The United States and Japan, as the two major birthplaces of the current international commercial animation market, have their own distinctive animation styles, and occupy nearly 80% of the global animation commercial market share. The academic system and professional history of Japanese animation are no less academic and rigorous than those of European and American universities, and even have unique advantages compared with those of European and American universities. Today, we take the degree of animation major graduate students studying abroad as an example, and make a horizontal comparison between Kyoto Jingjing University, the top university in the ACG field in Japan, and CalArts, the top animation university in the United States, from the aspects of teaching philosophy, curriculum, software and hardware resources.

Animation majors study abroad, comparing the essence of CalArts in the United States and Kyoto in Japan:

01. Teaching philosophy

Animation majors study abroad. When it comes to comparing the same major in different universities, the first thing to see is the purpose of the university's official establishment of the major, as well as the orientation and requirements of the students trained. These are often reflected in the teaching philosophy of colleges and universities. First of all, let's take a look at the similarities and differences in teaching concepts between the two universities.

　　 American CalArts

CalArts' experimental animation graduate program is famous both at home and abroad. Compared with the character animation major of CalArts, it can better compare the tendencies and differences of the experimental animation major.

On the left is the introduction of CalArts character animation course, and on the right is the introduction of experimental animation course

By comprehensive comparison, it is not difficult to find that compared with the character animation, which tends to the animation profession itself and the role based digital media films, the setting of the entire major of experimental animation has relatively more emphasis on the artistry of students' works, and even the name of students, there are differences between Animation Artist and Innovative Artists.

From the result oriented point of view, the student works of MFA experimental animation are not only produced in a variety of ways from live shooting to hand painting, but also in the subject matter, most of which have a clear personal artistic style and work recognition. It looks even more like experimental art than animation.

　　 American CalArts Experimental Animation In addition to learning objectives, we can also further and more clearly see the concept and tendency of colleges and universities in specialty setting.

Learning Objectives of CalArts Experimental Animation MFA Course

The personalized expression of students mentioned earlier is put at the top of the learning objectives. Interdisciplinary practice is also highlighted by Highlight.

Since speaking of art practice, there must be opportunities for interdisciplinary research, and CalArts' experimental animation is no exception. In fact, the university officials highly encourage students to carry out interdisciplinary academic exchanges with other departments in the university from all aspects.

Introduction to CalArts Integrated Media Center

The Integrated Media Center has even been set up for graduate students and other advanced digital media majors, so that students can understand new technologies in a timely manner and integrate multiple media and disciplines into new forms of experimental art expression.

It can be seen from the official professional settings of the colleges and universities that the teaching philosophy of CalArts Experimental Animation MFA is relatively more focused on starting from animation, but not rigidly adhere to the digital media form of animation, and the content is also more inclined to cultivate students' artistic expression rather than the narrative expression of traditional animation.

　　 Japan Kyoto Seika University

As the first Japanese private art university to set up a manga discipline and also the first to set up a doctorate in manga, Kyoto Jingjing University has always been the top 1 university in the academic field of Japanese animation.

I believe that careful students have noticed that we called European and American colleges and universities as animation majors at the beginning of the article, while Japanese colleges and universities are animation majors. This is not a clerical error of natural light, but an inseparable intimate relationship between Japanese animation and comics.

Professional classification of Jingjing University official website

Animation majors study abroad. Animation majors in most Japanese universities share the same curriculum and teaching resources with cartoon majors, such as character modeling design, screenwriting, etc. Even some colleges and universities have eliminated animation major directly and turned animation into a refined branch of cartoon major.

The Graduate School of Jingjing University in Kyoto, on the other hand, classifies animation as a branch of research in the postgraduate courses of comics.

Introduction to the Cartoon Department of Jingjing University, Kyoto

The introduction of the Department of Cartoon of Jingjing University in Kyoto is really in line with the temperament of the second in the blood of Niman. The title is "Caricature saves the world -" eager to contribute to world peace through caricature ". As the pioneer of Japanese animation education, Jingjing University in Kyoto has highly emphasized the humanity of animation in teaching philosophy.

