Pre-College Animation students learn essential techniques of character animation, experimental motion, and cinema through individual projects and group exercises.

Time in class is spent evaluating animated sequences from classic cartoons as well as independent and experimental films. Students gain technical skills in storytelling, squash and stretch distortion, staging, timing, exaggeration, and many other animation principles.

This studio focuses on working by hand with drawing tools and capturing with pencil test software. Projects include drawings, flipbooks, acting sketches, storyboards, and QuickTime movies. By the end of this course, students understand the fundamentals of animation and should be able to animate characters successfully using dynamic design, smooth motion, and acting.

This studio takes the fundamentals of 2D animation and applies them in the 3D Computer Animation world. Using Maya software, students animate a bouncing ball, character walk cycles and lip-sync, in addition to learning how to incorporate good "acting." The importance of timing, weight and pose-to-pose animation is covered.

3D Animation differs from 2D Animation in that it utilizes pre-made character rigs that can be animated with a realistic feel. Using the application Maya, student animations can then be lit and rendered out with a professional and industry-level quality.

No previous animation experience required.

View student films here.

The class includes a field-trip to the extraordinary Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco.

Animation is an all-day studio.

Pre-College 2024 application opens September 15, 2023.