CEA debuts Master of Fine Arts concentration in animation
Logan Butts |
The Lipscomb Animation program has quickly developed a reputation as one of the best programs of its kind. Now the College of Entertainment & the Arts is debuting a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) concentration in animation, with the goal of expanding the program to even greater heights.
As artist-in-residence in the CEA, former Disney and Big Idea animator Tom Bancroft has helped usher in a faculty full of top-of-the-line industry experts. Bancroft and his fellow educators plan on offering a wholly unique experience to the MFA students.
“We can compete with bigger animation schools,” Bancroft said. “They're larger in size, but the talent of the teachers that we have here can compete with any of the larger animation schools, and I can say that because I've been to them. I kind of call the CalArts of the South.”
The star-studded faculty includes Bancroft, a Disney animator for more than 25 years (Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Aladdin, Pocahontas, Mulan, Brother Bear); Mike Nawrocki, co-creator of VeggieTales and co-founder of Big Idea Entertainment; and former Disney animators John Pomeroy (The Rescuers, Pete's Dragon, Pocahontas), Jim Elston (Mulan, Tarzan, Lilo and Stitch), and Tim Hodge (Mulan, Brother Bear, Lion King), among others. Having that type of experience on hand is an invaluable resource for students.
“I really made it a mandate that our faculty have to be from the industry,” Bancroft said. “We've been very blessed, and we've stuck to that. All of our instructors are seasoned pros. It is such a God thing.”
With a number of industry-wide connections from the faculty, students are able to work on projects they otherwise may not have had access to.
“Mike Nawrocki has developed an animated show called Dead Sea Squirrels that we are now making a part of the school,” Bancroft said. “Students are getting paid to work on it while they're still students. We have students right now that are working on Space Jam 2. And then another one that just graduated was working with Warner Brothers while still in school. I've never heard of that happening in the industry. No matter what school, working on a feature film with a major studio while you're still a student doesn't happen. But it's happening at Lipscomb.”
In the MFA program, Bancroft hopes to provide students with both the knowledge and practical experience needed to get a job in a constantly evolving animation industry.
“I think we found that we are the place you're going to come and create what's next,” Bancroft said. “We're going to help students learn the business side of animation while learning how to master their craft more by industry professionals.”
The program consists of 62 credit hours, with a flexible hybrid format of both in-person and online classes designed to help students with busy schedules. Students will be able to grow their skills across all aspects of animation while developing their own series or film as a thesis project.
For more information on the MFA concentration in animation, listen to the latest episode of the Lipscomb University podcast Bison Talk featuring Bancroft, where he discusses the new program and his illustrious career.
The George Shinn College of Entertainment & the Arts, through its School of Cinematic Arts, offers undergraduate and graduate programs in animation, undergraduate programs in film production, and a Master of Arts and Master of Fine Arts in film and creative media.