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Before applying, please make sure to familiarize yourself with the BFA Character Animation program, faculty, facilities, curriculum, and student work.
You cannot make any changes to your application after it has been submitted.
Create an account to begin the application process. This is where you’ll complete each step in the application and receive updates on your application status. Add your personal background and academic history.
The Program in Character Animation supports animation focused on character development and narrative storytelling. The faculty admissions committee seeks portfolios that show evidence of strong, observational figure/life drawing skills, artistic originality, and the potential to tell stories and develop characters using sequential imagery. The committee values artwork that reveals a unique and imaginative voice, showcasing the applicant’s artistic interests and conceptual abilities. We welcome a range of traditional creative work, including drawings and paintings, as well as 2D digital art, and computer graphics (CG).
Observational artwork consists of drawings done from the direct study of life with your subject(s) present in your environment, not from photo or screen reference. Subject(s) can include humans and animals alike.
You must include examples of the following categories of observational drawing in any number you chose.
Images should be uploaded into the online portfolio and can include any combination of the following:
Online presence: provide a URL to your website, Instagram, Tumblr, Behance, etc.
Portfolio-related questions can be addressed to the CalArts Office of Admissions; we also encourage applicants to find solutions to questions through their own creative exploration and introspection.
The online portfolio should be uploaded in the application.
For your portfolio, please submit one image per slide. Do not combine multiple images into a PDF document. Do not share your personal website or a Google drive in place of a digital portfolio. Do not include captions on images. If appropriate, captions should be added to the designated captions section in the application.
The application accepts MP3s, documents, images, and video. You will be scanning or photographing your drawings to submit them digitally, and filming your sketchbook.
Once your portfolio is uploaded, it can be viewed and rearranged until the final submission is made. Make sure to double-check that each image appears as it is intended to be viewed. No changes can be made following the final submission of your portfolio.
If you experience technical difficulties while uploading your portfolio, please email admissions@calarts.edu.
Please answer the following questions:
Answers may be uploaded to the written materials section of the CalArts online application.
We would like to meet you, but since this is impossible in practical terms, we ask that you record a short video of you introducing yourself.
Sketchbook should be documented via video and included in the online portfolio.
We will not open or return physical sketchbooks that are mailed to us or dropped off at our offices.
Note for prospective transfer students: Character Animation is a four-year program. All students begin at the BFA1 (first-year undergraduate) level because of the highly sequential nature of the curriculum. Transfer students must review our transfer credit policy. Transfer courses may lighten a student’s academic course load but will not shorten the program. Character Animation students must take all required metier classes.