In the introduction, Professor Takemiya Kyoko Takemiya of the Cartoon Art Course said that animation is a universal language all over the world, and Japan is relying on this language, which is still spreading and widely accepted worldwide under the obstruction of its ethnic and cultural differences.

More specifically, to the introduction of postgraduate courses, Kyoto Seika University It puts forward higher requirements. While hoping that the Japanese style painting style will continue to lead the world trend, the college does not want students to sleep on the credit book of the existing animation style, but hopes that students will become the pioneers of the next generation leading the new animation culture.

Introduction to Master of Cartoon Program of Jingjing University, Kyoto

At the same time, the college also gave three highlights in detail, the first of which is the research and pursuit of the real essence of animation. Although it sounds abstract, the real purpose of Jingjing University in Kyoto should be to hope that students do not regard animation as an existing concept. Through their own learning and research, we can really define the nature of animation in our own way.

The other two are about teachers and Japanese animation culture, which will be further explained to students in the later curriculum and teaching resources.

Compared with CalArts Experimental Animation MFA, the Master of Cartoon Program of Kyoto Jingjing University pays more attention to the excavation and exploration of the depth of animation itself, and its artistic and interdisciplinary experimental requirements are not so high.

02. Curriculum

After reading the teaching concept, the next step is to refine the curriculum in the college that students care most about. As we all know, no matter how grand the concept construction in front is, it cannot be refined and implemented into the specific curriculum, it can only be said to be "pie in the sky".

So, how did the two colleges of animation major study abroad specifically practice the "pie" they painted in front of them?

　　 American CalArts

CalArts experimental animation MFA course has relatively high requirements and expectations for students' personal creative ability. The whole postgraduate courses are divided into two-year courses for students with animation foundation and three-year courses for a wide range of art disciplines. Today, we will take three-year courses as an example.

CalArts Experimental Animation MFA Course Overview

The college requires students not only to become animators, but also to contribute to the historical and critical development of the entire animation field.

However, this does not mean that CalArts despises its own commercial animation process. CalArts also emphasizes that in addition to professional knowledge and art theory courses, it will lead students to become familiar with the international standardized commercialization process of animation, including the submission of film festivals, industry activities, seminars, etc.

Looking specifically at the courses in each academic year, we can see that although CalArts highly emphasizes students' personal artistic creativity, it is not careless at all on the basis of detailed animation basic knowledge. There are not only special animation history courses and seminars in the first two years, but also special critical research thesis courses in the autumn of the second year.

It is also worth noting the direct and rigid requirements for interdisciplinary elective courses. The college cites four fields of art, drama, dance and music, and students can choose one or several as interdisciplinary experimental directions.

In general, the experimental animation MFA course of CalArts can completely cover the HTC artistic conception and curriculum concept proposed in its teaching philosophy.

　　 Kyoto Seika University

Jingjing University in Kyoto is the same as the domestic universities we are familiar with, and will have a relatively clear and detailed teaching policy.

Teaching Guidelines for Master of Cartoon Course of Jingjing University, Kyoto

The teaching policy of the Master of Cartoon Program of Jingjing University in Kyoto is divided into two directions, namely, the requirements for students in theoretical system and practical skills. The figure above shows the theoretical system.

We can see that in terms of theoretical system, first of all, Jingjing University of Kyoto has a high requirement for students to have an international vision in the field of animation. Basically, every detailed key point emphasizes that students should take into account the animation research and exploration in Japan and abroad.

At the same time, colleges and universities also mentioned the social responsibility of animation. Artistic creation based on animation is actually the composition exchange between the painter and the audience, and animation, as a communication carrier like words, also needs to bear certain social responsibility.

The requirements of practical skills are more specific to the detailed requirements of students' painting and animators' productivity.

It is worth mentioning that the university officials put forward the need for students to improve and even challenge the existing Japanese animation framework in the field of consciousness. This also shows that colleges and universities attach great importance to students' creativity in curriculum design.

