Daemen College offers students with a committed interest in the art of animation the means to become fully versed in the process of traditionally narrative animated filmmaking. Daemen’s BFA Animation program focuses on narrative storytelling through traditional hand-drawn and CG animation. We are animation industry focused and our faculty has decades of experience.
A Bachelor's degree will benefit students whose interests lie in obtaining a job in the field of animation in one of the many positions available in a feature film pipeline, including character design, story development, art direction, CG technical directors, and character animators. Students are educated in all aspects of production and become well-rounded filmmakers.
Animation Program Highlights
A unique feature of our program is its dual focus on traditional drawn animation and the latest in computer graphics animation, with a heavy emphasis on strong narrative storytelling stemming from the student’s unique personal perspective. The program is structured to meet the demands of a modern animation studio. All of the software and curriculum is aligned with current production techniques.
- Learn how to craft an animated film from start to finish including character design, editing and sound, and the art of the story artist.
- Become proficient in both traditional animation and CG animation
- Learn the latest in modeling and rigging in the CG environment
- The animation program responds to industry needs for animators equipped with a high level of artistic training and creative ability.
- Daemen works closely with studios throughout the United States and Canada to help place students within internship programs.
- The program is built around multiple strengths, recognized by animation professionals and business leaders, including the combination of fine draftsmanship, character development and design, the use and understanding of film language and techniques, and a unique perspective to visual storytelling and filmmaking.
- The curriculum will foster the development of well-rounded learning experiences, better-enabling students to actively participate in a complex world.
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Our Animation Program
First Year
During freshman year, students will complete a foundations program in drawing and design while beginning their liberal arts requirements. Introductory courses in animation, editing, and animation history are introduced within the first year.
Sophomore year
The second year of the animation curriculum continues building strong animation skills, as well as character design, layout, and storyboarding. Additional coursework will introduce advanced skills necessary for both hand-drawn and computer animation before students specialize in a traditional track or a Computer
Generated Imagery animation track during the next two years.
Junior Year
Courses in advanced drawing skills and a liberal arts curriculum continue in the junior year of the animation program, but students begin to specialize in further developing skills in traditional or Computer Generated Imagery animation. Among the several animation electives available to third-year students are gesture drawing, background painting, Maya animation, modeling and texturing in Maya, 2D animation effects, and advanced character design.
Senior Year
Advanced training continues during the senior year, but students are supervised on individual projects culminating in a short animated film. While completing their instruction, qualified students will have the option to intern in professional animation studios with industry partners, both local and international. By the
end of this year, students will have developed a professional portfolio and completed a short animated film to present to future employers and exhibit in various festivals.
Director of Animation Michael Jones works with students at Daemen College who want to pursue a degree in animation. He has worked on animation projects for Walt Disney, DreamWorks and Cartoon Network, among others.
Amherst Bee article on Director of Animation Mike Jones
A television campaign for the British Broadcasting Corp. caught the attention of seven-year-old Michael Jones for a particular reason: it used the art of animation.
An animator had shown the commercial that they created for the campaign and hung up their drawings in a town hall building in England. The campaign promoted the action of looking both ways when crossing the street.
Sydney Mangin
Animation
I came to Daemen for their animation program. It looked like the best program in comparison to other schools in the Buffalo area. They were on the cutting edge with all of the latest industry standard programs and equipment. I knew I'd be getting a top-notch education. READ MORE
For more information regarding our animation program, contact Michael Jones at animate@daemen.edu or call 716-839-7676