Hands-On Training in Game Art & 3d Animation

Prepare to Pursue an Exciting Career as a Digital Artist

Artists in the game industry have the incredible ability to create worlds, characters, vehicles, architecture, weapons and other fantastic things never imagined before.

If you're interested in gaming, character design, visual effects, art and digital technology, then a career in Game Art and Animation could be an excellent fit for you. Game Art and 3d Animation training courses from Media Institute can prepare you to pursue a rewarding career using traditional and cutting-edge tools to create digital works of art.

Becoming a Skilled Game Design and Animation Professional

Associate of Arts Degree

75 weeks

The Media Institute Madison campus offers an Associate of Arts Degree in Game Art & Animation. The program is designed to give you the skills, hands-on technical training, practical business skills and support to pursue a rewarding, creative career in the exciting digital animation field. Graduates of this program enter the professional world with confidence after being mentored by industry professionals in the skills it takes to succeed.

As a student in this program, you'll learn a wide range of important skills, including:

• 3d Modeling & Texturing
• Creating Characters & Incorporating them into Computer Games
• Game Engine Overview
• Character Animation
• Visual Storytelling
• Motion Capture
• Cinematography
• Real & Virtual World Lighting Techniques
• Performance Driven Story
• Rendering
• Compositing
• Hand Drawn Animation
• Key Frame Animation

By studying how things move, video recording performances or capturing them using Motion Capture equipment, animators bring their digital characters to life. Animators also have to know a bit about acting and directing, in order to get inside the thoughts of the characters they are animating. The process of bringing characters to life through computer animation is one that our students find especially inspiring.

Successful graduates are prepared to enter the game industry with a complete portfolio including a game level, demo reel, website and DVD tailored to your artistic style.

Training on Important Industry Standard Software & Equipment

One of the most exciting things about the Game Design industry is the way it's constantly expanding and progressing. Media Institute staff stay current on game design software upgrades, so you know you're getting the relevant skills you'll need in today's modern design industry.

As a Game Art & Animation student at Media Institute, you'll work with the latest generation of video game development software including:

• Cortex 2®
• Solver 2.2®
• Zbrush®
• Painter®
• Adobe® Creative Suite Master Collection
• Autodesk® 2012 suite which includes Maya®, Mud Box®, Motionbuilder®, and 3ds Max®.

Plus – you'll also receive your own Wacom® drawing tablet.

Learn Game Animation in our Motion Capture Studio

The Game Art & Animation program features hands on experience with a professional grade Motion Capture (mocap) lab, giving students first hand working knowledge with the tools and equipment most sought after in the industry. The MOCAP system is equipped with a bundle of eight Hawk digital cameras from Motion Analysis, Quad Trussing from Global Trussing, and an Intel Zenon Quad core HP Z400 with an Invidia Quadro 1800 Graphics Card. The classroom boasts dual Acer 22" monitors, dual 1080p projectors, all running on the same Z400 PC's.

You'll feel comfortable moving into a variety of design and animation environments after gaining so much direct experience using the standard industry tools and software.

Career Opportunities for Qualified Game Design & Animation Professionals

Game Design & Animation professionals may pursue a variety of interesting professional positions within their field, including:

• Character Animator
• Digital Artist
• Game Animator
• Character Designer
• Character Modeler
• Environment Artist

These positions are typically found in game production studios, visual effects animation houses, television production studios, and computer animation studios.

Do You Have What it Takes for a Career in Game Art & Animation?

If you're interested in learning more about your possible career opportunities as a Game Art & Animation professional and exploring whether this is the right career field for you, complete and submit the "Request More Information!" form at the top of the page for a FREE Career Information Kit or call 1-800-236-4997 to speak with a friendly and knowledgeable Media Institute Admissions Representative right away.

Consumer Information

On Time Completion Rate	100%
Placement in the Field	N/A

The placement data are as reported to the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges. It includes program completers that started the program between 4/1/2008 and 3/31/2009.

State of Wisconsin Employment Verification
Graduates Employed	N/A

Calculated for the calendar year 2010.

Total Program Cost

Semester	Year	All Tuition & Books	All Campus & Lab Fees
Starting in the Spring	2012	$39,750	$4,000
Starting in the Summer	2012	$39,750	$4,000
Starting in the Fall	2012	$39,750	$4,000

Median Loan Debt	$15,500

The median Title IV loan debt for Media Institute students for the Game Art & Animation Associate of Arts degree program is $15,500 for the 2009 - 2010 academic year. (The median private and institutional loan debt for this program is $0.) This figure represents all funds borrowed by students in this program during that academic year, including monies to support these students during their time as students. It is not limited to the cost of tuition and fees for this program.

SOC Links

SOC #

27-1014

CIP Code

10.0304

O*Net Link

Multimedia Artists and Animators