Junior Year as an ANFX Student

Core Classes

With many students balancing co-op placements and coursework, junior-year classes focus on advanced industry techniques and real-world application. Some key classes include:

• Advanced Portfolio (ANIM246): This course focuses on building skills for the career-long practice of producing and maintaining a professional creative portfolio while allowing the students the opportunity to create or refine additional student-driven portfolio work that synthesizes their skills and experience from direct class assignments in their other coursework.
• Animation Workshop (ANIM377): This course examines leadership and developmental roles involved in each stage of a collaborative production, from concept to finished project. Students will work in groups to research and plan an animation production that results in a pre-production prototype.
• Animation Workshop (ANIM378): This course provides an environment in which the pre-production of ANIM 377 Animation Workshop I can be taken through a full production effort. Students will work in groups to bring a selected prototype to completion.
• Concentration Focus: Students continue to build their skills in their respective chosen concentration (organic modeling, character animation, or generalist)

Skills You’ll Develop

By junior year, students are expected to operate at an industry level, refining both artistic and technical skills:

Studio-Level Animation & VFX Workflows

Working in teams, meeting deadlines, and following industry pipelines.

Procedural FX & Advanced Rigging

Using tools like Houdini, Blender, and Maya to create dynamic effects.

Rendering & Compositing for Film & Games

Optimizing high-quality visuals using Arnold, Unreal Engine, and Nuke.

Professional Communication & Collaboration

Learning how to present work to clients, directors, and employers.

Co-op Experience: Learning from the Industry

Many ANFX students spend part of their junior year in a six-month co-op, gaining hands-on experience in animation studios, game development companies, and VFX houses. These roles expose students to real production environments, giving them insights into studio expectations, teamwork, and industry demands.

Common co-op roles include:

3D Animator

Creating motion sequences for games, films, or commercials.

VFX Artist

Working on compositing, CGI effects, and simulations.

Technical Artist

Bridging the gap between animation and programming in game engines.

3D Modeler

Designing and texturing assets for animation or interactive media.

Projects & Challenges

With industry exposure comes more complex, high-stakes projects:

Full Character Animations

Polished acting sequences with expressive motion and dialogue.

Technical FX & Simulations

Advanced fire, smoke, water, and destruction simulations in Houdini.

Game Cinematics & Interactive Storytelling

Blending animation and real-time rendering for gaming experiences.

Portfolio & Demo Reel Finalization

Showcasing industry-ready work to prepare for senior year and job applications.

A major challenge during junior year is time management—balancing co-op, advanced coursework, and portfolio-building can be overwhelming. Staying organized and efficient is key!