Unleash your imagination by producing narratives that inspire and amaze audiences. Immerse yourself in the dynamic realm of animation, where you will learn the newest cutting edge technologies propelling this exciting field.
Rose by Emily Kimes, BFA 3D Animation, 2020
Digital Arts: 3D Animation at Pratt
The BFA in 3D Animation and Motion Arts prepares you with the knowledge and skills to flourish in the animation and visual effects sector. The fundamentals of modeling, texturing, lighting, animation, compositing, and simulation are the basis of the curriculum, guided by projects and assignments that ensure these skills are motivated by carefully constructed concepts and stories.
Student Work
The Experience
The 3D Animation pathway introduces an amazing range of tools and techniques taught by internationally renowned faculty. Studio courses factor in every semester, lending ample opportunity to create an impressive graduation showreel. Most courses are located in our award-winning Myrtle Hall facility, less than 30 minutes away from hundreds of New York’s world famous cultural institutions, many of which sponsor our students through internships. When not in class, our students are soaking up the limitless screenings, openings, festivals, shows and exhibitions that are occurring throughout the year in New York City.
Digital Arts Facilities
Students in the 3D Animation BFA have excellent studios with access to several digital computing facilities that are outfitted with state of the art Apple and Windows/PC computer stations. These computers are loaded with top of the line animation software including Nuke, Maya, Houdini, Adobe Suite, Unreal, Adobe Substance Painter/Designer, ZBrush, Marvelous Designer, ProTools, and much more. All 3D Animation students also have access to shared Digital Arts facilities that include a green screen room, an audio editing suite, and a world-class spatial computing lab. Further access to Pratt Institute facilities is also possible, including fine art workshops and a large photogrammetry volume.
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![Three students are seated at desks in a classroom, each working intently on their own digital drawing tablets connected to desktop computers. The student in the foreground, with long, dark hair and glasses, is using a stylus to work on a tablet. The student in the middle has curly hair and is resting her hand on her chin, focusing on her screen. The student in the background has short curly hair and is similarly engaged with her work. The classroom is equipped with modern computer workstations and has a studious atmosphere.]()
High End Computer Lab -
![A person stands in a green screen room, facing the camera with studio lights hanging from the ceiling. They are wearing a green jacket and black pants with blue shoe covers. Another person, partially visible and out of focus in the foreground, is pointing towards the person on the green screen, seemingly giving directions or instructions. The scene suggests a studio environment where video or photo production is taking place.]()
Green Screen Studio -
![A person with long hair is looking through the viewfinder of a digital camera mounted on a tripod. They are focusing on the screen, which shows an image being captured. The scene is lit with a greenish hue, suggesting indoor lighting. In the background, there are other individuals and various equipment, slightly out of focus. The environment appears to be a studio or classroom setting.]()
Green Screen Studio -
![A man with gray hair and red glasses is sitting next to a young woman with long dark hair. They are looking at a large computer monitor displaying a colorful abstract image with red and blue hues. The man is gesturing with his hands while explaining something. The young woman is attentively listening. The background includes a black curtain, a cluttered table, and various objects. The setting appears to be a creative workspace or classroom.]()
Stop Motion Studio -
![Three students are working on a project in a creative workspace. The student on the left, with curly hair, is listening to the middle student who has braided hair and is wearing a red and white striped shirt. The middle student is smiling while holding a small craft object. The third student, in the background, has short hair and is focused on their work, with various craft supplies and a drink on the table. The room is decorated with art materials and projects.]()
Stop Motion Studio
Internships
The Department of Digital Arts and Animation offers an internship program tailored to digital artists. Throughout the academic year, students partake in internship opportunities at a variety of studios and companies in the metropolitan New York area, gaining skills and experience in areas covering animation, visual effects, motion graphics, game design, interaction design, fine arts, and publishing.
The internship program places students on their career paths, providing experiences that aid in determining their educational and professional goals. Internships may be taken for college credit by both undergraduate and graduate students. While the Department has our own Internship Coordinator, students may also want to visit Pratt’s extensive network and dedicated staff that supports and facilitates Internships and Industry Connections.
