The role of computer science in digital production arts

Special effects production is a rapidly expanding field in the film, television, and gaming industries. The educational goals and requirements for digital artists in these fields vary widely, and tend to change dramatically over short spans of time. Several years ago, we began a new graduate program at Clemson University to train students in this field. Though the impetus to develop the program originated in the computer science department, the department was not suited to cover all of the topics necessary, even with the addition of several new courses. Accordingly, the program was established as interdisciplinary, with major components in computer science and art. The computer science portion of the curriculum emphasizes basic computing concepts, especially programming. The program has evolved from a somewhat disparate collection of courses into a tighter, more integrated, educational experience, with a high graduate placement in the industry each year.