This course is part of the Game Design: Art and Concepts Specialization

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883 ratings

Fran Krause

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Game Design: Art and Concepts SpecializationCalifornia Institute of the Arts

About this Course

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In this course you will explore concepts and approaches involved in creating successful character designs that can be applied to video games. Following a first week delving into some foundational concepts for successful character design, each of the remaining three weeks are structured as a master class where you will observe three professional character designers at work in the studio: Andy Ristaino (Adventure Time), Jacky Ke Jiang (Journey), and Robertryan Cory (SpongeBob SquarePants). Each designer will take on two different design challenges on the fly and address the various issues in designing characters for games, such as movement, expression, and technical limitations. At the end of each week you will have an opportunity to try out some of the concepts from that week's lesson on characters of your own design. 
This is a fun and engaging class especially useful for students interested in animation in film and TV as well as games, and is suitable for students of any drawing ability.

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Course 4 of 5 in the

Game Design: Art and Concepts Specialization

Beginner Level

Approx. 9 hours to complete

English

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Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Course 4 of 5 in the

Game Design: Art and Concepts Specialization

Beginner Level

Approx. 9 hours to complete

English

Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?

Try Coursera for Business

Instructor

Instructor rating

4.69/5 (91 Ratings)

Fran Krause

Faculty, Character Animation

School of Film/Video

113,350 Learners

2 Courses

Offered by

California Institute of the Arts

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Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Content Rating99%(4,808 ratings)

Week

Week 1

2 hours to complete

Week 1: About Character

2 hours to complete

5 videos (Total 13 min), 6 readings, 1 quiz

Week

Week 2

2 hours to complete

Week 2: Technical Challenges

2 hours to complete

5 videos (Total 47 min), 2 readings, 1 quiz

Week

Week 3

2 hours to complete

Week 3: Design with Purpose

2 hours to complete

4 videos (Total 60 min), 2 readings, 1 quiz

Week

Week 4

3 hours to complete

Week 4: Find Your Character

3 hours to complete

8 videos (Total 98 min), 4 readings, 1 quiz

Reviews

4.7

238 reviews

5 stars
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4 stars
17.48%
3 stars
3.81%
2 stars
1.45%
1 star
1.12%

About the Game Design: Art and Concepts Specialization

Stemming from the principles of storytelling and design established in CalArts’ renowned Animation programs, this Specialization lays a primary foundation for experimentation and exploration of video game design, story, character development, and winning gameplay before programming begins. These four courses emphasize the self-reliance and personal expression of the gaming artist, and encourage you to take conceptual risks and develop new modes of expression and form through gaming. In the final Capstone Project, you’ll put your creative skills to work by generating an engaging game design document for a personal game project, outlining the conceptual, narrative and aesthetic elements of your game.

Frequently Asked Questions

When will I have access to the lectures and assignments?
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I subscribe to this Specialization?
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

More questions? Visit the Learner Help Center.

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Character Design for Video Games

About this Course