obots and rednecks. War heroes and wooly mammoths. For the past decade, the popularity of animation has blossomed to the point that it can be found in just about every form of entertainment - films, television, computer games, music videos, even in commercials. But, whether the characters, backgrounds, storyboards, layout, special effects or other aspects of the form are created by hand or state-of-the-art computer program, for most artists, it all goes back to a pencil and piece of paper.
And, that's where it all starts for Cal State Fullerton students in the Entertainment Art/Animation program.
The program, which formally began nine years ago, has formed the foundation and helped launch the careers of many Titan alumni in the fields of television and film animation, and computer gaming. These artists are found in most of the major animation studios and gaming companies, including Walt Disney, Warner Bros., Nickelodeon, DreamWorks, Pandemic Studios, Cartoon Network, Electronic Arts, Blue Sky, Film Roman and Klasky Csupo.
Auxiliary courses in animation were offered at Fullerton in the 1970s, but "when the instructor left, the program left," says Dana Lamb, professor of art. "Animation as a career had been dying in the '70s, and most artists went into other directions.
"Then 'The Little Mermaid' came out, followed by 'Beauty and the Beast' and 'The Lion King.' It became clear that animated features had a viable market base and could make a profit. Two major studios were born: Warner Bros. Feature Animation and DreamWorks. Studios were raiding each other - they couldn't get enough artists."
