Hybridizing education of both video games and animated films

Abstract

Our animation program is a relatively small program that uses large-group projects to teach students. For 15 years, the undergraduate seniors have grouped together each year to create a single large-group animated short film, a consistently successful educational experience leading to solid foundational knowledge, successful hires, and yearly top awards. Six years ago, some of our students approached us wanting to create video games instead of films. This raised the question: can we teach both film and games without compromising the success and educational value that has come from focusing only on animated film? After some experience, our answer was yes. Though films and games have significant differences, we are still able to create both film and video games within a single program. Here we address how to overlap similarities and approach differences in combining the teaching of film and games.