Study Abroad
Immersing yourself in another culture is an incredible experience that can extend the boundaries of creativity. Study abroad programs are an integral part of the college experience, and Pratt has deep connections with university partners around the world. See where you can go.
Learning Resources
We develop disciplinary fluency in our program of study and we celebrate the interdisciplinary nature of art to critically address the plurality and complexity of the environments in which we operate. Learning resources.
Our Faculty
Pratt’s distinguished faculty of outstanding creative professionals and scholars share a common desire to develop each student’s potential and creativity to the fullest. Bringing different views, methods, and perspectives they provide a rigorous educational model in which students make and learn. See all Digital Arts faculty and administrators.
Our Alumni
3D Animation alumni have risen to the top of their fields exhibiting at prestigious venues as the Whitney Biennial and Sundance, and receiving top recognition such as with the Emmy and Oscar awards.
Where they work
Our 3D Animation alumni have gone on to work at top studios such as Pixar, ILM, Dreamworks, Sony Pictures Imageworks, Framestore, Psyop, Crafty Apes, and The Mill.
Success Stories
New American Storyteller
Prattfolio Story
Hamid Rahmanian’s Boundless Adaptation of an Iranian Epic Poem
Prattfolio Story
Ready for More?
| HERE’S HOW TO APPLY | PORTFOLIO HELP | OUR CAMPUS & BEYOND |
|---|---|---|
| Join us at Pratt. Learn more about admissions requirements, plan your visit, talk to a counselor, and start your application. Take the next step. | Building your portfolio can be daunting. We’ll answer your questions and help you feel confident about the portfolio you submit with your application. Start building your portfolio, now. | You’ll find yourself at home at Pratt. Learn more about our residence halls, student organizations, athletics, gallery exhibitions, events, the amazing City of New York and our Brooklyn neighborhood communities. Check us out. |
Pratt welcomed PS 270 to see how participatory budgeting impacts our Brooklyn community. Participatory budgeting is a democratic process that allows residents to vote on how community funds will be allocated. It’s a direct channel to positively impact your community. This is not a typical election. Anyone who is at least 11 years old or in the sixth grade can vote if their district is participating.
The exhibition in Steuben Hall was one result of a team of Pratt faculty and students working with Council Member Crystal Hudson’s office for the last three participatory budgeting cycles to promote and inform the community about participatory budgeting in District 35 (in which Pratt sits).
PS 270 has already benefited from participatory budgeting. In 2023, their library got a much-needed technology update that directly benefits the students and sets them up for success in middle school, high school, and beyond. We asked students from PS 270 how they would spend a one-million-dollar participatory budget.
#ParticipatoryBudgeting #Brooklyn #PrattInstitute @cmcrystalhudson @pratt_sod @prattbfacomd
2 days ago
You read that right, Pratt students get free admission to these NYC museums! Go to the link in our bio to find out how to reserve tickets.
Which museum will you visit first?
#PrattInstitute #FreeNYC #MuseumMembership #NYCMuseums
4 days ago
Congratulations to Jen Pawol, BFA Fine Arts (Painting) '00, for making MLB history as the first woman to umpire a regular-season game. She will ump three games in the Miami Marlins versus Atlanta Braves series at Truist Park.
Pawol will be a base umpire in Saturday’s doubleheader. On Sunday, she will be the home plate umpire.
Pawol began her pro career in 2016 in Rookie ball and quickly ascended the ranks. In 2023, she reached Triple-A, making her the first woman to umpire at that level in 34 years. The following year, she umpired a Spring Training game, making her the first woman to do so since 2007.
This is a historic moment for America’s favorite pastime. Congratulations to Pawol on achieving this milestone.
Images: Jeff Roberson/Associated Press
#PrattInstitute #PrattAlumni #JenPawol #MLB
7 days ago
Pratt’s Summer 2025 PreCollege program wrapped last week with an outstanding final exhibition. Held throughout our galleries on the Brooklyn campus, the show highlighted students’ final projects.
There’s still time to enroll in the Fall 2025 PreCollege program. Click the link in our bio for more details.
#PrattInstitute #HighSchoolArt #CollegeCredit #PreCollege
1 week ago
We remember Pulitzer Prize nominee and Olivier Award winner, Pratt alumnus Robert Wilson, who passed away this week.
