This course surveys the history of cinema - investigating the process by which the original “cinema of attractions” evolved into a globally dominant form of visual storytelling. We will explore the development of cinema both as an art form and as an industry, and consider the technological, economic, cultural factors, and key international movements that shape it.

This course is designed to teach introductory skills for designing and creating publications and presentations with layout software. The course will focus on graphics and typographic design, fonts, and other skills for print and web publishing. (2+2P)

An introduction to digital video production. Students learn camera operation, lights and audio equipment. Hands-on production is completed in the studio and on location. (2+4P).

In this course, students learn the basics of the post-production process for non-linear video editing. Students work with multiple video formats and create short movies for multiple distribution platforms. Skills include media management and professional terminology.

Explores concepts of how text, graphics, sound, images and video come together in a digital media program and researching new trends and current issues related to media applications and design. Students will be involved in teamwork, communication and workplace interaction simulation. Repeatable: up to 12 credits.

This course provides an introduction to web development techniques, theory, and design. Students will learn HTML, CSS application, and strategies for effective site navigation and design, along with industry standard web editing software to develop various websites. (2+2P) Repeatable: up to 6 credits.

Students will learn about and apply essential tools and techniques in analog and digital audio production. Topics include acoustic science, microphones, recording and mixing techniques, analog and digital audio hardware and software, including, multi-track, computer-based recording and editing systems. (2+2P)

The creation of a professional quality original media soundtrack is possible for relatively low production/post production cost. This class is designed to give the student an overview of creating sound for a variety of digital media. Topics include acoustic principles, sound design, audio hardware, recording techniques; and editing, processing, and multi-track mixing, using software applications. (2+2P)

This course provides an overview of 3D animation production processes. Students will be introduced to basic story development and the creation of computer-generated assets and cinematic sequences. The course will survey specialty areas of digital animation and various software and techniques applied in entertainment and information media. Students will review and critique others animation, as well as plan and produce original animation for review by classmates and as part of a CGI demo reel.

In this course, students will learn how to use the tools in Adobe Photoshop® to create new images and edit existing images. Tools used will include selections, layers, and adjustments, among other pixel editing tools. Basic composition and output will be emphasized in all projects. (2+2P). Repeatable: for a maximum of 6 credits.

Focus on the evolution of video games and how they have shaped mainstream entertainment. (2+2P) Repeatable: up to 6 credits.

Students receive instruction on vector graphics creation using vector illustration software. The students will create professional-quality artwork for print publishing and multimedia graphics. Instruction includes creating and manipulating basic shapes, drawing with the pen tool, using various brushes, working with type and preparing graphics for web, print, and digital publication. (2+2P). Repeatable: for a maximum of 6 credits.

Advanced techniques in 2D vector drawing and fundamentals of 3D illustration for use in print, web, and multimedia applications. (2+2P) Repeatable: up to 6 credits.

This course is a study of the principles and techniques of photography using digital equipment, and discusses how digital cameras, imaging editing, and technology have changed the world of photography. Students will learn about studies in resolution, lighting, software, editing, printing, and web applications. They will gain fundamental knowledge in the rapidly expanding technology of photography and imaging, and be able to incorporate the knowledge into all areas of digital graphics. (2+2P)

This class is an introductory course for students who are beginning their understanding of Media and how it affects them and our society. It offers a broad-stroked view of the entire industry including Marketing, Production, History, Jobs, Design, Architecture, New Media Literacy, and industry standards. Students will listen to experts in the field, get involved in open discussions about the industry and use new information to complete hands-on individual & group assignments.

This course will explore how we see and use visuals to communicate information. Students will develop critical thinking skills in applying concepts of basic design principles. Students will apply the concepts with hands-on and analysis assignments. These concepts will then be applied to design for advertising, print, digital media, and web design. The business of design will also be covered with emphasis on client relations and networking. (2+2P).

Students will learn the basics of digital 2D animation by working through a variety of exercises, creating an original storyboard, and animating five or more shots utilizing industry standard software. (2+2P).

This course will familiarize students with the process of compositing and creating special effects for animation using industry standard software. Students will learn how to assemble an animated scene and use advanced 3D lighting, spacing, and digital effects to achieve a dynamic, professionally rendered look..

Focus on designing a character and then taking that design and building it in 3D using intermediate modeling techniques. (2+4P). Repeatable: for a maximum of 6 credits.

Study of various global, scene and character lighting techniques, shading and shadowing, and creating atmospheres and reflections that bring computer generated 3D scenes to life. Examines environmental and studio lighting to bring real life experience into the digital production process.

Specific titles to be announced in the Schedule of Classes. Repeatable: for a maximum of 18 credits.

Modeling design techniques used to create environments and scenes for use in animated films and games. Investigation of both natural and architectural environments to be recreated in the virtual world.

Modeling design techniques to create natural and architectural environments to be used for animated films and gaming. Study of various lighting techniques, shading and shadowing.

An introduction to the film industry. This class teaches film production processes, film crew hierarchy, film production set-safety and etiquette and provides hands-on training in industry standard film production equipment. Students complete the semester by participating as a below-the-line crew member on a short film.

