The Center for Digital Imaging Arts at Boston University offers
extensive, practical, hands-on, career oriented education and
training in the rapidly emerging digital arts fields of
photography, digital filmmaking, graphic and interactive design,
recording arts and 3D animation.
With digitization, imaging and sound, arts are undergoing
unprecedented change, with technical advances coming at internet
speed. Whether you are a novice choosing a new and exciting
career or a seasoned professional in search of enhancing your
skills, we are dedicated to providing you the best, most
up-to-date education available, designed to meet your needs,
while you continually exceed your potential.
We're proud to announce the opening of a new campus in Washington
DC. CDIA will offer intensive, hands-on, career-oriented
education and training in the rapidly emerging digital arts
field. Full-time and part-time certificate programs offered at
our DC campus include: digital filmmaking, photography, 3D
animation, and graphic and interactive design.
When you study 3D animation at CDIA you'll be preparing yourself
for a career in animation, video game development or visual
effects. Our curriculum combines traditional skills like
storytelling and character development with the leading software
used today by filmmakers, animators and game designers.
At CDIA, you'll be taught by working professionals who bring
their real-world experience to the classroom, creating a bridge
between the craft of animation and visual effects and the
industry. You'll learn about the practical realities of building
and sustaining a career, and you'll make valuable contacts while
you build your demo reel.
Many of the classes at CDIA are project-based, giving you a
chance to try out your new skills and gain a realistic
perspective on how animation and visual effects are integrated
into media like film and video games. And at CDIA, learning
doesn't stop at the classroom door. 3D animation students may
take part in a four-week production practicum, creating a project
for a real-world client under the direction of a professional.
You'll gain confidence, refine your skills, and get a better
understanding of the career you're training for.
Certificate - Digital Filmmaking
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The certificate program in digital filmmaking is an intensive,
two-term (9-month) program of study that prepares students to
become filmmakers skilled in a broad range of contemporary tools
and techniques. Students will graduate with practical skills they
can apply immediately to their own projects or launching a
professional career in pre-production, production or
post-production.
In the first term, students learn the fundamental aspects of
creating a digital film including hands-on training in camera
operation, lighting, audio and tape formats, as well as basic
editing techniques and post-production work flows.
In the second term, students are immersed in advanced study
designed to deepen their knowledge of filmmaking in various
areas: cinematic storytelling, directing, cinematography,
advanced editing, sound design, special effects, motion graphics,
titles and DVD authoring.
Most assignments are digital video films created by students
working in small crews. Students review their work with faculty
and fellow students and begin to find their voice through the
study of various filmmaking styles and storytelling techniques.
Certificate - Graphic & Interactive Design
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Prepare for a career in graphic and interactive design with the
Graphic and Interactive Design Certificate. You'll learn to
design for print, the web and motion graphics with hands-on
coursework that uses the latest design software tools. With
practical training in publication design, color management,
multimedia, interactivity and more, you'll develop the skills you
need to create collateral, web sites, and digital video and
audio. Special presentations will introduce you to the real-world
business challenges faced by graphic and interactive designers,
ensuring you'll be ready for your new career.
Certificate - Professional Photography
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A new age of unprecedented creative control and expressive power
is emerging in the photographic medium. Recognizing this
revolution, Boston University - The Center for Digital Imaging
Arts has established the Professional Photography Certificate.
Designed to be on the cutting edge, this certificate program
trains students in everything from basic photography and digital
capture, to digital workflows and essential business skills for a
career in professional photography. The certificate concentrates
on preparing students for a future as highly skilled, much
sought-after professional portrait photographers as well as
giving the tools necessary to enter the competitive world of
commercial photography. In-depth photographic assistant training,
portfolio reviews and hands-on instruction combined with
unprecedented instructor-led shooting time are the cornerstones
of this certificate.
The Professional Photography Certificate is an intensive, 9-month
long program beginning with the Photographic Foundation
Certificate followed by students building a professional
foundation in the world of portrait and commercial photography.
Real world shooting assignments, business, marketing, composition
and design, as well as professional development modules complete
the certificate and provide our students the experience and
skills needed for careers as modern photographers.
Certificate - Web Development
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Prepare for your future in building next generation interactive
websites at CDIA in our Web Development Certificate Program.
Learn how to create dynamic, data-driven web pages and
applications using the same tools and techniques the
professionals use. This intensive program focuses on client side
programming using HTML, CSS (cascading style sheets), server side
programming using PHP scripting, and SQL (structured query
language) databases in deploying rich media sites using various
Adobe Flash and open source content management toolsets.
Through a combination of hands-on exercises, lectures and
projects, you'll be introduced to real-world applications with
emphasis on Javascript, MySQL, XML, AJAX and object oriented
programming techniques on a number of projects in increasing
complexity, gaining experience in building rich internet
applications and managed social content for the web. Students
will generate a portfolio of sample websites that demonstrate
their new skills in web platform development, integration, and
deployment.
After completing the Web Development Certificate you will have
the knowledge and experience to enter the workforce with a
substantial resume and the latest programming skills for this
exciting and exploding industry.