Emerging Media MFA – Animation and Visual Effects is a specialized program designed to emulate both the professional and independent studio environment, providing opportunities to assume an artistic leadership role. Principal emphasis is placed on narrative film structure and entrepreneurial aspects of animation as related to independent filmmaking, studio employment, and job creation.
Promo Reel 2022
Designed to prepare students for careers in animation, courses provide students an understanding of the collaborative function of a commercial studio during the first year production courses as well as the development of their unique style of independent filmmaking during preproduction and production of their thesis film over the course of the three year program. In addition, opportunities are available to co-direct a team of undergraduate character animation students, adding toward our canon of award-winning films. Labs and studios are equipped with industry-standard software and hardware. Faculty members have extensive professional, industry experience.
The program allows students to create their own animation and/or visual effects thesis. Students are encouraged to develop visual storytelling skills while using a variety of techniques, including traditional hand-drawn, stop-motion, 2D computer, and 3D computer animation.
Graduates are well qualified to enter the teaching and academic professions and have a competitive edge within the animation, visual effects, and simulation industries.
This Emerging Media MFA track builds upon the legacy of the BFA Character Animation track, where alumni are working for major animation and gaming companies such as Walt Disney Animation Studios, PIXAR Animation Studios, Blue-Sky Animation Studios, Weta Digital, Framestore, Lightbox, MPC, Titmouse, Netflix, Genius Brands, Reel FX, Nickelodeon Animation Studios, Blur Studios, Epic Games, Electronic Arts, Riot Games, Turtle Rock Studios, and Blizzard Entertainment or creating simulations for organizations including the U.S. Navy, NASA, DISTI, and Lockheed Martin.
As part of the program, some courses study the form and proportion of the human figure. Nude models are used as reference.
View the Spring 2022 premiere films here!
Notes
Applicants should have an undergraduate degree in animation, visual effects, emerging media, art, film, theater, computer science, graphic design, illustration, creative writing, mass communications, game design or related field. You may have a degree in other areas, but you must demonstrate, through a portfolio of work and writing, that they are currently proficient in the area of animation. Applicants are expected to already know how to animate and/or create visual effects.
Application Materials
- Official Transcript
- Résumé
- Portfolio of artwork demonstrating life drawing, design and animation abilities through links to video
- Original Animation/VFX Production concept demonstrated in a PDF containing your storyboard, character designs, and production designs for a 2-3 minute concept that could be developed into your thesis film. A treatment is written in short story format.
- Statement of purpose that includes what you hope to achieve in our program
- Three letters of recommendation from prior employers, supervisors or professors
Deadlines
January 15: priority and international deadline
May 1: deadline for admissions consideration
FAQ Portfolio
How do I submit the portfolio?
Once you submit the application, you can then upload the remaining documents. The portfolio and original animation/vfx production concept should be in a PDF document for upload when applying. Because the online application does not include video files, you must include links to external sites such as Vimeo, YouTube, or a personal website. The treatment, storyboard, and Visual Development should be in a separate document. Please be sure that everything is labeled clearly for the committee.
What is a treatment?
A treatment is an idea for an animated short or visual effects film written in short-story format, which is a 1-2 page document. Ideally your treatment will be developed into your thesis, so it should be written for a 1-3 minute concept.
How many storyboards do I need?
The purpose of a storyboard is to visually depict your story through composition, simplified line and 2-3 grayscale tones. We expect you to have no more than 30 storyboard panels.
Do I need to already know how to animate?
Yes. This is a Master of Fine Arts degree so you are expected to know how to animate either characters or effects which should be demonstrated in your portfolio. Observational drawing should also be part of your portfolio.
How many people are accepted into each cohort?
Acceptance is limited to 10 students. Once the Cohort is full, applicants must wait until the next academic year.
A cohort program means you take specific courses with your accepted cohort (class of students) throughout every Fall and Spring semester following a specific course sequencing. There is only one cohort per year. All of the students will have the same schedule, unless there is a specific need which can be adjusted on an individualized, faculty approved, adjusted change (such as taking a film course or a Directed Research course).
FAQ Academic Considerations
What are the tuition and fees?
Tuition and fees can be found here:
Tuition and FeesCan I start in the spring/summer semester?
This track is a cohort that begins in Fall semester only.
What courses are required? Is the GRE required?
