Animation Concentration
At A Glance
Program Type
Concentration of the cinematic arts major (BA)
Accreditation
Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)
Opportunity
Annual trip to the Sundance Film Festival
Facilities
State-of-the-art studio space
Animation is everywhere. You see it in film and TV, advertising, gaming, motion graphics and in scientific presentations. The opportunities are there. The only question you need to answer is, “How do I want to put my animation skills to use?”
In our animation concentration, part of the cinematic arts major, our hands-on approach to teaching the craft allows you to create animation right away, even if you don’t have any experience in the field. And we’ll provide you with the industry-standard software – including Autodesk Maya, Toon Boom, Adobe Creative Suite and Dragonframe – to bring your stories to life in a variety of animated mediums, from 3D and 2D computer animation to traditional hand-drawn and stop-motion techniques.
Upon graduating, you’ll be prepared to take advantage of a promising job market with endless opportunities. In fact, employment for multimedia artists and animators is projected to grow 24% in Oregon and 36% in Washington from 2022 to 2032, according to Projections Central.
In no time at all, you’ll be ready for a career as an animator, 3D modeler, compositor, roto artist, layout artist, production assistant, CG artist, storyboard artist, and animation director. Ready to find out where this animation program can take you?
Award-Winning Student Productions
Lucy and the Fly is an award-winning stop motion film from George Fox University's own cinematic arts department. The film follows a clumsy adventurer who falls into a bit of a conundrum and finds a new friend in the process.
Filmed at George Fox University, Lucy and the Fly was created by director Emily Hamilton ('17) and was awarded the Best of Festival Award (stop motion animation) at the 2017 BEA Festival of Media Arts.
Program Distinctives Why Study Animation at George Fox?
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You’ll use state-of-the-art equipment, including the Wacom Cintiq Pro, a pen-on-screen device that gives professional-quality precision for digital creation, from drawing to 3D sculpting.
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Our new traditional animation studio is equipped with animation light tables, down shooters and professional stop-motion armatures.
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Very few Christian universities offer an animation degree or concentration. In fact, we are the only Council for Christian Colleges & Universities school with this type of degree in Oregon and Washington.
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Our experienced faculty are award-winning independent filmmakers who have extensive industry experience.
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We have a successful track record. Our graduates have gone on to work at Laika Studios (Coraline, Missing Link, ParaNorman), NBC Sports, Refuge VFX, Guidespark and SOMA Games, and have interned at companies that include Supergenius Studio and Dreamworks.
Courses / Curriculum What Will I Study?
Our spaces/Where Will I Learn?
Art Annex
We have great news for our future art students! The vibrant and growing art and design program – housing the university’s graphic design, studio art and arts administration, illustration, and cinematic arts majors – will have a new home in the fall of 2025.
The new 6,000-square-foot facility will be located between the Maker Hub and Pennington Hall and will feature a large studio for pottery and ceramics, another space for glass and sculpture, and a partially covered courtyard work area with a ceramics kiln. You could be one of the first classes to use this new space and make your mark on the art program for years to come.
Career Outlook What’s After George Fox
Employment for special effects artists and animators is expected to grow 8% between 2022 and 2032, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The projected growth will be due to increased demand for animation and visual effects in video games, movies and television.
Further, an increased demand for computer graphics for mobile devices will lead to more job opportunities in the field, according to the BLS.
- Video Production, Portland Trail Blazers
- Producer, Graystone Media → Sports Media Production (produced the Civil War: Ducks vs Beavers)
- Portland Film Community: Grimm, Portlandia, Pretty Little Liars, The Librarians
- Audiovisual Tech, Nike
- Videographer, Reverie Creative Agency
- Luis Palau Ministries
- Producer, Happy Finish
- Courtroom Trial Videographer
- Director of Promotions and Listener Engagement, BOOST Radio
- Site Director, Gear Up
- Production Intern, Hollywood, California
- Keiki O Ka Aina
- Refuge VFX
- Pixar
- American Film Institute
- University of Southern California
- UCL (London)
- University of Oregon
Gaby Sipe
Class of 2019
My time as a cinematic arts major at George Fox was a truly enriching experience. My professors were extremely knowledgeable, encouraging, and made me feel prepared to work in the industry. The program is full of passion that intertwines with a desire to bring honor to God through our creation of art. We were encouraged to use the creativity that we were blessed with and share it with those around us.
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