The second of three courses (FDMA 2120, 2125 and 2130) designed to train students to become working members of film crews. It will be taught by working film professionals. Content will be lecture and hands-on. Students complete the semester by working as part of an actual film crew as below-the-line and above-the-line crew members.

Pre-production planning paperwork breakdowns, budgeting, and scheduling; taking a project from start to finish from a producer’s standpoint.

This class will enhance and build upon student layout/design skills developed in the Introduction to Desktop Publishing course, incorporating intermediate to advanced concepts in typography and layout design. Upon completion of this course, students will be able to use page layout software to prepare a variety of documents for presentation and critique, including newsletters, instructional flyers, and other complex design/typographic pieces. (2+2P). Repeatable: up to 6 credits.

Advanced techniques of the tools and application of professional film making. (2+2P) Repeatable: for a maximum of 6 credits.

Professional camera techniques and training for electronic news gathering and studio filmmaking. Utilizes high-end handheld shooting techniques, cranes, dollies, and Steadicam training. (2+2P) Repeatable: for a maximum of 6 credits.

Advanced features of digital video, audio/music, and titling production software. Included are color correction, vector scopes, motion effects, and advanced editing techniques used by filmmakers. (2+2P). Repeatable: up to 6 credits.

A design studio environment in which students obtain real-world experience while providing service to college and non-profit associations with faculty supervision using a variety of media. Can be used with permission to fulfill cooperative requirement. Repeatable: for a maximum of 6 credits.

This course surveys the history of cinema - investigating the process by which the original “cinema of attractions” evolved into a globally dominant form of visual storytelling. We will explore the development of cinema both as an art form and as an industry, and consider the technological, economic, cultural factors, as well as many key international movements that helped shape it.

Explores the history of Animation as an art form and industry through readings, screenings, lecture and periodic guest speakers.

An introduction to the principles of design history and theory within a chronological framework of historical and emerging media.

This course expands on the Photoshop skill set to develop proficiency with selections, masking, channels, filters, color correction, painting tools, vector integration, video, special effects, and compositing techniques. The focus is on the core image-editing tools of Photoshop that can be universally applied to photography, print, film or the web. The material is covered in production-oriented projects and students develop work suitable for portfolios. (2+2P) Repeatable: up to 6 credits.

Provide understanding and skills needed for advanced digital capture, editing, optimizing and manipulating photographic images for print, web and multimedia applications. The course will prepare students to make more advanced technical and more refined aesthetic decisions relative to specific photographic applications. (2+2P)

In this course, students will refine their skills in coding and web graphic design as well as be introduced to methods in constructing sites that adhere to the standards of responsive web design. Students will expand their knowledge of HTML and CSS using a code editor, and they will both analyze existing websites and also construct an interactive website. (2+2P). Repeatable: up to 6 credits.

Create and manage well designed online business, and organized web sites using a Content Management System. Repeatable: up to 6 credits. (2+2P)

Creating and managing complex web sites using advanced techniques and tools. Repeatable: up to 6 credits.

This course introduces students to the history of typography and its emotive, symbolic and communicative aspects. Students learn how to use type in a creative and aesthetic way and develop an understanding of page composition that incorporates concept and design. Repeatable: May be taken twice.

Examines effective writing principles to create storyboards that communicate the overall picture of a project, timing, scene complexity, emotion and resource requirements. Further, the purpose of this course is to introduce students to the principles of visual storytelling—in film--through the use of the storyboard. In other words, to show how storyboards are a critical “architectural component” of the filmmaking process, used as a blueprint (or guide) to communicate the complex elements of a film story. Restricted to: Digital Graphics majors. Crosslist: ENGL 2381.

The purpose of this course is to help students understand the basic elements of narrative structure (e.g. character, dramatic conflict, theme, etc.) and how these elements may be used effectively in media expression. Crosslist: ENGL 2382.

Learning good writing principles to create storyboards and scripts that communicate the overall picture of the project, timing, scene complexity, emotion, and resource requirements.

Students will use skills developed in the Audio Production I course to produce audio projects utilizing a variety of analog and digital audio hardware and software, including continued use of multi-track, computer-based recording and editing systems, as well as exploring more advanced audio techniques and concepts. (2+2P)

This course is an introduction to the principles, techniques and applications of sound design and film scoring. Students learn how sound affects storytelling in a film, examine the role of sound from the script to screen, and the professional process of creating a soundtrack. Students learn how to use sound equipment in a production environment and execute basic techniques used to develop a soundtrack. Crosslist: FDMA 1415.

The Director of Photography (or Cinematographer), in close collaboration with the Director and Production Designer, helps determine the look of a film. This course is designed to introduce students to the technical and aesthetic fundamentals of creating, developing, and collaborating on the visual elements of storytelling, using camera framing, lensing, and lighting fundamentals such as shadows, light and color. Repeatable: up to 6 credits. only.

