- Toronto Animation Arts Festival International (TAAFI)
- Ottawa International Animation Festival
- LightBox Expo
- Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) Special Interest Group on Computer Graphics & Interactive Techniques
- Computer Animation Studios of Ontario (CASO)
- Toon Boom Center of Excellence program
Animation (ANI)
About the Program
In this innovative three-year advanced diploma program, you will immerse yourself in a creative environment to attain skills and knowledge in both traditional and digital animation. As you learn to draw storyboards, design scenes and animate characters, you will practice applying theories of motion, timing, storytelling and digital technology to produce high-quality animations and designs.
Our hands-on curriculum emphasizes the cross-disciplinary training necessary to succeed in today’s collaborative animation industry — a cutting-edge approach we call the Seneca Animation Model. Among the first of its kind, this ground-breaking structure focuses on developing your potential through intertwining specialization streams. You will graduate with well-rounded experience, making you a sought-after candidate in the industry in a time of exciting change.
Specialization Streams
In your first year, you will develop the foundational skills necessary to succeed in a variety of animation disciplines. This includes key abilities such as animation, design, film language, life drawing and structural drawing for animation.
In your second and third year, you will have the opportunity to focus your studies in one of four streams: 2D animation, 3D animation, gaming, or visual development. Please note that stream selections are subject to seat availability.
You will have the opportunity to work with students in other streams throughout your studies, culminating in a third-year capstone project that brings in team members for a truly cross-disciplinary experience. As one of the most in-demand animation programs in Canada, this new curriculum design will equip you with the skills required for the collaborative work that lies ahead in the modern animation industry.
Credential Awarded
Ontario College Advanced Diploma
Duration
6 Semesters (3 Years)
Starts
January, September
Program and Course Delivery
This program is offered in Seneca's hybrid delivery format. Some coursework is online and some must be completed in person. Students will need to come on campus to complete in-person learning requirements.
Skills
Throughout this program, you will develop a variety of skills relevant to producing animation for the web, television, games or film, such as:
- understanding and demonstration of strong, effective design and colour choices for production art
- thorough knowledge of storytelling as an art form
- clear understanding of animation principles and mechanics
- consideration and thoughtfulness for the principles of composition and design
- ability to directly connect life drawing with design, composition, animation and story
- consideration of the importance of environment and location from the standpoint of design, composition and colour
Your Career
Graduates of this program typically find employment by:
- 2D and 3D television animation studios
- animated feature film studios
- gaming studios
- virtual production producers
- pre-production and concept art studios
- visual effects studios
- advertising agencies
Affiliations/Associations
Technology Partners
The Gaming stream within the Animation program is proud to be an Unreal Academic Partner. This designation recognizes academic institutions that offer high-quality educational programs with experienced faculty, a proven curriculum, and robust resources. Learn more about the Unreal Academic Partner Program
The Gaming stream within the Animation program is a Houdini-certified program. As part of this certification, graduates of the Gaming stream are currently eligible to receive a free commercial Houdini license for 6 or 12 months to support their transition into the workforce. Learn more about the Houdini Certification
Program of Study
| Course Code | Course Name | Weekly Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Semester1 | ||
| ANI102 | Design for Animation I | 3 |
| ANI105 | Film Language I | 2 |
| ANI108 | Animation Fundamentals I | 4 |
| ANI111 | Structural Drawing for Animation I | 3 |
| ANI112 | Animation Success Practices | 2 |
| ANI113 | Guest Animation Professional Series | 2 |
| ANI116 | Life Drawing I | 4 |
| COM101 | Communicating Across Contexts | 3 |
| or COM111 | Communicating Across Contexts (Enriched) | |
| Semester 2 | ||
| ANI202 | Design for Animation II | 3 |
| ANI205 | Film Language II | 2 |
| ANI206 | Digital Tools II | 3 |
| ANI207 | Digital Paint I | 2 |
| ANI208 | Animation Fundamentals II | 4 |
| ANI211 | Structural Animation II | 3 |
