ANI 421 Animation Mechanics
Summary
Course Description
Students in this course will rigorously investigate the foundational aspects of animation through traditional and digital methods. Basic principles, including timing, spacing and the abstraction of movement, will be analyzed and questioned through experimentation. Students will experience how the process of making work can be used to generate emergent ideas, and be challenged to push the art form beyond the accepted conventions.
This class will focus on the abstraction and caricature of how the world works. We?ll use simple hand-drawn animation in Flash to explore the methods developed by traditional and experimental animators. Each week?s class will follow a similar schedule:
Critique of homework assignment
Discussion of readings, viewings and concepts/techniques
In-class exercises exploring concepts/techniques
Assignment of homework assignment, which will incorporate concepts/techniques explored in class
The animation concepts, techniques and exercises will include as many of the following as we can fit into the quarter:
Bouncing ball
Arm point
Punch
Jump
Follow through
Overlap
Lifting
Toppling objects
Straight ahead
Pose-to-pose
Walks
Expressive walks
Breaking the joint
Sneaks
Runs
Winged flight
Quadrupeds
Vibrations
Takes/accents
Fire
Smoke
Water
Explosions
Wave and whip motions
Each topic will begin with a discussion and demonstration. Then everyone will work through the process in class. After this we?ll look under the hood to see how each principle works and how to make adjustments, and then try it out.
The reason we?re using hand-drawn Flash is because it?s the fastest way to visualize the concepts while allowing for easy adjustments. We?re not focusing on the drawing (stick-figures will work), but on the principles that can be applied across all animation methods and media.
Learning
Goals
Hands-on knowledge of the animation foundational concepts, including timing and spacing, staging, weight, anticipation, observation, squash and stretch, and arcs.
Appreciation of the pedagogical value of classic animation exercises, including the bouncing ball, sack of flour, and walk cycle.
Familiarity with basic animation processes, including straight-ahead, pose-to-pose, extremes and in-betweens, morphing, ease out and ease in.
Experience with the timing and spacing of effects animation.
Texts
Bibliography
Required Texts:
The Animator's Survival Kit (ASK), Second Edition, by Richard Williams. Faber, 2009.
Timing for Animation, Second Edition, by Harold Whitaker and John Halas. Focal Press, 2009.
Online Videos
We are lucky to have the entire Richard Williams Animation Masterclass videos available for you to watch online. This is an incredible resource that passes down the craft developed during the golden age of Disney and Warner Brothers, and you will be expected to watch these videos outside of class to prepare for lectures.
Richard Williams Animator?s Survival Kit Videos
http://cdmflash.cdm.depaul.edu/coltube/movie
Grading
Attendance
Student absences are not expected to exceed more than 10% (1 absence) of the number of the classes scheduled for the semester. A second absence will result in the lowering of your final grade one full letter. Any student missing 3 classes will be given a grade of ?F? for the semester.
Tardiness is defined as not in the classroom when attendance is called or departing before the class has been formally dismissed by the instructor. Tardiness that exceeds thirty minutes will be counted as an absence. TWO late arrivals or early departures, or a combination of both, are counted as one absence.
Class Work
This class is project-based and work-intensive. Your grade will be based on in-class and homework projects. Do work, have fun. Work more. Get tired.
All assignments and grades will be listed on our Course Online site:https://col.cdm.depaul.edu
Software
This class will mostly involve drawn animation in Flash.
Critiques
Unless I tell you otherwise, assigned work must be completed and submitted through Course On Line 30 minutes BEFORE class starts. Handing in something unfinished is always better than nothing at all. Attendance at critiques is important for feedback, so your project grade will be lowered if you aren?t there, whether you?ve handed the project in or not:
Missing critique: project grade lowered by half a grade, even if project submitted on time.
Project not submitted in time for critique: project grade lowered one full grade, and an additional grade for each additional class until submitted
Missing final critique: final project grade lowered by one full grade
Final project not submitted in time for critique: lowered two full grades
All assignments will be posted on our Course On Line site:https://col.cdm.depaul.edu
Grading
40% In-class work
48% Weekly projects
12% Final project
A = 100-93, A- = 92-90, B+ = 89-88, B = 87-83, B- = 82-80, C+ = 79-78, C = 77-73, C- = 72-70, D+ = 69-68, D = 67-63, D- = 62-60, F = 59-0.
A indicates excellence, B indicates good work, C indicates satisfactory work, D work is unsatisfactory in some respect, F is substantially unsatisfactory work.
Facebook, etc.
Don?t use facebook, games or email during lectures and critiques. It?s distracting and impolite. If this happens we may turn all the monitors off.
Academic Integrity
Work done for this course must adhere to the DePaul University Academic Integrity Policy, which you can review in the Student Handbook or by visitinghttp://studentaffairs.depaul.edu/homehandbook.html.
