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Go at your own pace
8 Sessions / 15 hours of work per session
Price
Premium membership $20/month (Preview session 1 free)
Credit Eligible ($900 USD)
Included w/ premium membership ($20/month)
Skill Level
Intermediate
Video Transcripts
English, Spanish; Castilian, Chinese, Portuguese
Topics
Storytelling, Animation, Character Design, Live Action, Video Games

Not available for purchase in India

Open for Enrollment

Visual Storytelling for Film and Video Games

Open for Enrollment
You can also start immediately after joining!

Would you like to enroll?

Enrollment for this course has closed. But you can enroll in a future offering (please select)

Enrollment has closed

Go at your own pace
8 Sessions / 15 hours of work per session
Price
Premium membership $20/month (Preview session 1 free)
Credit Eligible ($900 USD)
Included w/ premium membership ($20/month)
Skill Level
Intermediate
Video Transcripts
English, Spanish; Castilian, Chinese, Portuguese
Topics
Storytelling, Animation, Character Design, Live Action, Video Games

Not available for purchase in India

Course Description

This course will take the student through the basics of visual development: from visual storytelling to character design; from creatures to environment design. Beginning with simple visual elements, the student will learn how to create images that tell a story visually, as well as support a production in animation, live action, and video games.

Reviews
schedule

This course is in adaptive mode and is open for enrollment. Learn more about adaptive courses here.

Session 1: Visual Components (December 25, 2024)
In this session we will analyze the visual components within character design.
6 lessons
1. Course Introduction
2. Shapes
3. Costumes
4. The Silhouette
5. Quick Tips: Costumes
6. Assignment (Premium Exclusive)
Session 2: Pushing The Design Of The Character (January 1, 2025)
This session will cover creating preliminary character sketches expanding from the previous session.
3 lessons
1. Rough Drawings (Premium Exclusive)
2. Demo (Premium Exclusive)
3. Assignment Introduction (Premium Exclusive)
Session 3: Character Design (January 8, 2025)
In this session, we'll learn how to design a character through different visual perspectives. Shaping facial expressions and anatomy references will also be covered.
4 lessons
1. Model Sheet or Action Shot (Premium Exclusive)
2. Quick Tips, Facial Expressions (Premium Exclusive)
3. Assignment Intro (Premium Exclusive)
4. Head Study Demo (Premium Exclusive)
Session 4: Anatomy, Story And Creature Design, Part One (January 15, 2025)
This session will cover developing a creature design.
2 lessons
1. Silhouettes (Premium Exclusive)
2. Assignment Intro Demo (Premium Exclusive)
Session 5: Creature Design, Part Two (January 22, 2025)
This session will go over transforming silhouettes into rough sketches and how gestures can influence the personality of your characters.
3 lessons
1. Rough Drawings (Premium Exclusive)
2. Rough Drawings: Assignment Intro (Premium Exclusive)
3. Quicktips: Animal Studies (Premium Exclusive)
Session 6: Creating an Environment (January 29, 2025)
In this session we'll learn how to create a believable environment in which to stage a character.
4 lessons
1. Thumbnail Drawings (Premium Exclusive)
2. Creating your Thumbnails (Premium Exclusive)
3. Landscape Studies, Quick Tips (Premium Exclusive)
4. Assignment Intro (Premium Exclusive)
Session 7: Moving The Eye Of The Viewer (February 5, 2025)
This session will cover building compositions and rendering characteristic details like light and color within an environmental design.
6 lessons
1. Rendered Image (Premium Exclusive)
2. Silhouette, Light & Color (Premium Exclusive)
3. Shapes (Premium Exclusive)
4. Assignment Intro (Premium Exclusive)
5. Contrast (Premium Exclusive)
6. Quicktips: Perspective (Premium Exclusive)
Session 8: Prop Design (February 12, 2025)
In this session you will learn how to create a prop in relation to the design of your character.
7 lessons
1. Prop Design: Introduction (Premium Exclusive)
2. Prop Design: Outro (Premium Exclusive)
3. Assignment Intro (Premium Exclusive)
4. Quicktips: Head Studies (Premium Exclusive)
5. Creating a Story Moment Part 1 (Premium Exclusive)
6. Quicktips: Memory Drawing (Premium Exclusive)
7. Creating a Story Moment Part 2 (Premium Exclusive)
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Learning Outcomes

Below you will find an overview of the Learning Outcomes you will achieve as you complete this course.

Instructors And Guests
What You Need to Take This Course
  • Materials:
    • Digital: Stylus and Tablet
    • Traditional: Sketchbook and Drawing Tools
  • Equipment: Computer with Installation Privileges
  • Software: Adobe Photoshop
Additional Information

Please note: Taking part in a Kadenze course as a Premium Member, does not affirm that the student has been enrolled or accepted for enrollment by Ringling College of Art and Design.

Peer Assessment Code of Conduct: Part of what makes Kadenze a great place to learn is our community of students. While you are completing your Peer Assessments, we ask that you help us maintain the quality of our community. Please:

  • Be Polite. Show your fellow students courtesy. No one wants to feel attacked - ever. For this reason, insults, condescension, or abuse will not be tolerated.
  • Show Respect. Kadenze is a global community. Our students are from many different cultures and backgrounds. Please be patient, kind, and open-minded when discussing topics such as race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or other potentially controversial subjects.
  • Post Appropriate Content. We believe that expression is a human right and we would never censor our students. With that in mind, please be sensitive of what you post in a Peer Assessment. Only post content where and when it is appropriate to do so.

Please understand that posts which violate this Code of Conduct harm our community and may be deleted or made invisible to other students by course moderators. Students who repeatedly break these rules may be removed from the course and/or may lose access to Kadenze.

Students with Disabilities: Students who have documented disabilities and who want to request accommodations should refer to the student help article via the Kadenze support center. Kadenze is committed to making sure that our site is accessible to everyone. Configure your accessibility settings in your Kadenze Account Settings.