Michael Hirsch, CEO of Cookie Jar, refers to Sheridan as the Harvard of animation colleges. Sheridan began offering animation courses in 1971 and have been leaders in the field ever since. Sheridan Animation degree students come from all over the world, and after graduation they go to work for Pixar, Dreamworks, Cookie Jar, Cuppa Coffee, Studio B, Nelvana, Corus, Electronic Arts, and other giants of animation and gaming. What makes Sheridan the best animation college in North America?

• Rigorous instruction in both classical and computer animation. You’ll do cutting-edge 3-D computer animation at Sheridan, but a great animator has to understand 2-D principles of movement, performance, and expression. No animation degree program teaches the fundamentals better than Sheridan.
• Professional, hands-on instruction. You’ll be taught by industry pros, using the same techniques and tools that you’ll eventually need in the workplace.
• Creative freedom. You’ll create your own scripts, characters, and layouts, and produce your own films.
• Career connections. After Year 3 you’ll gain professional experience during a three-month work placement. And at our annual Industry Day, employers fly in from across North America to meet you, see your work, and conduct interviews.

From Story Pitch to Finished Film: In your first two years of Sheridan’s Animation program you’ll study the principals of animation, learn the art of storyboarding, and hone your life-drawing, layout, and painting skills. In Years 3 and 4 you’ll be making films. You’ll learn the entire process from start to finish — working in 2-D, 3-D, or stop motion.

• Ontario Secondary School Diploma or equivalent, including One English (Grade 12 ENG4C or ENG4U) plus
• One senior-level Visual Arts credit at the M, or Open Level
• Four other Grade 12 subjects at the U or M level
• Minimum 65% overall average
• Applicant Selection: Eligible applicants are selected on the basis of previous academic achievement (the average of their six highest senior-level credits, including required courses), and the results of their portfolio assessment. A portfolio review fee is required with the submission.

Progression Policy: Academic progress in the program is based on meeting the requirements of an internal academic policy that outlines course and program grade standards, as well as pre- and co-requisites. This policy is distributed to students at the commencement of the program.Sheridan has been granted a consent by the Ministry of Training, Colleges and Universities to offer this applied degree for a further five-year term starting December 31, 2007. Sheridan will ensure that all students admitted to the Bachelor of Applied Arts (Animation) Program during the period of consent will have the opportunity to complete the program within a reasonable time frame.

Courses

Term 1

• Introduction to Life Drawing
• Animation Principles
• Visual Concepts
• Introduction to Dimensional Drawing
• Introduction to Digital Tools
• Composition and Rhetoric

Term 2

• Introduction to Dynamic Anatomy
• Animation Principles 2
• Story and Sequential Narrative
• Drawing for Layout
• Digitial Methodologies: 2-D Animation
• Animation History

Term 3

• Intermediate Figure Analysis
• Action Analysis: Animation and Design
• Storyboarding: Critical Structures
• Visual Development: Layout and Painting
• Digital Methodologies: Dialogue, Music and Sound Effects
• Art in Social and Cultural Context

Term 4

• Exploration of Figure Analysis
• Animation: Dialogue and Design
• Sequential Narrative and Performance
• Digital Painting and Layout
• Digital Methodologies: 3-D Modelling
• History of Film

Term 6

• Continuity, Design and Figurative Performance
• Animation: Classical and Stop Motion
• Storyboarding: Advanced Story Structure
• Layout and Art Direction
• Digital Methodologies: 3-D Animation
• Studies of Character and Culture
• Co-op Forum (Degree Programs)

Term 6

• Exploring Character and Costume
• Animation Production
• Advanced Sculpture
• Storyboarding: Project Development
• Layout and Production
• Digital Methodologies: Character Rigging and Setup
• Music: Structure and Culture

 MAY WORK TERM - Co-op Work Term (Degree Programs)

Term 7

• Advanced Figure Drawing and Art Direction
• Senior Animation Project

Term 8

• Capstone Animation Project
• plus 2 Breadth Electives