» FAQ's for the Animation and Visual Effects Program

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What can I expect from my Dodge Faculty Advisor?

All students at Dodge College are assigned a faculty advisor. Your faculty advisor can help you plan what classes to take in the Animation and Visual Effects Program and in what sequence. They can also offer advice on career planning, internships etc. Although you should also take advantage of the advising center to plan your general general education (GE) courses, your faculty advisor can give you advice here as well and should review your program evaluation with you to make sure you are on track for graduation.

What can I expect from my Academic Center Advisor?

Your academic advisor can help you plan your GE courses and give you advice on how to satisfy your Cluster Requirement. To schedule check to see who your advisor is and to schedule an appointment, please visit the Academic Advising Center

What should I bring with me to my advising appointment?

Whether you’re meeting with your faculty advisor or your academic center advisor, you should always bring a copy of your program evaluation and your student ID with you. This will help your advisor answer any questions you may have about your remaining requirements. Your program evaluation can be found in the Campus Solutions Self Service Menu.

How do I know who my advisors are?

You should receive an email when you first enroll at Chapman as to which faculty member you have been assigned as an advisee. In any case, your advisor is listed with your class schedule in the myChapman Portal.

In what ways does the Animation and Visual Effects Program provide personalized education?

The Animation and Visual Effects faculty are very invested in you—in getting to know you individually, and in being available to meet with you to discuss your goals, class projects or just life. Take advantage of their interest by reaching out, coming in to office hours or just stopping in the hallway for a chat. You do not and should not limit your outside of class interactions to just your assigned advisor.

That said, you should share your career interests with your faculty advisor so that he or she can help you identify specific classes and other opportunities, such as internships, that will support your career goals.

What do I need to do to make sure I graduate on time?

Know your catalog year
Understand the undergraduate degree requirements:
- Know how to read your program evaluation and check it every semester with both of your advisors
Know the total number of units needed to graduate, including the following:
- Upper division units required to graduate
- Units outside of the major
- GE requirements and number of units
Make sure you are aware of prerequisites so that you can take courses in the required order
Watch what semester various courses are offered when you create your 4-year plan

What is the significance of my "catalog year?"

You will be held to the specific requirements of the catalog to which you are assigned—freshmen are under the catalog for the year in which they enter Chapman. Transfer students are under the catalog for the year before you enter Chapman, working on the assumption that before you transferred you were planning your courses at your first school to work with what was being offered at Chapman. If you decide to change to a later catalog because the requirements in the major have changed or you wish to choose another major not offered under your catalog, you will also be held to any changes that may have been put in place in regards to GE, credit limitations, etc. It is best to run a “what if” scenario with your program evaluation and to meet with your academic center advisor before you decide to change catalogs for any reason.

How can I get a course substitution or a course at another school approved?

You will need to work with your Dodge faculty advisor on this. All course substitutions must be approved by the Division Chair. Please follow the steps below to have your course substitution reviewed:

Gather the following information:
- Name of the college/university
- Course name, number and catalog description the course to be used as subsitution
- Copy of your program evaluation
- Course name and number of the course to be substituted for
Visit the Dodge Student Portal and foll out the "Request for Revision to Program Requirements" Form
Email mediaarts@chapman.edu for any questions or follow-up

What classes should I take and in what order?

Your faculty advisor can give you a suggested 4-year advising plan. Consult your catalog year and program evaluation regularly, paying special attention to courses that have prerequisites and what semester various courses are offered.

What is the Sophomore Survey?

The Sophomore Survey is a questionnaire you will be asked to complete in the spring semester of your sophomore year to help you gauge your skills and talents, your success and interests against the three areas of study offered in the major. You will receive the survey via email and when you have completed it, you will be asked to come in for a one-on-one interview with an Animation and Visual Effects faculty member to review your progress in the program thus far.

What is an Area of Study and how do I declare one?

An Area of Study is a concentration of courses that will prepare you to specialize in one aspect of either Animation or Visual Effects. Select the Change of Major form for your catalog year on the Registrar's Office Forms page of the Chapman University website. Select Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees and from the drop down menu, choose Animation and Visual Effects and the appropriate Area of Study.

What is Senior Thesis?

Your Senior Thesis will be the “capstone” project of your career here at Dodge College. It will be the project you create, using your accumulated knowledge and skills, to represent your talent and abilities to future employers. Senior Thesis production will cover three semesters. It begins in the Spring of Junior Year, when you conceive of the idea for your project and lay the foundations; artistically, technically, and logistically. The Summer offers you three months to advance your project. During the Fall semester of Senior year, you will be in the thick of production, and in Spring of Senior year you will wrap production, do post-production, and finish. During Senior year, you should expect to devote a minimum of 20 hours/week to your thesis project. In Animation and Visual Effects, all Senior Thesis projects are screened and we host a big after-party for family and friends.

How many hours should I expect to devote to my senior thesis?

During the first semester of this three-semester project, students receive weekly homework assignments. In the following two semesters (during your senior year), you should be putting in 15-20 hours minimum per week outside of class.

Can I work on a Senior Thesis as an undergraduate?

You can volunteer to help on a Senior Thesis project, but it is more typical to be ”recruited.” Seniors will often visit undergraduate class sections, explain the needs of their projects, and solicit help. By working on a Senior Thesis project, you not only help that senior student, but gain technical expertise and a collaborative work experience. If you decide to do this, be sure you understand the requirements of the job, do not misrepresent your skills, agree on the amount and complexity of the work you will do, and follow through on your commitment once you begin.

How can I help with visual effects on a live action film?