When it comes to curriculum, colleges and universities have set up relatively basic animation theory special courses, as well as more personalized animation field special courses. In the special courses in the animation field, we saw the common animation foundation, art theory, and queer culture.

Yes, the Master of Cartoon Program of Jingjing University in Kyoto has studied subcultures in anime such as femininity, corruption and lily as a separate course. Students are even required to discuss the reasons why such Japanese anime works are popular overseas and prohibited from the perspective of globalization.

03. Teaching resources

In fact, teaching resources are also one of the essential key elements to measure colleges and universities. Whether it is hardware computer settings, or soft teacher and professor resources, it directly determines students' learning efficiency and creative experience.

　　 American CalArts

Introduction to CalArts Experimental Animation MFA Course Animation Studio

First, on the hardware equipment, the animation studio of CalArts is equipped with Wacom Cintiq hand-painted screen and Mac Pro computer host workstation for students. Basically, it is the top computer configuration of animation studios in the industry.

CalArts Digital Methods

Not only that, but also the movie level PhaseSpace motion capture system, Oculus Rift DK2 HMD, and Blackmagic 4K Ultrastudio with real-time 3D rendering.

It is no exaggeration to say that basically all the animation visual presentation effects that students want can be smoothly achieved in the animation studio of CalArts.

As a top digital media art school based on Disney and facing Hollywood, the lineup of guest professors of CalArts Experimental Animation MFA course should not be overlooked.

Visiting Professors of CalArts Experimental Animation MFA Course

There are independent individual artists with great style, special effects masters of top dramas such as Western World, and animation directors of Captain America and Thor, which can basically meet the students' future development needs in all aspects.

Whether you want to engage in commercial film and television projects or develop your own works independently, you can find your own future development direction mentor in the lineup of visiting professors.

　　 Kyoto Seika University

Jingjing University of Kyoto directly manages the Kyoto International Cartoon Museum, and students can enter for free with their student cards. There are a large number of representative works of Japanese comics on display, and Mr. Takeru Tezuka's fire bird art installation is also on display here.

More importantly, the Kyoto International Cartoon Museum often holds authoritative academic discussions in the Japanese animation industry, and students can also borrow documents and books in the special exhibition hall with their student cards.

Kyoto International Cartoon Museum

In terms of teaching staff, teachers have different styles. Like CalArts, they are also mature animators or cartoonists with certain international popularity. They include Lunatan game designer, the original painting author of A Thousand Water Dreams, and the curator of animation art exhibition of "Celebrities and Kimono" series.

Master of Cartoon Teaching Team of Jingjing University, Kyoto

The diversity of teachers' careers also represents the diversity of development space that colleges can provide for students. In addition to the animation field, these teachers also cover many professions such as folklore, literature, screenwriters, curators, etc. It also echoes the original intention of Jingjing University in Kyoto to define animation as a discipline of human culture at the very beginning.

Animation majors go abroad to study. Which do you choose to go to, American CalArts or Japanese Kyoto Essence? From the three aspects of comparison, I believe that students have a certain understanding of the animation major in the two universities in the United States and Japan. CalArts experimental animation MFA's expectations for animation are more artistic, and its requirements for students tend not only to stay in interdisciplinary experiments in the animation field.

In contrast, the Master of Cartoon Program of Jingjing University in Kyoto pays more attention to the research of animation itself. However, this does not mean that Jingjing University is conservative. From the teaching philosophy, curriculum and members of the faculty team, we can clearly feel that Jingjing University is eager to break out of the existing routine of Japanese animation, and open up a new path for the animation industry in Japan and even the world through the research on animation and cartoon development in the global field.

The two colleges of animation major studying abroad have their own advantages, and it is hard to distinguish between them. For those students who focus on art practice and are unwilling to stay in the animation itself, CalArts experimental animation MFA is the best choice. But for those who love animation and specialize in detailed research and analysis, perhaps Jingjing University in Kyoto is the most suitable.

More recommendations for animation majors to study abroad:

How about studying animation in RCA UK?

Can I apply for studying in animation major in Britain, America and Japan at the same time?

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