ANI 425 Storyboarding I
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Summary
DePaul
CIM Visual Storytelling
Winter 2015 | Tues 5:45pm-9:00pm | location CDM 527
Instructor: Devin Bell
Office: CDM 512
Email: dbell@cdm.depaul.edu
Phone: (312)362-6156
Office hours: Tues 11am-1pm
Thurs 12-1pm
Vimeo Group (join on first day): https://vimeo.com/groups/ani425winter2015
ANI 425
Course Description:
This class focuses on storyboarding and animatics as key pre-production tools for animation, film, and game development projects. Areas of focus include narrative development, drawing, performance, and editing. Students will apply these techniques to create an animatic: a comprehensive time-based draft for a short film.
Learning Outcomes
1) Students will be able to apply cinematic drawing techniques and editing tools to compile imagery and sound for pre-production.
2) Students will be able to analyze narrative works for the core elements in clear and dynamic stories.
3) Students will be able to effectively plan animation productions utilizing writing, pitching and pre-visualization.
4) Students will be able to create an animatic for a potential short film project.
Texts and Materials
Attendance Policy: Readings will be provided on D2L or as hard copies.
RECOMMENDED TEXTS:
?Screenplay: The Foundations of Screenwriting?
Field, Syd.
?Prepare to Board! Creating Story and Characters for Animation Features and Shorts, 2nd Edition?
Beiman, Nancy.
Absences are not expected to exceed more than 10% (1 absence) of the number of classes scheduled for the term. Any student missing three or more classes will receive an "F" for the quarter. Contact me before class if you are unable to attend. Being late to class two times counts as one absence.
You are responsible for any missed lectures and assignments. If you miss a class, it is still your responsibility to turn in the assignment on time. We have very tight deadlines that are in place to benefit you and your projects. Lecture notes alone will not make up for missed work.
You may not miss the midterm or final class date. Doing so will equal an automatic two letter grade reduction of your final grade. If for some reason you cannot make one of these dates you must contact me BEFORE the class that you must miss. Excuses given after the fact will not be accepted.
No incompletes will be given without documented proof of circumstances beyond your control.
Important dates for Winter 2015:
? Jan 9- last day to add/drop classes
? Jan 16- last day to withdraw with no tuition penalty
? Feb 20- last day to withdraw
Participation
?Quick Clips? One of the best ways to learn in a classroom environment is through active participation in discussions and critiques. In general, we will be following a pattern of creating storyboards or animations and then discussing them in a critique in the following week. When I open up the floor for you to speak, please make the effort to voice your honest and constructive opinion. This will help you learn from your mistakes and progress in your filmmaking.
Students will be signed up for 5-minute time slots during the term to bring in a ?Quick Clip? of their choosing. This brief presentation should be relevant to cinematic storytelling or narrative development. The purpose is to show the class many different sources of inventiveness, so select the 2-3 minute clip that most inspires you.
Class Work Assignments
? Must be completed and fully uploaded through D2L or Vimeo (https://vimeo.com/groups/ani425winter2015) one hour BEFORE class starts. Late assignments will be accepted with teacher discretion only. For most of the boarding projects, you will submit scanned files such as multi-page Word docs, pdfs or jpegs. For all time-based projects I request that you use QuickTime format unless discussed with me previously. Class time is for working with the material at hand, not finishing late assignments.
? Late work will may not be accepted for credit unless approved of PRIOR to the class in which it is due or accompanied by a valid medical excuse.
? Written Assignments: Must be typed.
? Digital Assignments: All assignments handed in digitally must be in the following format (please note upper and lower case usage)
o lastnameFirstname_projectname.extension
o example: bellDevin_projectOne.mov
* BACK UP YOUR WORK: Failure of computer software and/or Hardware will not be accepted as an extenuating circumstance for late projects or incomplete grades so back up your work daily.
* Accommodations/Disabilities: If you have any particular considerations or concerns, please talk to me and/or contact the Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD) at: csd@depaul.edu.
Grading Assignments
(including sketchbook) 80% of grade
Final Project: Animatic 20% of grade
Total 100%
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
Standards for Achievement:
Grade A:
Student performs in an outstanding way. Student exhibits achievement and craftsmanship in all work. Design criteria is exceeded and student challenges him/herself in project design. Student exhibits commitment to expanding ideas, vocabulary and performance.
Grade B:
Student performs beyond the requirement of the project. Student exhibits above average progress and craftsmanship. A design criterion is exceeded. Student exhibits above average interest in expanding idea, vocabulary, and performance.
