Course Syllabus

ART 2410 Introduction to Animation

Course Description

This course will provide students with a foundation in animation and motion design using analog and digital techniques. Students will study the dynamics of kinetics, the principles of animation, character design and development, visual storytelling, and sound design as they relate to this dynamic time-based medium. Students will explore these principles through a series of small exercises. In addition, students will complete a comprehensive portfolio of original animations, which will illustrate an understanding of the concepts addressed throughout the semester. A program fee is required.

Justification

Animation is a growing and exciting field of art, filmmaking, and communication. It is paramount that art students understand both how to use these technologies and how to understand their implications and outcomes in contemporary art. Students interested in seeking a career in the film, video game, and advertisement industry will benefit greatly from this course, as will students interested in fine arts animation and utilizing its aspects in less traditional fields, like social work and education. Introduction to Animation is taught at most higher education institutions as a fundamental building block in the study of animation, illustration, and human body dynamics.

Student Learning Outcomes

1. Material Proficiency: Students will be exposed to a variety of analog and digital materials and methods used within the realm of traditional and experimental animation. They will navigate different software used in both traditional and innovative ways in capturing, creating, and presenting animated shorts. This proficiency in material and media will be used to understand practical applications of visual language and storytelling.
2. Principles of Concept: Students will learn to apply conceptual principles to a variety of animation techniques and styles through the study of principles of animation, notions of time and space, along with the laws of physics and how they impact our visual perception of movement.
3. Historical Context: In addition to viewing works by animation contemporaries, students will study historically relevant animation works in relationship to the captured zeitgeist of the time. This knowledge and historical understanding will foster creative communication through visual language of animation.
4. Critical Theory: Students will develop an ability to critically analyze works of art through verbal critiques of the work of their peers and professional artists as it applies to creative, process-intensive, conceptual animation work. This skill will foster a greater ability of students to be critical of their own work within the creative process.
5. Creative Process: This course teaches strategies for cultivating creative practice, expressing ideas, solving problems creatively, engaging with challenging concepts, and experimenting with different mediums in working with animation. Students will utilize visual storytelling, design fundamentals, and sound design, along with anatomy and a basic understanding of physics. They will develop animation language and terminology necessary in comprehension of animation theory as they create hands-on animated projects. Utilizing a sketchbook to record and develop this process will be highly encouraged as part of the process.

Course Content

Course topics and learning tasks include animating simple subject matter in a believable manner; demonstrating correct timing and spacing, continuous volume, and correct proportions; experimenting with traditional 2D animation, stop-motion animation, and rotoscope animation techniques, concepts, and software; understanding visual storytelling utilizing acting, performance, and staging; exploring fundamental compositing, rendering, and editing techniques.The artistic genres, major figures, and movements covered in this course will be representative of a ranging variety in gender, nationality, language, identity, perspective, and background.