ISI - VTD 1510 - Virtual World Building 1
Course Description
Virtual World Building 1 is art of the VTD series at the University of Idaho, this course introduces digital design fundamentals through virtual worldbuilding, blending creative exploration with technical skill-building in animation, character design, cinematography, and sound. Students craft immersive narratives connecting space, story, light, color, and motion while building portfolio pieces and developing a personal design voice using industry-standard tools.
Learner Outcomes
- Master fundamental visual and audio design principles for storytelling
- Create a character sheet reflecting personal artistic style and narrative voice
- Develop video editing, sequential storytelling, story arcs, and camera techniques
- Use storyboarding and animatics to plan, pace, and refine visual sequences
- Implement 2D character rigging and demonstrate the 21 principles of animation
- Produce a polished final animation using keyframing and motion refinement
Required Materials
Software Requirements
Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Premiere Pro, After Effects, Media Encoder) is recommended. After enrollment, ISI staff will initiate the UI Adobe CC student license, sent to your Vandal Mail account. Alternative free/low-cost options are accepted: Krita, FireAlpaca, or Procreate (paid) for Illustrator; GIMP for Photoshop; DaVinci Resolve (free) or Filmora (paid) for Premiere.
Computer Requirements
Because this is a digital design focused course it is highly recommended (not required) that students have computers/laptops that meet the minimum requirements for the software that will be used in this course. Please make sure your computer/laptop can run these programs and has enough storage.
Drawing Tablet Recommendation
Highly recommended (not required). Options include the Wacom Intuos Small (~$40), Huion Inspiroy H640P (~$40), or Ugee M808 (~$39).
Equipment Rental
- Available to students in the Moscow, Idaho area.
Expected Course Timeline
Most ISI courses are designed so that students can complete them within 3 months to 1 year. If you are attempting to complete a course more quickly than this, please contact ISI to explore your options.
Sponsor Institution
Credits earned for this course are included in a University of Idaho transcript.
This is an INDEPENDENT STUDY IN IDAHO course
To learn about program and refund policies, visit www.uidaho.edu/isi.
Still have a question? Submit an ISI Support Request.
COURSE NUMBER NOTICE
Beginning with the 2025-2026 Catalog year, the University of Idaho transitioned to 4-digit course numbers. As ISI works through this transition, you may continue to see 3-digit course numbers during this time. A crosswalk is available online.