This introductory course provides students with foundational skills in 3D storytelling and digital animation workflows within three-dimensional space. Focusing on animation and worldbuilding, students will learn industry-standard tools and experimental techniques, including Blender, photogrammetry capture, NeRFs manipulation, and Unreal Engine development. Through hands-on exercises, students will bring objects and characters to life, developing personal worldbuilding projects that utilize depth, spatial design, and immersive storytelling techniques. Students will analyze how contemporary artists are pushing the boundaries of 3D narratives, examining diverse voices and methodologies in digital storytelling from artists globally who are reinterpreting themes of identity, memory, and community through three-dimensional environments. The course will explore Ed Atkins' digital avatars, Cao Fei's virtual worldbuilding, and Meriem Bennani's narrative strategies, among other artists who use 3D animation for cultural critique and expression. By course completion, students will develop a comprehensive understanding of 3D animation as a contemporary artistic medium that incorporates expanded reality, speculative design, and worldbuilding. This exploration will facilitate critical discussions surrounding identity, culture, and the implications of digital experience in contemporary society.
4 units · Letter (ABCD/NP) · GER: WAY-CE
This introductory course provides students with foundational skills in 3D storytelling and digital animation workflows within three-dimensional space. Focusing on animation and worldbuilding, students will learn industry-standard tools and experimental techniques, including Blender, photogrammetry capture, NeRFs manipulation, and Unreal Engine development. Through hands-on exercises, students will bring objects and characters to life, developing personal worldbuilding projects that utilize depth, spatial design, and immersive storytelling techniques. Students will analyze how contemporary artists are pushing the boundaries of 3D narratives, examining diverse voices and methodologies in digital storytelling from artists globally who are reinterpreting themes of identity, memory, and community through three-dimensional environments. The course will explore Ed Atkins' digital avatars, Cao Fei's virtual worldbuilding, and Meriem Bennani's narrative strategies, among other artists who use 3D animation for cultural critique and expression. By course completion, students will develop a comprehensive understanding of 3D animation as a contemporary artistic medium that incorporates expanded reality, speculative design, and worldbuilding. This exploration will facilitate critical discussions surrounding identity, culture, and the implications of digital experience in contemporary society.
Offered in Autumn 2026, Winter 2027 at Stanford University.