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Art and Architecture
In this course, students learn the craft and theory behind 2D character design for animated shows, movies, video games, anime, graphic novels, and your own intellectual property.
The art of character design will be approached through a step-by-step process, where students serve as storytellers to their own characters, designing not only their visual design, but their personalities and emotions through the art of facial expression, clothing, and posture. Using shape driven design and construction, poses and character turnarounds, students will gain anatomical drawing and technical skills required to build their own figures and work towards creating their own portfolio of work.
Sharing their work with their peers and instructor, students will receive thoughtful, in-depth feedback, culminating in the creation of their own character model sheets.
Towards the end of the course, students will gain insight into the animation industry, including portfolio creation, professional design roles, avenues of study for college, and insight on industry design tests for jobs in animation and gaming.
Students with some drawing experience may be more prepared for this course, but skills are not required.
Course Materials: Students can work traditionally, or if working digitally, students should bring their iPad or laptop. All other materials will be provided.
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June 30 to July 18, 2025
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- Monday–Friday 11:10 a.m.–1:00 p.m. and 3:10–5:00 p.m. ET
Instructor(s): Michael Allen
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July 22 to August 08, 2025
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- Monday–Friday 11:10 a.m.–1:00 p.m. and 3:10–5:00 p.m. ET
Instructor(s): Michael Allen
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Designed for students with experience in drama who are interested in developing original theatrical productions, the course emphasizes the working relationship between actor, director, and playwright, and the unique dynamic that exists between them when working on untried material.
Workshops and lectures during the first week introduce students to the demands of play development. Students then elect to specialize in one of three areas: acting, directing, or playwriting. The remainder of the course is given over to the development of short plays to be written, directed, and acted by the students under the supervision of theatrical professionals. In small, autonomous groups of actors, each with its own director and playwright, students create a production to be mounted at the end of the program.
Workshops are interactive, with the evolving pieces of each play periodically shown to the entire group for feedback in a safe, supportive environment. The course affords students a unique opportunity to experience the nuances of professional theatrical collaboration.
On the last Thursday of the session, several of the completed plays are performed for an audience of peers, friends, and family members. Students present one evening performance and one matinee.
Prior experience in amateur community or high school theatre is recommended.
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June 30 to July 18, 2025
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- Monday–Friday 10:10 a.m.–1:00 p.m. and 3:10–5:00 p.m. ET
Instructor(s): Dyana Kimball
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Participants learn all the basics of making a strong, visually-driven short film with an emphasis on narrative storytelling. The course focuses on the fundamentals of video production: essential film grammar, story development, script, music, and sound.
Working in small groups, students shoot three shorter pieces before collaborating to make a final film. The exercises start off simply, adding a new element of filmmaking with each new assignment.
For the final film, students work sequentially through the stages of production: initial concept, synopsis, treatment, script, storyboards, and final shooting and editing. During pre-production participants learn how to work in a group to plan for and realize a short film from concept to shooting script. During production they work together to coordinate and shoot their script. And finally in post-production they edit and polish their projects. The instructor provides guidance throughout the process, emphasizing the students’ responsibility for carrying the project from inception to completion.
The emphasis throughout the three weeks is on collaborative teamwork. Over the course of the various exercises, each student takes on a number of different roles within the production teams (director, screenwriter, cinematographer, editor, sound). For the final projects, only a handful of proposals are selected for production, so not every participant directs or writes his or her own film, though everyone plays a crucial role in the production.
On the last day of the program, students screen their completed films at a film festival attended by friends, family members, and other program participants. The completed films can potentially be used for submission to short film festivals and as portfolio pieces for film or art school applications.
Students should plan to be available to work on their final films on the weekend preceding the final week of the program. Laptops are recommended but not required for this class. Cameras and other film production equipment are provided.
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June 30 to July 18, 2025
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- Monday–Friday 9:10–11:00 a.m. and 1:10–3:00 p.m. ET
Instructor(s): Mark Christopher
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- Monday–Friday 11:10 a.m.–1:00 p.m. and 3:10–5:00 p.m. ET
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July 22 to August 08, 2025
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- Monday–Friday 9:10–11:00 a.m. and 1:10–3:00 p.m. ET
Instructor(s): Mark Christopher
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- Monday–Friday 11:10 a.m.–1:00 p.m. and 3:10–5:00 p.m. ET
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Studio arts courses are offered in conjunction with Columbia University's School of the Arts.
This course is aimed at developing a series of foundational drawings for a fine arts college-application portfolio.
Students explore various approaches to drawing from both observation and imagination while focusing on conceptually creative assignments. Each session develops the students’ approach to various materials, composition, and personal narratives into completed works that can be used for a final portfolio. Students have prolonged time to study and sketch the human figure from live nude models in class. Ideas are explored through assigned writings and developed in a sketchbook throughout the course.
