Minor in Animation
Program Scope
The Animation Minor is open to all majors. The program is a production emphasis in creative storytelling, social issue documentary, and artistic experimentation.
Using techniques like drawing, stop-motion, 2D/3D digital, and mixed media, students apply their research to short animated projects. Students gain a foundation in animation principles and methods applicable to fine art, creative, entertainment, industrial, scientific, and humanities fields. The Animation Society welcomes all students to the club meetings.
Minor in Animation
Enrollment in the Animation Minor is limited and requires a portfolio review. Upper-division standing students of any major can apply. Five animation courses totaling 15 units are required.
Animation Advisors
Students whose last name begins with:
- (A - M) Martha Gorzycki: Fine Arts 335 – (415) 338-1879 – gorzycki@sfsu.edu
- (N - Z) Ben Ridgway: Fine Arts 343 – (415) 405-2169 – bridgway@sfsu.edu
Animation Portfolio Review
The portfolio review is online in the spring semester (deadline April 20th). Students should meet with an animation adviser in fall and prepare their portfolios during their freshmen and sophomore years. Up to 14 students will be admitted after the spring portfolio review; they will receive permits to register for CINE 444 Animation I (3 units). Others with strong portfolios will be wait-listed. All students must upload their application materials (application, portfolio, unofficial transcripts) to SF State Box by April 20th.
Transfer Students Admitted After May
Transfer students admitted late to the university should upload their portfolio by August 15th. Only transfer student portfolios will be considered in August. Upon successful portfolio review, transfer students will get permits to enroll in CINE 444 Animation I (3 units); students on the spring waitlist will receive permits in August if there are available seats.
Portfolio Guidelines
Portfolio Application (pdf)
Sample Portfolio (pdf)
Students should take a beginning drawing and a life drawing class before the review. Portfolios should include only student’s strongest work and be limited to 20 pages assembled as a digital pdf.
- Required: 10-15 pages of human and animal life drawing, gestures & sequenced motion (not cartoons or doodles)
- Each page should have several drawings (See sample portfolio)
- Optional: 2-4 pages of color, design, painting, photography, sculpture or other art samples
- Optional: Up to 2 animation or film samples (2-minute max each, include URL on the application for online streaming submissions
How To Upload Your Portfolio Using An SF State Box Account
- Download the application and sample portfolio above.
- Sign up for an SF State Box account
- A Box at SF State individual account is created for all current faculty, staff, students, and community members the first time they access the service via the Web using their SF State ID and password.
- SF State Box Website
- Make a folder for submission materials and submit the following:
- A portfolio
- An animation application
- SF State unofficial transcript or DPR report
- Unofficial transcripts from other transfer schools (if applicable)
- Share the folder with animation advisers Martha Gorzycki and Ben Ridgway
- Locate the folder/file you wish to share and click once to see more options
- Click the Share button
- Select sharing type: Link
- Set the link permission using the People in this folder drop-down
- Copy the link and share, or enter the email address(es) in the Email Address field to share immediately
- Send Box links to:
- Professor Martha Gorzycki gorzycki@sfsu.edu
- Professor Ben Ridgway bridgway@sfsu.edu
Recommended Drawing Books
-
Force, Dynamic Life Drawing For Animators. Michael D. Mattesi. Focal Press, MA 2006
-
The Art of Animal Drawing. Ken Hultgren. Dover, NY 1993
Program Learning Outcomes
- Acquire basic skills in the formal and critical analysis of animation (including representations of race, class, gender and sexuality), focused by the analysis of representative works from a range of periods and cultures.
- Gain basic understanding of the relation of animation to other arts, to the development of new technologies, and to the industrial-social basis of domestic and international cultural production.
- Acquire the basic technical skills necessary for cinematic expression with animation.
- Develop basic skills in the organization and creation of meaningful form and content in animated works.
Animation Minor — 15 units
Students must maintain a grade of C or better in the required animation classes.
A minimum of 6 upper-division units are required to complete the minor.
All coursework used to satisfy the requirements of the minor must be completed with a minimum grade point average of 2.0.
Required Courses
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| CINE 365 | History of Animation | 3 |
| CINE 444 | Animation I | 3 |
| CINE 445 | Animation II | 3 |
| CINE 664 | Animation III | 3 |
| CINE 665 | Animation IV | 3 |
Other Courses of Interest for Animation Minors
| Code | Title | Units |
|---|---|---|
| CINE 440 | Animation and Video Game Pre-Production | 3 |
| CINE 443 | Drawing for Animation | 3 |
| CINE 446 | Stop-Motion Animation | 3 |
| CINE 448 | 2D Visual Effects | 3 |
| CINE 450 | Fundamentals of Screenwriting | 3 |
| CINE 651 | Experimental Animation & Visual Effects | 3 |
| CINE 652 | Documentary Animation | 3 |
| CINE 660 | 3D Computer Animation | 3 |