Achieving Academic Excellence
Brad Condie
At Disney, animator Brad Condie helped bring to life the characters in such films as “Pocahontas,” “Mulan,” and "The Hunchback of Notre Dame.” Now, as a professor, he is setting his students’ professional lives into motion. Learn more about his work.
Ball State's bachelor's degree in visual arts/animation provides a comprehensive digital animation experience that explores 3-D animation, stop-motion, and traditional 2-D animation.
Our nationally ranked program will prepare you for careers in industries such as film, television, video games, medical animation, architectural rendering, advertising, and product visualization. You’ll learn up-to-date animation techniques and how to use industry-standard animation software. The animation curriculum leads students through a classic arts foundation and then into a strong technical foundation guided by industry demands.
The concentration in Animation Production offers a comprehensive digital animation experience that includes character design, storyboarding, modeling, texturing, and dynamic lighting. You will learn to use industry-leading software, including Toon Boom, Toon Boom Harmony, Maya, Photoshop, and Adobe Illustrator, as you refine your skills and shape your creative vision.
In your junior year you will embark upon on an exciting three-semester production workflow that mirrors the environment of a professional animation studio. You will collaborate with peers and industry professionals to produce a captivating short film that showcases your team’s expertise and creativity. With hands-on experience in each facet of the animation process, you'll be well-equipped to meet the demands of the dynamic animation industry.
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What Can You Do with a Visual Arts/Animation Degree?
Due to the breadth and depth of their training, graduates from our program are prepared for opportunities working as:
- 3D Animators for the film industry
- Multimedia Artists
- Storyboard Artists for film or advertising
- Animation Web designers
- 3D Animator or modeler for the video game industry
- 3D modeler for entertainment, advertising and even engineering and medicine
Paying for Your Education
Scholarships are a terrific way to help with costs. On top of the University’s scholarships available to you, the School of Art has several programs of its own. Begin searching.
Ready to Apply?
Have you decided that our visual arts/animation major is right for you? Then it’s time to begin the admission process. The program maintains a policy of selective enrollment. Admission to the animation sequences requires a review at the end of the spring term. Read our portfolio requirements.
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