Frequently Asked Questions
How does program progression work in the winter intake?
Students beginning in winter (January start) will move straight from level 4 into level 5 with no scheduled break in between.
View our program progression chart
What will I need for my program start in Fall 2023 / Winter 2024?
Your laptop and separate drawing tablet are required for your first day of classes!
We recommend that first year students purchase one portable external hard drive with a capacity of at least 1 terabyte TB.
Please Note:
These computer specs change in summer (July / August) with the updated animation studio software requirements. Wait to buy your laptop until the August before your term starts.
Before beginning the program, students are required to purchase either a MacOS or Windows laptop with these recommended specs (cost: $1800 – $3,200)
We are a Mac based program and IF students choose to buy a Windows PC, they still have to be able to read Mac based Pages and Keynotes files
If a Windows laptop is purchased, students must have a valid iCloud account plus the laptop must be configured to run Toon Boon Harmony Premium and Autodesk Maya Software.
Below are the computer specs for both software packages.
Either computer must be able to handle the current Maya and Toon Boom’s Harmony software as recommended by the software companies’ website.
You will need as much memory as you can afford – We recommend a 16 Ram minimum or more for your choice of computers.
Autodesk Maya 2024 technical specs:
https://www.autodesk.com/support/technical/article/caas/sfdcarticles/sfdcarticles/System-Requirements-for-Autodesk-Maya-2024.html
Toon Boom Harmony 22 Premier technical specs:
https://desk.toonboom.com/hc/en-us/articles/13578959010835-Toon-Boom-Harmony-22-System-Requirements
Accessories:
Purchase a three-button mouse of your choice. Purchase a mouse pad of your choice. It is recommended that students buy the three-year Apple Care warranty, if purchasing the Mac.
Third year students are required to purchase a Cintiq pen.
FALL / WINTER 2023 / 2024:
A separate Drawing Tablet is NOW REQUIRED
We require all new and returning students to have a separate drawing tablet. Touch screen computers are prohibited – it must be a separate drawing tablet.
We require a 13 – 17-inch separate drawing tablet but not larger than that so it is portable to bring to the college easily.
We recommend the XP Pen artist display series or Wacom Cintiq display as ideal, but Wacom Intuos tablets are also useable.
Is the faculty working with you involved in the animation industry?
We are very proud of the faculty teaching animation at Algonquin. Most have been at least departmental supervisors and some have been directors and producers. Our staff’s collective resumes include television shows and features from studios such as Disney, Warner Bros. Don Bluth, Sony Image Works, Film Roman, Nelvana, Amberwood, Mercury Filmworks, PIP, BIG Jump, Animal Logic and Cookie Jar to name a few.
What kinds of things do you study in the program?
Our philosophy is that we are, first and foremost, an animation school that focuses on traditional, 2D digital, and 3D digital animation techniques. Our exercises are based on getting our students to a point where they can do good character animation. Timing, acting, posing and solid drawing are emphasized throughout the program. We have classes in thinking three dimensionally, character animation, life drawing, design, 2D digital animation, 3D digital design, lighting, rendering, and computer FX.
What software do you use?
We are a MAC based program that teaches Toon Boom’s Harmony, Pencil Check Pro, Storyboard Pro, Autodesk’s Maya, Adobe After Effects, and Photoshop. We use keynote pages for notes and handouts.
If a student wants to go into 3D animation why do they have to take traditional hand-drawing first?
When we set up the 3 year program we asked people at Pixar, ILM and other 3D studios what they wanted to see from a graduate. They said they saw lots of students who knew their way around software packages but few who could apply animation principles and fewer still who could communicate their ideas through drawing. Drawing is like learning a new language. To be able to communicate in the industry you have to be adept at presenting your ideas visually. Animation is also about learning to see images in motion. There is something about learning to see drawings “flipped” then line-tested that is a vital foundation for students to develop an “animator’s eye” and apply that to any tool, be it a pencil or computer program. Studios see the computer as a very “expensive pencil”.
What are the portfolio requirements and what are you looking for?
Check out the portfolio requirements section on our website since we do change it from time to time. What we look for in a portfolio is a basic ability to draw but more importantly that the applicant has demonstrated an understanding of what it is they are drawing. Details available at https://www.algonquincollege.com/mediaanddesign/files/2023/02/2022-Animation-Portfolio-Info-Book_Sept-2022.pdf
Will I need a laptop for the program?
We are a laptop program and require a MAC Book Pro laptop. Check the BYOD website for laptop specifications.