DIGITAL ARTS

Grades: 9–12

FOCUS Course Number & Name:

8201210 DIG MEDIA/MM FOUND 1

Fee: $20

Full Course Description:

This challenging course introduces students to the world of animation with a strong emphasis on building essential drawing skills. Using Toon Boom Harmony Premium, the same software used by professional studios, students learn how characters move, how poses communicate action, and how simple scenes come together. Through demonstrations and creative exercises, students explore the fundamentals of digital animation and develop core techniques needed for advanced animation study

Grades: 9–12

FOCUS Course Number & Name:

8201220 DIG MEDIA/MM FOUND 2

Prerequisite: Animation 1 with a passing grade of 75% or higher

Fee: $20

Full Course Description:

Students build on foundational animation skills to begin creating original animated work. Using Toon Boom Harmony Premium, students design characters, plan short sequences, and animate original ideas with increasing precision. Instruction deepens skills in timing, posing, drawing, and multi-layered workflow. The long-term goal is to prepare students for eventual Harmony certification.

Grades: 9–12

FOCUS Course Number & Name:

0107410 FILM 1

Fee: $20

Full Course Description:

Students develop skills for creating and managing digital content for platforms such as YouTube and Instagram. Instruction includes content strategy, storytelling, graphic design, photography, videography, and basic editing. Using Adobe tools, students create media that reflects their personal artistic brand while learning to conceptualize, produce, and evaluate digital content for real-world audiences.

Grades: 9–12

FOCUS Course Number & Name:

8208110 GAME & SIM FOUND

Fee: $50

Full Course Description:

Students learn modern game development through hands-on projects using Unity (C#) and Blender. The course emphasizes gameplay loops, player feedback, level design, physics-based mechanics, and professional project organization. Success depends on consistent effort and practice, similar to learning a musical instrument.

Grades: 10–12

FOCUS Course Number & Name:

8208120 GAME & SIM DESIGN

Prerequisite: Video Game Design 1 with a passing grade of 75% or higher

Fee: $50

Full Course Description:

This advanced course builds on Unity and Blender skills through complex projects involving systems design and strategic constraints. Students strengthen coding, debugging, playtesting, documentation, and workflow while producing polished, portfolio-ready games. Students prepare for the Unity Certified User exam.

Grades: 9–12

FOCUS Course Numbers & Names:

8209510 DIGITAL DESIGN 1

8209520 DIGITAL DESIGN 2

8209530 DIGITAL DESIGN 3

8209540 DIGITAL DESIGN 4

Prerequisite: 3.0 GPA and screening process

Full Course Description:

Yearbook students plan, design, and produce the school’s yearbook from concept to completion. Responsibilities include content planning, photography, interviewing, journalistic writing, layout design, advertising management, and distribution. The course emphasizes creativity, teamwork, leadership, and real-world publishing skills.

Grades: 11–12

FOCUS Course Number & Name:

0109350 AP 2D ART & DESIGN

Prerequisite: Any high school–level Visual Arts or Digital Arts course; instructor approval

Note: Requires two elective slots

Fees: AP Studio Fee $50; Portfolio Development Fee $20

Full Course Description:

Students build a comprehensive AP 2D Art & Design portfolio across digital and traditional media including illustration, photography, graphics, film, and game art. Emphasis is placed on sustained investigation, creative research, and professional presentation for College Board submission.

Grade: 12

FOCUS Course Number & Name:

0104300 AP DRAWING

Prerequisite: AP 2D Art & Design & Portfolio Development: Two-Dimensional Design Honors

Note: Requires two elective slots

Fees: AP Studio Fee $50; Portfolio Development Fee $20

Full Course Description:

Students complete an AP Drawing portfolio through intensive practice in drawing-based media such as graphite, charcoal, ink, pastel, and digital tools. The course emphasizes sustained investigation, iterative refinement, and professional presentation for College Board evaluation.

Grades: 10–12

FOCUS Course Number & Name:

0108410 Cambridge AICE Digital Media &Design 2

Fee: $20.00

Full Course Description:

This dynamic course blends imagination with technology, inviting students to explore digital media through hands-on projects. Students can choose the areas that excite them most, including graphic design, video production, web design, animation, and game creation, or any combination of these fields. They may use whatever creative software they’re most comfortable with, since the focus isn’t on mastering a specific program but on applying design principles to achieve clear objectives. Throughout the course, students will build technical confidence, create a polished portfolio, and prepare for the end-of-course portfolio exam, which includes specific creative prompts they will respond to using the skills they’ve developed.