CMI Featured in Newsletter of Toon Boom Animation
The following is excerpted from an article in Toon Boom Animation’s Winter magazine, circulated internationally and online:
New Mexico State University’s Creative Media institute (CMI) offers a Bachelor of Creative Media degree with a focus in either Digital Filmmaking or Animation and Visual Effects. The CMI Animation concentration focuses on the art, craft, and business of storytelling through animation; and has already produced several talented artists. Theory and practice are integrated at every step as students manipulate text, sound, and images using the latest technology. For them, it is the place to learn their craft and find their voice – to master the artistic process and the technical skills needed to realize their vision. Areas of study within Animation include; 2D/classical animation, character animation, 3D computer animation, visual effects, voiceover, storyboarding and previsualization. The goal is to teach students to tell stories in ways which are innovative and original using industry-standard tools.
The CMI Animation concentration emphasizes imagination, creativity, and critical thinking. Students start creating projects and animatics in the Project Development class taught by Jess Gorell then move on to 3D study, or to the beginning 2D class with Eddie Bakshi where they further explore Toon Boom Studio. Working from a storyboard or animatic students construct animations – creating scenes with multiple shots, importing backgrounds from Photoshop, adding multi-plane camera moves, dollies and effects. Using Toon Boom Studio they go through the creation process step-by-step. Those who proceed to the intermediate Class with Prof. Bakshi master animation principles, focusing on drawing and animation fundamentals while also moving ahead with the software, building motion skills that can apply to all animation styles. “Students can pick up Toon Boom Studio quickly, so they can make their drawings move without too much stress. They gain control over the tool, letting them concentrate on learning the art of animation right from the beginning” commented Jess Gorell. Once students reach the advanced classes, they are exposed to a more “real-life” 2D production pipeline that includes compositing and more advanced sound integration. They often work in teams to reproduce a studio environment and tackle larger projects.
Toon Boom News
The Animation Community Platform
Winter 2011 – 2012 : Toonboom.com