Boothbay Region High School senior Tyler Field has been accepted into Mount Ida College’s School of Design as an animations major. Field’s drive for purpose, thought and understanding in animation is nothing short of passion as he explains how his vision, on paper and on the screen, differs from most of what we see from the entertainment industry.

“A lot of companies are going with cheap 3-D models … that they can just pose instead of handdrawing it and putting in the work,” said Field. “A 3-D model is always going to look the same.”

Field mentioned classics like “Toy Story” that took the attention away from two-dimensional planes and popularized three-dimensional planes. Eventually, companies became complacent, banking on characters and animations which could be dropped in the background with little to no change, he said.

“An artist’s drawings between each and every frame is their unique way of trying to put motion into a picture,” said Field.

Field said unlike most design schools in New England, Mount Ida offers the room and opportunity to take an artistic idea and make it one’s own and that’s what makes it a good fit for him. The other perk to Mount Ida is having the ability to slide on by Boston and take I-95 making it roughly three hours. Field has already toured the campus and met some of the professors.

“I showed them a couple (of my pieces). They really liked them – they saw how I made them move, made them slide … that they’re not just wonky, like there’s stock put behind them.”

While at Mount Ida, Field will have the opportunity to take video classes in addition to his general education and concentration requirements. Beyond freshman year, Field will also be able to study abroad in Tokyo, Japan where some of his favorite and some of the finest animations are created.

Asked if he will be one of the star students, Field said, “That’s the plan.”

Field’s aspirations beyond a bachelor’s of science will likely take him to graduate school; an animation studio to make some of his own magic in feature and short films; or both.

Believing an original concept is more valuable than identifying what is simply consumable is important to Field. He looks to outfits like Studio Ghibli and Studio Trigger and creators like Genndy Tartakovsky (“Star Wars: Clone Wars,” “Hotel Transylvania”).

“(With still-life) … you just have to learn how to put life into a picture, but with motion you have to make sure you know exactly how things move, stretch, turn, speak. You have to convey everyday ideas, movements like eating. It teaches you to look at life a different way.”