Digital Animation Studies Certificate Program

Master foundational animation skills and learn to create characters that burst with personality. Through hands-on exercises and expert guidance, you'll develop techniques to design appealing, original characters and bring your animated visions to life for film, games, or personal projects.

interlochen online digital animation studies certificate program

Taught by a world-class faculty of animators and educators, the Digital Animation Studies certificate program consists of three four-week courses designed for adults and teens. The program can be completed at a pace that works for you and offers a unique opportunity to delve deeper into your craft while showcasing your achievements with a credential from Interlochen—an impressive addition to your résumé, college application, or LinkedIn profile.

For students under 18, the Digital Animation Studies certificate program is also an engaging way to earn high school credit. It’s ideal for students looking to challenge themselves beyond their school curriculum or to supplement their homeschool studies.

The following three animation courses make up the certificate program, and must be taken in sequential order:

Digital Animation 101

✔ Master fundamental animation skills, allowing for immediate application in creating animations
✔ Develop proficiency in using animation software and confidently navigate interfaces and drawing tools effectively
✔ Analyze existing animated media so you can apply similar techniques directly to your own animation projects
✔ Build a diverse portfolio of animation projects, including character turnarounds, dynamic movements, and expressive gestures, demonstrating a practical understanding of the 12 principles of animation

Animation Techniques: Expressions and Movement

✔ Rotate simple polyhedrons by breaking them down into planar forms, creating the illusion of 3D space in a 2D medium
✔ Create a wide range of facial expressions, focusing on the eyes and mouth, and combine these features to convey complex emotions in characters
✔ Use timing and multiple breakdowns to create dynamic and emotionally resonant animations
✔ Animate realistic walk cycles and other forms of locomotion for characters, applying unique movement styles that reflect the character's mood and personality

Learn and save: Students who enroll in the certificate program will receive a discounted rate by registering for all three online creative writing classes as a package.

learn icon Certificate programs comprise three four-week courses, providing deeper training in an artistic discipline or area of study. Students who enroll in a certificate program will receive a discounted rate by registering for all three courses as a package.

Each Interlochen Online course is designed to be inspiring and flexible with weekly learning units that combine video segments and guided instruction that you can complete on your own schedule. Combined with that learning is an optional weekly hour-long video class meeting, where you can learn from you instructor and interact with fellow students in real-time. You will also interact regularly with your instructor and peers through messaging inside the learning environment, including receiving personalized feedback on your work from your instructor.

Upon completion of the program, you will receive a physical certificate and a shareable digital certificate. Certificates for students under 18 are accredited by the Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS); high school-age students will also receive an official transcript to share with their current school for consideration for high school credit.