School policies:
Online Teaching Evaluation
Evaluations are a way for students to provide valuable feedback regarding their instructor and the course. Detailed feedback will enable the instructor to continuously tailor teaching methods and course content to meet the learning goals of the course and the academic needs of the students. They are a requirement of the course and are key to continue to provide you with the highest quality of teaching. The evaluations are anonymous; the instructor and administration do not track who entered what responses. A program is used to check if the student completed the evaluations, but the evaluation is completely separate from the student?s identity. Since 100% participation is our goal, students are sent periodic reminders over three weeks. Students do not receive reminders once they complete the evaluation. Students complete the evaluation online in CampusConnect.
Email
Email is the primary means of communication between faculty and students enrolled in this course outside of class time. Students should be sure their email listed under "demographic information" atCampusConnect is correct.
Academic Integrity Policy
This course will be subject to the academic integrity policy passed by faculty. More information can be found at http://academicintegrity.depaul.edu/
Plagiarism
The university and school policy on plagiarism can be summarized as follows: Students in this course should be aware of the strong sanctions that can be imposed against someone guilty of plagiarism. If proven, a charge of plagiarism could result in an automatic F in the course and possible expulsion. The strongest of sanctions will be imposed on anyone who submits as his/her own work any assignment which has been prepared by someone else. If you have any questions or doubts about what plagiarism entails or how to properly acknowledge source materials be sure to consult the instructor.
Incomplete
An incomplete grade is given only for an exceptional reason such as a death in the family, a serious illness, etc. Any such reason must be documented. Any incomplete request must be made at least two weeks before the final, and approved by the Dean of the College of Computing and Digital Media. Any consequences resulting from a poor grade for the course will not be considered as valid reasons for such a request.
Resources for Students with Disabilities
Students who feel they may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact the instructor privately to discuss their specific needs. All discussions will remain confidential.
To ensure that you receive the most appropriate accommodation based on your needs, contact the instructor as early as possible in the quarter (preferably within the first week of class), and make sure that you have contacted the Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD) at:
Student Center, LPC, Suite #370
Phone number: (773)325.1677
Fax: (773)325.3720
TTY: (773)325.7296
Proposed Schedule
Schedule
Most classes will follow the same schedule. We?ll start by critiquing the previous assignment. Then we?ll discuss the next topic and watch animations that show it in depth. You will do an in-class version of the assignment which we?ll then view and critique. We?ll then discuss the larger project, which in most cases you?ll have one week to complete. The final project will be assigned over 2 weeks, and is due at the final critique. This plan may change in response to the needs of the class (you).
SCHEDULE
This schedule is subject to change throughout the semester
and will be adapted to fit the needs of the students.
9/17
Bouncing ball, rotating thrown object, whips and waves, vibrate
9/24
Jumps, anticipation, follow through, smear, overlap, squash & stretch
10/1
Walks
10/8
Walks
10/15
Sneaks, runs
10/22
Winged flight, punch, takes and accents
10/29
Lifting weight, object topple
11/5
Fire, explosion, lightning
11/12
Smoke, water, wind
11/19
Individual meetings, in-progress final project.
11/26: FINAL CLASS _ ATTENDANCE MANDATORY
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.
Evaluations are a way for students to provide valuable feedback regarding their instructor and the course. Detailed feedback will enable the instructor to continuously tailor teaching methods and course
content to meet the learning goals of the course and the academic needs of the students. They are a requirement of the course and are key to continue to provide you with the highest quality of teaching. The
evaluations are anonymous; the instructor and administration do not track who entered what responses. A program is used to check if the student completed the evaluations, but the evaluation is completely
separate from the student’s identity. Since 100% participation is our goal, students are sent periodic reminders over three weeks. Students do not receive reminders once they complete the evaluation.
Students complete the evaluation online in CampusConnect.
This course will be subject to the university's academic integrity policy. More information can be found at http://academicintegrity.depaul.edu/ If you
have any questions be sure to consult with your professor.
All students are expected to abide by the University's Academic Integrity Policy which prohibits cheating and other misconduct in student coursework. Publicly sharing or posting online any prior or current materials from this course (including exam questions or answers), is considered to be providing unauthorized assistance prohibited by the policy. Both students who share/post and students who access or use such materials are considered to be cheating under the Policy and will be subject to sanctions for violations of Academic Integrity.
All students are required to manage their class schedules each term in accordance with the deadlines for enrolling and withdrawing as indicated in the University Academic Calendar. Information on enrollment, withdrawal, grading and incompletes can be found at http://www.cdm.depaul.edu/Current%20Students/Pages/PoliciesandProcedures.aspx.
Students who feel they may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact the instructor privately to discuss their specific needs. All discussions will remain confidential.
To ensure that you receive the most appropriate accommodation based on your needs, contact the instructor as early as possible in the quarter (preferably within the first week of class), and make sure that
you have contacted the Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD) at:
Lewis Center 1420, 25 East Jackson Blvd.
Phone number: (312)362-8002
Fax: (312)362-6544
TTY: (773)325.7296