As an Animation and Visual Effects major, you may be approached by live action student filmmakers to do FX on their films. It is NOT a good idea to do this unsupervised. The best way, and the way we support and encourage, is for you to work under the guidance of the VISUAL EFFECTS COMMITTEE (VFXC). The VFXC is composed of faculty who understand the complexity and scope of the work. The VFXC reviews all live action film requests, decides what tasks are right for students, and supervises that work. You can contact the VFXC and let them know of your interest and skill set. You should request any live action filmmaker to submit their project to the VFXC.

Do I need a laptop?

We encourage every student to own a personal laptop.

Mac or PC?

Dodge College is a PC environment. However, most software programs run on both Macs and PCs. One software package used extensively in video games is 3DS Max, which is made ONLY for the PC Operating system. In the industry, most designers and illustrators tend toward Macs. So generally, if you are leaning toward gaming, a PC is probably best. For design and illustration, a Mac might be a better choice.

How much computer power/what components will I need?

We recommend having a computer that has a lot of RAM and a good video card. If you are using a laptop, make sure it uses dedicated RAM and not shared RAM. Shared RAM takes away some processing power and has been known to cause software launching issues and/or errors. And you should ALWAYS have an external hard drive to back up your material often.

What software should I have on my personal computer?

The two predominant software packages used in animation and visual effects are made by Autodesk and Adobe.

Download the recommended Autodesk software that we use in the program. Create a log-in and then pick the software from the list. We recommend the following to get started:

Maya
3DS Max (not for Mac)
Mudbox

Download the recommended Adobe software that we use in the program. We recommend the following to get started:

Adobe Photoshop
Adobe After Effects
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Premiere

Can I take Animation and Visual Effects courses overseas when I study abroad?

Yes, but in general you should not plan on finding courses that will be approved for the major when you study abroad, as they are pretty rare. If you plan to study abroad, you should assume that most of the courses you will take will be either GE courses or general electives. Thus, it is often best to plan to do study abroad before your senior year.

What countries offer accepted courses, if I choose to study abroad?

Your best source for reviewing what courses might transfer is Chapman’s Center for Global Education. We are not aware of any courses that meet our program requirements at this point in time.

How do I find out about internships?

We encourage every undergraduate student to experience interning at a company whose work reflects the student’s career interests. There are several ways to find an internship. You can find internships through Chapman’s Career and Professional Development, through Dodge's Career Office through your faculty, or through your own contacts. In addition, postings happen weekly in the Slate and on the Chapman Digital Arts Club Facebook page alerting you to internship opportunities.

Some companies have a dedicated website that will allow you to apply through an application portal. One of the best ways is to connect with alumni and build relationships with current working professionals. Google is your best friend, and literally typing in "animation internship," "art internship," or "production internship" should generate a large list of results. Past students have interned at Sony Pictures Entertainment/Imageworks, Titmouse, Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, LeapFrog, Digital Domain, Third Floor Previz, Blizzard Entertainment and many more!

Should I have someone look over my resume and portfolio?

We recommend meeting with your Dodge Faculty advisor to discuss the style and content of your CV before applying for internships. You should also make an appointment with Dodge's Career Advisor to help with formatting and interview preparation.

How do I show my portfolio to an employer?

Studios used to ask for DVDs. No more! Almost all now require that you supply your work digitally. We recommend creating a portfolio website to showcase your creations. Upload still images and/or compressed video files of your animation, VFX, models, life drawings, etc. so that internship sites and/or HR managers can easily access your work. Ideally, your site's domain name should be your first name last name.com <http://name.com>. It is critical that your site be simple and reliable to access. There are tutorials and samples on how to create such a website. Developing a portfolio is a life-long process; you should expect to be constantly updating your site with your strongest and most professional looking work. Keep it short and sweet!

When should I do an internship?

You can do an internship any time, but you will be better prepared, have more to offer your internship employer, and be more competitive in getting an internship if you wait until you have a few animation and visual effects classes under your belt.

What is the Digital Arts Club?

The Digital Arts Club is the most important student-run organization for Animation and Visual Effects majors in Dodge College. The “DA Club” is an officially chartered Chapman group. Although membership is open to all registered Chapman students, the Club is primarily composed of AVE majors. Meetings are typically held on a bi-monthly basis, but activities are frequent and on-going. Officers are elected to serve a one-year term. The Club sponsors many social events, including field trips, beach parties, and holiday parties. The Club organizes supplementary art activities such as sketch classes, life drawing sessions, and Saturday seminars featuring industry guests. Participation in special events such as dinner parties for guests or studio tours happens through the Club.

How do I join the Chapman Digital Arts Club Facebook Page?

The DA Club Facebook page is maintained by the DA Club officers. It is the main source of information for DA Club activities and “all things digital arts” at Dodge College. It is a closed group, but any registered major will be admitted upon request. It’s the best way to keep track of what’s happening at Dodge, as well as a source for news and information about the art and science of digital arts.

Intersperse introductory classes with GE in freshmen and sophomore years
Try to take more technical classes in junior and senior years
Don't take an internship as a freshman
Every freshman should create his or her own 4-year plan and review it with your advisors
Meet with your faculty advisor as soon as possible in your freshman year
In preparing for an internship or job interview, read all of the material on the company website to make sure you know where to send work. Choose quality over quantity in selecting work for your portfolio.

» FAQ's for the Animation and Visual Effects Program

Advising

Planning for Graduation

Major/Course Requirements

Software and Technology

Study Abroad

Internships

Extracurricular Opportunities

Advice from Current Students