Course Details

2D Animation

 

Course Description

 

This course will offer skill development in the use of software to develop storyboards and 2-dimentional animation including creating, importing and sequencing media elements to create multi-media presentations. Emphasis will be on conceptualization, creativity, and visual aesthetics. This course takes the students through various aspects of animation using a variety of 2 dimensional software. Developing concepts, storyboarding and production of several 2 dimensional animations will be accomplished.

 

Course outline

 

Course Objectives

History of Animation

• Persistence of Vision

• Early Animation Devices

Principles of Animation

• Key-frames

• In-betweens

• Cycles

• Morphing 1

PS: Overview, Animation Timeline

 

Review: morphing

Principles of Animation

• Timing and Spacing Charts

• Squash and Stretch

• Morphing2

PS: Brushes, Demonstration of using a timing sheet for the bouncing ball AE: Overview of Interface, Composition Settings, Creating Layers, Shapes

 

Review: Bouncing Balls (Online)

Principles of Animation

• Slow In, Slow Out

• Squash and Stretch

• Timing

• Anticipation Visual Rhythm Transitions

AE: Basic Animation- Key-framing (position/scale/rotation/opacity), Anchor Point, Creating Shapes, Motion Paths, using Markers, ImportingAudio

 

Review: Bringing Shapes to Life (Online)

Walk Cycle

• Walk and Run

• Overlapping Action

• Attitude Rotoscope Technique

• Cycles, Locomotion

PS: Review of Brushes, Breakdown of Character Design for Puppet

AE: Importing from PS, Animating a Puppet, Building Hierarchies (parenting, nesting, precomping)

 

Review: Walk Cycle (online)

Screen: Morphing Assignment

Character Sketch Exercise

What Makes a Character?

Principles of Animation

• Staging

• Solid Drawing

• Appeal Character Design-Puppet

• Reference

• Personality

• Visual Contrast

• Replacement Parts

PS: Creating a Character Ready For Animation

AE: Introduction to 3D Space, Camera (demo of animated character on a simple BG)

 

Review of Character Designs (online)

Concepts of Design

• Composition of a scene

• Color Design

• Value

• FG, MG, BG elements

Shot Composition Principles

AE: Setting up a Simple 3D Environment, Precomping (character), Animating the Camera, Cutting Between Cameras

 

Review: Character Encountering Obstacle (online)

Replacement Animation

• Lip Sync

• Stop Motion

AE: Demonstration of Replacement Lip Sync Animation, Working with Sound, Using Audio Cues

 

Review: Lip Sync Animation (online)

Poetry, Music and Animation

• Creating a mood

• Visual Abstraction

• Overview of Text

AE: Text Tools + Animation, Presets Overview, Blend modes, Masking and Track Mattes Intro

 

Review: Animation Expressing Mood/Emotion (online)

Writing a Treatment

Story vs Theme

Visual Techniques for Theme/Story

• Creating a mood

• Color, Texture, Composition

AE: Color Correction, Lights AUDACITY: Introduction to sound software

 

Review: Treatment (in-class presentation?)

Storyboarding

Shot Composition

Directing the Audience

Transitions

PS: Demonstration of storyboard setup in Photoshop

AUDACITY: Sound instruction cont.

 

Work on Storyboards

 

Review: Storyboards (In-class presentation?)

Creating an Animatic

AE: Show how to import storyboards and edit an animatic (sequencing and trimming layers)

 

Review: Animatic

Sound for Animation

Review: Animatic w/ Sound

Work on Final Project