The Texas native moved to Brooklyn in 1963 to study architecture and interior design at Pratt Institute. He graduated with a BFA in 1965. While a student, he showed his personal experimental works at the Peerless Theater, near Pratt’s Brooklyn campus. Only a year after graduation, he founded the experimental performance company, the Byrd Hoffman School of Byrds, where he directed his first major works.
Wilson pushed the boundaries of theater, playing with lighting, sound, and most famously, time. His stage work, “KA MOUNTAIN AND GUARDenia TERRACE,” has a run time of 168 hours and was presented over ten days. The simplest tasks, like walking across the stage, took actors hours to complete.
His work transcended the stage. His 2004 project “Video Portraits” joined multiple creative elements into an HD portrait that at first glance appears to be a photograph. Many celebrities “sat” for their digital portrait, including Lady Gaga, Winona Ryder, and Brad Pitt. “Video Portraits” was screened in Times Square and at over 50 museums and galleries.
“Theater serves a unique function in society. It’s a forum where people come together and can share something together for a brief period of time,” Wilson told “Texas Monthly” in 2020. “Art has the possibility of uniting us. And the reason that we make theater—the reason we call it a play—is we’re playing. We’re having fun. And if you don’t have fun playing, then don’t do it.”
Images: Robert Wilson / Photograph © Bronwen Sharp; A scene from “Motel,” the third of three segments of Jean-Claude van Itallie’s “America Hurrah.” Wilson designed the puppets while he was a student at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn in the 1960s. Credit: Lilian Bolvinkel; Lady Gaga’s video portrait as “Mademoiselle Caroline Rivière d’après Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres,” 2013 Credit: Robert Wilson/RW Work, Ltd.; Jack Mitchell/Getty Images; “Einstein on the Beach” at Opéra Berlioz, Montpellier, 2012. Credit: Lesley Leslie-Spinks; Mikhail Baryshnikov and Willem Dafoe in “The Old Woman,” directed by Robert Wilson. Credit: Lucie Jansch
2 weeks ago
Jeffrey Banks and Charles Henry Alston brought their visions to the worlds of fashion and fine art, and both got their start at Pratt. Their work in “Superfine: Tailoring Black Style” reflects the power of a creative education and the deep connections between Pratt and the city's cultural fabric.
#PrattInstitute #CreativeEducation #PrattAlumni #TheMet #CostumeInstitute @metcostumeinstitute @prattfashion
3 weeks ago
These are the everyday artworks we pass by on our commutes—pieces we might overlook, yet they quietly shape and enrich our daily lives.
Art Pieces Mentioned in the Video Include:
Allan Wexler, MArch ’76, and Ellen Wexler, “Overlook” (2009)
Ray Ring, BFA ’67, “Clark Street Passage” (1987)
Harry Roseman, BFA Graphic Art ’68, “Subway Wall” (1990)
Jacob Lawrence, former faculty member, “New York in Transit” (2001)
Xenobia Bailey, BFA Industrial Design ’77, “Funktional Vibrations” (2015)
Jim Hodges, MFA Fine Arts ’86, “I dreamed a world and called it Love” (2021)
Hilma’s Ghost, Sharmistha Ray, MFA Painting; MS in Theory, Criticism, History of Art and Design, and Architecture, and Dannielle Tegeder, “Abstract Futures” (2025)
Video: Hayoung Jung, MArch '26 and Kerry Richardson, MArch '26
@MTA @MTAartsdesign
#Pratt #PrattInstitute #Subway #Metro #MTA #MTAartsdesign
3 weeks ago
The other week, the summer 2025 @PrattPreCollege program kicked off! We welcomed over 230 students to our Brooklyn campus. Over four weeks, they will earn four college credits, strengthen their portfolios, and explore NYC!
#PrattInstitute #PrattPreCollege #HighSchoolSummerProgram #HighSchoolArt
4 weeks ago
Thankfully, new student move-in day is one month away. We can't wait for the Brooklyn campus to be bustling again.
Video: Hayoung Jung, MArch '26
#PrattInstitute #Pratt #MoveInDay #ArtSchool
4 weeks ago
