WSOA Introduction to Principles of Animation Course Outline 2013

Transcription

1 WSOA Introduction to Principles of Animation Course Outline 2013 Lecturer: Charl Smit Contact Details: tapertiltpo@gmail.com Venue: The New Lab and Seminar Room. Class Times: Tuesday 08:00-09:45 Screenings and Theory Wednesday 10:15-12:00 Practical/Crit. Sessions Friday 14:15-17:00 Practical/Crit. Sessions Aim of this Course The aim of this course is to give WSOA students the opportunity to obtain a working knowledge of the practical, technical, and creative possibilities of 2- D animation. Course overview The course runs over the first semester of During the course, each student will be required to write one essay based on what they have learnt, create characters, and produce a storyboard and an animatic. For the final exam, students will produce a 5 second animated short film. Students are expected to a acquire a comprehensive understanding of the program 'TV- Paint'. Students will also engage with theories of animation and analyse the work of several prominent animation filmmakers. - Students will be using the following tools: 1. Sketch pad and pencils

2 TV- Paint software 3. Graphic tablet and stylus The first quarter will focus on a historical introduction to 2D animation animation, as well as an overview of animation.techniques. Attention will be placed on storytelling, character design, storyboarding and the creation of an animatic. The second quarter will focus on developing and producing a five second 2- D animated short film. Students will use the skills acquired in the first quarter to develop an individual approach to animation and to express ideas/emotions through animation. Please note this is a very intensive course which will require commitment and hard work from students in order to be successful. Students must use additional time outside of class for the completion of projects/assignments. Course outcomes and components - Students will have a introductory understanding of the practical, technical, and theoretical components involved in the production of 2- D animation. - Students will demonstrate this understanding through the submission of various practical/theoretical assignments. 1. Practical Components 1.1 Create a creative treatment for an animated short film. 1.2 Create a storyboard and animatic for an animated short film. Creating colour mood boards will help demonstrate an understanding of visual story telling. 1.3 Apply the principles of creating animation and movement. 1.4 Develop a concept into a final film by following a 2- D animation production pipeline. 2. Theoretical components 2.1 Critical discussion of the films shown in screenings in terms of animation theory and aesthetics (In class and in an essay). 2.2 Critically discuss the student films in terms of animation theory and aesthetics (in class and in their treatments). First Quarter 12 February 20 March 2013

3 The focus in the first quarter will be an introduction to 2- D Animation and Visual Story Telling in general.the aim is to provide students with a well- rounded technical and theoretical understanding of 2- D animation production. Classes will consist of i) Practical Workshops and ii) Screenings/critical discussions of selected animated short films. Screenings coupled with discussions on historical, technical, and theoretical elements of a variety of animation will commence immediately. During these screening sessions, students will learn about the fundamentals of animation language, and animation theory. Students will be expected to demonstrate an ability to critically discuss 2- D animation in class as well as in a written assignment. Using this practical and theoretical knowledge, students will develop their own ideas from concept to screen. Particular attention will be given to developing a concept into a written script, character/environment design, storyboard and animatics. Students will demonstrate and practice these skills in the final practical assignment of the second quarter. FIRST QUARTER Week One _ 12 February 2013 Introduction to animation techniques and history of animation. Class One (08:00-09:45) A brief discussion of the history of animation with slide- shows, and animation clips and animated short films. Class Two (10:15-12:00) A discussion on 2- D animation. Class Three (14:15-17:00) Viewing of 2- D animated short films, focusing on different animation artists and their unique techniques. Assignment : Write an 800- word piece on one of the animated short films in which you examine the story and characters. Submission date: Tuesday 19 February 2013 Week Two_19 February 2013 Animation Principles Class One (08:00-09:45) Discuss the first three principles of animation. - Squash + Stretch - Anticipation - Staging Class Two (10:15-12:00) Discuss thenext three principles of animation. - Straight ahead action and pose- to- pose - Follow through / Overlapping action. - Slow in / Slow out Class Three (14:15-17:00) The final six principles of animation. - Arcs - Secondary Action - Timing - Exaggeration - Solid Drawing Appeal

