Animation & Visualization Portfolio Review

The following prerequisite courses must be successfully completed OR currently enrolled in the semester when submitting portfolio.

• ARH 2051 History of Western Art II
• ART 2201C Design Fundamentals 2D
• ART 2203C Design Fundamentals 3D
• ART 2300C Drawing Fundamentals I
• ART 2301C Drawing Fundamentals II
• DIG 2000 Introduction to Digital Media (requires a “B” or better)
• DIG 2030 Digital Video Fundamentals
• DIG 2109 Digital Imaging Fundamentals
• DIG 2500 Fundamentals of Interactive Design
• GRA 2101C Introduction to Computer Art
• MAC 1105C College Algebra

Starting Spring 2024: The following prerequisite courses can be completed after submitting portfolio:

• ARH 2050 History of Western Art I
• CGS 2100C Computer Fundamentals for Business

A grade of “C” or better is required for each course listed above. These courses must be completed or enrolled in by the semester applying for portfolio. A GPA of 3.0 is required for major courses.

NOTE: Students seeking to transfer courses taken at other institutions should check tes.collegesource.com to confirm equivalency.

Applicants are asked to collate and submit all the following criteria below via a single PDF portfolio document that is at most 20MB. Carefully review the requirements below. If submitted work does not meet these criteria or directions are not followed, it will not be accepted for evaluation. All application materials and portfolios must be received by the deadline. Each portfolio submission using the provided official methods will be accepted for review.

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Visual Design of Portfolio

Exemplary portfolios are thoughtful in both professional layout and visual design. Visual order, typographical hierarchy, and thoughtful page layout are encouraged for a professional elevated portfolio. Students are encouraged to think about the design and layout of their portfolios. Many students choose to use section tile pages, footers, headers, and other designed elements to elevate the visual presentation of their portfolios. Consistent use of visual branding throughout the portfolio is also encouraged. Images of artwork may be arranged on the page as the user wishes but should not be pixelated.

Students may include multiple images of a single sculptural or 3D work. Multiple views of a singular work would count as one piece. Students should place and arrange these images on the same portfolio page. This practice is done if the applicant wishes to draw attention to detail in the submitted work of art.

Each artwork should be clearly labeled with the following:

• Title of artwork
• Year the artwork was created
• If the artwork was produced for a class, what class was the submitted artwork produced (include class number or title)?
• If collaborative – what was your involvement in the project (what exactly did you do?)
• Medium produced in (traditional, digital, hybrid, other)
• Software used (if applicable)

All art images should be appropriately cropped, oriented, and photographed in a well-lit area at a clear resolution. The cover letter and artwork Images should be clearly labeled, oriented correctly, and professionally presented within the submitted PDF document.

Students must include a title page with their Student Name (1-page maximum)

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Section 1:
Cover Letter (1-page maximum)

Each student must provide a single-page, professionally formatted cover letter stating their interest in the Animation & Visualization track.

What are we looking for?

In the professionally formatted cover letter, the student should introduce themselves and explain why they are interested in entering the Animation & Visualization track specifically. The student should also discuss their future professional aspirations. Students should write a cover letter specifically geared for the Animation & Visualization track and not use other cover letters or templated language for their submission. The cover letter should be one page at maximum.

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Section 2:
Design Work: 2D Design, 3D Design, Sculpture, or Industrial Design

Five artistic pieces must be included within this section to be considered for review. At least one artwork must be a traditional 2D work, and at least one must be a traditional 3D work.) Both digital and traditional pieces are acceptable for the remainder of the artwork.

Student portfolios should contain at most five artistic pieces that illustrate the student's competency using design principles and elements. Students are encouraged to arrange their work in a clear and professional arrangement over five pages. The student should convey thoughtfulness in cropping and consider the clarity of presented imagery in the review process.

What are we looking for in the design artwork?

Students are asked to select design 2-D work that showcases their abilities and uses formal elements and principles: line, shape, value, visual texture, implied space, color theory, balance, contrast, dominance, harmony, proportion, repetition, scale, unity, and variety.

Students are asked to select design 3-D work that showcases their abilities and use of formal elements and principles: line, shape, value, applied texture, space, color theory, balance, contrast, weight, harmony, proportion, scale, unity, variety, form, space, time/movement, three-dimensionality, and round.

