Animation & Visual Effects Online

Animation & Visual Effects Student Gallery

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Program Description

Our School of Animation & Visual Effects merges Illustration 2D Animators (formerly under the umbrella of Illustration) and Computer Arts 3D Animation. The Animation & Visual Effects curriculum provides students with an education in art, design, and technology to develop the basic skills needed to perform the standard phases of animation: storyboard artists, visual development, concept artists, and visual effects animators. The newly integrated program combines traditional and digital skills. We aim to provide an intelligent and logical route for students to achieve skills that satisfy them as artists while arming them as assets to the industry, refined craftsmen, and leaders in conceptual development.

The online School of Animation & Visual Effects currently offers Master of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Fine Arts, and Associate of Arts degree programs, as well as a variety of Online Award of Completion programs. We offer seven possible degree tracks: Storyboard Art, Background Painting, Visual Development, Character Animation, Games, Visual Effects & Compositing, and 3D Modeling. Online program benefits include self-paced learning, flexible schedules, NO CLASS FEES (often a $400/class savings in the major), and clear presentation of materials, with the ability to review and master each concept before continuing to the next.

Our Master of Fine Arts program is designed to provide students with expertise in directing a complete, short animated film, designing and building 3D characters, and fully integrating visual effects shots from concept to post-production. As 3D modelers, animators, compositors, texture artists, and lighting or technical directors, our graduates focus on the production of computer arts for entertainment industries such as film, television, video games. During Directed Study, the development phase of Final Projects, real-world skills such as process and time management are practiced to ensure that graduates meet or surpass the needs of the industry. Students learn through hands-on instruction by faculty who are working professionals in the industry.

Bachelor of Fine Arts degree students will graduate with a professional portfolio or demonstration-reel demonstrating knowledge of life drawing and an understanding of movement and acting; film-making theory; the principles of animation, concepts, and storytelling; the use of colors to convey feeling and mood; composition and design principles; as well as content, marketability, and presentation. Students build solid foundations along with the higher skills of concept development. We believe that artists should be able to contribute meaningful solutions as well as translate the visions of others. Our students will be prepared to compete and obtain professional employment in the fields of art and design. Our department is supported by a faculty of working professionals, who provide students with direct contact to the animation and visual effects industry.

View our Send Me More Information page to learn more about the Academy of Art University and the School of Animation & Visual Effects.

More Information on Programs

Check the Online Course Schedule to see which courses are being offered next semester. If you are interested in the online Animation & Visual Effects program or other online programs, please contact us:

Online: Request Information, or call
Telephone: 1-800-544-2787

Course Hardware Requirements

While the majority of classes in any online degree we offer can be completed on either a Macintosh or PC computer, the individual online degree description pages on this web site will notify you if that particular degree offers any classes requiring software that is only available on either a Macintosh or PC computer. The icons below will also be shown on the online degree pages that offer such classes. It is recommended that online students refer to these description pages for the degree that they are pursuing prior to purchasing a new computer.

This icon alerts you if an online class requires software that is ONLY available for a Macintosh computer.

This icon alerts you if an online class requires software that is ONLY available for a PC computer.