4 Assignment : A bouncing ball exercise. Submission date: 26 February 2013 Week Three_26 February 2013 Story Development and Character Profile. Class One (08:00-09:45) Screening of animation short film followed by a discussion, emphasis on story. Class Two (10:15-12:00) Screening of animation short film followed by a discussion, emphasis on character design. Class Three (14:15-17:00) Writing of a 5 second short story and developing ideas for a charcter design. Assignment : Students will create an original 2D character.write a five- second short story. Submission date: Tuesday, 5 March 2013 Week Four_5 March 2013 Storyboarding Class One (08:00-09:45)Viewing of Storyboard to Film comparison based on an animated project. Class Two (10:15-12:00)Start creating storyboards based on student's short story and character designs. Class Three (14:15-17:00)Continue to work on storyboard. Assignment : Storyboarding of 5 second short film. Submission date: 12 March 2013 Week Five_12 March 2013 Color Mood Boards and Concept Art Class One (08:00-09:45) Hand in final storyboards and discuss student's work. Class Two (10:15-12:00) View examples of mood boards and concept art. Class Three (14:15-17:00) Compose mood boards. Assignment : Compose Mood Boards Submission date: 19 March 2013 Week Six_19 March 2013 Animatics Class One (08:00-09:45) View storyboards to animatic comparison. Class Two (10:15-12:00) Start animatic of 5 second short film. Class Three (14:15-17:00) Mid- Semester Break Assignment : Continue working on Animatic Week Seven_02 April 2013 Complete Animatic

5 Class One (08:00-09:45) Animatic continued. Class Two (10:15-12:00) Continued Animatic and color layout crits. Class Three (14:15-17:00) Animatic continued. Assignment : Hand in completed animatic. Submission date: 09 April 2013 SECOND QUARTER Week Eight_09 April 2013 Thumbnailing and Essay Class One (08:00-09:45) Discuss animatics Class Two (10:15-12:00) Start thumbnailing.students to be briefed on essay. Class Three (14:15-17:00) Continue thumbnailing. Assignment : Complete thumbnaiing based on the principles of animation using students animatic as a reference. Write an 2000 word essay based on the work of an 2- D animator.focus on one of the animator's short films with emphasis on the use of principles of animation,story and characters. Submission date for thumbnails: 16 April 2013 Submission date for essay : 23 April 2013 Term mark : 10% Week Nine_16 April 2013 Character Design. Class One (08:00-09:45) Discuss Thumbnaiing that students have produced. Class Two (10:15-12:00) Work on final character designs Class Three (14:15-17:00) Final character designs. Assignment : Final character designs. Submission date: 23 May 2013 Week Ten_23 April 2013 Main Animation Project Class One (08:00-09:45) Brief discussion on final character designs. Class Two (10:15-12:00) Start roughing out animation for final animation project Class Three (14:15-17:00) Continued Roughing out of animation. Assignment : Progress of animation project.

6 Week Eleven_30 Apri 2013 Continuation of final animation project. Class One (08:00-09:45) Discussion and screening of animation in progress. Class Two (10:15-12:00) Public Holiday (Worker's day) Class Three (14:15-17:00) Continue final animation project. Assignment : Progress of final animation project. Submission date: 07 May 2013 Week Twelve_07 May 2013 Animation Continued Class One (08:00-09:45) Screening of student's animation progress. Class Two (10:15-12:00) Continuation of final animation project. Class Three (14:15-17:00) Continuation of final animation project Assignment : Final animation project progress mark. Submission date: 14 May 2013 Week Thirteen_14 May 2013 Final Animation Project. Class One (08:00-09:45) Work on final animation short film. Class Two (10:15-12:00) Work on final animation short film. Class Three (14:15-17:00) Assignment : Final animation project progress mark. Submission date: 21 May 2013 Week Fourteen_21 May 2013 Final Animation Project. Class One (08:00-09:45) Work on final animation short film. Class Two (10:15-12:00) Work on final animation short film. Class Three (14:15-17:00) Final crit and presentation of student's animated short films Assignment : Final animation project progress mark. Submission date: 24 May 2013 TOTAL SEMESTER MARK: 100%

7 Prescribed Reading: Williams, Richard. The Animator s Survival Kit. London: Faber and Faber Inc Recommended Reading and Viewing Thomas, Frank and Johnson, Ollie The Illusion of Life Disney Animation. New York: Hyperion Publishing, 1981 Blair,Preston. Cartoon Animation (Collector's series). New York: Walter Foster Publishers, 1994 Lord, Peter and Sibley, Brian. Creating 3- D Animation: The Aardman Book of Film Making. New York, Harry N. Abrams, Incorporated, Caldwell,Ben. Action Cartooning. New York: Sterling Publishing, 2004 Please note: No plagiarism allowed is allowed in any written submissions!