William Colón 05F

William M. Colón 05F, Five College visiting professor of animation, holds a Bachelor of Arts concentrating in digital graphics and animation from Hampshire.

Will is the co-founder and a creative at Open Pixel Studios in Springfield, Massachuetts. He's done creative 2D and 3D animation and post-production work for several high profile clients including Disney, Microsoft, Lego, Pepsi, IBM, and GE.

Recent and Upcoming Courses

Animation Fundamentals in Auotdesk Maya
This course will introduce students to the production of animated short films with the tools and techniques of three-dimensional (3D) computer graphics. Readings and lectures will cover the theoretical foundations of the field, and the homework assignments will provide hands-on, project-based experience with production. The topics covered will include modeling (the building of 3D objects), shading (assignment of surface reflectance properties), animation (moving the objects over time), and lighting (placing and setting the properties of virtual light sources). Due to a large amount of material being covered, additional workshops outside of class may be scheduled. This course will be taught remotely for most of the semester. Some in-person classes will be scheduled. Key words: Animation, Maya, 3D
Compositing, Lighting, and Rendering with Cinema4D and AfterEffects
Dive deeper into the advanced functions of AfterEffects and learn how to composite scenes within AE. This course will teach you the basics of modeling with NURBS and Polygons using Cinema4D Lite, creating animation and scenes within Cinema4D, and integrating your designs into your AfterEffects compositions. As well as expanding your knowledge of AfterEfects. This course will be taught remotely for most of the semester. Some in-person classes will be scheduled. Key words: Animation, Motion Graphcis, 2D, Cinema4D Lite, AfterEffects, 3D
2D Motion Graphics Animation Fundamentals
This course will guide students through the animation pipeline for 2D motion graphics and will explore the entire Adobe Suite of Programs including a heavy emphasis on Adobe Illustrator and Adobe After Effects. You will also gain a deep level of understanding of the 12 Principles of animation, organizing your writing for animated spots, and how to apply traditional animation methods to new-age tools. No prior knowledge of animation required. Key words: animation, production, motion design
The Motion Design Studio Experience
In this course, students will experience working together through a small studio model. Breaking up into small teams, students will come up with one motion design project together on a topic of their choosing. Project topics must address a current social, political, racial, or systemic problem in American culture. Students will be assigned multiple roles dedicated to the completion of that project and may include both artistic production, creative direction, and producing positions. Each team will be evaluated as a unit on quality, teamwork, effort, and timeliness of deliverables. Completion of CS147 is required to register for this course. Key words: animation, production, motion design
The Business of Animation & Freelancing
In this course, students will take a deep dive into the back end functionality of several animation studio business models to gain an understanding of how the animation industry operates: the roles, positions, and salaries that exist and the role that animation as a medium plays at larger studios, corporations, and in the economy. Students will use class time to develop a working reel, gain an understanding of the roles available to them, and learn the ins and outs of freelance animation as it pertains to their work now and in the future.