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听鈥淚t鈥檚 a monstrous amount of work to produce within the allotted听time. The majority听survive with a very听professional film that serves as a calling card and crowning听portfolio piece and, if lucky, a festival darling.鈥�

That鈥檚 Ric Heitzman, departing Professor of Animation, reflecting on the boot camp that is 鈥渃apstone season.鈥� As it happens, the season just past was positively jammed with festival darlings. (More about that in just a bit.)

While capstone projects are labors of love throughout the School of Media Culture & Design, the senior听capstone animated film is a distinct rite of passage for BFA students in Animation.听As Professor Heitzman explains, each senior is required to make an animated film or be part of a team that creates a film 鈥� an undertaking that extends across both semesters.

鈥淚t鈥檚 an extremely rigorous task to make an animated film in whatever medium the students choose 鈥� stop-motion, 2D hand-drawn,听3D CGI, or any mix thereof,鈥� he says. 鈥淪ome combine live action and animation. Animated product is usually made by armies of artists, story people and post-production effects听miracles.听The process involves developing storytelling skills both with听visuals and the written word.鈥�

Populating an animated film is akin to fabricating a new world: seniors听develop听characters with voice, design听and acting. They call on storyboarding skills, along with perspective drawing听and layout skills. They design characters in 3D, enlisting posing, lighting and animating听skills — even set-building skills if stop-motion is the medium of choice. Students have been known to work with professional听voice-over actors to craft听characters, drawing on local talent from within the industry.

Over the course of 30 weeks, the active ingredients are identified, combined and brought to life: color,听design, timing听and effects — backed with an original sound design and music听track —听听听 convert the disparate elements into a relatable story.听鈥淢ost importantly, seniors听graduate with a complete understanding of the depth of what听it is to be in听the animation industry or work as a freelance animation artist or writer,鈥� Professor Heitzman says. 鈥淭hey emerge knowing how to make an animated film,鈥� which can stand alone or be paired with game, television, online and/or music video听animation.

So as the curtain goes up on a new academic year, it鈥檚 worth taking a moment to review some of 2018鈥檚 festival darlings from Woodbury Animation:

• Brandon Swofford, 鈥淕old Winner – Best Short Animation鈥� at the Queens Palm International Film Festival for his 3-minute film, 鈥淗appy the Angry Polar Bear,鈥� a听rhyming听animated poem. Says Professor Heitzman: 鈥淔antastic听writing, sound design听and 2D hand-drawn听animation.鈥�
• Wes Taimuty, recipient of an 鈥淎ward of Merit鈥� in the documentary short category from the 鈥淚mpact Docs鈥� Documentary Film Festival for his 9-minute documentary, 鈥淚ron Sails,鈥� about an important Civil War naval battle.听Wes combined 3D CGI,听stop motion and after-effects animation. 听
• At the Palm Springs International Film听Festivaland Comic-Con 2018 San Diego:
• Chris Castillo:Vigilante听(2听minutes),听2D hand-drawn听animation.听A听commentary听on the #metoo movement, with a听female听vigilante听heroine and a physical听abuser who has a more than passing听resemblance听to Harvey Weinstein.
• Tucker Joneson and Andrew Hill: Hero (3-minutes), 2D hand-drawn animation. A man dreams of the day when he can make a difference as an action hero.
• Dani Bowman:The Audition听(2 minutes),听2D hand-drawn听animation鈥�.听 A group of would-be clowns audition for a spot听under the big top.
• Madison Shafer:Sasquatch Out!听(2 minutes),听2D hand-drawn听animation鈥�.鈥� While lost听in a cellphone, a hipster finds himself stuck in a world he never imagined.
• Sean Casey: Fly!听(2 minutes),听2D hand-drawn听animation鈥�.鈥� 听A small disabled young听bird鈥檚 grandfather helps him to fly.

For those keeping count, the program generated 10 screenings at international film festivals, which includes several students in multiple festivals. As Professor Heitzman says, 鈥渢hat鈥檚 an amazing number of screenings for one class!鈥�

Learn more about the Animation program