Highlights from Otis College’s Animation Program

From a refreshed curriculum to incubating new ideas using AI, the Animation program is preparing students to thrive in creative careers.

The Animation program at Otis College offers a production-focused experience that allows students to practice real‑world collaborative pipelines, develop creative and technical portfolios, and prepare for a wide range of roles across animation, VFX, games, and emerging media.

Revitalized Curriculum

Animation continues to update its curriculum to align closely with current industry standards, clarify production‑pipeline tracks, and expand into emerging technologies. The redesigned program introduces specialized concentrations while giving students the flexibility to build a broad, industry‑ready skill set.

Students are empowered to deepen their expertise in essential areas such as rigging, character animation, story, visual development, environment and prop design, motion graphics, technical animation, 3D modeling, look development, lighting, compositing, simulation (VFX), and game‑engine workflows. 

The updated curriculum provides students with opportunities to explore virtual production, real‑time rendering, and AI‑assisted tools as these technologies continue to transform the field. Animation majors in the Motion Design area of emphasis blend typography, graphics, filmmaking, sound, and animation to create dynamic, time-based visual storytelling.

 

AI Incubation Lab

This year the Animation program launched its first AI Incubation Lab, an opportunity designed to support students in the exploration and application of artificial intelligence across creative disciplines.

The lab brought together a cohort of students who worked with emerging AI tools across majors while learning directly from industry professionals. Participants engaged with creative AI applications relevant to animation, design, storytelling, and production.

The lab concluded with a public exhibition showcasing student work, including concept development, interactive experiences, and hybrid creative processes. The exhibition highlighted not only final projects, but also the research, experimentation, and inquiry that shaped the lab.

Events and Community

Animation students visited DreamWorks Animation for an exclusive peek into the studio’s creative environment. They also toured Titmouse Studios, where they explored workspaces and learned about career pathways through its talent program.

Last fall, students participated in the very first Animation Industry Week at Otis College. In partnership with Pixar Animation Studios, Walt Disney Animation Studios, and Sony Pictures Animation, students engaged in early-career panels, attended portfolio reviews, and gained valuable insight into their future careers.

Last October, students also represented the Animation program at Light Box Expo, a major event for artists working in the entertainment industry. A cohort of students, faculty, and alumni attended, several of whom hosted a panel discussion, “Otis to Industry: Bridging the Gap Between Potential and Pro.”

This month, students participated in the Otis x Pixar Storyboarding Workshop. Pixar story artists, Margaret Spencer and alum Derek Thompson (’94 BFA Illustration), taught Otis students about Pixar’s storyboarding process.

Faculty and Alumni Success

Faculty member Cole James had works added to the permanent collection of the Hammer Museum at UCLA as well as the Getty Research Institute.

Alum Tyler Compton (’23 BFA Digital Media) is now a multimedia designer for the UCLA Teaching and Learning Center, where he collaborates with instructional and creative teams to develop educational media and brand marketing materials. His work spans graphic design, 3D visualization, and video and photo editing.

Previously, Compton worked in the entertainment industry as a production designer and multimedia artist at brand studios and theatrical trailer houses. Clients included Netflix, Hulu, Amazon, Warner Bros., Paramount, Riot Games, and Disney.

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