The Digital Arts Experience
White Plains (914) 644-8100; thedae.com
It’s probably safe to say your kids already have a better handle than you do on all things digital. So let’s not let that go to waste. The DAE has all types of classes to help your child blossom digitally. Among the classes offered are: Intro to 3D Animation, in which kids learn the basics of creating 3D animated characters; Photo Editing, Retouching, and Compositing, in which they learn everything Photoshop; and Movie Making Bootcamp, in which they learn screenwriting, storyboarding, shooting, editing, and post-production
Jacob Burns Film Center: Media Arts Lab
Pleasantville (914) 773-7663; burnsfilmcenter.org
Jacob Burns offers programs in new media, film production, screenwriting, animation, and more for students from pre-K through adulthood. A few that caught our eye (and had us wishing we were young again): A Taste of Animation (preK-2nd grade), in which students create stop-motion animated films; Masters of Disguise (grades 5 and 6), in which students use makeup, design, and character acting to create new characters; and The Floating Camera (high school), in which students gain a formal understanding of camera movement by training on dollies, shoulder-mounts, gliders, and other rigs. Seriously, can we be kids again?
Pelham Art Center
Pelham (914) 738-2525; pelhamartcenter.org
If you can’t seem to pry the Xbox controller from your kids’ hands, try having them design their own video games. During Pelham Art Center’s Game Design class, youngsters 11 to 15 years old will not only analyze and discuss games throughout history, they’ll even get to design their own board or video game. They’ll leave with a completed, animated level from their very own game. So take that, Xbox.
ArtsWestchester
White Plains (914) 428-4220; artswestchester.org
As the County hub for all things art, ArtsWestchester has some great classes for your kids. Some examples include classes directed by the Clay Art Center in clay molding; Basic Drawing and Anime with Alan Reingold, whose portraits of American presidents can be seen at The National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC; and My Community: A Photographic Journey with Rick Falco, where kids create a photographic documentation examining all of the components that bring a community together.
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