ANI 460 Animation Graduate Seminar
Summary
ANI 460 - Animation Graduate Seminar
2013 Autumn Quarter, Wednesdays 5:45 - 9 p.m.
Instructor: Lisa Barcy
lbarcy@depaul.edu
Office Hours: Friday ? hours vary-email me.
Prerequisites: none
Course Objectives: This seminar will explore the animator's role in contemporary culture, including but not limited to, careers in entertainment, fine art, and gaming. We will also take an in-depth look at the historical and sociological context of various genres of animation. A combination of animation analysis in the form of analysis papers, guest speakers, group discussion and creative projects will help students lay a foundation for graduate study in the field. This is an excellent opportunity to explore the many directions one can take with animation as their medium.
Recommended Reading: A Short Guide to Writing About Film, 7th ed., Timothy Corrigan
Re-Imagining Animation: The Changing Face of Animation by Paul Wells and Johnny Hardstaff
I also recommend Animation in Process, by Andrew Selby for an in depth look at behind the scenes of many contemporary animators practices. (There are cheap copies available on Amazon!)
Expectations: This is a class where you will write something practically every week. Keep in mind that the majority of your grade is based on your writing.
Students will watch a variety of films each week based on a chosen theme or artistic approach and be able to write about films with the intent to discuss not only technique, but the animator?s intent, and to bring a historical or social context to the work. Animation does not exist in a vacuum so your writing should not be limited to discussing technique alone.
You?ll also be writing responses to the reading material. Think of these as your notes, something to refer to when discussing the reading in class. With that in mind you can write in bullet points or paragraphs, which ever you feel more comfortable.
Whenever possible, I will make a list of animation-related events. If there are enough of them you will be required to choose from the list and go to at least one of these events, and write about it in lieu of a film analysis paper. If there are only a couple events during the quarter I will make this optional.
Lastly?
Please read the guidelines for writing reaction and film analysis papers (2 separate docs in the Documents section of COLweb.)
Class Presentations: Students in the Animation Graduate Seminar are asked to do a short (10 minutes, max.) presentation on their work and interests at an assigned class meeting. The presentation should be very informal, and can include screening past work and discussion of influences, or work in progress.
Class Participation: The participation grade is taken seriously, and students should expect to contribute opinions and observations to every in-class discussion.
Creative Response Animation Project (Your Final): This is a 15 - 30 second (min.) animation in the technique of your choice that is based on your creative interpretation of the materials presented in class. Choose one aspect from the following ? a lecture, a film screened, a student presentation, and a reading assignment, that resonated with you in some way. Using these four elements create a short animation. This does not have to be a high-tech, complicated project. It can be narrative, non-narrative, surreal, abstract, morphy, poetic or completely silly, or a combination of these. It is more about how an idea is presented, and your own process, rather than sophisticated technique, so make sure it is something feasible given the time limit. Sound is required. Submit a one page paper describing how you developed your project, what you?re reacting to, specifically. Treatments are OK too.
Attendance Policy: Two absences are allowed with the third negatively affecting your grade. Being more than 15 minutes late qualifies as half an absence. Frequent lateness or absence will result in an F for the course.
The Writing Center is a great resource for those of you who might need assistance with any aspect of writing for this class. I recommend it to everyone. Should your writing demonstrate early on that it could use some help, I may require you to go before handing in your research paper. I would rather you go there first before giving you a mediocre grade, rather than force you to do a rewrite later. All papers can be revised once for a better grade provided they are submitted one week after I have given you the first grade. A better grade is not guaranteed, only if significant improvements have been made. All assignments should be posted on COLweb as well as a hard copy turned in. www.depaul.edu/writing
Find Course Reserve readings here: http://eres.lib.depaul.edu
What you need to bring to class:
? Your written assignments
? The ability to accept constructive criticism and change.
? Your brain - filled with the weeks previous reading materials
? Questions for discussion or for the guest artists- lots and lots of them. This class is dependent on its participants bringing issues to the table for us to discuss so now is not the time to be shy.
