Video Game Art Section B.

86
9/13/2017
Ontario College Diploma (2 Years - 4 Semesters ) (4006)
705.759.6700:1.800.461.2260:www.saultcollege.ca: Sault Ste. Marie, ON, Canada

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

This 2 year program structure provides a balanced schedule strongly emphasizing art creations and
production. Initial semesters pay special attention to traditional arts, in recognition of traditional art skills
as a foundation for digital art skills. Each semester has at least one class outside art production, covering
other areas crucial to a game artists development. By the final semester, studio style digital art production
is heavily emphasized in preparation for the students entering the workforce. Students may have the
opportunity to be involved in applied research projects. Please see the `Applied Research Centre` section
for more information relating to the Sault College Applied Research Centre.
PROGRAM OUTCOMES

The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:

Identify the differences in game genres in order to developed games that meet the needs of specific
markets.
Situate emerging trends within a historical context of games and interactive media to adapt relevant
concepts, vocabulary and frames of reference.
Identify and related concepts from a range of industry roles, including programming, design and art
to support the development of games.
Contribute as an individual and a member of a game development team to the effective completion
of a game development project.
Develop strategies for ongoing personal and professional development to enhance work
performance in the games industry.
Perform all work in compliance with relevant statutes, regulations, legislation, industry standards
and codes of ethics.
Support the development of pre-production and conceptual art for games and gaming through the
selection and application of relevant design tools and application of relevant design tools and
drawing techniques.
Create original game assets to meet requirements outlined in game design documents and/or
creative briefs.
Contribute to world building and level design in a game engine to meet industry and marketplace
requirements.
Assess and iterate user interface design in alignment with Game Design Documents to optimize both
the aesthetics and function of gameplay.

ADMISSIONS

MINIMUM ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS

Ontario Secondary School Diploma with Grade 12 College English (C) ENG4C, or mature student status.

CAREER PATHS

Graduates from the Video Game Art program at Sault College can work as Environment Artists/World
Builders, Level Designers, Concept Artists, Texture Artists, 3D Modellers, and User Interface Artists.

Potential Employers include:

 Game Studios
Broadcast Television Stations
Engineering/Architecture Firms
Self-Employed
Graphic Design Studios

OTHER INFORMATION

For more information contact Program Coordinator Frank Salituri at 705.759.2554 ext 2793 or email
frank.salituri@saultcollege.ca.

PROGRAM OF STUDY

SEMESTER 1
CMM115-3 Communications I
VGA100-2 History of Video Games
VGA101-3 Life Drawing 1
VGA102-3 Drawing/Illustration
VGA103-3 Game Design Process
VGA104-6 Game Art Studio 1
GAS109-3 Music and Pop Culture

SEMESTER 2
VGA200-3 Concept Art for Gaming 1
VGA201-3 Life Drawing 2
VGA202-4 Prototyping 1
VGA203-6 Game Art Studio 2
GEN100-3 Global Citizenship

SEMESTER 3
VGA300-2 Industry Study
VGA301-3 Concept Art for Gaming 2
VGA302-5 Prototyping 2
VGA303-4 Texturing and Shaders
VGA304-6 Game Art Studio 3

Select one of the following:

GAS101: Rituals, Idols and Controversies in Sports
GAS103: What in the World is Going On?
GAS116: Your Two Cents
GEN110: Student Selected General Education
HDG122: Personal and Academic Success Strategies
SSC102: Introduction to Aboriginal Peoples of Canada
Note: *Students must choose one of the identified Student Selected General Education Courses

SEMESTER 4
VGA400-3 Concept Art for Gaming 3
VGA402-3 Critical Game Analysis
VGA403-4 Interface Design
VGA404-6 Game Art Studio 4
VGA405-4 Portfolio Development

Course Descriptions
Semester 1

Communications I (CMM115) (3 credits)

This course is designed to help students develop the skills necessary to communicate effectively in their
programs and at the college level. Students will think critically to capture the meaning messages and
respond appropriately; produce coherent, clear paragraphs; and purposively research and responsibly
integrate credible sources into their own writing. Emphasis is placed on the writing process, from planning
to revising, while providing opportunities to explore various modes of communication.