This course will introduce 3D modeling methods and current practices. Students will learn preliminary and detailed modeling techniques using industry standard software. Methods will emphasize formal and functional aspects of modeling as they apply to mechanical, organic, and sculpted topology for application in animation, games, and information media. Repeatable: for a maximum of 6 credits.

Introductory course examining traditional artistic expressions and translating visual art experiences into a digital art medium to enhance visual storytelling. Students acquire basic principles of drawing and painting through hands-on experience manipulating tonal value, composition, form development, light and shadow, color theory, rendering realism, and graphic design.

Refinement of skills needed to prepare a variety of documents for print and the service bureau.

A studio environment where students specialize in creating film-festival quality and portfolio-ready projects under the supervision of faculty. (2+2P) Repeatable: for a maximum of 6 credits.

Students will learn the basics of digital 2D animation by working through a variety of exercises, creating an original storyboard, and animating five or more shots utilizing industry standard software.

Creating advanced virtual special effects for both rigid and soft bodies. Using MEL, dynamic principles, mixing nodes, and advanced particle systems. How to drive particles over surfaces, add texture to flow, create surface tensions, and use collision events to drive texture. Study of integrating computer-generated images with real-life video and audio. (2+4P)

Overview of the essentials and principles of 3D animation; creative methods for using industry standard tools to produce the illusion of movement for storytelling. Topics include, keyframe and curve animation, kinematics, cycle animation, camera animation, deformers, dynamics and constraints.

This course will introduce principles and practices of current 3D animation rigging. Students will develop fundamental methods necessary to create character rigs. Students will learn aesthetic, technical, and optimization concepts as they apply to organic and mechanical designs. Topics will include: hierarchies, constraints, deformation rigging, skeleton creation, skinning, forward and inverse kinematics, controls, body and facial rigging.

Focus on complex rigging techniques as well as utilizing advanced animation functions to blend multiple animations into complex animations. (2+2P) Repeatable: for a maximum of 6 credits.

Program capstone. Students will utilize the skills learned in the program to produce their final animation. Group integrated projects are strongly recommended to emulate a real-work animation studio environment. (2+4P) Repeatable: for a maximum of 9 credits.

Program capstone. Students will utilize the skills learned in the program to produce their final animation. Group integrated projects are strongly recommended to emulate a real-work animation studio environment. (2+4P) Repeatable: for a maximum of 9 credits.

This course will explore the theory and practice of 3D lighting and rendering methodologies. Techniques covered will implement cameras, lighting sources, textures, surface-mapping and algorithmic rendering to produce stylized and photo realistic images. Topics covered will include direct and indirect lighting, shaders that simulate physical substances and effects, rendering multiple passes and simulating physical lens effects.

Introduce students to the 3D Sculpting programs which are the industry standard sculpting programs. Students will learn how to create complex high polygon sculpts and normal maps and transfer the models into 3D studio Max and Autodesk Maya. Repeatable: up to 6 credits.

Introductory study of the human body and animal form in relation to animation. Students learn fundamentals and exaggeration of the figure, as related to proportion, rhythm, mechanics and motion. Areas of focus are: basic form, proportion, shape, contour, gesture, anatomy, portraiture, perspective, clothing effects and drawing from observation.

Focus on the development of personal character(s), from sketch to render. Develop complete biographies of character, then build, skin and animate with as many personal attributes as possible.

Focus on building anatomy-based 3D characters. Advanced study in NURBS, subdivisions, and polygon modeling techniques used to create fully functional and realist models. Repeatable: for a maximum of 6 credits.

Focus on creating a complete design document utilizing techniques and standards used in the industry today. (2+2P) Repeatable: for up to 6 credits.

Focus on the different engines and gaming technologies that power the games of today. Repeatable: for a maximum of 6 credits. (2+2P)

Focus on the different gaming platforms and their corresponding gaming demographics and standards. Restricted to: Digital majors. Repeatable: for up to 6 credits.

Focus on the design and creation of video game levels. Dealing with the challenges and pitfalls of different video game genres. (2+2P) Repeatable: for a maximum of 6 credits.

This is a series of 1-credit workshops offering specialized and intense advanced skill training and upgrading applications of photography for commercial purposes and training in photographic skills and styles presented by a variety of professional lecturers. Repeatable: up to 7 credits.

Varies Repeatable: up to 6 credits.

Work experience that directly relates to a student's major field of study that provides the student an opportunity to explore career paths and apply knowledge and theory learned in the classroom. Internships may be paid or unpaid. Students are supervised/evaluated by both the employer and the instructor. Repeatable: up to 9 credits. Graded: S/U.

Specific topics to be announced in the Schedule of Classes. Repeatable: for a maximum of 18 credits.

Individual studies directed by consenting faculty with prior approval of department head. Repeatable: up to 6 credits.

Work experience that directly relates to a student's major field of study that provides the student an opportunity to explore career paths and apply knowledge and theory learned in the classroom. Internships may be paid or unpaid. Students are supervised/evaluated by both the employer and the instructor. Repeatable: up to 9 credits. Graded: S/U.