Grade C:
Criteria of assignment is met, and all requirements are fulfilled. Student shows average quality work and minimum time and effort on projects. Student shows moderate interest.
Grade D:
Student performance is uneven and below average. Requirements for projects are only partially fulfilled. Minimal interest is shown and attendance, participation and involvement are inadequate.
Grade F
Student fails to meet minimum course requirements and shows no interest. Levels of participation and craftsmanship are extremely poor. Student?s attendance is inadequate.
Requesting an incomplete grade:
An incomplete grade may only be assigned to a student if the student has experienced an extenuating circumstance near the end of the term, the student is in good standing in the class, and the request is made in a timely manner.
Cell Phones Use of cell phones in the class and the lab is prohibited. Please turn your phone off before entering class. Mistakes will happen, but repeated failure to turn your phone off will result in a lowered grade for the class. All phone conversations should be conducted outside the class ? don?t disturb those working in the lab and put others in an uncomfortable situation.
Computer Use
Use of lab computers during class is for animation work only. It is unacceptable to check e-mail, browse or social network while class is in session; it's not only rude, but distracting. Repeated misuse of lab computers will result in a lowered grade.
Materials and Supplies Almost all in-class work will be done digitally or on provided paneled paper, 8.5 x 11 sheets. Boarding Templates and reading assignments will be made available through D2L. You will need access to a printer and scanner to complete some of the assignments. The final animatic project will be submitted as a Quicktime file online, on disc or drive. For work in progress, a USB drive or small hard drive is highly recommended.
All hard copies must be labeled clearly with the following information:
-Your name
-The name of the assignment
-The class number and name you are submitting the assignment for
-The term (ex. Winter 2015)
Headphones- Come prepared with your own pair, as we will be working with audio for lip sync and dialogue. Whether working with sound in your project, or simply listening to music while working, you need to be considerate of others and wear headphones. Be aware that if the volume is high enough, others can still hear what you?re listening to despite the headphones. Inconsiderate behavior will result in a lowered grade.
Sketchbook- Purchase a comfortable travel-sized sketchbook. Weekly sketchbook studies are usually required in addition to the homework assignments. Unless a specific theme or challenge is assigned, these studies may be anything of your choosing- from life drawings to imaginary doodles. Get into the habit of recording things visually with a pen or pencil. We may do sketchbook work in class, so never leave home without it.
Schedule
This schedule is subject to change throughout the term, and will be adapted to fit the needs of the students.
Unless otherwise noted, all assignments will be submitted online 1 hour prior to class. Assignments may be submitted earlier.
Lecture Assignment
Jan 6
Introduction
Cinematic language, pre-production and storyboards
Flash/Photoshop demo and workshop
Storyboard assignment 1
join class Vimeo Group
Jan 13
Critique sketchbooks & storyboard assignment 1
Staging, silhouettes and storytelling images in illustration, cinema and games
Silhouette panel project
Jan 20 Critique silhouette panel projects
Narrative structure, creating mood and tone
Layout and adding vitality to boards
?Next 5? assignment
Jan 27
Critique ?next 5? assignments
Translating scripts to visuals
?Script to Boards?
Feb 3 Critique ?Script to Boards? assignments
-Character Performance, acting in boards
-Audio and editing with dialogue
Flash/After Effects workshop
Dialogue Animatic- fully rendered with sound
Feb 10 Critique Dialogue Animatics
Advanced staging and camera moves
Depth, light and color
?3 Camera Moves?
Feb 17
Critique ?3 Camera Moves?
World-building (character and environmental design)
Character Design
Feb 24
Critique Character Designs
-Montage, music and efficient storytelling
-Using tension, contrast and structure to build character-based situations
Go Over Final Project requirements (30-sec pitch)
Begin Final Project- ?Rough Beat Boards?
Mar 3
Critique Rough Beat Boards
Improvisation, story teams, ?trust the process?
Improve beat boards, begin cont. boards and cut to rough animatic
You will be turning in Sketchbooks before the final
Mar 10
Turn in Sketchbooks
In-progress critiques on final
Finessing animatics, editing and sound mix
Continue editing final project
Finals Week
Mar 17
Final
ATTENDANCE MANDATORY
(Pick up Sketchbooks)
NOTE: CLASS WILL BE HELD IN SAME ROOM Thursday, March 17, 5:45pm-9:00pm
Final Projects (rendered Quicktimes with sound)
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