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Motion Picture Science BS

Forward-thinking faculty; curriculum that fuses technology, the arts, and design; and a legacy of priming students with a maker mentality helped RIT’s School of Film and Animation maintain its place on TheWrap’s list of Top 50 Film Schools of 2025.

Ricky Figueora taking over as the new director of RIT's School of Film and Animation headlines exciting promotions and additions to the College of Art and Design faculty.

Accomplished alumni, creative technology research, and interdisciplinary program offerings set RIT’s School of Film and Animation apart from others on The Hollywood Reporter’s 2025 top film schools list. RIT was ranked number 22 this year, a leap ahead from the school’s rank in 2024.

Meghdad Asadilari, assistant professor in the School of Film and Animation, was awarded the 2025 ASIFA-Hollywood’s Animation Educators Forum Faculty Grant.

Max Schaefer ’25 (motion picture science) did it all at RIT. He was a mainstay on student and commercial production sets. A live shader for RIT Sports Network hockey broadcasts. A leader in RIT’s Fraternity Life community. Conducted virtual production and motion capture research. And enjoyed an inspiring work experience with Universal Studios Hollywood.

Andrea Avendano Martinez feels well prepared to enter the workforce thanks to the connections she’s made with many RIT alumni who are working in the color science industry and credits the reputation of the program in helping her land a job with Apple.

RIT researchers are pushing the boundaries with immersive technologies, including augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), extended reality (XR), and mixed reality (MR).

If festivalgoers have trouble exploring the more than 430 exhibits at this year’s Imagine RIT, they can now enlist the help of AI by using the Imagine RIT Bot—a generative AI chatbot that’s like ChatGPT with a focus on answering questions about the Imagine RIT: Creativity and Innovation Festival.

Using their knowledge from classroom instruction, NTID information and computing studies students built equipment and applied for funding, culminating in the launch of five state-of-the-art, deaf-friendly point-of-sale systems that use interactive monitors for easy ordering and delivery of food and beverages.

Student’s access to state-of-the-art facilities and software, impressive faculty with industry experience, and a wealth of opportunities for hands-on learning before graduation has earned RIT’s School of Film and Animation (SOFA) more recognition as one of the top animation schools in the nation.

An electrical engineer turned creative technologist, Ricky Figueroa is invigorated by working at the intersection of technology, the arts, and design. Embracing an interdisciplinary approach to teaching and research has led to success for both Figueroa and the students who pass through his classroom.

RIT’s School of Film and Animation (SOFA) has earned a spot on The Hollywood Reporter’s top film schools list. Ranking at number 25, this is the first time RIT has been included in The Hollywood Reporter’s rankings.