3-D work must be photographed on a seamless, color-neutral background and lighted in a way that most clearly displays the artwork. Do not use crumpled material or distracting background. The image must be in focus and represent the quality of the actual work. Students are encouraged to combine multiple views of the same 3-D sculptures into one image to showcase the work.

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Section 3:
Observational Drawing

Five artworks must be included within this section to be considered for review. Digital or traditional pieces are acceptable.

Observational drawing is drawing something by looking at it, not drawing from a photo, and can be anything as long as the drawing is from observation of the real-life subject. An excellent portfolio example shows that the artist can recognize lines, curves, edges, perspective, proportions, hues, and values and translate them into the paper. Also, the drawings should show a firm grasp of craftsmanship. Submitted artwork may be initially executed in digital or traditional mediums.

What are we looking for in observation drawings?

Students are asked to select and present drawing work that showcases their abilities and uses formal elements and principles: measure and proportion, structure, line quality (contour and contrast), volume, one and two-point perspective, value, and figure (life drawing). We are not looking for fan art or copyrighted art in this section.

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Section 4:
Motion-Based Media

Students may submit between one to three videos. Motion-based media submissions can be visual (for example, a live-action video project or an animation) or a combination of audio and visual art.

What are we looking for in motion-Based media?

We are looking for students to be able to navigate a digital environment. Animation & Visualization, although rooted in art practice, has very technical objectives and outcomes. The committee is looking for students who can already navigate that technical ecosystem. Student motion-based submissions might be live-action videos created in a video fundamental course, animated gifs, or even some previously made animation.

To properly present motion-based work(s), applicants must submit a published or unpublished YouTube link to the artwork(s). Students will submit these one to three links on a single page of their portfolio. Links set to Private links will not be accepted for review. Please ensure your URLs are clickable hyperlinks on your portfolio page. If the link is broken or unavailable at the review time, it will not be evaluated and receive zero marks. Reference the portfolio information sessions above for more information and examples of motion-based portfolio work.

Do not password-protect your videos, and make sure your video is not set to Private. The URL links should be included on a single page within the PDF application, including the following information for each provided link.

• A YouTube link(s) to your clip(s) (up to three clips allowed)
• Each motion-based YouTube video must have a total running time of three minutes or less (if it is a video, the time limit includes the credits). Students may choose to submit edited pieces to meet this requirement.
• Please include the following information for each video in the portfolio page description:
  • Title of work
  • Year work was produced.
  • If for a class/what class created in
  • If collaborative – what was the student's part in the creation (i.e., what exactly did you do?)
  • Software used (if applicable)
  • Any copyrighted images or music should be properly cited in the enclosed video link description.

This specialization is for students specifically interested in a fast-paced and competitive career in the computer graphics industry. Animation & Visualization students are expected to be informed, thoughtful, and creative problem solvers who are self-motivated and love to learn. The following is a rubric on how each section is evaluated. The portfolio review committee will evaluate each score, and then those scores will be averaged. The candidates with the top average scores will be offered a spot in the Animation & Visualization cohort.

• Cover Letter Requirement (30%)
• Academics (20%)
  A review of each applicant’s transcript or audit will be done to indicate the potential to succeed in the intense course of study found in the Animation & Visualization track’s upper division. The following four criteria must be met:
  • A 3.0 GPA in the major is required.
  • Students must have completed or be enrolled in all Prerequisites and Basic Core requirements at the time of application.
  • A degree audit review will determine whether or not the student has met the required prerequisite courses.
  • Acceptance is conditional until all criteria are met.
  • It is highly recommended that applicants contact SVAD advising before applying to ensure that all course requirements have been met.
• Experimental Animation Portfolio Artistic Content (50%)
  Students must adhere to the requirements above. Student portfolios with more than the maximum number of works or pages above will not be reviewed. Any copyrighted images or music, stock assets, AI imagery, or imagery not created personally by the student should be properly cited in the enclosed description.

Your cover letter and portfolio of 11 to 13 art pieces will be submitted online as a single PDF document. Only digital portfolios are acceptable and must be submitted online using the requirements described here. Digital work must be presented as a consolidated PDF (one PDF document containing multiple pages).

If submitted work does not meet this criteria, it will not be accepted for evaluation. All application materials and portfolios must be received by the deadline.