Eric Telfort

Associate Professor
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RISD faculty member Eric Telfort
BFA, Rhode Island School of Design

Eric Telfort is an illustrator and fine artist who earned his BFA in Illustration from RISD and, after working as a production artist in the video game industry, an MFA from the New York Academy of Art. Telfort has lectured throughout the US and internationally in Zimbabwe, where he was a Visual Arts Initiative artist in residence. In 2019 he received a Robert and Margaret MacColl Johnson fellowship to explore the concept of creativity in poverty, and to pursue a personal independent visual novel. 

Courses

Fall 2023 Courses

ILLUS 3956-01 - CINEMATIC STORYTELLING
Level Undergraduate
Unit Illustration
Subject Illustration
Period Fall 2023
Credits 3
Format Studio
Mode In-Person
Start date
End date

ILLUS 3956-01

CINEMATIC STORYTELLING

Level Undergraduate
Unit Illustration
Subject Illustration
Period Fall 2023
Credits 3
Format Studio
Mode In-Person
Start and End 2023-09-06 to 2023-12-13
Times: M | 1:10 PM - 6:10 PM Instructor(s): Eric Telfort Location(s): Illustration Studies Building, Room 413 Enrolled / Capacity: 15 Status: Closed

SECTION DESCRIPTION

Previsualization is an essential tool in both animation and live action filmmaking. Whether it is a feature film or a commercial, a television show or a short film, it's critical that storyboarding is the first directorial step of translating the written word to the screen. In a medium where collaboration is the norm, a story artist inherently becomes one of the most influential figures in a film's production, as every department builds upon the foundation of their work. In this course, we will go over the building blocks of visual storytelling and traditional filmmaking, culminating in a final project at the end of the semester. Lectures and screenings will explore the tenets of story structure, visual language, film grammar, and performance, all of which will be integrated into weekly assignments that exercise tried and true techniques of storyboarding method. The lessons in this course will give you a firm understanding of the art of storyboarding as it applies to the film and animation industry, and also a greater understanding of how to visually communicate with a level of clarity that you had not known before.

Open to Junior or Senior Illustration Students.

Elective

ILLUS 601G-01 - GRADUATE ILLUSTRATION STUDIO III: SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT AND AGENCY
Level Graduate
Unit Illustration
Subject Illustration
Period Fall 2023
Credits 9
Format Studio
Mode In-Person
Start date
End date

ILLUS 601G-01

GRADUATE ILLUSTRATION STUDIO III: SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT AND AGENCY

Level Graduate
Unit Illustration
Subject Illustration
Period Fall 2023
Credits 9
Format Studio
Mode In-Person
Start and End 2023-09-06 to 2023-12-13
Times: T | 1:10 PM - 6:10 PM Instructor(s): Andrea Dezso, Dylan DeWitt, Eric Telfort Location(s): Weybosset St Studios, Room 305 Enrolled / Capacity: 12 Status: Closed

SECTION DESCRIPTION

This course is predicated on deep student focus on social engagement and the societal benefits attached to their studio work. Students will investigate and critique methodologies of contemporary, socially engaged artists to develop their own progressive work in order to question and shift traditionally narrow and restrictive paradigms in Illustration that preference and reward the hegemonic at the expense of the progressive, dissident, and critical work needed to advocate for the historically underrepresented. Collaborative projects with local artists, individuals and community organizations will be encouraged and supported to directly connect students with local communities. Students will be required to present self-driven work periodically in response to selected topics, readings, and community discussion.

Estimated Cost of Materials: $0.00 - $150.00

Open to Graduate Illustration Students.

Major Requirement | MFA Illustration

Spring 2024 Courses

ILLUS 3936-01 - CHARACTER CREATION
Level Undergraduate
Unit Illustration
Subject Illustration
Period Spring 2024
Credits 3
Format Studio
Mode In-Person
Start date
End date

ILLUS 3936-01

CHARACTER CREATION

Level Undergraduate
Unit Illustration
Subject Illustration
Period Spring 2024
Credits 3
Format Studio
Mode In-Person
Start and End 2024-02-15 to 2024-05-24
Instructor(s): Eric Telfort Enrolled / Capacity: 15 Status: Open

SECTION DESCRIPTION

In this course we will explore the process of designing characters as well as the objects they possess and the environments they inhabit. Through a series of projects that emphasize conceptual thinking and functional design, students will learn the problem solving skills used in design as a means of supporting a narrative. Full color works in variety of media will be critiqued on their clarity of vision and strength of presentation. This course is a continuation of the ideas presented in Character Design, and will serve both students who have taken that class and students new to this subject matter.

Open to Junior or Senior Illustration Students.

Elective

Image
RISD faculty member Eric Telfort
BFA, Rhode Island School of Design