Animation & Game Art
Digital media and interactive entertainment now touch almost every aspect of our society, helping us to connect and communicate in today's world.
In the Animation & Game Art program at Pennsylvania College of Art & Design, you’ll combine your interest in traditional art with your love of computers and technology. You’ll master the principles of 2D and 3D design, storytelling, basic interactivity, digital animation, digital audio production, and time-based media through lectures, demos, and studio work.
Your time at PCA&D will prepare you for a fast-paced, ever-evolving industry where job opportunities continue to grow rapidly.
Skylar Cordiano-Mooney ’22, William Garrett ’22, Aris Marinos ’22
our program
Why Animation & Game Art at PCA&D?
Your Animation & Game Art mentors and faculty are all working artists, who freelance or have careers in the industry. That means you’ll be exposed to the most up-to-date information about your major and will learn the methods and techniques that are in demand in today’s market. You’ll have assignments working with clients outside of PCA&D to help you develop a professional industry portfolio before you graduate. And with a student-to-teacher ratio of 9-to-1, you’ll get the personal instruction that will support your own strengths and specialization.
JEREMY BENSING ’21
Each year, you will have the opportunity to attend and participate in events that will help you understand how your career choice will be relevant in today’s world. And, you’ll learn in the #1 best small city to live in the U.S., in a vibrant arts-rich environment with more than 125 galleries and creative spaces.
PCA&D’s Animation & Game Arts students get noticed!
program concentrations
PCA&D’s Animation & Gaming Art program offers two concentrated tracks to help you focus on exactly the type of work you’d like to do. Your classes will have a mixture of students in both tracks working on separate, track-related projects.
Animation/Film Track: As the name suggests, students taking this track learn the fundamentals of computer animation specific to film, television, streaming content, virtual reality devices, and smartphone applications. You will hone your skills in Character Animation, Character Modeling, Set Design, and Visual Development.
Game Art Track: Students in this track focus their work on the elements that help to create immersive gaming experiences, including Character Animation, Character Modeling, Environment Modeling, Level Design, and Visual Development.
Customize your program
At PCA&D students have the opportunity to explore multiple interests by incorporating a minor or certificate into their major studies. Expanding your skill sets to cross disciplines will make you more appealing to future employers and broaden your potential career path.
A mix of both faculty and classmates really encouraged me throughout my time at PCA&D. My senior instructor and now chair of the department Natasha Warshawsky was and is always willing to lend a helping hand and encouragement. She always gave strong feedback during class critiques and constantly went out of her way to help me and others if they were struggling with projects or specific parts of their thesis."
Build Your Network
PCA&D has an active student chapter of the Association for Computing Machinery’s Special Interest Group on Computer Graphics and Interactive Techniques. Weekly meetings are run by the student officers and activities include educational lessons, critique nights, collaborative projects, artists’ talks, and social events. Members can share their projects and processes, explore new software and techniques, and make connections.
PCA&D students and faculty have attended the SIGGRAPH North America conference each year since 2017.
Meet the Experts
We connect working animators and gaming artists with our students for events like lectures and panel discussions both on and off campus. These celebrated artists will share their insights, build connections, and provide personal feedback on your work. Recent guests included Eric Favela of Sony Pictures Animation, Blue Sky Studio, Jess Marfisi of Warner Brothers Studio, and Ellen Su of Titmouse.
Experiences
To Inspire
PCA&D organizes or participates in a myriad of events and activities that help students realize the relevance of their career choice in the real world.
Art Markets provide a venue where you can display and sell your artwork or handmade goods to the community, giving you experience with the business side of the profession.
College Collaborations allow you to join students in other majors to form design teams. PCA&D’s College Collaborations allows students to develop their teamworking skills through inter-departmental projects that benefit the PCA&D community.
Step Into Your Career
During your junior year, you will prepare a 60-second video that showcases a selection of your completed projects, and you’ll present that video to department faculty. Your Junior Demo Reel helps to determine if you are ready to progress to your Senior Experience.
As a senior, your capstone film project is a fully animated short film or cinematic game trailer with an optional interactive piece. You may work independently or in groups to create a completely original concept and are responsible for all art assets.
With a focus on career-oriented projects and developing professional skill sets, you’ll be prepared to meet the demands of a diverse and expanding job market in film, television, video games, and more. By the time you graduate, you’ll have a body of work that demonstrates both a generalist skillset and understanding of animation and game art pipelines, and also showcases your strengths in specific areas of specialty.
Your capstone film projects will debut to the public at our annual Senior Show during commencement celebrations in May.
Internships & careers
Where could your creative life take you?
Daniel Rapp ’22
Daisy Brooks ’22
Internship experiences are a great way for students to test-drive the multitude of career pathways available. For many students, an internship can lead to a job offer or connections that result in freelance opportunities.
As a PCA&D student, you’ll have an opportunity to complete an internship, a one-on-one mentorship, an entrepreneurial venture, or a community-based project that will build your skills, allow you to network and collaborate with working professionals in the gaming and movie industries, and demonstrate your talent and skills to potential employers.
AGA students have participated in internships with local companies like Triode Media, Major Mega studios, as well as mentorships with professionals working for big companies like Dreamworks and Sony Animation.
In addition to the booming entertainment sector, students might also consider digital media careers in architectural and interior design firms, industrial, scientific and medical communities, where there is a need for computer animators to help explain mechanical processes or scientific discoveries using their skills in 2D or 3D visualization, motion graphics, or basic simulations and interactivity. Here you will build skill sets allowing you to land positions as:
- Concept Artists
- Visual Effects Artists
- Storyboard Artists
- 3D Visualization Designer for architecture or interior design
- Layout Artists
- Multimedia Designers
- Production Designers in theater, film, or television
- 2D Animators
- 3D Animators
- Medical Simulation Artists
- Motion Graphics
where are Alumni now?
PCA&D students find work in a wide variety of fields and with prestigious companies and organizations nationally and all over the world.
Alumni profile: AGA graduate Jeremy Bensing works to build a career in animation
When Jeremy Bensing was introduced to animation as a career possibility, it was love at first sight. Since then the 2021 magna cum laude Animation & Game Art graduate has steadily worked to break into the field, continuing to keep in touch with mentors, and always in pursuit of refining
Rain Supple ’20 building whole new worlds with Obsidian
Pulling inspiration from real life and from nature, Rain Supple has stepped into the chance to design immersive environments we’ve never seen before. Earlier this year, the 2020 Animation & Game Art BFA graduate joined Irvine, Calif.-based Obsidian Entertainment as an Assistant World Builder — a position that has stretched
Department faculty
A faculty of working digital artists
As experienced working professionals with strong ties to resources and opportunities in the field, your faculty assign competitive, real-world projects to enhance your portfolio with professional work well before you graduate.
Natasha Warshawsky, Department Chair
Natasha is a 3D digital artist who was essential in designing PCA&D’s AGA curriculum, especially in 3D animation. She has a BS in Animation and Visual Effects and a Master of Science in Digital Media, both from Westphal College of Art & Design, Drexel University. Aside from teaching, she works as an independent artist on various game, animation, and digital sculpture projects.
Rain Supple ’20
Apply now
Make your creative life, a way of life
While you’re still deciding on a school, go ahead and start an application or submit your portfolio. You can also register for admissions-related events, or how about a personal campus tour.