A visit to a museum or gallery is scheduled as part of the course so as to facilitate discussion of relevant art historical concepts as well as contemporary approaches to drawing.
Lastly, participants learn how to prepare and digitally document works into a final portfolio for college applications.
Some previous experience with drawing is recommended, and the course is designed for students interested in applying to a visual arts undergraduate program in the future. All materials are provided.
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August 11 to August 15, 2025
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- Monday–Friday 9:10–11:00 a.m. and 1:10–4:00 p.m. ET
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Studio arts courses are offered in conjunction with Columbia University's School of the Arts.
In this beginner-level class, students explore various modes of looking at and interpreting the world through drawing. The course emphasizes drawing from both observation and imagination as ways to learn traditional drawing techniques and foster creativity and personal interpretation. Course assignments stress observation while focusing on experiments with materials so as to find creative approaches to visual problem-solving. Assignments include exercises in composition, use of charcoal and pencil, graphic drawing techniques, wet media, color theory, and optical illusions.
The course combines studio work, including the study of the human figure using live nude models, with outdoor drawing, individual and group critiques, and visits to major museums and art galleries. Critical issues in art are addressed once a week in the form of a short seminar, so as to generate meaningful debates as a context for studio work.
Participants also learn how to prepare a final portfolio for college applications, and the session concludes with a group show to which parents, friends, and other program participants are invited.
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June 30 to July 18, 2025
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- Monday–Friday 9:10–11:00 a.m. and 1:10–4:00 p.m. ET
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July 22 to August 08, 2025
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- Monday–Friday 9:10–11:00 a.m. and 1:10–4:00 p.m. ET
Instructor(s): Katherine Blackburne
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In this course, students explore fashion with a particular focus on style and culture in New York City and then develop their own designs.
Participants get a first-hand look at the field through discussions with active figures in the fashion industry such as designers, marketing directors, and stylists. They take field trips to locations such as the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) and the costume collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Readings on the history, theory, and culture of fashion include works by icons, artists, writers, editors, philosopher, and activists such as Diana Vreeland, Susan Sontag, Oscar Wilde, Bernard Rudofsky, and Marilyn Bender. As a springboard for inspiration and discussion, students view the works of a variety of designers through film clips and videos. Through explorations into fashion as art, students will encounter individuals who live and enact fashion through performative dress, at times challenging social and gender expectations
Having gained a firm grounding in the field, participants research and formulate their own original fashion concepts. Based on these concepts, they design their own unique collections. Concepts may center on a particular motif (e.g., technology as an extension of the human body), period or style (e.g., British monarchy, Imperial China, Ancient Egypt, imagined future, underwater or deep space), or material inspiration (e.g., mylar, fiber optics, recyclables, etc.). While sharing sources of inspiration and research discoveries, with attention to both craft and theory, in addition to producing individual collections, students engage in a collaborative design project.
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August 11 to August 15, 2025
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- Monday–Friday 11:10 a.m.–1:00 p.m. and 3:10–5:00 p.m. ET
Instructor(s): Eva Goodman
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This intensive course introduces architectural design processes and key concepts in architectural history and theory. Through making and critiques, participants will learn to use architectural drawing techniques and modeling, to develop and communicate design ideas by completing studio-based exercises. Students will also be introduced to significant design work, interrogate important readings, and grapple with relevant discussions in architecture, all with a New York City lens. Coursework will be enhanced by real world exposure to the field, which may include architectural tours, site visits, and experiences with practitioners. By the end of the course, students will look at buildings with a new perspective, have a better understanding of architectural pathways and futures within the discipline, and leave with a design project that can form the basis of a portfolio.
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June 30 to July 18, 2025
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- Monday–Friday 9:10–11:00 a.m. and 1:10–3:00 p.m. ET
Instructor(s): Bernardo Zavattini
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- Monday–Friday 11:10 a.m.–1:00 p.m. and 3:10–5:00 p.m. ET
Instructor(s): T. Craig Sinclair
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- Monday–Friday 9:10–11:00 a.m. and 1:10–3:00 p.m. ET
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July 22 to August 08, 2025
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- Monday–Friday 9:10–11:00 a.m. and 1:10–3:00 p.m. ET
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- Monday–Friday 9:10–11:00 a.m. and 1:10–3:00 p.m. ET
Instructor(s): Bernardo Zavattini
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- Monday–Friday 11:10 a.m.–1:00 p.m. and 3:10–5:00 p.m. ET
Instructor(s): Cheng Chen
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- Monday–Friday 11:10 a.m.–1:00 p.m. and 3:10–5:00 p.m. ET
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Art appreciation can take many forms. From visiting museums to reading literature to listening to oral histories, absorbing the stories behind pieces provides perspective and insight into creative expression from all over the world. Through this course, students will explore a variety of works and learn how to analyze and discuss their complexities and meanings. Further, students will become acquainted with period pieces in multiple modalities (sculptures, videos, etc.) and discuss thought-providing interpretations from academics, philosophers, and theorists. Additionally, the course will have an experiential component, providing students with the opportunity to physically and virtually view major collections at NYC landmarks like the Frick, MoMA, the Whitney, the Guggenheim, and the Metropolitan. At course completion, students will be able to intelligently converse about art, as well as acquire a sophisticated foundation for further study.