| ANI216 | Life Drawing II | 4 |
| plus: General Education Course (1) | 3 | |
2D Animation Stream
| Course Code | Course Name | Weekly Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Semester 3 | ||
| ANI302 | Character and Prop Design I | 3 |
| ANI305 | Story, Script, Sound and Boarding | 3 |
| ANI316 | Life Drawing III | 3 |
| ANT303 | Background Design | 3 |
| ANT308 | Animation and Analysis I | 4 |
| ANT355 | Animation Systems I | 3 |
| ANT356 | Visual Language | 2 |
| ANT366 | Audio Tools | 2 |
| plus: General Education Course (1) | 3 | |
| Semester 4 | ||
| ANI402 | Character and Prop Design II | 3 |
| ANI403 | Background, Design and Paint | 3 |
| ANI416 | Life Drawing IV | 3 |
| ANT403 | Background Design and Paint for 2D | 3 |
| ANT408 | Animation and Analysis II | 4 |
| ANT415 | Acting for 2D Animation | 2 |
| ANT420 | 2D Animation Portfolio Preparation II | 1 |
| ANT455 | Animation Systems II | 3 |
| ANT480 | 2D Animation Compositing I | 1 |
| plus: General Education Course (1) | 3 | |
| Semester 5 | ||
| ANI511 | Film Pre-Production | 4 |
| ANI516 | Life Drawing V | 3 |
| ANI522 | Production Weeklies | 1 |
| ANI526 | Writing and Storytelling for Animation | 2 |
| ANI532 | Advanced Visual Development for Film | 3 |
| ANT505 | Storyboarding | 3 |
| ANT508 | Animation and Analysis III | 4 |
| ANT555 | Animation Systems III | 3 |
| ANT603 | Background Design | 3 |
| Semester 6 | ||
| ANI611 | Film Production | 4 |
| ANI615 | Acting for Animation II | 2 |
| ANI616 | Life Drawing VI | 3 |
| ANI620 | Demo Reel and Online Portfolio | 3 |
| ANT608 | Animating Dynamic Performance | 4 |
| ANT680 | 2D Animation Compositing II | 2 |
| ANT690 | 2D Effects Animation | 3 |
Digital Animation Stream
| Course Code | Course Name | Weekly Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Semester 3 | ||
| AND309 | 3D Lighting I | 2 |
| AND310 | 3D Look Development I | 3 |
| AND315 | Acting for Animation I | 2 |
| AND335 | 3D Modeling I | 3 |
| AND365 | 3D Realtime Graphics I | 2 |
| ANI305 | Story, Script, Sound and Boarding | 3 |
| ANI308 | Digital Animation I | 4 |
| ANI316 | Life Drawing III | 3 |
| plus: General Education Course (1) | 3 | |
| Semester 4 | ||
| AND402 | Visual Development for 3D Animation I | 3 |
| AND405 | Previsualization for 3D Animation I | 2 |
| AND408 | Digital Animation II | 4 |
| AND409 | Lighting and Texture II | 3 |
| AND435 | 3D Modeling II | 3 |
| AND455 | 3D Rigging | 1 |
| AND465 | 3D Realtime Graphics II | 2 |
| ANI416 | Life Drawing IV | 3 |
| plus: General Education Course (1) | 3 | |
| Semester 5 | ||
| AND505 | Previsualization for 3D Animation II | 2 |
| AND508 | Digital Animation III | 3 |
| AND509 | 3D Lighting and Rendering I | 3 |
| AND555 | 3D Production Assets | 3 |
| ANI511 | Film Pre-Production | 4 |
| ANI516 | Life Drawing V | 3 |
| ANI522 | Production Weeklies | 1 |
| ANI526 | Writing and Storytelling for Animation | 2 |
| ANI532 | Advanced Visual Development for Film | 3 |
| Semester 6 | ||
| AND608 | Digital Animation IV | 4 |
| AND609 | Lighting and Rendering | 3 |
| AND655 | Technical Directions and Automation | 3 |
| AND680 | 3D Post-Production Tools | 3 |
| ANI611 | Film Production | 4 |
| ANI615 | Acting for Animation II | 2 |
| ANI620 | Demo Reel and Online Portfolio | 3 |
Gaming Stream
| Course Code | Course Name | Weekly Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Semester 3 | ||
| ANG310 | Surfacing and Lighting for Games I | 3 |
| ANG325 | Digital Sculpting I | 3 |
| ANG335 | Modeling I | 3 |
| ANG365 | Game Engines and Development I | 3 |
| ANI302 | Character and Prop Design I | 3 |
| ANI308 | Digital Animation I | 4 |
| ANI316 | Life Drawing III | 3 |
| plus: General Education Course (1) | 3 | |
| Semester 4 | ||
| ANG402 | Character and Prop Design for Games | 3 |
| ANG408 | Game Animation I | 4 |
| ANG410 | Surface and Lighting for Games II | 3 |
| ANG425 | Modeling and Sculpting for Games I | 4 |
| ANG455 | Systems and Automation for Games I | 4 |
| ANG465 | Game Engines and Development II | 3 |
| ANI416 | Life Drawing IV | 3 |
| plus: General Education Course (1) | 3 | |
| Semester 5 | ||
| ANG502 | Game Aesthetics | 3 |
| ANG508 | Game Animation II | 3 |
| ANG511 | Game Project I | 4 |
| ANG525 | Modeling and Sculpting for Games II | 4 |
| ANG535 | Procedural Modeling for Games | 3 |
| ANG555 | Systems and Automation for Games II | 3 |
| ANG565 | Game Engines and Development III | 3 |
| ANI522 | Production Weeklies | 1 |
| Semester 6 | ||
| ANG602 | Concept Art and Development for Games | 4 |
| ANG611 | Game Project II | 4 |
| ANG613 | Game Art and Tech Lab | 6 |
| ANG675 | Capstone and Thesis | 6 |
| ANI620 | Demo Reel and Online Portfolio | 3 |
Visual Development Stream
| Course Code | Course Name | Weekly Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Semester 3 | ||
