Undergraduate Course: Animation 1B Principles (DESI08077)
Course Outline
| School | Edinburgh College of Art |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 8 (Year 1 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Not available to visiting students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course will serve as a basic primer in key animation principles, production methods and techniques. Following on from Animation 1A Introduction, the course further builds and expands fundamental technical and conceptual knowledge and understanding that is vital for sustained practice as an animator. |
| Course description |
This course will cover:
An exploration of concepts around future technologies and methods of animation production and consumption using the human figure and character as central point.
Technical workshops that introduce the concepts of looped and layered animation and composition
Introduction to notions of sustainable production, and re-use of assets
Applying soundtracks to visuals.
Introduction to methods and processes of implied animation
This course will comprise multiple projects, usually four, but not exclusively. Students will receive verbal feedback during each project.
Illustrative examples of possible projects include (but are not limited to): walk cycles, syncopation, repetitive animation, cycles, loops, recombination of images, and movement. The emphasis will be on long-form film, working with scenes and shots as separate constituent parts of a visual narrative.
Development of these projects, and evaluation of production method and of personal performance, will be documented through the introduction of online journals, supplemented with the provision of clearly cited reference sources both textual and visual.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | If this course is Core to your programme, you will automatically be enrolled. For all other students, including Design students please contact the Course Organiser if you wish to enrol. Students must have passed DESI08078 Animation 1A to be able to enrol in this course.
Students taking this course must have a basic grasp of frame by frame animation techniques which demonstrates an understanding of timing and spacing, for example animating a bouncing ball. Students would also need to demonstrate a basic understanding of the technical package Adobe Premiere Pro.
Students will be required to provide:
Drawing and painting materials (pens, pencils, crayons, charcoal, markers, paper, sketch pads for example.)
Sculpting materials (wire, modelling clay, balsa wood for example.)
Animation supplies (Peg bar, animation paper and cels for example.)
Mini sun A3 lightbox
The list above is an example, and is by no means exhaustive. This Course does not require any additional costs to be met by the Student beyond the yearly programme cost for materials. Equipment and software: Most equipment and software required will be provided by the School, but the Student will be expected to provide some specialist equipment including a laptop.
Materials: Students will be expected to fund the purchase of general art and design materials, such as sketchbooks, paper and pens. Students will be expected to fund the purchase of some specialist materials required by their course e.g. peg bars, plasticine, animation paper etc.
Course Organisers will support you in meeting intended learning outcomes while keeping material costs to a minimum, but students will be expected to fund optional material costs as necessary for their own project work.
Printing: Students are expected to fund occasional printing and binding of work.
To fully participate in this programme students are recommended to budget a minimum of £50 for each year of study
BA(Hons) Animation
Year 1 - £50.00
Year 2 - £50.00
Year 3 - £50.00
Year 4 - £50.00 |
| Additional Costs | Students will be required to provide:
Drawing and painting materials (pens, pencils, crayons, charcoal, markers, paper, sketch pads for example.)
Sculpting materials (wire, modelling clay, balsa wood for example.)
Animation supplies (Peg bar, animation paper and cels for example.)
Mini sun A3 lightbox
The list above is an example, and is by no means exhaustive. This Course does not require any additional costs to be met by the Student beyond the yearly programme cost for materials. Equipment and software: Most equipment and software required will be provided by the School, but the Student will be expected to provide some specialist equipment including a laptop.
Materials: Students will be expected to fund the purchase of general art and design materials, such as sketchbooks, paper and pens. Students will be expected to fund the purchase of some specialist materials required by their course e.g. peg bars, plasticine, animation paper etc.
Course Organisers will support you in meeting intended learning outcomes while keeping material costs to a minimum, but students will be expected to fund optional material costs as necessary for their own project work.
Printing: Students are expected to fund occasional printing and binding of work.
To fully participate in this programme students are recommended to budget a minimum of £50 for each year of study
BA(Hons) Animation
Year 1 - £50.00
Year 2 - £50.00
Year 3 - £50.00
Year 4 - £50.00 |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2026/27, Not available to visiting students (SS1)
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Quota: 0 |
| Course Start |
Semester 2 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 4,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 6,
Supervised Practical/Workshop/Studio Hours 20,
Feedback/Feedforward Hours 1,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
165 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
SUMMATIVE Assessment(s)
Portfolio (100%) submitted at the end of the course and evidencing all Learning Outcomes.
Learning Outcomes are weighted as:
LO1 40%
LO2 40%
LO3 20%
All Learning Outcomes must be passed to pass the course.
SUMMATIVE Assessment details
Portfolio should include:
1) A portfolio of film making and animation tests. This moving image work should consist of finished films, experiments and work in progress and should demonstrate iterative methods and evidence technical and aesthetic development.
Approximate duration of animation should be no less than 1 minute.
2) A research journal showing research that has led to the development of the films submitted and documentation of method and progress. Physical work is accepted but should be digitised for online presentation and submission. Journal should include contextualisation annotation and reflective commentary on your work.
Resit Information
The resubmission assessment is the same as the original submission for this course. |
| Feedback |
FORMATIVE
Ongoing feedback and guidance will be given continually throughout the semester during timetabled classes as part of our teaching. This will come from animation staff, but also from your fellow students.
Formative feedback will be given verbally mid-course after your formative group presentation.
This will be a small group presentation where your work to date will be presented to your staff and peers. In case of the absence of a physical venue this will take place online. Your online journal and work in progress can form the basis of this presentation, or you may want to build a purpose made presentation
SUMMATIVE
Feedback will be given in a written format along with grades against Learning Outcomes via LEARN VLE. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- DEVELOP: Demonstrate an ability to improve competence and efficiency with various animation techniques.
- EXTEND: Demonstrate creative ambition and imagination in producing animated film work in response to project briefs.
- COLLATE: Demonstrate the ability to collate and communicate relevant and diverse sources for research.
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Reading List
Wells, P. The Fundamentals of Animation. AVA Publishing (2006)
Williams, R. The Animator's Survival Kit. Revised Edition. Faber & Faber (2009)
Van Sijll, J. Cinematic Storytelling: The 100 Most Powerful Film Conventions Every Filmmaker Must Know. Michael Wiese Productions (2005)
Rousseau, D. and B. Philips. Storyboarding Essentials, SCAD Creative Essentials. Watson Guptill (2013)
Muybridge, E. The Human Figure In Motion. Dover Publications (1955)
Heil, L. Animation Sketchbooks. Thames & Hudson (2013) |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Documentation, organisation, systematisation, reflection, analysis, evaluation, creativity |
| Keywords | Animation,Film,Research,Collaboration,Teamwork,Processes,Efficiency,Re-use,sustainability |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Mrs Rachel Everitt
Tel: (0131 6)51 5964
Email: r.everitt@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Mrs Carrie Parker
Tel:
Email: Carrie.Parker@ed.ac.uk |
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