It’s a good year for BYU’s Center for Animation: in May BYU animation students won E3’s College Game Competition, and now BYU tops the Animation Career Review’s ranking of animation schools with Bachelor of Science programs.
BYU’s animation program is comprised of students in both the animation track (BFA) and the computer science animation emphasis (BS). Before they graduate, students work either on the animated film or the video game that is produced each year. The animation students typically focus on design, while the computer science students focus on special effects.
“Without that cooperation, the final products would be much lower quality than what we can produce with the two groups working together,” said Parris Egbert, computer science professor.
The formula appears to be working: since 2004, BYU projects have been nominated for 19 College Television Awards (widely known as student Emmys). And in four out of the six years E3 has hosted its College Game Competition, BYU teams have been finalists — nabbing their first win this year. Alums of the program are working in studios including Disney, Pixar, DreamWorks and BlueSky.
Watch films, play games and see other work from BYU’s animation students here.