| ANI302 | Character and Prop Design I | 3 |
| ANI305 | Story, Script, Sound and Boarding | 3 |
| ANI316 | Life Drawing III | 3 |
| ANV301 | Design Lecture I | 1 |
| ANV303 | Environment and Location Design I | 3 |
| ANV306 | 3D Integration I | 3 |
| ANV307 | Digital Paint II | 3 |
| ANV308 | Animation Across Genres I | 3 |
| plus: General Education Course (1) | 3 | |
| Semester 4 | ||
| ANI402 | Character and Prop Design II | 3 |
| ANI405 | Short Film Storyboarding | 3 |
| ANI416 | Life Drawing IV | 3 |
| ANV401 | Design Lecture II | 1 |
| ANV403 | Background Design and Paint for Visual Development | 3 |
| ANV406 | 3D Integration II | 3 |
| ANV407 | Digital Paint III | 4 |
| ANV408 | Animation Across Genres II | 3 |
| plus: General Education Course (1) | 3 | |
| Semester 5 | ||
| ANI516 | Life Drawing V | 3 |
| ANI522 | Production Weeklies | 1 |
| ANV501 | Design Lecture III | 2 |
| ANV502 | Character and Prop Design III | 3 |
| ANV503 | Environment and Location Design II | 3 |
| ANV505 | Advanced Storyboard Techniques I | 3 |
| ANV507 | Digital Paint IV | 3 |
| ANV508 | Animation Across Genres III | 3 |
| ANV511 | Production and Project Design | 3 |
| Semester 6 | ||
| ANI616 | Life Drawing VI | 3 |
| ANI620 | Demo Reel and Online Portfolio | 3 |
| ANV601 | Design Lecture IV | 1 |
| ANV602 | Character and Prop Design IV | 3 |
| ANV603 | Environment and Location Design III | 3 |
| ANV605 | Advanced Storyboard Techniques II | 3 |
| ANV607 | Digital Paint V | 4 |
| ANV608 | Animation Across Genres IV | 3 |
Program Learning Outcomes
This Seneca program has been validated by the Credential Validation Service as an Ontario College Credential as required by the Ministry of Colleges and Universities.
As a graduate, you will be prepared to reliably demonstrate the ability to:
- Design, create and animate objects and characters with naturalistic and expressive movements and poses.
- Design and create hand-drawn and/or computer-generated drawings using principles of art, design and composition.
- Select and use appropriate tools and technologies for the development of animation projects.
- Contribute to the planning, implementation and evaluation of animation projects.
- Plan, develop and execute a series of effective and believable animation sequences.
- Create and enhance the production of animation sequences and projects using a variety of principles and techniques related to cinematography and art direction.
- Use storytelling skills to create and enhance the development and execution of animation sequences.
- Use performance theory and skills to create and enhance animation.
- Design and produce layouts using perspective, composition and colour theory to enhance visual presentation and mood.
- Present and defend a visual concept to a target audience.
- Use computer skills and appropriate digital asset management techniques to function effectively within a production pipeline.
- Develop, assemble and present a demo reel* or portfolio in a manner that meets current industry expectations, and highlights one’s creativity, skills and proficiency with relevant animation software and related technologies.
Admission Requirements
- Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD), or equivalent, or a mature applicant
- English: Grade 12 C or U, or equivalent course
- Art portfolio
Canadian citizens and permanent residents may satisfy the English and/or mathematics requirements for this program through successful Seneca pre-admission testing.
Recommended upgrading for applicants who do not meet academic subject requirements.
Additional Information
Your portfolio should include a total of five pieces:
- One life drawing of the entire body
- One drawing of your own hand from observation
- One object drawing: a solid everyday item from around your house
- One environment drawing: a two-point perspective view of a room in your house
- One drawing or other art of your choice: Choose work that shows your interests and other skills
International Student Information
International admissions requirements vary by program and in addition to English requirements, programs may require credits in mathematics, biology, and chemistry at a level equivalent to Ontario’s curriculum, or a postsecondary degree or diploma, equivalent to an Ontario university or college. Program-specific pre-requisite courses and credentials are listed with the admission requirements on each program page. To review the academic requirements please visit: Academic Requirements - Seneca, Toronto, Canada (senecapolytechnic.ca).
Pathways
As a leader in academic pathways, we offer a range of options that will allow you to take your credential further in another Seneca program or a program at a partner institution.
To learn more about your eligibility, visit the Academic Pathways web page.