by Huy Chu and Claudia Wilburn
In February 2021, the Center for the Arts & Design hosted Tiger Toons, a virtual learning experience that included interviews with several members of the professional animation community. On the heels of that successful event, the Brenau University Art & Design Department acquired new industry standard animation software, Storyboard Pro, which it plans to implement in graphic design courses starting this semester.
“We hope to enhance our graphics and digital arts pedagogy to encompass stronger skill sets that will translate into jobs in the animation field,” says Professor Claudia Wilburn, the department chair for art and design says, “Our focus for now will be to help our students interested in animation to develop strong portfolios in background design and storyboard production.”
At this time, the art & design graphics and digitals arts concentration has a number of students interested in working in the animation industry in the future. This new software will strengthen their portfolios and give them a solid working skill that can be marketed when applying for jobs after graduation.
“Brenau University students are creative, and they all have a story to tell,” says Professor Huy Chu, who will be teaching the software this semester. “Storyboards are a very important part of the pre-production process. Pre-visualisations go beyond animation. They are used in movies, television, theater, music videos, planning advertising campaigns, commercial and graphic novels. The pre-production renderings convey how the story will flow, as you can see how your shots or compositions work together. It also prepares you for potential problems, ultimately saving you time and money. Storyboarding is an essential skill that crosses over many genres of storytelling.”
