Walt Disney Animation Studios Effects

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Designedto prepare students for careers in animation, courses provide students an understanding of the collaborative function of a commercial studio during the first year production courses as well as the development of their unique style of independent filmmaking during preproduction and production of their thesis film over the course of the three year program. In addition, opportunities are available to co-direct a team of undergraduate character animation students, adding toward our canon of award-winning films. Labs and studios are equipped with industry-standard software and hardware. Faculty members have extensive professional, industry experience.

The program allows students to create their own animation and/or visual effects thesis. Students are encouraged to develop visual storytelling skills while using a variety of techniques, including traditional hand-drawn, stop-motion, 2D computer, and 3D computer animation.

This Emerging Media MFA track builds upon the legacy of the BFA Character Animation track, where alumni are working for major animation and gaming companies such as Walt Disney Animation Studios, PIXAR Animation Studios, Blue-Sky Animation Studios, Weta Digital, Framestore, Lightbox, MPC, Titmouse, Netflix, Genius Brands, Reel FX, Nickelodeon Animation Studios, Blur Studios, Epic Games, Electronic Arts, Riot Games, Turtle Rock Studios, and Blizzard Entertainment or creating simulations for organizations including the U.S. Navy, NASA, DISTI, and Lockheed Martin.

Applicants should have an undergraduate degree in animation, visual effects, emerging media, art, film, theater, computer science, graphic design, illustration, creative writing, mass communications, game design or related field and must demonstrate, through a portfolio of work and writing, that they are currently proficient in the area of animation. Applicants are expected to already know how to animate and/or create visual effects.

Yes. This is a Master of Fine Arts degree so you are expected to know how to animate either characters or effects which should be demonstrated in your portfolio. Observational drawing should also be part of your portfolio.

A treatment is an idea for an animated short or visual effects film written in short-story format. Ideally your treatment will be developed into your thesis, so it should be written for a 1-3 minutes concept. Please understand that the committee reviews this portion as a potential thesis project. It could be already developed, but the quality should be consistent with a graduate level thesis.

PIXAR creates approximately 134 storyboard panels per one minute of film. We expect you to have at least 10-15 storyboard panels to accompany your treatment, but you can have as many as you need to visually depict the story.

Once you submit the application you can then upload the remaining documents. The portfolio and original animation/vfx production concept should be in a pdf document for upload when applying. You may include links to external sites such as Vimeo, YouTube, or a personal website. The treatment, storyboard, and Visual Development can be either in the same pdf with the portfolio, or separate. Either way works. Please be sure that everything is labeled clearly for the committee.

This is a cohort program, meaning you take specific courses with your accepted cohort (class of students) throughout every Fall and Spring semester following a specific course sequencing. There is only one cohort per year. All of the students will have the same schedule, unless there is a specific need which can be adjusted on an individualized, faculty approved, adjusted change (such as taking a film course or a Directed Research course).

The Animation and Visual Effects track in the Emerging Media MFA program is a full-time three-year program (six full-time semesters excluding summers in most instances) and students must progress through the program by taking required classes in particular semesters. The program requires a minimum of 60 credit hours including a thesis project. All courses must be approved by the Graduate Program Director. The thesis consists of producing a short film and thesis document.

2nd and 3rd year MFA students are assigned to a graduate research space. Each space is equipped with 2 workstations, based on preference of the students, a retrofitted Disney Animation Desk which can hold a 22" Cintiq or an Animation Disk, and 2 Herman Miller Sayl Chairs.

International deadline is January 15 (you will automatically be considered for any assistantships or fellowships available when you apply by this deadline). For more information about current deadlines, see Application Deadlines and Requirements from the College of Graduate Studies.

Your portfolio, treatment, and storyboards are what will determine your placement. Your portfolio should show your life drawing proficiencies as well as animation abilities so that the committee can determine if you have the skills required for pursuing your MFA.

Josh Staub is an award-winning filmmaker, production designer, and visual effects supervisor of Walt Disney Animation Studios and Netflix Animation, and currently serves as writer/creator and executive producer of an original animated series for Apple+. Over the course of 14 years at Walt Disney Animation Studios, Josh contributed to more than 20 film projects including the Academy Award winning film Frozen and the animated short films Paperman and Feast.

Josh is also a founding member of Rise Up Animation (dedicated to increasing diversity in the animation industry), and has given countless lectures at studios, festivals, and schools around the world.

In his long and storied animation career, Joseph has utilized his traditional and digital animation talents at such studios as Walt Disney Feature Animation, Don Bluth Animation and the National Film Board of Canada. At Walt Disney Feature Animation, Joseph served as Supervisor of Visual Effects for the Disney classics "Lilo & Stitch" and "Brother Bear." Joseph also served as Head of Florida Special Effects Unit for the features "Kingdom of the Sun" and "Tarzan," and was Special Effects Animator on such notable titles as "Pocahontas," "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," "James and the Giant Peach," "Hercules" and "Mulan." His broad experience also includes animating on several short film projects at the National Film Board of Canada, and directing dozens of television commercials as an independent director. From 2003 to 2005, Joseph headed up the world renown animation program at the Vancouver Film School.

Joseph is currently at work on an independent short film and is writing a follow-up volume to "Elemental Magic" that will delve deeper into special effects and also include a DVD with real time step by step "how-to" footage, and clips from live workshops.

The Cinema Animation concentration is for students who are interested in the areas of traditional animation (hand-drawn, stop motion, and hybrid), 3D character animation, 3D modeling and rigging, motion graphics animation, and CGI effects animation. In addition to the core visual aesthetic and animation courses, students study filmmaking, visual storytelling, and advanced courses in their focus area. They are given in-depth instruction in the most up-to-date software and technology available, but the emphasis is always on creativity, experimentation and expression.

Becoming a game development artist requires a solid foundation in animation, visual design principles, color theory, and drawing. Students in the Game Art concentration also receive in-depth instruction in the latest advanced game modeling and animation technology and practices, including motion capture, rigging, texturing, environment art, and digital sculpting. They learn about real-world problem-solving, team dynamics, and pipeline requirements while working alongside programmers and game designers on cross-disciplinary game development projects.

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