Students returning to the West Burlington campus this fall will notice an all-new classroom addition on Building 200.
It will be the home of SCC’s newest program, Animation for Television, Film and New Media.
“We’ve been looking since 2006 for a unique program that would set SCC apart from other colleges in the state -- something high-tech and forward-thinking,” says SCC Vice President of Teaching and Learning Phil Thomas. “It needed to not only appeal to local students but also entice others from outside the area to move here specifically to enroll in the program. Animation fits that description.”
From top: New addition under construction, Grasshorse animator converts image to 3D, computer rendered sports car, Graphics Communication instructor Carlene Woodside helps a student.
The program will teach students a broad base of skills required for computer animation. Courses include drawing, story development, 3D modeling, character animation, stop-motion animation, lighting and rendering. Students in the program can earn an A.A.S. degree in just over two years.
Phil adds that there are surprisingly few colleges – and even fewer community colleges – with such an in-depth computer animation program located in the Midwest. Most are clustered in California and Florida and carry a hefty price tag. SCC’s program now allows students to attend right here instead of move across the country and take out huge student loans.
Thomas explains that community colleges work with existing businesses in the area to create a curriculum that ensures students learn the right skills.
SCC found such a partner in Grasshorse, an animation company that had recently relocated from Hollywood to Winfield, IA.
Yes, Winfield.
Grasshorse owners, brother and sister Stephen Jennings and Kathy Buxton, say while large media companies are clustered in a select few cities, many small specialized shops are opting out of the rat race and relocating to where the living is less stressful and more affordable.
Kathy says that after six years, they had had enough. “We were making a name for ourselves and we wanted to grow as a company. We weren’t going to do that in L.A. Our grandfather operates a farm that’s been in our family for 150 years just a few miles from town. We love it here. Moving to Winfield made sense for us.”
Steven says that he and Kathy started working with SCC because they knew first-hand the need for skilled animators. “The demand for animation work is increasing 35% per year, and it’s not just movies. So much of people’s lives are based on consuming information on different devices. Movies, TV, gaming systems, mobile phones, computers – everything requires animated content. Somebody has to make all that.”
There are now a number of animation and production companies peppered across Iowa that do just that – all in need of skilled animators.
Phil explains that the program is designed to give students a solid understanding of the entire animation process. Students will perform a lot of work in teams so that they learn not just how the software works but also creative collaboration, group problem solving and project management.
Computer animators are in demand...
It takes 50 animators over eight weeks to convert an existing 2-hour, 2D movie into a 3D movie.
Over 5 million games are downloaded each day by iPhone and iPad users alone.
Many industries employ 3D animators to simulate medical procedures, test product prototypes, and improve workstation ergonomics.
“So many people show us a bunch of fancy doodles and expect a job as a computer animator. It doesn’t work that way. Animation is very labor-intensive with a lot of detailed steps. While artistic creativity is important, you also need to know trigonometry and specialized software and teamwork,” notes Kathy.
Stephen says that animation is like building a car from scratch.
“It would take one person years, but imagine if you had 100 people working on it. That’s 100 brains coming up with all sorts of ideas about how to make it. Some of those ideas will work, others won’t. With that much trial and error, they’re going to learn what works at an infinitely faster pace than the guy doing it all by himself. And their car will be 100 times better. Animation is the same thing. Good animators learn by doing things over and over and tackling problems from different angles each time.”
The person chosen to lead the charge as the animation program’s instructor is Ben Rosales.
“Ben has worked in the animation business for years and has a number of movies and other projects to his credit. He was most recently an animation instructor in Houston, TX. I think he’s going to bring a lot of energy and excitement to the program. Students are going to love him,” adds Thomas.
The program will be housed in a new three classroom addition on the West Burlington campus. One room will be a state-of-the-art computer animation lab, another will be used for a special stop-motion studio. The third classroom will become the new home of SCC’s popular Graphics Communications program.
The addition was funded by Accelerated Career Education (ACE) dollars provided by the State of Iowa.
The classrooms will be outfitted with the same equipment, hardware and software used by professional animators. Investment in the classroom addition and all associated technology will exceed $1 million.
“To teach students the skills they need to succeed as animators, we aren’t cutting corners. This program is going to be top-notch,” Phil notes.
Enrollment will be capped at 20 students for the first year.
Persons interested in learning more about SCC’s Animation for Television, Film and New Media Program should contact SCC Enrollment Services at 319-208-5010.