Papers and Homework/ Grading Breakdown:
- 2 Film Analysis papers ? these should be short, 2 page papers based on film(s) screened in class, or posted in the Links section of COLweb. Double-space please. (20% total)
- Animation Related Event paper ? 10%
- 3 Reading Reaction Papers ? 5 points each (15%)
- ?Outside your comfort zone? paper ? 2-3 page paper about any work of art outside your
- chosen medium. 15%
- Classroom presentation ? 5%
- Class participation- 5%
- Written response to at least one of our guest speakers. ? 5
- Creative Response Animation and Treatment ? 25%
Total ? 100 points
Class Schedule ? subject to revision as needed
?Week 1 ? 9/11
- Introduction to the class, the syllabus and each other. Discuss the various options for animators and the many avenues we will explore throughout the quarter. Determine order of student presentations. View projects of interest. In class project.
Discuss writing assignments and final project.
Assignment:
Reading Reaction #1: http://www.awn.com/articles/people/what-great-animation
Typed and a hard copy handed in next week. Post on COLweb too.
?Week 2 ? 9/18
Discuss reading material, hand in reactions.
Student presentations of the day (2). Guest Speaker ? Game designer Alan Turner
Practical information on how the biz works and what potential employers want to see (or don't) in your portfolio.
Reading Reaction 2: From A Short Guide to Writing About Films. 1 page ? this can be in bullet point form.
?Week 3 ? 9/25
Discuss reading material, Student presentations
Independent Films: Making them and what to do once you've finished one. Writing about your own work. Navigating the festival circuit, finding the right ones for your film.
Applying for grants - what to put on your grant application.
Assignment: Film analysis paper #1. Due next week
?Week 4 ? 10/2
Film Analysis Paper #1 due, Student presentations
Guest speaker ? Animator and filmmaker Chris Sullivan
Reading Assignment: Reading reaction #2 ? Form and Function in the 21st Century
http://journal.animationstudies.org/colleen-montgomery-woodys-roundup-and-walles-wunderkammer/
http://journal.animationstudies.org/michael-daubs-subversive-or-submissive/
?Week 5 ? 10/9
Discuss reading material, Student presentations
Today?s guest speaker ? Animator Stuart Marsh
Assignment:
Film Analysis #2 ? Due Oct. 16
ALSO: 2 page analysis paper on a work of art that is outside your medium (live-action, musical, painting,
sculpture, architecture, performance, etc.) Due October 23
?Week 6 ? 10/16
Second film analysis due, student presentations
Guest Speaker ? Meghann Artes
Discuss Final Project ? The Creative Response Animation
Assignment:
Due next week: ?Outside Your Medium? aka ?Outside Your Comfort Zone? paper. 2-3 pages, double spaced
Reading Reaction # 3 ? http://journal.animationstudies.org/samantha-moore-animating-unique-brain-states/
?Week 7 ? 10/23
Outside Your Medium paper and reading reaction due today.
Student presentations
Guest Speaker- maybe
View works-in -progress
Assignment: Begin production on your Creative Response Animation ? This can be in the form of storyboards, writing, or just diving right in and working intuitively. But you must have something tangible that is obviously a week?s worth of work for next week to present in class.
?Week 8 ? 10/30
View Works in progress - Animate, animate, animate!
Guest speaker: Chad Hudson - Leviathan
Work on Final
?Week 9 ? 11/6
Work on Final.
Everything must be finished and ready to screen for class next week. Late submissions are automatically marked down one letter grade.
?Week 10 ? 11/13
- Work on Final.
Final Screening of Creative Response Animations next week.
FINALS WEEK -11/20 - No one is late, or still working and everything is ready to screen (not sitting in a program). Critique ? give praise, and constructive feedback. Have a good break.
SUGGESTED ANIMATION RELATED EVENTS
Erin Cosgrove ? Thursday, Oct. 3
http://www.saic.edu/cate/currentschedule/erin-cosgrove.html
Jodie Mack ? Thursday, Oct. 31
http://www.saic.edu/cate/currentschedule/jodie-mack.html
The Eyeworks Festival of Experimental Animation ? DePaul?s CDM theater ? Date TBA
ANIMATION EVENTS ? Fall Quarter, 2013
Eyeworks 2012
The third edition of the Eyeworks Festival of Experimental Animation will take place in Chicago on October 27-28, at the Chicago Cultural Center and DePaul University School of CIM. http://www.eyeworksfestival.com/
This syllabus is subject to change as necessary during the quarter. If a change occurs, it will be thoroughly addressed during class, posted under Announcements in D2L and sent via email.
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Lewis Center 1420, 25 East Jackson Blvd.
Phone number: (312)362-8002
Fax: (312)362-6544
TTY: (773)325.7296