Animation, Interactive Media, & Game Design

Put your storytelling abilities to work in a field with unlimited creative potential. Interactive storytelling, animation, immersive environments (AR/VR), game design, and the supporting technologies available will enable you to realize your personal artistic vision.

This program focuses on the skills and tools you need, from 2D and 3D animation to programming to game engines. Our close-knit community of faculty and students encourages you to develop your own original ideas and aesthetics.

You’ll learn in a collaborative environment that mirrors the industry’s production pipeline and be able to apply for an independent study mentored by an instructor. In just two years, you’ll graduate as an accomplished generalist with top skills, ready to enter many fields, including 2D and 3D animation, game design, animation production, post-production, motion graphics, visual effects (VFX), and more.

FIT animation, interactive and media design BFA

You’ll receive a strong foundation in 3D modeling, 2D and 3D animation, and game development and design through a sequence of courses in a real-world production environment. Topics will include programming, storyboarding, modeling, rigging, animation, lighting, camera, compositing, sound editing, music, and effects. You'll also learn how to immerse players in environments through augmented and virtual reality.

Keep in mind that to be eligible to apply to the Animation, Interactive Media, & Game Design BFA, you will need an AAS, or 60 credits towards a BFA, preferably in Illustration, Fine Arts, Communication Design, or other Art and Design–related major. Learn more about eligibility for this program.

Degree Details

In the final year, students explore media such as performance, physical computing, projection mapping, virtual reality environments, augmented reality, computational cameras, and other emerging technologies.

These senior projects are the culmination of our intensive two-year BFA program. Techniques and technologies range from game design
in Unity to animation in Maya to stop motion.

This film was designed and animated in the capstone senior project course of AIMGD. It is notable for the appealing character design
and animation as well as high level of detail to textures, color design and atmospheric effects. A charming and heartfelt story unfolds
remarkably in under 3 minutes.
Director: Kellyn DuBois—FIT AIMGD BFA '23 | Composer: Kathrina Davila—NYU Film Scoring MFA

This game was written and designed by a team of AIMGD seniors in the capstone senior project course. The team worked in
Autodesk Maya and Unity game engine as well as Adobe Photoshop and After Effects (2D cutscene animation).
Game Design Leads: Sally Sultan, Nickolas Foglia, James Flores—FIT AIMGD BFA '23 | Composers: Johnum Palado, Caroline Luo,
Sonia Wang, Chris Casillas—NYU Film Scoring MFA

This film is notable for the use of a hybrid of 3D and 2D animation carefully chosen to best illustrate the theme of creative
struggle and playfullness. Designed and animated in the capstone senior projects course. The film uses design, lighting and
animation to effectively convey the dark struggles of the artist in contrast with the bright colorful word of his creations.
Director: Chester Rose—FIT AIMGD BFA '21 | Composer: Tristan Harris—NYU Film Scoring MFA

This film was created in the capstone senior projects course using the Callipeg 2D animation app on Apple iPad. Full of bright colors,
kinetic action and impeccable timing, it tells a simple and poignant tale of creativity gone wild. Deceptively simple in design, the posing and action
is beautifully choreographed and masterfully scored resulting a highly entertaining experience.
Director: Jane Jung—FIT AIMGD BFA '22 | Composer: Aalisha Jaisinghani—NYU Film Scoring MFA

This game was created in the capstone senior projects course. The game was made in Unity game engine with animation done
in Maya. 2D cut scenes were made in Procreate. The creator, Joseph Tyler Nelson, is now an adjunct instructor in the AIMGD program.
The game play features kinetic action as well as astounding attention to detail including a wind shader effect on the trees to give the
environment a lifelike quality.
Director: Joseph Tyler Nelson FIT AIMGD BFA '22 | Composers: Jake Carmine Dieli and John McQuaig— NYU Film Scoring MFA

At FIT, you’ll take a giant leap into your relevant, creative career. We’re shaping the future of the creative. Whatever way you’re planning to design the future, we’ve got the program for you.

We push it further than ever before … We’re reproducing anatomy that doesn’t exist. We use a combination of art and technology to make it look real.

Ben KilgoreComputer Animation and Interactive Media ’04, animation technology leader

Storytelling in the digital age … Create new characters, new species, and entirely new worlds that exist nowhere else.

Beyond Graduation

Explore All Programs

Our faculty are dedicated instructors who are industry professionals in the forefront of technology. Meet more Animation, Interactive Media, & Game Design faculty.

Hamilton “Tony” Johnson, Jr.

Over a 30-year career, Johnson has founded four computer graphics studios and created animations for clients including ABC-TV, Fox Television, AVID, NOVA/WGBH, NASA, and the Naval Research Laboratory. He has trained all branches of the military, the Central Intelligence Agency, and the Defense Information School in computer graphics. Johnson holds a bachelor’s degree from Oberlin College.

Judy Garnar-Wortzel

Judy Garnar-Wortzel sees computer graphics as an artist’s medium. Through her passions for textiles, printmaking, and photography, Garnar-Wortzel has developed unique methods for teaching her students about light, color, and pattern. Throughout her more than 30 year career in teaching computer graphic design at FIT, she has evolved her approach to take advantage of successive generations of technology. She believes everyone can find joy and creative spirit in computer graphics. Garnar-Wortzel earned her BFA in Textile/Surface Design at FIT.

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