West Valley College has joined a traditional media arts program with a critical issues oriented digital media curriculum to form the California State accredited 60 unit Associate of Arts Degree in Computer Arts: Animation. Students are provided comprehensive instruction in drawing, color and design, handbuilding, computer imaging and camera work as they relate to time-based visual media. These formal skills are developed in conjunction with the exploration of 19th and 20th century art influences; particularly the impact of technology on our world-view.
 
The course work caters to those students with goals in (1) the fields of computer animation, motion graphics & digital effects, (2) transfer to academic arts programs and/or (3) individual portfolio development. Students have convenient access to industry-standard media specific computer labs, production facilities in the Art, Music & Theater departments, as well as the KSAR6 Television production studios. It is within this collaborative environment, according to personal achievement goals that students work to produce portfolio quality demo work.
 

 

 

FAQ's

 
1. Why study computer arts & animation at West Valley College?
 
West Valley College is one of only a handful of community colleges in northern California to offer an accredited Associates Degree in Computer Arts & Animation.
 
Our integrated production facilities and computer labs offer students the opportunity to work in an actual production environment utilizing industry standard equipment.
 
Our classes prepare transfer students for the academic rigors of a university grade art program.
 
Amazingly, this learning environment is offered for only $11 a unit!
 
 
2. What are my employment options after completing the Computer Arts & Animation program?
 
There is currently strong demand for computer animators and digital effects artists in the film, television, multimedia, and video game industries. The most recent NOVA Private Industry Council Labor Market Analysis of careers in Digital Media ranked animation as having the highest demand and lowest supply of all career paths surveyed. This demand is expected to continue into the next decade.
 
It is important though for potential majors to appreciate that the strong demand for animators and computer artists is the result of too few qualified people, not too few job applicants. In other words there are many people interested in pursuing a career in computer art but too few with the unique training, experience and dedication necessary for success. "Unqualified" is often defined as having too little art & design experience, undeveloped communication skills and little or no team production experience.
 
West Valley College appreciates the unique learning environment required to cultivate and integrate traditional studio experience with digital workstation skills. The Art Department in conjunction with the WVC Technology Center has developed a program that emphasizes the fundamental principles of visual design and media art theory along with the hard skills required for computer generated imaging and manipulation. For many students the West Valley computer art experience will allow them to develop an extremely competitive professional portfolio demo-reel.
 
A student with no previous art experience, computer experience, or post-secondary educational experience will most likely find that a two-year program in computer art is just the beginning of their career training. Many large animation companies, including Industrial Light & Magic in Marin, PIXAR in Richmond and Pacific Data Images in Palo Alto strongly recommend a four-year degree in art & design. This is not to say that a 'degreeless' job applicant with an extraordinary portfolio would not be considered, rather that it has been the experience of large companies like these that the most qualified job applicants often times posses university art & design training.
 
3. What are my options for university transfer?
 
An overwhelming majority of four-year universities offer some form of "multimedia" degree. All five California State University campuses in the San Francisco Bay Area offer such degrees including our closest academic partner, San Jose State University. The Art Department at SJSU developed one of the first Computer Art programs in the nation while the SJSU Design Department has collaborated with Warner Brothers Animation to form a new and unique Illustration degree program in Animation. Most West Valley Computer Arts graduates will find themselves prepared for either program.
 
Our program also caters to the student that might already posses a four-year degree in an "unrelated" field or may posses some industry experience in the fields of art & design or multimedia. We offer a 24 unit Certificate of Achievement in Computer Arts: Animation for these students who hope to develop and/or update their digital visual skills. Taking individual Computer Arts courses at West Valley College for the sole purpose of developing one's personal portfolio is also very common and encouraged.
 
4. What kinds of equipment and software are used?
 
The West Valley College Technology Center supports the Macintosh G3/4, SGI IRIX, Sun Soloris and Windows 98/NT platforms. Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Premiere, Macromedia Director and Alias/Wavefront Maya are the most used software applications by our art students. The campus Television Studio offers a full range of IEEE 1394 equipped digital video production tools including large scale key-screening. The WVC Computer Applications and Digital Media Departments offer instruction in a wide variety of software including Adobe and Macromedia products.
 
5. What kinds of projects are produced?

First year art students engage in the development of form and content-generation skills through pre-defined exercises and projects. These assignments correlate with the class discussion of assigned reading material and current skills training. Students are encouraged to experiment within the general parameters of each project.

Second year art students take greater responsibility for the content and direction of their work. Class discussions, assigned readings and instructor suggestion serve to co-produce intermediate and advanced student work. Specialized team projects are encouraged due to the overall complexity and skill versatility required of a full-scale multimedia production. Students are also grouped in order to take advantage of the wide range of elective offerings. For example, students enrolled in recommended electives THEAR 6A: Writing for Film & Television or MUSIC 5: Music Fundamentals would be responsible to the Computer Arts class for coordinating that particular component of a production.

It is expected that final-semester student productions effectively communicate or embody the artist's ideas through a range of competently handled digitally composited traditional media and computer generated imagery. This work is generally time-based and viewed telematically. An accompanying artist statement and formal presentation of the final work is required of all computer arts majors.

6. Will I learn about 2D animation in addition to 3D animation and Digital Video?

Advanced traditional 2D animation techniques are not covered in-depth. Basic 2D and stop-motion animation techniques are explored as they relate to the general production of time-based visual media, usually as an additional component to a CGI/DV composite. Entirely 2D productions are not required but are encouraged if individual student interest is high. DeAnza Community College in Cupertino, CA offers an exceptional traditional 2D animation program.


7. What other programs does West Valley College offer in the areas of design and media?

 

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