Institute of Design, India; MA, Royal College of Art, London.
Christoph Steger, Assistant Chair of Animation
Assistant Chair Christoph Steger is an artist filmmaker whose work explores documentary, animation, and experimental film. His films investigate the relationship between reality and its representation through media. His work has screened at IDFA, the Ottawa International Animation Festival, and Clermont-Ferrand, and on BBC and Channel Four. He holds an MA in Animation from the Royal College of Art, London.
Curriculum
We think with our hands
Gain technical skills for exceptional storytelling
Animation at CCA explores the complexity of human movement and the artistry of motion, putting you on a path toward profound visual decision making. Courses hone technical expertise in timing and spacing, weight, and other key animation principles. You’ll learn to combine the skills of both director and actor to create characters with authentic emotion and tell stories that make a real impact. View sample course descriptions.
Investigate ideas through every dimension
Before diving into their chosen major, every undergraduate participates in the First Year Experience. Students explore a wide range of materials and tools over the course of two semesters. Faculty from different disciplines guide studio projects, group critiques, and theoretical discussions, setting students up for success throughout their major coursework.
BFA Animation
Foundational Curriculum
- Drawing Studio
- 3.0 units
- 2D Studio
- 3.0 units
- 3D Studio
- 3.0 units
- 4D Studio
- 3.0 units
- Introduction to the Arts
- 3.0 units
- Introduction to the Modern Arts
- 3.0 units
- Writing 1
- 3.0 units
- Writing 2
- 3.0 units
- Foundations in Critical Studies
- 3.0 units
Animation Major Requirements
- Animation 1
- 3.0 units
- Animation 2
- 3.0 units
- Drawing for Animation
- 3.0 units
- Animation Workshops
- 3.0 units
- Media History: History of Animation
- 3.0 units
- Visual Storytelling
- 3.0 units
- 3D Computer Animation 1
- 3.0 units
- 3D Computer Animation 2
- 3.0 units
- Animation Tutorials
- 6.0 units
- Junior Project 1 and 2
- 6.0 units
- Junior Review
- 0.0 units
- Sound for Animation or Acting for Animation
- 3.0 units
- Senior Project 1: Pre-production
- 3.0 units
- Senior Project 2: Production
- 3.0 units
- Studio Elective (excluding Animation)
- 3.0 units
- Studio Electives
- 9.0 units
Collegewide Curriculum
- Critical Ethnic Studies Studio
- 3.0 units
- Upper Division Interdisciplinary Studio
- 3.0 units
- Critical Ethnic Studies Seminar (2000 level)
- 3.0 units
- Literary and Performing Arts Studies (2000 level)
- 3.0 units
- Philosophy and Critical Theory (2000 level)
- 3.0 units
- Social Science/History (2000 level)
- 3.0 units
- Science/Math (2000 level)
- 3.0 units
- History of Art and Visual Culture (2000 level)
- 3.0 units
- Humanities and Sciences Electives (2000/3000 level)
- 6.0 units
- Humanities and Sciences Electives (3000 level)
- 6.0 units
Total 120.0 units
Careers
Well-rounded storytellers
Success stories
Alumni Spotlight: Video game designer and animator Babak Saadat
Animation alum Lily Williams finds her dream career
By the time Lily Williams (BFA Animation 2014) reached high school, she already had a game plan.
Student group spotlight: 24Frames
Members of the student animation club 24Frames reflect on how they explore career pathways and stay active in their creative practice.
