EXT26-108 - Character & Worlds

Course Description

student drawing a character

Enrollment is open to students in grades 9-12.

Bring imaginary worlds and unforgettable characters to life in this immersive three-week intensive that covers the complete creative process used by entertainment industry professionals. Over the course of three weeks, you'll learn to develop compelling, original characters with distinct personalities, visual styles, and narrative purposes—then design the environments and worlds they inhabit. You'll explore anatomy, gesture, expression, and how bodies move to create figures and characters that feel alive and dynamic. Study essential storytelling considerations as you storyboard scenes, conceptualize environments, and design both interior and exterior spaces. Explore imaginary worlds, fantasy landscapes, architectural and organic environments, and learn how climate, weather, geography, and topography influence design. Discover the processes studios use to develop interesting and dramatic worlds for video games, animation, television, and film. Open to all levels, though students
benefit from taking the one-week introductory course first.

Learner Outcomes

Students gain confidence designing original characters with distinct personalities, visual styles, and narrative functions.

Students create compelling environments and worlds including fantasy landscapes, architectural spaces, and organic settings that support storytelling and character.

Students apply industry-standard processes from initial research and thumbnail sketching to storyboarding, design iteration, and final presentation

Students will practice speaking about their work, their process, and their artistic intent to their peers and giving each other constructive feedback.

Students will have the opportunity to show their work in a final exhibition.

Prerequisites

Note: If you are new to character design, consider taking the one-week introduction as preparation for this class.