Honours Bachelor of Animation

Bachelor’s Degree Program Program Code: PBAAA

Trafalgar Road Campus
If you require this information in an accessible format, please contact: [email protected]

Contents
Contents....................................................................................................................................1
Selection Process for Applicants ................................................................................................1
Academic Integrity .....................................................................................................................2
Additional Admission Requirements ...........................................................................................3
1.1. FIGURE DRAWING .......................................................................................................4
1.2. HAND DRAWING ..........................................................................................................4
2.1. CHARACTER ROTATION .............................................................................................4
2.2. SHORT ANIMATION .....................................................................................................4
3.1. STORYBOARDING .......................................................................................................5
3.2. BEAT BOARDS .............................................................................................................5
4.1. PERSPECTIVE LINE DRAWINGS ................................................................................6
5.1. PERSONAL ARTWORK ................................................................................................6
Instructions for Online Submission of Additional Admission Requirements ................................8
Additional Information ................................................................................................................9
Rubric......................................................................................................................................14
Appendix A. .............................................................................................................................15

Selection Process for Applicants

The Sheridan Honours Bachelor of Animation program looks for applicants who have the ability
to draw people and environments from life. Applicants must be able to create and tell a story
visually. In addition, applicants must design characters and use them to show an understanding
of movement.
The Honours Bachelor of Animation Program does not accept any existing (plagiarized)
cartoon characters in any part of the portfolio. Do not trace, copy, or rotoscope images
from any secondary source (animated or live action).
All artwork must be created by the applicant; AI may not be used. Any breach will result
in a zero grade for the portfolio.

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 Academic Integrity
By submitting your Admission Requirements, you are agreeing to comply with Sheridan’s
Academic Integrity Policy. The Academic Integrity Policy states:

Sheridan College is committed to upholding the highest standards of academic integrity. The
International Centre for Academic Integrity (ICAI) defines academic integrity as “a
commitment, even in the face of adversity, to six fundamental values: honesty, trust, fairness,
respect, responsibility, and courage. From these values flow principles of behavior that
enable academic communities to translate ideals into action”.

Applicants who are found to have falsified transcripts, cheated on admission tests, or
submitted fraudulent documents or in any other way attempted to circumvent the admissions
process in a manner inconsistent with the principles of academic integrity, will not be granted
admission to the College. The applicant will be ineligible for admission to any Sheridan
program or course for a period of not less than 5 years, after which admission to the College
will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

For programs where a portfolio submission is required as part of the admission process,
portfolio work should represent an applicant’s own ideas, writing, projects and creations.
Where others have contributed, or non-original ideas have been included, applicants will
give proper recognition and reference. Applicants are not allowed to use advanced
automated tools (artificial intelligence or machine learning tools such as ChatGPT) for
written or visual components of portfolio submissions.

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 Additional Admission Requirements
To move forward with the processing of your application, you are required to submit a portfolio
online. The online submission system will open after November 8, 2024. The deadline for online
submission is February 19, 2025 11:00am EST. You will not be able to submit your portfolio
after this date. Mailed-in portfolios will not be accepted. Refer to the Instructions for Online
Submission of Additional Admission Requirements on page 8.

NEW! Early Offers of Admission Animation is a world-renowned program and highly

competitive. This year Sheridan will be sending out a small percentage of offers prior to
February 1st, 2025. To be considered for this first round of offers, you will need to submit your
academic transcripts (either in progress or final) and your completed portfolio by January 6,
2025 (12:01 pm EST). These first-round offers will be made on or before February 1st, 2025.

All academics and portfolios submitted by January 6th will be considered for all future offers of
admission to the September 2025 intake. Portfolio can not be edited once finalized and
submitted.

Portfolio Requirements

There are 5 sections of the portfolio:

1. Observational Drawing

2. Character Design and Animation

3. Storyboarding

4. Perspective Line Drawings

5. Personal Artwork

Some sections have multiple subsections and others have multiple drawing requirements within a
single section. The observational drawings should be done traditionally. All other sections can be
digital or traditional, but traditional is preferred.

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1. Observational Drawing
In the Observational Drawing section, demonstrate your knowledge of gestural concerns,
structure and form. Shading is not required; line is sufficient. Showing construction is
acceptable.

