The California Institute Of The Arts teaches character animation with a four-year program that focuses on both the traditional and computer-generated environments by faculty members who are experienced professionals. Students learn color and design, life drawing, story-telling, character animation, dialogue, sound effects and music. Advanced courses cover 3-D computer animation, illustration and advanced visual design; in their final year, students can pursue their own specific areas of interest and develop a professional portfolio. The program includes lectures from filmmakers, actors and animators.
The institute also offers a program on experimental animation; students of this program have the opportunity to develop progressive concepts and practices through cinematic art-making. This course is different from the character animation program in that students are encouraged to explore different and new techniques to express themselves, whether they draw, use characters or tell stories. Financial aid is available.
California Institute Of The Arts
Office of Admissions
24700 McBean Parkway
Valencia, CA 91355
800-545- 2787
calarts.edu
Walt Disney Animation Studios offers college programs; students gain experience in drawing; life drawing; anatomy; drawing heads, hands, and feet; animal drawing; sequential drawing to tell a story; dialogue and lip sync; and caricature.
It offers the Talent Development Program and associate programs to assist students in learning animation, fine art, design, computer graphics, and general film studies. The Talent Development Program is only available for recent graduates of their undergraduate or graduate programs; it may result in a three-month to six-month paid position at Walt Disney Animation Studios; it also offers a Summer Intern-Associate Program.
Walt Disney Animation Studios
500 S. Buena Vista Street
Burbank, CA 91521
818-560-1000
The Walt Disney Magnet School has about 1,600 young students. It is a member of the Fine and Performing Arts Magnet Cluster Program. Its programs, from preschool through to grade 8, encourage students' creative and artistic expression, along with some of the city's premier arts institutions and artists.
The school offers a Disney technology program, which covers an animation lab. Its sixth graders work on a lot of short Flash assignments, for example, and fifth graders learn to use the Disney network to master hand-drawn flip books, drawing in Flash and making digital flip books.
Walt Disney Magnet School
4140 North Marine Drive
Chicago, IL, 60613
773-534-5714