Animation Course Descriptions • Animation • Carthage College

The Carthage animation minor introduces students at the undergraduate level to some of the ways that animation has developed and is used in other disciplines. Scroll down to read descriptions of the animation courses offered at Carthage, or click on the following links for additional resources.

Foundations, Time: Movement + Digital (FAR) (AI)

ART 1072 / 4 credits
This course is a study of design fundamentals in time-based media, with emphasis on content. Students will explore the interactions of time through the lens and the tactile world, using video, sound, animation, performance, installation, and/or new media. Projects will be interdisciplinary in nature, with the combining of time-based media, for example performance art and video, installation art and sound. Through individual production, group projects, and critical discussion, students will examine the relationships between image, sound, linear and nonlinear narrative, time, and space.
Prerequisite: None
Fall/Spring

Digital Art

ART 1073 / 4 credits
Digital Art is a foundational studio art course open to all students. No prior experience is required. This course emphasizes digital art created in Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop and other standard softwares. Students will create digital drawings, images, and digital collages to develop their technical, aesthetic, and conceptual skills. Through individual projects, students will learn about the impact of vector and raster art and its ever-increasing presence in contemporary art, visual language, and society. This course offers foundational 2D digital design skills and software literacy which will assist students in learning moving image art (animation) software.

Drawing I (FAR) (AI)

ART 2000 / 4 credits
This foundational studio course introduces students to basic drawing techniques and media. Focusing on observational drawing, students learn to create naturalistic images and the illusion of three-dimensional space on a two-dimensional page. In addition, students are exposed to great artists and drawings through history, critique, and art theory.
Prerequisite: None
Fall/Spring

4D (FAR) (AI)

ART 2750/ 4 credits
Time, space, and technology are fundamental in contemporary art practice. This course will be an introduction to the process of making art by utilizing technology and transaction among people, objects, locations, and situations. Through studio assignments, screenings, readings, lectures, discussion, and/or workshops, students will be introduced to contemporary time-based art practices. Depending on the specific topic offered, this will include video, sound art, performance art, installation, light, experimental film, social practice, web-based, and/or new media.
Prerequisite: None

Animation

ART 2800 / 4 credits
Animation is a core component of moving image art practice. This course is designed to introduce students to the principles and practices of animation. Through studio assignments, screenings, readings, lectures, discussion, and/or workshops, students will be introduced to this time-based art medium. Depending on the specific topic offered, this will include animations created with drawn (hand or digital), 3D animation, stop motion photography, pixilation, clay, paper, puppets, objects, time-lapse, and other mediums to make engaging characters in unique settings while connecting to a range of storytelling genres. Students will build upon their understanding of digital workflow, file management, production techniques and project planning. The roles of linear and nonlinear, narrative, time-based media will be discussed and considered. This course may be repeated up to three times.

Advanced 4D

ART 3700 / 4 credits
Advanced studio work in time-based media, emphasizing individual production in one or more of these areas: video, sound art, performance art, installation, light, experimental film, social practice, web-based, and/or new media. Students will refine their aesthetic, conceptual, and technical skills through individual projects and continued study of the expanding critical role time-based media has in contemporary art and society. This course may be repeated up to three times.
Prerequisite: ART 2750

Advanced Animation

ART 3800 / 4 credits
In this advanced studio art course, students will create artworks utilizing animation concepts, software and techniques. Depending on the specific topic offered, this will include animations created with 2D drawn (hand or digital), 3D animation, stop motion photography, pixilation, clay, paper, puppets, objects, time-lapse, and other mediums to make engaging characters in unique settings while connecting to a range of storytelling genres. Students will build upon their understanding of digital workflow, file management, production techniques and project planning. The roles of linear and nonlinear, narrative, time-based media will be discussed and considered. This course may be repeated up to three times.
Prerequisite: ART 3700

Basic Adobe Creative Cloud

CDM 1925 / 4 credits
This course focuses on learning the basics of Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign for students planning to work in the realm of communication, marketing, and other fields within the creative industry. Students taking this course should be a total beginner or have very limited knowledge of the programs. They will use these software tools to create and edit multiple small projects, a crucial skill for many majors seeking to gain entry into their professions. The steps of the creative process will also be introduced, from brainstorming to final solution. Students will be required to have access to a computer with Adobe CC, which can be found in several labs on campus.

Advanced Adobe Creative Cloud

CDM 1950 / 4 credits
This course focuses on enhancing students’ previous knowledge of Adobe and progressing their skill set to the level of advanced work with Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign. It is intended for students planning to work in the realm of the creative, communication, and marketing industry. Students will create and edit multiple projects with the Adobe tools as a base; other supplemental programs may be introduced as well. The steps of the creative process will also be used for project advancement, from brainstorming to final solution. Students will be required to have access to a computer with Adobe CC, which can be found in several labs on campus. For students to do best in this course they should have existing knowledge of the following: Adobe Illustrator: creating basic vector graphics through image trace or drawing tools such as the pencil or blob brush tool, color swatches, affecting line, pathfinder, and basic pen tool Adobe Photoshop: editing image size and resolution, basics of selections and using layers, healing tools, adjusting images using levels and color correction, layer adjustment and styles. Adobe InDesign: creating multiple page layouts, with placed image and type, laying out guides and grids, using typography tools such as creating columns, master pages, and swatches. course.
Prerequisite: CDM 1925 or instructor approval

New Media Theory and Aesthetics (FAR) (CL) (IDP)

CDM 2600 / 4 credits
Students will learn and apply a variety of critical methods for understanding and evaluating the current landscape of new media. The course will investigate mobile technology, social networks, streaming, the internet and its cultures, as well as various other forms of emerging media (including VR, AR, and interactive technologies). The course is designed to provide students with a knowledge base for future work in emerging arts and sciences, digital production, screen arts and cultures, and other communication-related fields.
Prerequisite: None

History of Film: From the Nickelodeon to Netflix (CL) (ITL)

CDM 2750 / 4 credits
This course surveys film movements, industries, and periods of national cinemas that have sought to redefine the dominant ideologies, modes of production, and aesthetics of the cinematic artform from 1895 to the present.

Introduction to Computing (QR)

CSC 1100 / 4 credits
An introduction to the art and science of computer programming for the student without previous programming experience. Topics covered include the historical development of computing, the basic operating principles of computers, and an introduction to problem-solving using one or more high-level computing languages, such as Python. Intended for nonmajors/nonminors. Does not count toward major or minor in CSC.
Fall/Spring

Principles of Computer Science

CSC 1810 / 4 credits
This study of the fundamentals of writing computer programs and problem-solving, using structured and object-oriented techniques. Intended for future majors and minors in Computer Science and minors in Game Development. Students are strongly encouraged to enroll in this course in the Fall term of their first year.
Fall/Spring

Game Development I

CSC 2710 / 4 credits
Video games are serious work. Reaching far beyond the multibillion-dollar gaming industry, the lessons of video game development increasingly translate to disparate fields requiring simulation, training, and easy-to-use interfaces. This course introduces students to the game development and design process. Students will build games representative of a variety of genres. This is a project-based course.
Co-requisite: CSC 1810 or instructor permission
Alternating Fall

Computer Graphics (AI)

CSC 3770 / 4 credits
Given the ubiquity of computer graphics in modern culture (in forms such as computer gaming, motion pictures, and other kinds of visual entertainment), the deeply technical nature of its formulation and construction can be overlooked. This course provides an introduction to computer graphics covering aspects of linear algebra, geometry, color, vision, and the unique nature of modern graphics programming. This course is project driven.
Prerequisite: CSC 2560 with a C- or higher