1.1. FIGURE DRAWING

Four drawings of a human figure, clothed or nude, drawn from life. (Do not draw from
photographs or books.)
 Two drawings must be of a figure sitting or standing and should prioritize form
and structure. (a 5-20 minute pose)
 The other two drawings should be posed as if the figure is in motion (e.g.
walking, running) and therefore should be gestural in nature (a 1-3 minute pose).

1.2. HAND DRAWING

Two freehand line drawings of a human hand performing the following action:
 The first drawing must show the hand holding or gripping a small object
(example: a dice, a jack, an acorn). It can be hidden in the fist.
 The second drawing must show the hand releasing/tossing the object gently, or
forcefully onto a surface.

PLEASE NOTE - NUDE MODELS:

Nude models are an essential component in every Life Drawing course within the
Honours Bachelor of Animation Program.

2. Character Design and Animation

2.1. CHARACTER ROTATION

Draw an original character and rotate the design using the following views. The sizes
and proportions of each view should be consistent with the other views. The poses
should all turn in one direction (e.g. towards the left) and be displayed on one page.
Colour and shading are not required.
 Front View
 ¾ Front View
 Profile View
 ¾ Back View

2.2. SHORT ANIMATION

Create a short animation of at least 24 images and no more than 48 images. Any
medium is acceptable. If you are using drawings, no colour or shading is necessary;
lines are enough. You can transfer this design into CG or stop motion, if that is how you
want to work.
 Animate a Cartoonie Cup The design drawing is
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 included on page 11. This animation can be created in
a variety of ways:
• If you have software capable of creating animation, please use it.
For example, you can use OpenToonz, an open-source full-featured 2D
animation creation software which allows you to draw frame by frame.
(see Appendix A. on page 13 for OpenToonz rendering instructions)
• If you have software capable of creating still images, you can combine
them with any free online gif maker. Otherwise, the images can be drawn
on successive sheets of paper and either scanned or photographed, then
combined. If you are scanning or photographing, please take care to do it
from a consistent position in order to prevent unnecessary shifting of the
final images.
• You can also flip the drawings while shooting them in real time with your
phone.

*Note: If you have previously created animation that is longer than 48 images, feel free
to submit it as part of the personal artwork component.

3. Storyboarding

3.1. STORYBOARDING
Using a character of your original design, tell a simple visual story in 10 to 12 panels,
based upon the premise: “MOTIVATION: ACTION SPRINGS OUT OF WHAT WE
FUNDAMENTALLY DESIRE”
• Your story should be told visually with a clear beginning, middle and end.
Please stage the intended action clearly. Dialogue is optional.
• Draw loosely
• Your submission should:
o Be drawn with dark lines using the enclosed four-panel (Page 13),
widescreen storyboard template. You can draw on the panels
traditionally (pen or pencil) or digitally. Colour and shading are not
required.
o Demonstrate effective storytelling poses, facial expressions and camera
angles.
o Ensure we can identify the character but keep the drawings loose.
o Include a variety of shots (long shot, medium shot, close-up shot).
o NOTE: If necessary, text (action description and/or dialogue) should be
printed clearly as ALL CAPS in the space provided below each panel of
the storyboard.
• You may create the drawings larger and then reduce them to fit into the
storyboard template.
• Follow the format of the provided storyboard panels. Combine pages into one
PDF.

3.2. BEAT BOARDS

Using the provided character on page 12 (Platypus) in four panels, tell a simple visual
story based upon a theme of your choosing.
• Your story should be told visually with a clear beginning, middle and end. Stage
the intended action clearly. Dialogue is optional.
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 • Your submission should:
o Be drawn with dark lines using the enclosed four-panel (Page 13),
widescreen storyboard template. You can draw on the panels
traditionally (pen or pencil) or digitally. Colour and shading are not
required.
o Demonstrate effective storytelling poses and facial expressions.
o Ensure consistency with the provided character model sheet (“on
model”) using loose linework.
o Include a variety of shots (long shot, medium shot, close-up shot).
o NOTE: If necessary, text (action description and/or dialogue) should be
printed clearly as ALL CAPS in the space provided below each panel of
the storyboard.
• You may create the drawings larger and then reduce them to fit into the
storyboard template.
• Follow the format of the provided storyboard panels. Upload one PDF file.

