Course Outline

"Animation can explain whatever the mind of man can conceive."

— Walt Disney

Objective:

• This course is designed to provide students with an introduction to the key aspects of animation. As students move through the production process, they will bring an idea of a basic character to life and will learn to weave stories through the art of animation. By studying and analyzing various animated works, styles, and artists, students will become better animators themselves. Through a diverse range of projects, students will explore different genres of animation and will gain experience with a variety of techniques and animation tools. 
• Whether a project is in 2-D or 3-D, the same principles of animation are applied.
• The course is a great stepping stone for gaining entry to post secondary institutions in either animation or computer game design.

Course Content:

The content to be covered in this course includes: At the grade 12 level, students will explore topics in more depth and develop projects with a higher level of complexity and more-focused real-life application.

• History: Key moments in animation and the people who made the magic happen
  • Early animation devices
  • History of Animation
  • Legends of Animation
  • History of large studios or production houses
  • Illusion of Movement
     
• Basics of Animation
  • Character Design
  • Facial features and Body Language in developing emotion and action
  • Principles of Animation - Interpreting Movement
     
• Production Components
  • Story development through storyboarding and script writing
  • Set Design: Setting, backgrounds, and props
  • Sound
    • Depth of sound - voice, ambient, background, effects to create the life-blood of the animation and sense of movement and emotion
    • Sound production
    • Foley sounds
  • Basic Video Editing to produce final film
     
• StopMotion Animation
  • Claymation
  • Whiteboard Animation
  • Pixelation
  • Moving Pictures or Photos
     
• Classical 2-D Animation
  • Difference between animation and cartooning
  • Classical animation on paper
  • Cell Animation
  • Flipbook Animation
     
• Computer Animation
  • 2-D with Flash
  • 3-D computer animation and modelling with either 3-D Studio Max, Maya, or Cinema 4DXL
     
• Issues and other topics associated with the animation industry
  • Legal and ethical issues surrounding copyright of software, character design, plot, and final product
  • Job opportunities and positions in the animation industry

Note: Actual course content might change depending on the interests and expertise of the students enrolled in the course.

Computer Programs / Applications Used:

In selecting the software programs and applications for this course, the emphasis has been on selecting tools that are dual platform (work on MAC and WIndows) or are distributed through the Internet.  

Some of the programs and applications that will likely be used include:

• Various Web 2.0 applications such as DVolver
• Adobe Software including: Flash and PhotoShop
• Other software: iStopMotion, iMovie, Cinema 4DXL, 3D Studio Max

Evaluation:

This course is a combination of both theory and project and design.

Remember: You earn the grade you are given. Your overall grade will reflect the amount of effort you put into your assignments and how fully you participate in class. Without even seeing your posted mark, your gut should tell you how you are doing in class and what mark you are probably earning. If you want a higher mark then be prepared to put in the time and effort both in class and after hours to achieve it. If you waste time in class, do not complete assignments fully, or fail to hand in most assignments on time, it should be no surprise when you fail or receive a lower than expected mark.

 
You will be graded based on the following evaluation breakdown:

• Daily work, projects, and presentations - 75%
• Quizzes and tests - 25%

​Although there is no formal final exam, the presentation of your final portfolio will be mandatory to the successful completion of this course.

For the most part, your assignments will be graded with a mark out of 10 on a scale as follows: