Bring unforgettable characters to life in this globally acclaimed animation degree program
At Ringling College of Art and Design, 3D Character Animation students don’t just learn animation—they build worlds, breathe life into characters, and tell stories that leave a lasting impression.
From the first sketch to the final frame, students master the full production pipeline: design, storyboarding, 3D modeling, animation, texturing, lighting, compositing, VFX, and editing their own original films.
As they earn their Bachelor of Fine Arts in 3D Character Animation, students combine technical skills with original ideas. This unique blend of artistry and innovation is why the program is consistently recognized as one of the top animation programs in the world and why leading animation studios continually recruit our graduates.
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Video Spotlight: 3D Character Animation
Where have our alumni worked?
3D Character Animation Student Work
What Sets us Apart
Community
Through mentorship programs, clubs, campus events, and student-led collaborations, 3D Character Animation students build lasting creative relationships while developing the skills and professional network needed to thrive in the animation industry.
Faculty
Our faculty consists of animation industry veterans who have worked at renowned studios such as Pixar, Disney, Netflix, DreamWorks, Apple, Sony, ILM, Paramount, Cartoon Network, Nickelodeon, Electronic Arts, and Rockstar Games.
Technology
The 3D Character Animation workspace boasts eight state-of-the-art computer labs in addition to three open labs. We also have a render farm capable of rendering multiple feature films right here on campus.
Alumni Network
Ringling College 3D Character Animation alumni can be found at every major film, television, streaming, commercial, and game studio. They have won an impressive 17 Student Academy Awards, three Student Emmys, and three Best Student Film awards at SIGGRAPH.
Student Academy Awards
Computer Animation students have won 17 Student Academy Awards since 1998.
#1 is #1, and that’s pretty clear. But how are schools selected for the honor of being a top animation school in the world? The answer is simple: The Student Academy Awards.
3D Across the Film Industry
Ringling College alumni have worked on all your favorite animated films. Check out a few recent animations and see how many alumni contributed to them.
- KPop Demon Hunters – 15+ Alumni (including the Animation Director)
- Toy Story 5 – 30+ Alumni (including the Directing Animator)
- Zootopia 2 – 20+ Alumni
- Hoppers – 25+ Alumni (including the Art Director)
- The Bad Guys 2 – 12 Alumni
- Inside Out 2 – 24 Alumni
- Puss in Boots: The Last Wish – 15+ Alumni
- Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse – 12 Alumni (including the Head of Character Animation)
- The Wild Robot – 15+ Alumni
- Moana 2 – 12 Alumni
- Nimona – 18 Alumni
- Trolls Band Together – 18 Alumni
- Elemental – 14 Alumni (including the Art Director and the Crowd Supervisor)
- Encanto – 18 Alumni
- Mitchells vs. The Machines – 11 Alumni (including the Production Designer and the Head of Character Animation)
- Zootopia – 20 Alumni
- Incredibles 2 – 20 Alumni
- Spies in Disguise – 27 Alumni
- The Bad Guys – 14 Alumni
- Luca – 17 Alumni
Alumni Spotlight
In our innovative animation program, students learn to develop original characters and worlds while mastering the art of visual storytelling through character design, storyboarding, animatics, writing, and animated content creation—TV series pitches, feature film pitches, indie web series pitches, video game animation, short films, and more.
Jeff Fowler ’02
Director of the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise
Echo Wu ’16
Creator, Writer, Executive Producer for Netflix’s Jentry
Chau vs. the Underworld
Michael Yates ’14
Emmy Award Winning Storyboard Artist and creator of the Pixar series Win or Lose
Alan Hawkins ’04
Director for Sony Pictures Animation
Patrick Osborne ’03
Academy Award-Winning Director of Disney’s Feast, Netflix’s Love Death & Robots, and Netflix’s Magic the Gathering
Joshua Beveridge ’05
Animation Director of KPop Demon Hunters
Computer Animation
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