Game Design
The Game Design curriculum provides a grounding in the design, storytelling, illustration and 3D animation and in-depth game development coursework.
Game Designers author the storyline, writing the plot points, character development, and game objectives that drive the game while developing skills of creativity, critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and technical expertise.
Students completing this pathway develop the skills and knowledge to be creative partners in video game design while building capacity for employment in all areas of the creative workforce.
New York City has always been the center of innovation, but it is time that New York City level up and finally became a leader in the digital gaming space.
Program Requirements
All students accepted in the Game Design program are required to take 4.75 core credits over the course of 2 years. Students will complete an additional .5 credits in Career and Financial Management coursework, a requirement of a CTE program. Beyond the required core, students take 2.75 elective credits with different semester offerings each year.
2D/3D Animation
Students will incorporate media to create stop motion animation, paper cut out animation, and basic 3-D computer-based animation. In addition to learning basic techniques of animation, students will have the opportunity to make a stop motion puppet of their own design. Students work with software such as Maya and Photoshop.
Prerequisite: Fundamentals of 3D Animation.
This course is eligible for three credits through Five Towns College with registration.
Adobe Illustrator
This class provides a study of vector graphics for production. Students will develop skills in the use of the tools and transformation options of Adobe Illustrator to create complex illustrations for print and web-based media. In this course students will learn the software skills to create vector graphics for print and web projects. Students learn to communicate through their visual solutions to the projects. Students will learn to solve visual problems using vector art, giving them an important additional skill when they become entry-level designers. Additionally, they learn to exchange ideas, approximating a real-world working atmosphere.
Interactive Digital Storytelling
Interactive Digital Storytelling explores the world of interactive narratives through combining traditional story-writing concepts with interactive narrative theory and practice. Students will be able to identify and understand different game genres and their story types including Action, Adventure, Role playing, Simulation, and Strategy. The course will cover the basics of writing narratives while studying the way in which storytelling changes when it becomes interactive. Topics covered include: the basics of story construction (theme, plot, character, setting, etc.), interactive theory, story genre, and expanding the story experience using image and sound. Coursework will include writing a short narrative, learning interactive software, and producing several types of digital stories as well as a complete interactive digital narrative project.
Visual After Effects
This class provides a step-by-step guide to key techniques for working with Adobe After Effects in a wide range of media types. Students will learn how to create, manipulate, and optimize motion graphics for film and video. Students will have hands-on experience animating text and images, customizing a wide range of effects.