0084 - Animation: Beyond Entertainment
Course Description
Advanced Program Online is evolving!
Students interested in completing the certificate must enroll in all remaining required courses by Spring or Summer 2025. Keep an eye out for a new online pre-collegiate experience in Summer 2026.
Artwork by Meghan D.
With increasing expansion, animation serves as a vital tool to highlight injustices, explain data and essential information, and bring new understanding to critical issues. This course focuses on communication, problem solving, and reflection upon global and local issues through the medium of animation. The fundamental principles are introduced through a variety of methods and materials, which may include flipbooks, storyboards, collage, cutouts, and stop-motion techniques. Students think and learn about the roles of artist-as-communicator and artist-as-educator with the ability to create content that is impactful, dynamic and effective. Independent research of political and socioeconomic areas of interest provides students with the content to develop their unique vision.
Notes
- In this intensive course and Visual + Critical Language, students should expect to spend a combined minimum of 20 hours per week engaging in coursework across both courses. Students should plan their schedule accordingly to keep up with class.
- In conjunction with your Featured Topics course(s), you are also required to enroll in Visual + Critical Language. When you register for this Featured Topics course, you will also be charged for the tuition of Visual + Critical Language. You will see this enrollment reflected in your Student Portal before the start date of the course. Visual + Critical Language will meet live two times: during the first and final live sessions of your Featured Topics course.
- This course requires access to Adobe Animate and the free DaVinci Resolve software or equivalent software and digital drawing tools (e.g., iPad and Procreate). Before registering, please visit the Adobe Animate and DaVinci Resolve websites to check your computer's "minimum system requirements."
Prerequisites
This course is part of RISD's Advanced Program Online, a pre-collegiate program for students ages 15–18 in grades 10–12.
Students who have completed or are currently enrolled in a prerequisite Essential Fundamentals course are eligible to enroll in the Advanced Program Concentration, which includes a Featured Topics course. If you have not yet completed an Essential Fundamentals course, you will receive an Enrollment Warning at checkout, and will be required to submit a Prerequisite Override Request for review.
Instructors
Applies Towards the Following Certificates
- Advanced Program Online : Featured Topics and Visual + Critical Language