The course descriptions can be found in the catalog here:
Catalog
The GRE is not required for the Emerging Media MFA – Animation & Visual Effects Track.
What types of jobs will this program set me up for?
Careers:
- Animation Professor
- Character Animator
- Layout Artist
- Production Designer
- Story Artist
- Visual Development Artist
- Visual Effects Animator
- Production Management
Animation and Visualization MFA alumni have worked in many industries including K-12 and higher education, and independent and large studios.
What technology is available to students in the computer labs?
The 1st year Graduate lab is equipped with 8 MacPro Workstations and 5 Alienware Workstations, each with dual articulating monitor arms, 22HD Cintiq and 27" 4K Monitors
MacPro Workstation specs:
- OS: macOS Sierra
- Processor: 3.5GHz 6-core with 12MB of L3 cache
- RAM: 32GB (4X8GB) of 1866MHz DDR3 ECC
- Hard Drive: 1 TB PCIe-based SSD
- Graphics Card: Dual AMD FirePro D500 GPUs with 3GB of GDDR5 VRAM each
Alienware Workstation specs:
- OS: Windows 10 Enterprise
- Processor: Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-4790K CPU @ 4.0GHz 4.00 GHz
- RAM: 16GB) of 2400MHz DDR4 RDIM M ECC
- Hard Drive: PCIe Boot Drive : SAMSUNG SSD PM851 2.5 7mm 256GB
- 1 TB 3.5 Serial-ATA 5,400 RPM WDC WD10JPVX-75JC3T0
- Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce GTX 960
Software:
- Adobe CC
- Autodesk Entertainment Suite
- The Foundry's NukeX
- Side Effects Houdini
- ToonBoom Harmony
- TVPaint
- Stop Motion Pro
- Pixelogic ZBrush
- 3D-Coat
- GarageBand
- Microsoft Office
2nd and 3rd year MFA students are assigned to a graduate research space. Each space is equipped with 2 workstations, based on preference of the students, a retrofitted Disney Animation Desk which can hold a 22" Cintiq or an Animation Disk, and 2 Herman Miller Sayl Chairs.
MacPro Workstation specs:
- OS: macOS Sierra
- Processor: 3.5GHz 6-core with 12MB of L3 cache
- RAM: 32GB (4X8GB) of 1866MHz DDR3 ECC
- Hard Drive: 1 TB PCIe-based SSD
- Graphics Card: Dual AMD FirePro D500 GPUs with 3GB of GDDR5 VRAM each
Dell Workstation specs:
- OS: Window 10 Pro for workstations
- Processor: 4-core Intel Xeon Processor E5-1630 v4 (4C, 3.7GHz, 4.0GHz Turbo, 2400MHz, 10MB, 140W)
- RAM: 64GB (4X16GB) of 2400MHz DDR4 RDIM M ECC
- Hard Drive: PCIe Boot Drive : Dell Ultra-Speed Drive Quad 1 X 512GB NVMe PCIe M.2 Solid State Drive X 16 C SSD X 16 Card (boot) C40
- 1 TB 3.5 Serial-ATA 7,200 RPM
- Graphics Card: EVGA GeForce GTX 1080 Ti SC Black Edition GAMING, 11GB GDDR5X
How do I apply for a fellowship or assistantship?
If you submit everything by January 15th (priority deadline) as a full-time student, you will automatically be considered for any fellowships we will have available. If your portfolio is ranked in the top 2 of the applicants, you could receive a fellowship which consists of a full tuition waiver plus a $5,000 to $10,000 stipend. However, this would only be for the first year, and possibly the second year.
If you prove to be a candidate for Graduate Teaching, you could be awarded the assistantship for your 2nd and/or 3rd year which consists of a full tuition waiver and stipend as well. Our faculty rarely assign Teaching Assistantships during the first year. Due to the technical nature of our undergraduate courses, we try to get to know our MFA students and their abilities before we can confidently assign courses for them to teach.
Is this program STEM?
Yes, this is a STEM program.
FAQ International
What are the requirements for international students?
International deadline is January 15 (you will automatically be considered for any assistantships or fellowships available when you apply by this deadline). For more information about current deadlines, see Application Deadlines and Requirements from the College of Graduate Studies.
Details for international studentsIs OPT and CPT available at UCF?
OPT / CPT information can be found here:
OPT / CPT infoWhat score is required for IELTS?
IELTS information can be found here:
international applicants