Current Film - Cutout Animated Film - Due Wednesday, November 5th
Check out "brickfilms" see some good (and bad) animated Lego films.
Read about the "making of" one of the "winners"
November 6 - begin stop-motion film - topic "winter"
Requirements:
MUST use Legos
Animation MUST be smooth
MUST have sound and sound effects
MUST be 2 minutes long
Due dates:
November 7th (end of the class)
Story and storyboard completed and turned in. Storyboard must be colored.
November 20th
Filming must be completed
December 3rd
Film is complete - credits, sound, everything. Save as quicktime full quality and drop in the teacher dropbox.
What is needed for this course:
Fine line pen (a black gel or roller ball pen is good)
Extra Fine-point sharpie marker (black)
colored pencils
headphones (absolutely necessary)
Legos (for the second 9 weeks)
This course is an introduction to animation as an art form! Students will be participating in individual and group work that leads to the production of several animated films.
The first 9 weeks are devoted to the study of the history of animation, from early animation devices to flip books. Students will learn to storyboard, develop an idea and create an animated film.
The second 9 weeks are an exploration of the various types of animation – object animation and cutout animation. Students will form production companies to create and edit films using the various animation methods
Goals
* To give the students the opportunity to work in groups and experience the different stages of cooperative work as they interact with other group members to complete their films.
* To have the students experiment with the various types of animation.
* To have the students develop an understanding of the animation process and the various jobs that are necessary to create an animated film.
* To have the students use their previous knowledge of story writing and storyboarding to create a short, yet engaging and cohesive animated film.
Student goals:
1. Work cooperatively and function in a group environment.
2. To use the animation techniques learned in the classroom.
3. To create an animated film using cutout animation or object animation.
4. To use creativity and technology to animate their films.
5. To share their films and reflect on them.
Technology
Students will learn how to use digital cameras, iPhoto, iTunes, and iMovie to create animated films.
WHAT SHOULD BE IN THE CREDITS OF YOUR FILM
Credits for all movies
Make sure that we can read them – not too small – not too fast
NEVER USE THE TYPEWRITER TITLE EFFECT (WHERE THE LETTERS COME IN, ONE AT A TIME)Beginning of the Movie:
Name of your production company + logo
Name of the movie
Ending credits (should be scrolling/rolling credits or something that is easy to read )
Name of the movie
Created by…
Animated by….
Producer...
Editor….
Music…. (type in the name of the group & song)Plus, any other credits you want to add.
The very last thing on the credits should be:
Copyright
Name of your production company
Ayers Animation Company 2008
Animation Vocabulary
Animation
A filmmaking technique where the illusion of motion is created frame-by-frame. The word comes from the Latin word, "anima," meaning "life" or "soul".
Animator
The person who draws the moving character in an animated film.
Background
A flat piece of artwork that is the setting for a moving character in an animated film. A background could be a picture of a forest, a sky, a room, or a castle.
Cel
A clear piece of plastic on which the animator's finished drawings are painted. The cel is clear so that when placed over the background, the animated characters appear to be in a setting.
Frame
An individual still picture on a strip of film. 24 frames equal one second of a motion picture.
Frame-by-frame
The filmmaking technique in animation where each frame is exposed one at a time and the object being photographed is slightly altered for each picture.
Ink and Paint
The step in cel animation where the animator's drawings are placed on cels to be photographed. A drawing is outlined on the front of the cel with black ink, while the back of the cel is painted.
Kinestasis (Kin-e-sta'-sis)
An animation technique using a series of still photographs or artwork to create the illusion of motion.
Model Sheet
A reference sheet for animators that shows a number of different poses of an animated character. The model sheet also shows how characters relate in size to other characters.
Pixilation (Pik si la' shun)
A stop-motion technique in which life-size props or live actors are photographed frame-by-frame. When viewed, they appear to be moving at a fast speed.
Script
The written story of a film that supplies dialogue, camera moves, background, staging and action.
Squash and Stretch
A drawing technique used by animators and originally developed at the Disney Studio to show exaggerated movements in characters. For example, if you wanted a character to jump, you would draw him close to the ground as if 'squashed' and then you would 'stretch' him out as he went into the air.
Storyboard
A "storyboard" is a visual representation of a story. Pictures can be sketched on pieces of paper and pinned to a large board, or they can be drawn on a large piece of paper, comic-book style, to represent scenes in a film.
Story Sketch
A story sketch should show character, attitude, feelings, entertainment, expressions, type of action, as well as telling the story of what's happening. When you look at a board, it should reflect the feeling of the sequence so the viewer starts to pick up some excitement and stimulation.
A story sketch artist at an animation studio us usually an artist who has special interest in illustration, design, appearance, and character.
Zoetrope (zo'-e-trop)
An early animation device that spins drawings in a revolving drum to create the illusion of motion.
Inbetweens
Drawings that are inbetween the drawings that are at the beginning and end poses.
Extremes
Drawings that are at the beginning and end of a particular pose.
You will be creating a JibJab type of animation.
1. Study the JibJab videos so you get the "feel" of what you will be doing.
2. Check out these "jibjab" tutorials to get started.
http://www.communitymx.com/content/article.cfm?cid=E520A
http://www.tallgrassradio.com/toonboom/archives/2007_09_01_archive.html
Create your figures, your backgrounds, etc. and begin animating!
DUE DATE - OCTOBER 15
