Undergraduate Course: Introduction to Digital Animation (LLLA07262)
Course Outline
| School | Centre for Open Learning |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 7 (Year 1 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 10 |
ECTS Credits | 5 |
| Summary | This course will introduce students to the basic techniques and approaches to digital animation to develop creative ideas through the moving image. Students will learn the basic skills of 2D digital animation by establishing a working knowledge of Adobe Photoshop and Adobe After Effects using Mac computers. Through a range of hands-on exercises, such as Stop-frame and 'puppet tools', students will gain essential knowledge of using a storyboard, setting up an environment or composition and working with sound to make short animated sequences. |
| Course description |
1) Academic Description
The aim of this course is to develop students basic skills and knowledge of Adobe Photoshop and After Effects for creating short animation projects. Beginning with project-led tasks and exercises, exploring and employing various Adobe techniques, students will begin to develop their individual styles, before embarking on a self-directed project. It is expected that those students taking the course will be able to work on a Mac computer.
The chronological order of this course is structured around the stages of animation production, in order to guide students from the start to finish of a short animation project. The teaching of pre-production, production, and post-production concepts will be supported by in-class exercises. Students will be encouraged to create animation content in their own time through directed study projects supported through guided demonstrations and introduction to relevant techniques and software within the class, as well as supported by contextual references as and when appropriate. Studio exercises will take place in a computer lab equipped with Adobe Photoshop and After Effects.
2) Outline Content
Students will, throughout the duration of this class, gain competency in several animation areas. Supported through in-class exercises, these will include:
- Idea generation and story planning.
- Review of other animators and effective animation pieces from throughout history.
- Research and development of assets.
- Basics of animation, frames, timing, spacing, including camera movement and lighting.
- Animation planning by use of storyboards.
- Sound recording and voiceover.
- Animation techniques, animating assets, sequencing, puppet tool.
- Visual storytelling using editing and effective use of After Effects.
- Basic sound design using After Effects and Audition.
- Rendering and exporting animation clips.
- Group critiques and individual formative feedback.
3) Student Learning Experience
Students will be taught as a group, taking them through the various stages of creating a successful animation piece, although developing assets and animating scenes as directed study exercises will be encouraged. The class exercises will give students the opportunity to learn the basics of animation and develop an ability to use digital processes to form a short piece of work. One-on-one discussion of student projects and interests will support student learning, as well as class critiques on work created during the course which will be contextualised, showcasing animators works to inspire but also challenge the student viewpoints.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | None |
Course Delivery Information
| Not being delivered |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Demonstrate a contextual awareness and critical thinking for a range of animation approaches to support the planning of a project.
- Demonstrate an applied knowledge for using a range of Adobe Photoshop and After Effect Skills, using sound appropriately to complement the work.
- Show appropriate judgement to create, edit and produce a short, 1-3 minute animation sequence.
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Reading List
Recommended
Adobe Creative Team, 2012 Adobe After Effects CS6 Classroom in a Book Adobe.
Adobe Creative Team, 2012 Adobe Photoshop CS6 Classroom in a Book Adobe.
ROBINSON, C. (2010). Animators unearthed: A guide to the best of contemporary animation New York: Continuum.
SELBY, A. (2009). Animation in process. London: Laurence King.
WELLS, P., 1998, Understanding Animation Routledge. |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
- Ability to make basic use of Photoshop and After Effects
- Ability to make short digital animations
- Ability to undertake research and reflective practice and apply these in the context of animation within visual culture
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| Keywords | Animation,Digital,Design,After Effects,Photoshop,audiovisual media,project based |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Mr Oliver Reed
Tel:
Email: Oliver.Reed@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mr John Ethcuit
Tel: (0131 6)50 3409
Email: jethcuit@exseed.ed.ac.uk |
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