Are you old enough to remember one of the first animation video games – frogger? Amber screen in a DOS or Unix environment using the keypad to navigate the poor little frog jumping across lanes of traffic without getting crushed by speeding cars. How about Pong on the revolutionary Atari? Maybe you remember when Super Mario Bros. came out and the animation and graphics were something new and groundbreaking?  Technology has come a long way since then, and it’s only going to get more creative and fascinating in the future.  Have you ever wanted to create a video game, or digitally produced animation?  If so, the Sno-Isle TECH Animation Program is the perfect opportunity for you to get started on that path.

Background on the Animation Program

The Animation class at Sno-Isle TECH teaches students how to design and create animations for video games and digital video using a combination of traditional art, digital 2D computer programs, and 3D animation software.  The outcome of the course prepares students with the skills necessary for production level art and animation that can be used as the building blocks for a career in digital animation and video production.  If you’re interested, but aren’t much of an artist, don’t worry.  Strong drawing skills are not required to get started in the Animation program.  The ability to draw and animate will be developed and refined as you progress throughout the program.

Meet the Instructor

Lee Anne Lumsden brings over 25 years of experience in the visual arts and teaching field to the Animation program at Sno-Isle TECH.  Seattle is a hotbed for developing artists in the Pacific Northwest, and this course will showcase the vibrant opportunities available after graduation of the program.  Lee Anne teaches through a variety of learning tools which may consist of demonstrations, lectures, guest speakers, field trips, videos, text books, audio/visual aids, and handouts.

 What Is the Goal of the Animation Program?

The Animation course at Sno-Isle TECH is a college preparatory class, and students work with an emphasis on independent design and working in a teamwork setting.  The program works closely with professional computer programmers for the gaming industry, which aids in the ability to take the lessons from class and directly apply them to real-world applications.  Computer animation and computer graphics (CG) have strong foundations in traditional 2D art.  Students can expect to draw with pencil, charcoal, pen & ink, along with painting and sculpting by hand. Students study the principles of animation, human anatomy, story development, and portfolio development. If you are a passionate artist and you enjoy working with others, and would like to pursue Animation as a career, this is the class for you!

Students will have a unique opportunity to be exposed to some of the many areas in the world of animation.  Working in a commercial setting during the course will help prepare students with an opportunity to further develop their skills at any art related or gaming courses taken after high school.  The Sno-Isle TECH Animation course is offered as a 1 or 2 year program open to juniors and seniors. Prior art, keyboarding, visual communications, and math classes are helpful.

Course Objectives

Upon the successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

• Understand the operational flow for film/video and game production
• Demonstrate a working knowledge with a variety of software used in the Animation industry.
• Work directly with Video Game Design students to produce art assets for original video games.
• Produce simple original animations
• Work successfully in a team
• Demonstrate flexibility and work within deadlines.

 Materials and Supplies Needed

These items will be needed for the course:

• Flash Drive: 8 GB or larger
• Sketch Book (Not newsprint)
• (.5) black Ink Technical Pen – Prisma, Micron, or similar
• A home computer
• FireAlpaca (Free 2D Software) or Gimp 2.8 (Free 2D Software)
• Blender (Free 3D Software)
• Sculptris (Free 3D Software)

 These items would be helpful but not required:

• Wacom drawing tablet
• Markers
• Colored pencils
• Adobe Photoshop

Session Times

AM Session: 7:55 AM – 10:25 AM

PM Session: 11:10 AM – 1:40 PM

Don’t miss your chance to get started in the Animation program and get into the video game or digital art industries.  For more information on Sno-Isle TECH and the Animation program, click here.  If you’re ready to sign up and get started, register now!  Classes for the next semester are filling fast, and you don’t want to miss out.