The 3D Modeling curriculum is designed to take you from foundational techniques to industry-standard workflows. Under the guidance of experienced professionals, you'll master the tools that real-world studios demand.
Eight Gen Ed 3-credit courses (8 weeks)
APGD 101 Art and Design Concepts and Principles
Course Description: In Art and Design Concepts and Principles, students explore key art and design concepts, including color, light, and composition, and their application in film and digital games. Through collaborative discussions, they analyze historical and contemporary works, examining elements like line, shape, space, and style. Assessments focus on demonstrating understanding of art and design theories, analyzing artworks and film sequences for technical, aesthetic, and historical significance, and evaluating their impact within creative industries
APGD 103 Industry Overview: Pipeline and Production Processes
Course Description: In Industry Overview: Pipeline and Production Processes, students explore production pipelines and processes in animation, VFX, and games, learning key concepts, terms, and frameworks. Through active online learning, they study stages from inception to distribution, comparing workflows across industries. The course culminates with students creating a career information video that investigates technical skills, job opportunities, and valued attributes of a chosen role within the film and games industries.
APGD 105: Communicate! Mode, Purpose, Context
Course Description: In Communicate! Mode, Purpose and Context, students develop professional, ethical, and culturally aware communication skills for the creative industries. Emphasizing theoretical frameworks, the course explores oral and written modes, context, and purpose. Through active online learning, students study communication models, paralanguage, active listening, teamwork, and respectful feedback. Assessments focus on applying these frameworks to real-world professional scenarios, enhancing their ability to interact effectively in diverse creative environments.
APGD 107: Identifying and Solving Problems
Course Description: In Identifying and Solving Problems, students explore creative reasoning, problem-solving frameworks, and critical thinking to address challenges in artistic and technical work. They analyze artistic works, resolve creative, technical, and ethical issues, and practice presenting rational arguments while recognizing unconscious bias. Through collaborative online learning and peer presentations, students reflect on personal growth. The course culminates in a critical review of a film or game, showcasing their analytical and problem-solving skills.
APGD 109: Concepts and Principles of Lighting and Cinematography
Course Description: In Concepts and Principles of Lighting and Cinematography, students explore the theoretical foundations of lighting and cinematography in visual storytelling. They study camera movement, framing, and lighting techniques, applying these concepts in real-world and digital environments. Through individual and group activities, online discussions, and case studies, students analyze cinematic techniques in films and games while solving complex lighting and cinematography challenges to enhance storytelling.
APGD 111: Concepts & Principles of Story and Visual Narrative
Course Description: Concepts & Principles of Story & Visual Narrative explores how stories are created and conveyed through images and motion. Students examine story origins, structure, and visual storytelling principles, including arcs, the hero鈥檚 journey, Aristotle鈥檚 three-act structure, tropes, symbolism, and metaphors. Through discussions and group work, they analyze and compare narratives. The course culminates in a review of a film or game, evaluating its use of storytelling techniques to engage audiences.
APGD 113: Stepping into Industry
Course Description: In Stepping Into Industry, students develop adaptability, self-awareness, and readiness for the dynamic film and games industries. Using Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Legal, and Environmental (PESTLE) analysis, they explore trends, predict opportunities, and reflect on personal strengths and values to shape career decisions. Through case studies and collaborative online activities, students build job-readiness skills. The course culminates in crafting a professional resume and cover letter for an actual job posting, positioning students for success in their chosen industry.
APGD 115: Marketing Yourself and Your Business
Course Description: In Marketing Yourself & Your Business, students explore marketing concepts and personal branding to stand out in the global film and games industries. They learn to understand target markets, client needs, integrated marketing, and cross-cultural dynamics. Through case studies, discussions, and research in an online studio, students develop strategies for navigating challenges and seizing opportunities. Assessments focus on applying marketing concepts to personal and professional contexts, preparing students for industry success.
Six 3D Modeling 6-credit courses (16 weeks)
APMD 201: 3D Modeling Fundamentals
Course Description: In 3D Modeling Fundamentals, students will examine the foundations of 3D modeling and the key concepts of form, volume, and lighting underpinning digital sculpting. They will discover how to navigate software interfaces, understand professional workflows, use industry standard tools, and build 3D assets from scratch.
APMD 203: Character and Environment Modeling
Course Description: In Character and Environment Modeling, students will develop skills to create stylized characters and environments for animated films and video games. They will learn about sculpting, form, volume, and lighting, applying these concepts to create posed and rendered characters. The process includes concept development; sourcing reference imagery; constructing front, side, and back views; and creating a character rig for posing and final rendering. Prerequisites: APMD 201 3D Modeling Fundamentals
APMD 205:Creature and Hard Surface Modeling
Course Description: Digital sculpting involves innovative 3D modeling technologies. In Creature and Hard Surface Modeling, students will use industry-standard software like ZBrush for digital sculpting, incorporating muscles, skin, scales, and fur into their designs. They will investigate biological theories of animal anatomy and principles underlying detailed, anatomically realistic creature designs. Prerequisites: APMD 203 Character and Environment Modeling
APMD 207: Advanced Character Modeling
Course Description: Creating modeled characters that appear physically real is a highly sought after dimension of being a professional artist for film and games. In Advanced Character Modeling, students will draw on concepts relating to human anatomy, form, volume, and lighting to develop a character which has convincing attributes and proportions. They will learn how to retopologize complex character meshes and develop clean geometry while maintaining a high level of realistic detail. Prerequisites: APMD 205 Creature and Hard Surface Modeling
APMD 209: Advanced Environment Modeling and Layout
Course Description: Incorporating realistic elements, such as the weather, ecosystems, and terrain parameters, into the digital world begins with identifying and analyzing references from real-world environments. In Advanced Environment Modeling and Layout, students will explore concepts relating to biodiversity, geology, geography, climate, and meteorology to ascertain how they might be used to inform the development of environmental scenery for film and video games. Prerequisites: APMD 207 Advanced Character Modeling
APMD 211: 3D Modeling Capstone
Course Description: Over the course of their studies, students will have accumulated a broad and coherent body of theoretical, technical, creative, and cognitive disciplinary knowledge and skills relating to their major. In this capstone, students will need to critically reflect on, and review, this evolving catalogue of knowledge and skills in order to plan for, edit, and curate a body of work into a cohesive portfolio that showcases their professional, artistic, and technical abilities. Prerequisites: APMD 209 Advanced Environment Modeling and Layout
