RWC’s new Animation Certificate has met with a high degree of success in its first year being offered in tandem with the Electronic Media Communications Department and developed largely due to the vision of Visiting Professor Dave Hartz. “I hope to bring a level of artistic awareness and achievement to the Electronic Media Communications Department as well as a marriage of traditional principles and contemporary computer skills,” Professor Hartz said.
Professor Hartz brings to RWC a wealth of professional skills. He holds a Masters Degree in Fine Arts and formerly worked for Microsoft as an artist, creating illustrations for many of Microsoft’s CD ROM projects, including Ancient Lands, Dogs and Flight, among others. In addition, he worked for Microsoft’s 3D department, creating interface graphics.
Professor Hartz then went on to work for Smashing Ideas, creating animations for many clients including such musical artists as Madonna, Sisqo, No Doubt and Erykah Badu.
Digital art aside, Professor Hartz maintained his fine art career and has shown his work, performed, and been invited to international competitions and events. He performed in Taiwan at the Double Ten festival in front of a televised crowd of thousands of people and has been invited to lead a team of sculptors in the International Fire Sculpture Competition in Ischgl, Austria.
A native of Ohio, Professor Hartz returned to Cincinnati to hone his teaching skills and to give back and share his knowledge with younger students. He helped round out the spectrum of classes in the E-Media department with courses in animation, digital graphics and motion graphics.
According to members of the department, students have responded exceptionally well to the new classes as the buzz on the new Animation Certificate has hummed throughout the department. Director of the Electronic Media Communications Department Mike Sanders commented, “The Animation classes are proving to be very popular and I’m pleased to see how students have responded to what we thought was an active and growing interest.”
Dave Laxton has been taking classes at three of UC’s branches for over a year. Initially he feared that the Animation classes would only be introductory but after taking Digital Graphics and Animation I last quarter, he said, “At the end on the quarter I felt that my time had been well spent.”
Laxton added, “I was particularly impressed with Mr. Hartz’s knowledge and enthusiasm. I felt that he had a genuine concern about his students getting the most from the class.”
In the future, the department plans to expand the Animation Certificate even further with the following courses:
* Fundamentals of Animation: Introduction to the basic concepts of animation.
* Animation 2: Exploration of 3D animation techniques and principles.
* Media Studio Practicum: Opportunity for focused project development