Summer 2014 Syllabus!

DM 200

Intro to Animation Techniques

Mac Lab 4

T,TH 1-3:35

Michael Shaw

michaelshaw.art@gmail.com

mshaw@mca.edu

office hours by appointment

Course Description

In this course, students will learn the fundamentals of traditional animation production. Below are the major blocks of study covered in the course:

I.  Introductory Animation Procedures, Timing and Principles

II. Walk Cycles and Locomotion

III. Weight and Object Interactions

IV. Flexibility and Emotion

V. Storytelling and Performance (subtle action, dynamic action, foreshortening)

Course Outcomes

·      Students will demonstrate the capability to organize and present concepts verbally.

·      Students will demonstrate the capability to organize and present concepts visually.

·      Students will produce evidence of an understanding of the methods of Animation production.

·      Students will be able to communicate content in their Animation productions.

·      Students will demonstrate the time management skills necessary to complete the post-production process.

·      Students will demonstrate the capability to effectively publish their Animation production.

·      Students will research and identify screening opportunities.

·      Students will research and identify career goals.

Professional Practice Outcomes

·      Students will demonstrate the ability to write an artist statement.

·      Students will demonstrate the ability to document their work.

·      Students will demonstrate the ability to exhibit work beyond the classroom.

·      Students will demonstrate basic computer/software literacy applicable to their field.

Methods

DM200 is geared towards instilling within the students a rich foundation in traditional animation principles, techniques, and philosophies.  Students begin the class learning about the mechanics of animation, working on paper to create short cartoons.

Outside of class, students are required to draw in sketchbooks for a minimum of 1 hour per week.  The contents of which are to be a combination of gesture drawings from observation, and designs for characters, environments, and objects they may have from their own cartoon ideas.  This assignment supplements the drawing practices they have had prior to starting the class, and promotes healthy content creation to for future projects.

Standard class assignments are mostly be regulated to short animation drawing assignments with regular deadlines.

Each week, a lecture is given with interactive demonstrations.  Required reading assignments are given each week to supplement what is learned in each class. The next project is introduced with an emphasis on how it builds a well-rounded skill set for future animated projects. 

Accompanying each lecture is at least one screening that emphasizes the current skills each student is building. These screenings will embody a comprehensive list of various schools of thought the world, and through Animation's history (in the format of movies, television, web shows, etc) and will be appended to as time goes on.

In creating their animations, students are encouraged to act out and time their respective shots using school equipment (in-house cameras, webcams via imac, or otherwise) and refine their animations through trial and error. For projects spanning more than one week, daily grades will be given for reaching assigned milestones in their projects.

In Class Discussion, Critique, and Exercises

You will be expected to do original analyses of your work and that of others – your peers and recognized professionals and to complete in class exercises illustrating the techniques presented. Extra time outside of class will be needed to master the skills and complete the exercises presented in class.

Blog

You will be required to keep a blog for this course that includes thumbnails, sketches, assignment write-ups and final documentation for each assignment. You should also use these spaces for idea development exercises and reading /screening responses.

Visiting Artist Lectures

You are required to attend 50% of these lectures and post a short review to your blog. Review Guidelines

Evaluation and Grading

Grading will be based on:

Creativity, aesthetic and conceptual development

Technical execution

Participation in critique and class discussions

Attendance

Blog and Sketchbook development

Visiting Artists Lecture reviews

Assignments are due at 1p.m. on their scheduled dates. If you are to miss a scheduled due date, work must be handed in prior to absence. Points will be deducted for failure to participate in critique. Late assignments will not be accepted. Lost files are not an excuse for a late assignment. Loss of data, files, or other associated items needed for any assignment or project will require that you recreate your work, with no exceptions. You are solely responsible for the security of your files. Your files are not 100% secure on the server or computer. You should have multiple copies on multiple sources at all times. No files are safe unless backed up to 3 locations.

Attendance Policy

Punctual, consistent attendance and serious participation in class is required for receiving credit. If there are five absences during the semester, credit will not be granted. If you have three absences, your grade will be lowered by one letter grade. Three late arrivals/early departures = 1 absence.

Materials and Supplies

Textbook: The Animator's Survival Kit, Expanded Edition: A Manual of Methods, Principles and Formulas for Classical, Computer, Games, Stop Motion and Internet Animators. Richard Williams

Supplies:
Sketchbook
1 Ream 10f Ingram Bond , 1 plastic peg bar – DM 200 course materials pay in business office bring receipt to class – $42.40 -- Course materials purchased in bulk to save you $10.00

Light box – Build your own approx 20.00 – Buy 119.95 + 15.24 shipping = 135.19 Build/Buy for at least 12f paper size. Do not purchase a 10f box – in the future you will likely want to draw larger.
Pencils
Erasers
Ruler
External Hardrive, large jump drive, or blank DVD's to save work and archive

Copyright

You must receive copyright permission for all non-public domain media used in your film projects. Public domain material can be found at http://www.publicdomain.org/ and http://www.creativecommons.org/. Visit American University's Center for Social Media Website for detailed information regarding the difference between rights infringement and fair use.

Learning Accommodations

In compliance with MCA policy and equal access laws, I am available to discuss appropriate academic accommodations that you may require as a student with a disability. Request for academic accommodations need to be made during the first week of the semester, except for unusual circumstances, so arrangements can be made.

Health and Safety Precautions

As more and more work, education and recreation involves computers, everyone needs to be aware of the hazard of Repetitive Strain Injury to the hands and arms resulting from the use of computer keyboards and mice. This can be a serious and very painful condition that is far easier to prevent than to cure once contracted, and can occur even in young physically fit individuals. Paul Marxhausen – visit his site below

http://rsi.unl.edu/
http://www.mydailyyoga.com/yoga/rsi.html

All students are required to follow the standards detailed in the "EPA Material Handling Protocols

Department and Lab Policies

Immediately submit an online tech request to report any problems with a lab computer or printer. 

Main MCA computing info site = mca.edu/labs  -- go here for answers to frequently asked questions and online tutorials for MCA specific technologies.

No Food or Drinks in Lab.

Keep the Lab Clean. Dispose of all trash -- Paper scraps, old media etc.

Leave your workstation in an orderly fashion. All materials left on the desktop will be deleted. Organize files within the documents folder on your account. Delete your trash from your desktop and trash bin. 

Back up work to an external source. Remember files are only safe if they exist in 3 separate locations. MCA servers are not to be considered secure and used only for temporary storage.  

Log Out of your workstation prior to your departure. Upon your departure, the chair should be pushed in. Your monitor, keyboard and mouse should be placed in their proper positions.