Animation is the art of motion, and art in motion. Philosophy Statement, DADA, USC
 It is that which gives something life. Animators   By Vibeke Sorensen 
 create the illusion of life by transferring organic  Professor & Founding Chair 1994-2005
 gesture to their chosen medium. From hand http://anim.usc.edu/introduction/philosophy.html    
 drawn images to computer animation, from stop
 motion to cels, a wide range of media are used
 to record complex gestures and put them into
 motion. It is through a succession of frames in 
 time that they become organic metaphors imbued
 with symbolic meaning, becoming stories and
  experiences that reveal our individual and 
 collective imagination. It brings our dreams, 
 myths and memories to life.
 
 Organic, physical gestures are those we know
 instinctively by being alive and interacting with
 other living things. It includes the movement of
 our hands, bodies and minds in time and space, 
 fusing the performing arts(dance, music, theater)
 with the visual arts. We see living gesture every
 day, and know it through our interaction with
 animals and plants, as well as a wide range of
 dynamic phenomena visible and invisible worlds.
We know it through all of our senses, and 
express it through a re-ordering of them as 
sense expressions. The animator observes the 
 world with all of his or her senses carefully and 
 critically, and translates them into a living form
 others can see.
 
 Grounded in this notion that organic, physical 
 gesture is the basis for all animation, our 
 undergraduate and graduate programs encourage
 the integration of physical and digital processes,
 spanning a wide range of media from traditional
 drawing and cel to contemporary interactive 
 computer. Therefore, there is a dual emphasis
 on the exploration of physical media and new
 technologies. While students can choose to work
 primarily in a specific medium, they are 
 encouraged to explore and develop new forms
 and techniques that result from new combinations
 of digital and physical media. This is a largely
 unexplored territory open to the influence of
 creative imagination and invention and
 therefore students can contribute a great deal
 to the growth of new forms of animation. We
 feel that animation transcends any one specific
medium, and therefore encompasses them all.
It is up to each animator to define the approach
which best communicates their ideas and
imagination. We embrace traditional and 
 contemporary technologies,and the continuum
 in between.
 
 All data in the computer, regardless of origin, are
 connected in this continuum by a common digital
 foundation. Because of this, animators are provided
 limitless opportunities for transformation of data
 from one modality to another. Sound files can 
 become images, human gestures can be captured
 and turned into colors. Because image data is
 discrete, it is malleable, one element or frame at
 a time. This is what animators do: they affect each
 image in a sequence one frame at a time. The
 computer provides unprecendented opportunities
 for data transformation, both in real-time and not in
 real-time. It allows animators to work with both 2
 and 3-D animation, in real-time interactive virtual
 environments. They are a hybrid form of filmmaker,
 functioning at various times as directors, actors,
 cinematographers, and editors. Computers are 
 transformative instruments providing vast new
 spaces and possibilities for animators.
 
 Our program sits at the intersection of academia,
 industry, and the arts. We are located within an
academic institution and therefore balance the
intellectual and pedagocial needs of this 
 community with the needs of the film industry,
 as well as the fine art community. Los Angeles
 is home to Hollywood and many potential 
 employers. It is also home to a vibrant fine arts
 community, a major influence on the entertainment
 industry.
 
 Our animators are adept with a range of media
 and contemporary technology. Because it changes
 so quickly, they have to be both aesthetically
 sophisticated and technologically aware. This 
 means they have to embrace change not only as
 part of the animation, but also in their approach to
 media. They are a window to the future where 
 more and more people will be using animation in
 their communication of information on the internet
 and related technologies. They are on the cutting
 edge, protoyping humanistic uses of these 
 technologies, and providing new ideas and a new
 way of thinking about their relationship to the world
 around them.
 
 Finally, we encourage students to apply to our 
 programs from a wide range of cultures and 
countries. We hope that they will bring with them
the richness of their cultural traditions, and help
develop animation into an even more international
 art form than it already is.
 
 - Vibeke Sorensen
 Professor and Chair 

The USC School of Cinema-Television, Division of
 Animation and Digital Arts offers both an undergrad
 Minor in Animation program and an intensive three-
 year MFA in Film, Video and Computer Animation
 program.The undergraduate Minor in Animation 
 offers students an introduction to the theory and
 practice of animation, including its relationship to
 the history of art and cinema, creative writing, and
 basic film production. It provides students with an
 opportunity to create both personal and collaborative
work in a wide range of genres, from traditional
character to contemporary experimental and
computer animation. This includes cel, stop
motion, collage, mixed media, 2 and 3D computer
 animation software and interactive digital media.
 Successful completion of a final project is required.
 
 The MFA in Film, Video and Computer Animation
 curriculum focuses on animation production, including
 a wide range of techniques and aesthetic approaches,
 from hand drawn character animation to state of the art
 interactive computer graphics. While embracing traditional
 forms, the program strongly encourages innovation and
 experimentation, and emphasizes imagination, creativity
 and critical thinking. Courses include the history of 
  animation, life drawing, computer animation, and 
 writing for animation, among others. Successful
completion of a Thesis project is required.
 
Upon graduation, our students possess both depth
and breadth, positioning them perfectly for leadership
 roles in the field. Such positions usually require vision,
 scope, creative problem solving skills, adaptability to
 new concepts and working methodologies, as well as
 excellent "people" skills. We expect our students to be
 ambassadors for the field to the field.Graduates of our
 program have gone on to Disney Feature Animation, 
 Microsoft Graphics Research Group, Fox, Warner Bros.,
 Digital Domain, Pixar, Dreamworks SKG, Pacific Data 
 Images, Industrial Light and Magic, among others.
 
 The School of Cinema-Television, in downtown
 Los Angeles, is in close proximity to many of the
 leading studios and major art museums in 
 Southern California that provide students with 
  opportunities for exposure to the industry and
 contemporary fine arts, including internships 
 and employment.
 
 - Vibeke Sorensen
 Professor and Chair