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June 30 to July 18, 2025
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- Monday–Friday 11:10 a.m.–1:00 p.m. and 3:10–5:00 p.m. ET
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This course introduces students to examine and understand the effects of the physical environment on human experience. The students will learn to see architecture not only as a material and formal practice but also as a social one. How does architecture contribute to community building, social (in)equality, and sustainable consumption of natural resources? The course will emphasize hands-on learning and contemporary architecture of New York City, engaging the city as a living laboratory for learning. In addition to learning through reading, direct observation, and analysis, students also learn to expand their imagination through model-making as a way of thinking with their hands, as well as sketching as a means to observe and analyze buildings.
The class will visit works of architecture in complex urban settings, which may include the Lincoln Center, the Highline, and the Grand Central Station, to look beyond appearance and to study social impacts of architecture. The course is suited for students who may be interested in studying architecture in college, as well as those who want to deepen their understanding of architecture through hands-on experiences.
***Please note this course runs an additional hour in the afternoon to accommodate field trips and model-making. The course will run 9:10am-11am in the morning and 1:10 pm-4pm in the afternoon.
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August 11 to August 15, 2025
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- Monday–Friday 9:10–11:00 a.m. and 1:10–4:00 p.m. ET
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- Monday–Friday 9:10–11:00 a.m. and 1:10–4:00 p.m. ET
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- Monday–Friday 9:10–11:00 a.m. and 1:10–4:00 p.m. ET
Instructor(s): T. Craig Sinclair
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Each moment of a film involves countless decisions: where to place the camera, where to position the actors, choosing how they will dress, should there be music in the background, the relation of a shot to those that precede it and those that follow it, among endless other decisions. Throughout the course, students will focus on these considerations, stepping into the mindset of a filmmaker to learn what techniques they use to convey meaning—and create the sense of a world through film.
In the first three days of class, an introduction to the major avenues of expression in cinema—cinematography, editing, mise-en-scène, sound and narrative—will be explored. In the final two days of class, students will engage in close, detailed readings of two films that will elucidate not only the filmmakers’ technical choices, but the reasons behind those choices.
Please be aware that some of the films viewed contain violence and mature subject matter. Students should have a willingness to engage thoughtfully with challenging films.
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August 11 to August 15, 2025
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- Monday–Friday 11:10 a.m.–1:00 p.m. and 3:10–5:00 p.m. ET
Instructor(s): Michael M. Reinhard
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Music is more than just sound—it’s an emotional experience, a story, and a reflection of culture. Together we’ll explore the rich history, diverse genres, and emotional power of music across the ages. This course is designed for anyone curious about the art of music, whether you’re a casual listener or someone looking to deepen your connection to the songs that shape our world.
Over the course of this journey, we’ll explore the evolution of music from classical symphonies to modern-day pop hits. You’ll learn to recognize the distinct elements that make each genre unique, from the intricacies of classical compositions to the infectious rhythms of jazz, and the storytelling power of folk music. We’ll dive into the cultural and historical contexts that influenced the music of different eras, as well as the lives of iconic composers and musicians who helped shape the soundscape of their time.
Through active listening exercises, group discussions, and multimedia presentations, students will develop a deeper understanding of music theory, structure, and interpretation, while also gaining the skills to appreciate music in new, more meaningful ways. By the end of the course, you’ll be able to analyze music with a more informed ear, understand its emotional and cultural impact, and explore how it continues to shape our personal and collective experiences.
Whether you’re discovering classical masterpieces, learning the roots of jazz, or exploring the dynamics of contemporary music, this course invites you to listen with purpose, learn with curiosity, and enjoy the musical moments that have defined us.
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June 30 to July 18, 2025
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- Monday–Friday 9:10–11:00 a.m. and 1:10–3:00 p.m. ET
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Studio arts courses are offered in conjunction with Columbia University's School of the Arts.
This course is aimed at introducing students to basic oil painting techniques. Participants explore various approaches to painting from observation. Each session focuses on assignments covering concepts such as composition, color theory, the use of materials, creativity, and visual communication in painting. Students work with live nude models and explore diverse approaches to the study of the human figure.