4. Perspective Line Drawings

4.1. PERSPECTIVE LINE DRAWINGS

Create two drawings of an environment, either from your imagination or observed from
real life. Do not draw the same place twice. You can draw these environments using
either a cartoony or realistic style with an emphasis on good perspective, composition,
and design. The subject matter can be fantastical or based on a real place.
 The first drawing is of an interior environment. Use this design to demonstrate
your ability to draw built environments in linear perspective with appropriate
proportions.
 The second drawing is of an exterior landscape. Include a mixture of natural
elements such as trees, rocks, or rivers to demonstrate your ability to draw
natural environments in perspective. It is ok to include some human-made
objects such as a building, a road, or a bridge.
Both drawings are widescreen images that are meant to set the stage for your scene.
Include one or more characters interacting with your environment. Shading is optional,
and it is ok to show your process by leaving in elements of the rough construction
drawing, or by submitting thumbnail sketches or earlier drafts of the design.

5. Personal Artwork

5.1. PERSONAL ARTWORK

Five to seven pieces of your personal artwork.
• Include a variety of works that best demonstrate the range of your artistic
abilities and sensibility. For example, sketchbooks, paintings, caricatures,
animations, cartoons, etc. Do not include school assignments. Show us the
work you create for yourself, not for teachers. Do not include more than one life
drawing.
• If you have three-dimensional art (sculpture, etc.) you may photograph the work
and submit it as an example of personal artwork. Three-dimensional work is
optional.
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 • If you have created work that moves (animation or live action) please include a
description of your contribution within the submission (add a title card to the
video/image describing your role). If you are the sole creator, you do not need to
further document your contribution.
o Each moving work counts as one personal artwork. Moving work is
optional.
• Animation – Show Animation Performance in a video. This is optional.
o This will be graded on animation performance not colour, editing,
compositing, or finished scenes.
o Experiment with the 12 principles of animation.
o Ideally, animate a character performing a task.
o Rough animation is welcome.
o Stopmotion is welcome.
o Some recommended software to use (other tools are also
welcome):
• Procreate
• Adobe Animate
• Blender / Maya
• Opentoonz
• Toonboom Harmony
• Krita
• Demoreel (1-2 minutes) that includes animation (rough or colour). This is
optional.
• Personal film created (can be a high school project or a personal project).
Must be less than 5 minutes. Notes or credits should contain tasks you
performed on this film. This is optional.
• Submissions from a sketchbook may be submitted as a PDF file and count as a
single piece. Sketchbook submissions are optional.
• You may also use pages of your comic book or graphic novel as a PDF. This
material is also optional.
• Do not bundle unrelated artwork as a PDF.
Please refer to the Instructions for Online Submission of Additional Admission Requirements on
the following page.

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 Instructions for Online Submission of Additional Admission
Requirements
Please follow the steps below in order to submit your additional admission requirements:

1. LOGIN: You will be required to use your Sheridan username and password to enter the
online submission at https://cerebro.ddi.sheridanc.on.ca/submit

2. READ THE INSTRUCTIONS: Once you log in, you will be required to acknowledge that
you have read the instructions.

3. PAYMENT: You will be required to make a non-refundable payment of $50.00 CAD with
a debit or credit card for your portfolio to be assessed. If you have already paid a
portfolio fee for a program in the fall term, you will not be required to pay the fee again
for another program in the same term.

4. UPLOAD FILES: Select “Upload Files” to submit your portfolio.

File Specifications
All files must be submitted in the formats specified in the Additional Admission
Requirements section above. Files submitted in other formats will be ignored or
deleted.
• Still Images file types: .jpg, .png, PDF
• Moving Images file types: .gif, .avi, .mpg, .mp4, or QuickTime format
Moving Images file sizes: 200 MB recommended or less (400 MB
maximum)
• File Name Format: your name followed by the specific description
For example:
your_name_figure_drawing1.jpg
your_name_figure_drawing2.jpg
etc.

5. READ THE SPECIFICATION for each category and verify that your files are suitable.
When you are ready to upload, drag your files into the appropriate drop zone. When the
upload is complete, you will either see the files you have submitted added to your list, or
a message describing the problem with the submitted file. It is your responsibility to
check your own files and that they have uploaded correctly. Files that are not able to
open or are empty will result in zero points for that section.