History of Video Games (VGA100) (2 credits)

Through this course the student will achieve a greater understanding of how key limitations drove the art
direction of the time. Students will learn about key milestones in the history of video games ranging from
the origins to the current generation. Significant time will be spent learning how to research, reference and
analyze art as a precursor for learning how to produce efficient game art.

Life Drawing 1 (VGA101) (3 credits)

Through studying the human figure using traditional media, the student will gain a more complete
understanding of human anatomy, composition, weight distribution, potential energy, form, and texture.
The student will focus on creating the sense of form through understanding light and shadow.

Drawing/Illustration (VGA102) (3 credits)

In this course the student will learn to create environmental renderings using traditional media. Students
will also experiment with different traditional styles and techniques, and gain a thorough understanding of
perspective.

Game Design Process (VGA103) (3 credits)

What is in a game? What are the component parts? Why are games played? Why are they fun? How are
games made? In this course the student will be challenged with discovering answers to these questions.
Students in this course will also learn about the game development process, and get hands on experience
producing and presenting game pitches, concepts and storyboards.

Game Art Studio 1 (VGA104) (6 credits)

Concentrating on using digital imaging and 3D software, the student will be introduced to creating 2D and
3D assets with an emphasis on learning the basics and fundamentals of video game art creation.

Music and Pop Culture (GAS109) (3 credits)

This course will give students the opportunity to think creatively and critically about the influence of
popular music. Students will explore different music genres (rock, metal, hip hop, and rap), their
development and social significance. Students may explore music in film, commercials, war and protest,
social and civil rights movements, and the contributions of specific artists to contemporary culture. The
ways in which popular music has contributed to the current culture and, in turn, how culture has shaped
popular music will be examined.

Semester 2

Concept Art for Gaming 1 (VGA200) (3 credits)

This course will explore the world of concept art with regards to gaming. The student will practice and
explore the creation of 2D game art using both traditional and digital mediums. An emphasis of this course
will have students learning how to properly research and reference their concepts.
Life Drawing 2 (VGA201) (3 credits)

A continuation of Life Drawing 1, this course will provide the student with more practice in capturing light
and shadow as it relates to the human form. Exercises in capturing potential movement in character/life
drawing will be explored. Students will be faced with the challenge of creating final compositions of
characters in action sequences using the sketches developed during the life drawing sessions.

Prototyping 1 (VGA202) (4 credits)

Developing a game prototype is the most effective way of communicating your game ideas before full
development. This course will focus on creating art for game prototypes using an industry standard
prototyping process. Students will also gain familiarity designing game mechanics and game systems using
paper-based, and other non-digital forms of media.

Game Art Studio 2 (VGA203) (6 credits)

This course is a continuation of Game Art Studio 1. The aim is to develop efficient 2D and 3D assets for
games. Students will also learn proper workflow techniques while creating game assets.

Global Citizenship (GEN100) (3 credits)

The world we are living in is one in which local, national and international issues are interwoven, and the
need for us to understand the impact these issues can have on our lives has never been greater! Using a
socio-cultural, political and environmental lens, students will view how the world is changing and how to
become active agents of change from the local to international level. Important issues such as social
injustice, poverty, environmental protection, resource scarcity, sustainability, and health will be
addressed. Global citizenship isan opportunity to `Be the Change`. This course meets the Civic Life and
Social and Cultural Understanding General Education themes.

Semester 3

Industry Study (VGA300) (2 credits)

In Industry Study, the student will gain awareness of the game art industry. How do studios work? What is
a typical work environment like? What would my job responsibilities most likely include? What will be
expected of me as a game artist? How do I prepare myself for a job? Interview skills, application processes
and portfolio development will be major components of these sessions.

Concept Art for Gaming 2 (VGA301) (3 credits)

In this extension of Concept Art for Gaming 1, the student will be faced with creating more sophisticated
concept art. The student will employ both traditional art/illustration skills and digital art skills. The focus of
the course is to create polished, high quality concept art.

