Animation at Madison Area Technical College
Animation/Concept Development at Madison Area Technical College is an employment-
oriented, two-year Associate Degree Program within the MATC Art Department. Students prepare to seek employment in contemporary 3D animation with particular concentration
in skills relevant to the video-gaming industry. Successful graduates are versed in current
methods of game concept-development and drawing, 3D game asset creation, 3D keyframe animation, and standards & practices expected in business and corporate environments.
Campus and Facilities
The Program is located at MATC's Downtown Education Center (DTEC) on the isthmus in Madison, Wisconsin, two blocks from the State Capital. DTEC is convenient to major city-
bus routes and rental housing, and is located next to a large municipal parking ramp.
The Animation suite includes a drawing studio and adjacent computer lab to facilitate
easy transition of students' ideas from paper to 3D. In keeping with current industry standards and direction from our professional advisory committee, the computer lab is installed with contemporary professional 3D software running on PC-platform. Several peripheral software packages are also emphasized as directed by the committee and industry practices.
The Curriculum
The Program curriculum is constantly guided and reshaped by a professional advisory committee of fifteen to twenty full-time animation professionals. The committee meets annually, with informal input and suggestions occuring more often. Faculty maintain close contact
with employers and revise their syllabi as industry trends develop.
Animation study at MATC requires a large amount of realistic concept-drawing, built
into the curriculum from beginning to end. Professional gaming concepts are developed traditionally (pencil and paper) before the idea is translated to computer, and Program
students should expect to spend lots of time developing their traditional drawing skills.
Anime, Manga, and cartooning are not permitted since they are not skills currently
sought by North American game-industry employers.
The Animation curriculum is a concentrated and demanding program of study, requiring substantial effort, time, and energy. The gaming industry is extremely competitive and fast-paced, and the MATC Program reflects that intensity. Disciplined work habits, the ability to consistently meet deadlines, a professional attitude, the ability to organize and execute overlapping tasks, and the ability to handle technical and conceptual complexity are all required for a student to succeed. Because of the pace of change in the industry the curriculum tends
to change rapidly—Part-time attendance is therefore strongly discouraged, although some students have found it inevitable.
Course syllabi in the second year include industry internship and mentorship opportunities, run by full-time professionals. These opportunities have proven invaluable to students in the past, and sometimes lead to permanent employment once the internship is concluded.
Admissions
Application materials can be obtained through the MATC Art Department office. Due to
the Animation Program's popularity, there may be a substantial wait for admission. Please contact the MATC Art Department office or the Admissions office to check the status of your application—Program faculty do not have access to these records. MATC cannot,
under any circumstances, make an exception to the wait-list order.
Preparation for study
Wait-listed candidates are encouraged to begin taking their core-courses (courses required
by the college but not within the Animation Program), and all students are encouraged to study as much realistic drawing as their schedules allow. Drawing courses can be taken ahead of the rest of the curriculum, and we recommend that students draw as much as possible. Please contact Program faculty if you have questions about the drawing courses and related skills.
Most successful students arrange access to hardware/software at home during their
studies, but we DO NOT recommend making such purchases before beginning the digital courses—registration in these courses qualifies students for discounts on the software worth several thousand dollars. Also, some students find that professional animation is not what
they anticipated, and subsequently choose a different program of study -- software purchases are normally not refundable. Finally, it is possible that our advisory committee might direct
us to switch software concentration for a new incoming class, so an expensive purchase
prior to registration may be rendered irrelevant to your studies.
Employment
The MATC Animation Program enjoys a solid reputation among employers, and our graduates regularly and successfully compete with those of four-year institutions. Our graduates are working in several video-game studios, simulation studios, and a few are successfully self-employed. Nearly all Program graduates have found related employment within the multi-
county MATC District, although the faculty continually seek and develop contacts across
North America. It is possible that a graduate may have to leave the State to find employment.
Thank you for your interest in the MATC Animation Program. Please contact the College
or Program faculty with additional questions. Good luck with your professional pursuits.