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 6. SUBMIT FOR EVALUATION: If you are finished selecting and uploading files, click
“Submit for Evaluation” to notify Sheridan that your portfolio is complete and ready for
grading. During the grading process, your files will be locked and unable to be changed.
After selecting “Submit for Evaluation” you will NOT be able to amend the contents of
your submission so please ensure that you have followed all of the instructions carefully.

PLEASE NOTE:

NEW! Early Offers of Admission Animation is a world-renowned program and highly

competitive. This year Sheridan will be sending out a small percentage of offers prior to
February 1st, 2025. To be considered for this first round of offers, you will need to submit your
academic transcripts (either in progress or final) and your completed portfolio by January 6,
2025 (12:01 pm EST). These first-round offers will be made on or before February 1st, 2025.

All academics and portfolios submitted by January 6th will be considered for all future offers of
admission to the September 2025 intake. Portfolio can not be edited once finalized and
submitted.

THE FINAL DATE FOR ONLINE SUBMISSION IS FEBRUARY 19, 2025 (11:00 AM
EASTERN STANDARD TIME). YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO SUBMIT YOUR
MATERIAL AFTER THIS DATE. MAILED-IN PORTFOLIOS WILL NOT BE
ACCEPTED.

Additional Information
• Classes for the Fall term begin Tuesday, September 2, 2025.

• Candidates to the program will be selected based on their academic achievement (in
progress or completed) and the results of their portfolio evaluation. Applicants will receive a
score sheet (based on the required portfolio components) indicating the results of their
portfolio evaluation – a sample copy is enclosed and should be reviewed in conjunction with
the enclosed evaluation rubric.

• Notification of admissions decisions are made through email and the applicant portal.
Decisions are not released over the phone.

• As this is a high-demand program, it is suggested that you apply to additional programs (e.g.
Art Fundamentals) in the event that your score is not high enough to gain admission to the
program.

• Sheridan’s Honours Bachelor of Animation program has computer systems and software for
students to use. A home computer and a drawing tablet would also be beneficial when
working on homework.
o A recommended computer system would be a machine that can run the Adobe
Creative Suite (specifically Adobe After Effects and Toonboom Harmony). If the
budget allows, a machine that runs Autodesk Maya would be ideal.
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 o A recommended tablet would be a Wacom Intuos. If the budget allows, a Wacom
Cintiq is ideal.

• If you require assistance regarding this document, please call 905-845-9430 and select
option 4 to speak with an Information Specialist in our Contact Centre.

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 Rubric
Honours Bachelor of Animation - Academic Year 2025/2026

Student Name:
Student #: Portfolio #:

1–2 Poor
Figure Drawings
3–4 Fair
Assess: Line quality, proportion, structure, of 10
5–8 Good
gesture
9 – 10 Excellent

Hand Drawings 1–2 Poor

Assess: Performance, line quality, proportion, 3–4 Fair

5–8 Good
of 10
structure, perspective
9 – 10 Excellent

Character Rotation 1–3 Poor

Assess: Design, line quality, structure, 4–6 Fair

7 – 11 Good
of 15
proportion, perspective
12 – 15 Excellent

Short Animation 1–3 Poor

Assess: Believable motion, clarity, 4–6 Fair

7 – 11 Good
of 15
composition
12 – 15 Excellent

Storyboard 1–5 Poor

Assess: Effective storytelling poses and 6 – 10 Fair

expressions, consistency with provided of 20
11 – 15 Good
character, includes variety of shots used (long
shot, medium shot, close-up shot). Effective 16 – 20 Excellent
use of drawn line.
Perspective Line Drawings 1–3 Poor

Assess: Line quality, proportion, structure, 4–6 Fair

7 – 11 Good
of 15
perspective, composition
12 – 15 Excellent

Personal Art 1–3 Poor

Assess: Variety, individuality, expressiveness, 4–6 Fair

7 – 11 Good
of 15
technique, organization
12 – 15 Excellent

TOTAL: /100

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 Appendix A.
OpenToonz: How to render an AVI file for submission

1. After you finish animating, save your project (“File” > “Save Scene”).
2. Then render your AVI:
a. Click “Render” at the top.
b. Click “Output Settings” in the drop down.
c. Under “File” > “File Settings” > “Save in”, set it to your desktop location.
d. Under “File” > “File Settings” > “Name”, type the name of your video file.
e. Beside that, set the type to AVI (see image below).
f. Click “Render” at the bottom.
3. The file will be located on your desktop.

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