A visit to a museum or gallery is scheduled as part of the course so as to facilitate discussion of relevant art historical concepts as well as contemporary approaches to painting. Participants also learn how to prepare a final portfolio for college applications.
Some experience with drawing is recommended but not required. All materials are provided.
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August 11 to August 15, 2025
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- Monday–Friday 9:10–11:00 a.m. and 1:10–4:00 p.m. ET
Instructor(s): Miguel Cardenas
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Studio arts courses are offered in conjunction with Columbia University's School of the Arts.
In this course students explore various approaches to painting from observation. They learn oil painting techniques, the basic principles of color theory, and, by working with live nude models, diverse approaches to the study of the human figure. Assignments focus on composition, color theory, the use of materials, and creativity and visual communication in painting.
Studio work is complemented by individual and group critiques as well as lectures and field trips to major New York City museums and galleries. Critical issues in art are addressed once a week in the form of a short seminar, so as to generate meaningful debates as a context for studio work.
Participants also learn how to prepare a final portfolio for college applications, and the session concludes with a group show to which parents, friends, and other program participants are invited.
Some experience with drawing is recommended but not required. All materials are provided.
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June 30 to July 18, 2025
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- Monday–Friday 9:10–11:00 a.m. and 1:10–4:00 p.m. ET
Instructor(s): Miguel Cardenas
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July 22 to August 08, 2025
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- Monday–Friday 9:10–11:00 a.m. and 1:10–4:00 p.m. ET
Instructor(s): Miguel Cardenas
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This course introduces students to the art and analysis of cinema through examination of works by filmmakers ranging from Orson Welles to Martin Scorsese. Readings, screenings, the analysis of clips and full-length movies, as well as hands-on exercises such as storyboarding, blocking, shooting, and editing a scene all combine to convey the excitement and artistry of film.
Week One:
Students learn how motion pictures developed their own language—their own, universally understood visual system of representation—by studying the masters of early and contemporary cinema: the edge-of-your-seat last minute rescue scenes of D.W. Griffith; the bravura long takes of Jean Renoir; the nail-biting tension created by Quentin Tarantino; and the nerve-tingling suspense that is the hallmark of Alfred Hitchcock. Using their smartphones, students try their own hand at conceptualizing, blocking, and editing scenes in the continuity style of classic Hollywood cinema.
Week Two:
Having learned Hollywood’s tricks of the trade, we branch out into international cinema, where other nations developed different systems of representation—their own languages—that challenged but also inspired the American film industry. Meet the Soviet style of filmmaking that revolutionized cinema in every sense of the word; the Gothic excess of German Expressionism, whose use of lighting, setting, and costume echoes in all contemporary horror flicks; and the samurai swordplay of Akira Kurosawa and its reincarnation in gun-slinging Hollywood Westerns. Each student writes a review of one contemporary American film that owes a debt to foreign cinema—or vice versa.
Week Three:
Putting it all together, Week Three culminates in group analyses of some of the masterworks of classical and contemporary cinema such as Citizen Kane, La La Land, and Run, Lola, Run. We examine and discuss the ways in which sound and image, editing, and the elements of mise-en-scène combine to create transporting cinematic experiences that have the ability to make audiences cry, experience fear, feel empathy and joy and, above all, marvel at the magic of movies.
Assigned readings include film reviews and essays on film analysis, technique, and history. Students are also responsible for an oral presentation on a specific scene, film, or director of their choice.
Please be aware that some of the films viewed contain violence and mature subject matter. Students should have a willingness to engage thoughtfully with challenging films.
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July 22 to August 08, 2025
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- Monday–Friday 11:10 a.m.–1:00 p.m. and 3:10–5:00 p.m. ET
Instructor(s): Michael M. Reinhard
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Making urban areas livable, sustainable, and desirable is a top priority for governmental bodies, economists, business leaders, realtors, and many other key stakeholders. Shaping the way our society operates is a big job, and it’s why urban planning is such a sought-after career. Becoming an urban planner requires a combination of sophisticated skills that includes architecture, engineering, and design. Through this course, students will explore the fundamentals of urban planning, learn how to build effective communities, and discuss the best practices of working with land (including infrastructure, water, and air) to design healthy, happy, and in-demand habitats. Additionally, students will explore how transportation, business districts, and environmental concerns impact development. By the end of the course, students will have an acumen for discussing history, theory, and pressing social issues that impact both real estate and residents’ quality of life. Note: This class will focus on this topic from a United States perspective.
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June 30 to July 18, 2025
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- Monday–Friday 11:10 a.m.–1:00 p.m. and 3:10–5:00 p.m. ET
Instructor(s): Cheng Chen
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- Monday–Friday 11:10 a.m.–1:00 p.m. and 3:10–5:00 p.m. ET
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Specific course details such as topics, activities, hours, and instructors are subject to change at the discretion of the University.
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