Undergraduate Course: What's Up Doc? Introducing Animation Studies (DESI08088)
Course Outline
| School | Edinburgh College of Art |
College | College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences |
| Credit level (Normal year taken) | SCQF Level 8 (Year 2 Undergraduate) |
Availability | Available to all students |
| SCQF Credits | 20 |
ECTS Credits | 10 |
| Summary | This course introduces students to the pervasive nature of animation by examining key texts in both historic and contemporary culture and to interrogate the significance of the form. Drawing on current discourse in animation studies, the course will enable students to think about the connection between animation and other moving image and visual cultural artefacts in a critically engaged way. |
| Course description |
Animation remains a comparatively neglected area within Film and Visual Cultural Studies. Despite animation's important links to a range of other disciplines (including cinema, illustration and painting) many exclude 'cartoons' from the traditional pantheon of 'Art', or from the more recent one of 'Visual Culture'. This course aims to challenge such patronising assumptions. It will help participants to grasp some of the key historical, technological, aesthetic and ideological debates and developments that pertain to animation. What's Up Doc? emphasises both animation's specificity - the medium's distinctiveness as a visual cultural form and tradition - and its permeability - the marked extent to which animation has been and is influenced by, but also itself influences, other visual media and traditions.
The course is delivered through weekly lectures and seminars. Each week students will be required to undertake research activities as part of their directed learning hours, for presentation or discussion in seminar and in preparation for the final submission.
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Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
| Pre-requisites |
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Co-requisites | |
| Prohibited Combinations | |
Other requirements | This Course does not require any additional costs to be met by the Student. |
| Additional Costs | This Course does not require any additional costs to be met by the Student. |
Information for Visiting Students
| Pre-requisites | None |
| High Demand Course? |
Yes |
Course Delivery Information
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| Academic year 2026/27, Available to all students (SV1)
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Quota: 0 |
| Course Start |
Semester 1 |
Timetable |
Timetable |
| Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) |
Total Hours:
200
(
Lecture Hours 10,
Seminar/Tutorial Hours 10,
Feedback/Feedforward Hours 2,
Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 4,
Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours
174 )
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| Assessment (Further Info) |
Written Exam
0 %,
Coursework
100 %,
Practical Exam
0 %
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| Additional Information (Assessment) |
SUMMATIVE Assessment
Portfolio (100%) submitted at the end of the course and evidencing all Learning Outcomes.
Learning Outcomes are weighted as:
LO1 35%
LO2 35%
LO3 30%
All Learning Outcomes must be passed to pass the course.
SUMMATIVE Assessment details
Portfolio should include:
- Blog post,
- Critical film review,
- Critical book review.
These will be compiled and submitted as one PDF and total 2000 words.
Resit Information
The resubmission assessment is the same as the original submission for this course. |
| Feedback |
FORMATIVE
Formative feedback will be offered throughout the course and in a variety of formats, including written and/or orally at formative submission point(s), tutorials, and other activities.
SUMMATIVE
Final course grades and written feedback will be provided at the end of the course. |
| No Exam Information |
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Use a variety of appropriate research approaches to show an understanding and awareness of the subject of animation studies.
- Undertake an analysis and evaluation of selected examples or practitioners to demonstrate an understanding of the significance of animation.
- Convey your findings in an articulate and appropriately illustrated portfolio of writing which communicates your understanding of key issues in animation studies.
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Reading List
The a to z of animation and cartoons - Nichola Dobson 2010
A reader in animation studies - Jayne Pilling, Society of Animation Studies 1997
Understanding Animation - Paul Wells 1998 (Electronic Resource)
The animation bible: a guide to everything from flipbooks to Flash - Maureen Furniss 2008
Art in motion: animation aesthetics - Maureen Furniss 1998 |
Additional Information
| Graduate Attributes and Skills |
Upon completion of the course students will:
Be able to identify, define and analyse problems and identify or create processes to solve them and be able to critically assess existing understanding and the limitations of their own knowledge;
Be open to new ideas, methods and ways of thinking;
Make effective use of oral, written and visual means to critique, negotiate, create and communicate understanding.
Be able to flexibly transfer their knowledge, learning, skills and abilities from one context to another; understand social, cultural, global and environmental responsibilities and issues. |
| Keywords | Animation studies,performance,advertising,installation,animation history,identity,visual culture |
Contacts
| Course organiser | Dr Nichola Dobson
Tel: (0131 6)51 5964
Email: N.Dobson@ed.ac.uk |
Course secretary | Miss Linsey McEwan
Tel: (01316) 515448
Email: lmcewan2@ed.ac.uk |
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