Prototyping 2 (VGA302) (5 credits)

Expanding on concepts learned in Prototyping 1, students using industry standard game development tools
will design, produce, and prototype functional game mechanics and game graphics. Students will also gain
practical experience integrating game art assets into game development tools efficiently.

Texturing and Shaders (VGA303) (4 credits)

Textures and shaders give life to the art in the game. Students will learn how to create efficient textures
and shaders for game assets. Students will also learn both normal and parallax mapping techniques.

Game Art Studio 3 (VGA304) (6 credits)

In this advanced session of Game Art Studio, participants will be faced with the challenges of learning high
poly sculpting, re-topology and creating optimized game assets. Another emphasis of the course will be
learning advanced workflows for Next-Gen game art pipelines.

Rituals, Idols and Controversies in Sports (GAS101) (3 credits)

This course gives students the opportunity to examine the many rituals, idols, and controversies
surrounding the world of sports. Students will debate, discuss, and present a variety of popular topics in
sports such as athlete salaries, performance-enhancing drugs and athlete product endorsement. This
course will explore the impact these issues have on social and cultural aspects of human behaviour.

What in the World is Going On? (GAS103) (3 credits)

This course will giveyou the opportunity to build a strong awareness of current global issues. Youwill
explore various media such as radio, TV, Internet, newspaper, and magazines. Through discussions,
debates, and presentations, students will focus on the main international headlines. Students will discover
and develop a view ofand understanding of the impact of events related to music, entertainment, fashion,
sports, politics, economics, world issues, and human-interest stories.

Your Two Cents (GAS116) (3 credits)

No matter ones lifestyle, income, or background, each person has experienced and developed practices to
how we relate to money. This course explores our relationship and personal understanding with money,
and its place and value in our culture and individual lives.

Student Selected General Education (GEN110) (3 credits)

For Transfer Credit Purposes only.

Personal and Academic Success Strategies (HDG122) (3 credits)

This course will prepareyou for the rigors of academic life and enableyou to develop a personal profile for
college and career success. The main focus of this course will include accepting personal responsibility,
discovering self-motivation, mastering self-management, employing interdependence, gaining
self-awareness, adopting lifelong learning, and developing emotional intelligence. In addition,you will
develop and produce a `Personal Profile` that will identifyyour personal learning style, communication
style, and personality style to enableyou to achieve success in learning about, understanding, and
choosing the courses and careers that will lead to personal and professional satisfaction.

Introduction to Aboriginal Peoples of Canada (SSC102) (3 credits)

This course will provide participants with an introduction to the history and cultural survival of Canada`s
Aboriginal people. Aboriginal worldview will be identified and discussed in both historical and modern
perspectives. Students will review colonization, government policies and legislation, which provide a
foundation for understanding modern Aboriginal life in Canada.

Semester 4

Concept Art for Gaming 3 (VGA400) (3 credits)

This course is an extension of Concept Art for Gaming 2 and will focus on creating and presenting high
quality concept art. Analyzing research and reference materials will help the students achieve a greater
level of detail in their final concepts.

Critical Game Analysis (VGA402) (3 credits)

In order to analyze games, they must be played. In this course games will be played, examined, evaluated,
dissected, and improved. The student will be challenged with evaluating, redesigning and artistically
improving elements of games played.

Interface Design (VGA403) (4 credits)

In Interface Design, students will learn about the skills required and artistic expectations of this subset of
the video game art profession. The course will look at both designing user interactions and the practical
artistic skills required to produce game interface graphics. Students will also gain practical knowledge in
designing user interface art for a variety of game platforms.

Game Art Studio 4 (VGA404) (6 credits)

In this final course of the game art studio series, students will draw upon all skills acquired in the program
to date to develop final projects and portfolios.

Portfolio Development (VGA405) (4 credits)

The focus of this course is for students to create a variety of portfolio quality game art assets. Students will
work and experience real world video game art development studio atmospheres and scenarios while they
work on their portfolios. Fundamental topics will include managing deadlines and time crunches,
understanding how to polish and render finished game art assets, learning how to layout and present game
art, and emphasizing key pipeline techniques to optimize workflows and work efficiently.