Carnegie Mellon University

IDeATe

Integrative Design, Arts, and Technology

Animation & Special Effects

Students in the Animation & Special Effects minor study the interconnected components of performance capture, rendering, 3D and 2D animation, and special effects. They merge arts and technology perspectives to explore each of these components and the area of digital animation as a whole. Through common repositories across courses and collaborative projects, students explore how the different components and types of expertise come together to create a convincing computer animated experience.

Students in this minor are also be able to connect to other IDeATe courses to explore applications of digital animation in different contexts (games, interactive environments etc.) and to integrate other key areas of knowledge (narrative, sound) into digital animation projects.

 Animation & Special Effects Minor - Minimum of 45 Units

one computing course - Minimum of 9 units

  • 15-104 Introduction to Computing for Creative Practice
  • 15-110 Principles of Computing
  • 15-112 Fundamentals of Programming and Computer Science
  • 60-210 Electronic Media Studio: Introduction to Interactivity
  • 60-212 Electronic Media Studio: Interactivity and Computational Practice

One ideate Portal course - minimum of 9 units

  • Recommended Portal Course for this area: 60-125 Introduction to 3D Animation Pipeline
  • 16-223 IDeATe Portal: Creative Kinetic Systems
  • 18-090 Twisted Signals: Multimedia Processing for the Arts
  • 53-322 IDeATe: Little Games/Big Stories: Indie Roleplaying Game Studio
  • 60-223 IDeATe Introduction to Physical Computing
  • 62-150 IDeATe Introduction to Media Synthesis & Analysis

  • 82-250 Digital Realites: Introducing Immersive Technologies for Arts and Culture
  • 99-361 IDeATe Portal

Ideate animation & Special effects Courses - minimum of 27 units

  • 15-365/60-422 Experimental Animation
  • 15-463 Computational Photography
  • 15-465/60-414 Animation, Art, and Technology
  • 53-320 IDeATe Special Topics in Animation: Character Modeling
  • 53-321 IDeATe Special Topics in Animation: Bipedal Rigging for Animation Production
  • 53-323 IDeATe Special Topics in Animation: Storytelling Through Effects
  • 60-220 Technical Character Animation
  • 60-333 Character Rigging for Production
  • 60-335 IDeATe Special Topics in Animation: Story Development
  • 60-337 IDeATe Special Topics in Animation: Storyboarding
  • 60-398 Social History of Animation
  • 60-413 Advanced ETB: Real-Time Animation
  • 60-415 Advanced ETB: Animation Studio
  • 60-426 Advanced ETB: 2D Animation
  • 60-461 Experimental Capture
  • Additional courses as available. Please check IDeATe Courses for the options for the current and upcoming semester.

 Double-counting: Students may double-count up to two of their IDeATe minor courses for other requirements.

Animation & Special Effects Faculty

The Animation & Special Effects faculty represent Carnegie Mellon's expertise in Art and Robotics. They carefully oversee the collaboration of students while delivering the IDeATe Animation & Special Effects courses.