Course Title: Design animation and digital visual effects

Part B: Course Detail

Teaching Period: Term1 2014

Course Code: COSC5381C

Course Title: Design animation and digital visual effects

School: 345T Media and Communication

Campus: City Campus

Program: C5218 - Diploma of Interactive Digital Media

Course Contact : Program Administration

Course Contact Phone: +61 3 9925 4585

Course Contact Email:mcvet@rmit.edu.au


Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff

Teacher: Ms Nicole McKinnon
Phone: 99254375
Email: nicole.mckinnon@rmit.edu.au

Nominal Hours: 80

Regardless of the mode of delivery, represent a guide to the relative teaching time and student effort required to successfully achieve a particular competency/module. This may include not only scheduled classes or workplace visits but also the amount of effort required to undertake, evaluate and complete all assessment requirements, including any non-classroom activities.

Pre-requisites and Co-requisites

None

Course Description

This unit of competency is delivered in the class Animation 1. The unit covers the skills required to design animation and digital visual effects for a screen based productions.


National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria

National Element Code & Title:

CUFANM503A Design animation and digital visual effects

Element:

1 Clarify design requirements.

Performance Criteria:

1. With reference to production documentation identify
the scope of design projects
2. Identify factors that may have an impact on the design
process
3. Participate in preliminary concept meetings to clarify
understanding of design requirements
4. With reference to production documentation, itemise
elements that need to be addressed during the design
phase

Element:

2 Generate and assess ideas.

Performance Criteria:

5. Generate a range of design ideas that respond
sympathetically to the brief and provide creative
solutions to design issues
6. Assess ideas and collaborate, as required, with relevant
personnel to maximise contribution of ideas to initial
concepts
7. Continuously reflect on and appraise ideas for
implications on cost, technical feasibility, and creative
requirements

Element:

3 Conduct research and experimentation

Performance Criteria:

8. Research aspects of content and target audience
characteristics that might influence production styles
and techniques
9. Trial various techniques to test the suitability of their
use in given design projects
10. Organise research and experimentation material for ease
of access by relevant personnel during the design
development process
11. Analyse and document research and experimentation
findings for use during the design phase

Element:

4 Produce draft design specifications.

Performance Criteria:

12. In consultation with relevant personnel, evaluate initial
concept ideas in light of research and experimentation
findings and select the most appropriate approach
13. Ensure that agreement is reached with relevant
personnel on a consistent interpretation of design and
visual details
14. Create storyboards as required
15. Prepare or supervise the preparation of sample material
to be included in design specifications as required
16.Write draft design specifications to include relevant
advice to design and development teams
17. Discuss draft design specifications with relevant personnel to ensure that all requirements have been
addressed

Element:

5 Finalise design specifications

Performance Criteria:

18. Present draft design specifications to relevant personnel
for review
19. Participate in the initial and ongoing evaluation of
design specifications
20. Negotiate and agree to additions or modifications and
amend design specifications as required
21. Clarify the ongoing role of the designer during the
production phase and in the evaluation of the final
animations or digital visual effects
22. Review process of designing animation and digital
visual effects and note areas for future improvement


Learning Outcomes


On successful completion of this unit, you will have developed the skills required to design animation and digital visual effects for a screen based production.

 


Details of Learning Activities

In-class activities

  • teacher guided instruction
  • peer teaching and class presentations
  • online research
  • group discussion
  • independent project based work
  • workshopping of students’ own projects
  • screenings
  • teacher directed group activities/projects

Out-of-class activities:

  • independent project based work
  • online and other research
  • independent study
     


Teaching Schedule

SEMESTER 1

Week 1
Introduction.
Principles of animation

Competency element 3

Week 2
Timing, squash and stretch, pose to pose animation or straight ahead animation

Introducing Formative Assessment task 01:
Post-it note morph
Create a sequence of animation start with the initials of your name and have them morph into something.
Utilise the following principles of animation
- timing
- squash and stretch
- pose to pose animation or straight ahead animation

Competency element 1, 3
 

Week 3
Scanning and assemble Post-it note Morph.

Flash basics Ð using it to composite your animation sequence

Discuss brief for Monster Scream Audition Summative Assessment task.
Competency element  3
 

Week 4
Post-it Note morphs to be presented at the start of class.

Briefing for Monster Scream Audition - Animation project semester 1

Formative Assessment task 1 due
Competency element 2
 

Week 5
Character design Ð what makes a good animated character?
Competency element  3

Week 6

Present rough character designs in class

Storyboards - what are they? Why are they important?

Competency element 1

Week 7
Present draft of Part 01: Monster Scream Audition pre-production document and presentation Ð to get feedback prior to week 8 submission

Competency element 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

 

Week 8
Students will present their pre-production material and will receive feeback


Summative Assessment task 1, part 1 due
Monster Scream Audition pre-production document and presentation

Competency element 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Week 9
Briefing for Formative Assessment task 02:
Walk cycle pencil test

Competency element 3

 

Week 10
Formative task 2 due
Present your Walk cycle pencil test in class

Different animation styles
- Frame by frame animation 
-  puppet style animation

Briefing for Formative Assessment task 03: Creating a puppet style walk cycle in Flash.

Competency element 3

Week 11
A look at walk cycles

Formative Assessment task 3: Creating a puppet style walk cycle in Flash due

Competency element  3

Week 12
Work on Monster Scream Audition Animation sequence and get feedback and looking at different animation software and techniques

Competency element 1, 2, 3
 

Week 13
Work on Monster Scream Audition Animation sequence and get feedback applying audio to project.

Competency element 1, 2, 3

 

Week 14
Work on Monster Scream Audition Animation and get feedback

Competency element 1, 2, 3
 

Week 15
Summative Assessment task 1 part 2, Scream Audition Animations equence - due

Preparing it for delivery on different platforms.

Competency element 1, 2, 3

Week 16
Presentation of Monster Scream Audition

Competency element 1, 2, 3

 

SEMESTER 2

 Weeks  Weekly class content Assessment tasks  Elements for CUFANM503A Design Animation and Digital Visual Effects
1 Review of sem 1 animations
Intro Animation 2
   2
2 Lip synching:
Creating a lip synching sequence.
Formative Assessment 01. Lip synching

In class. (all materials provided)
 1, 2
3 Developing an animated interactive character

Character Animation interactive folio project
Developing a 2D character design and dialogue
 

  1, 2, 4 
 4  Developing an animated interactive character

Developing a 2D character design and dialogue

   1, 2, 4
 5  Developing an animated interactive character
Summative Assessment Part 01: 2D animated Character Pre-production material
1, 2, 3
6  Creating an animated interactive character

Commence working on the 2D animated Character elements

 

   3, 4
7  Creating an animated interactive character

Continue working on the 2D animated Character elements

  3, 4
8  Creating an animated interactive character

Continue working on the 2D animated Character elements

 Formative Assessment 02 Progress presentation of 2D animated Character elements 3, 4
9  Creating an animated interactive character

Continue working on the 2D animated Character elements

  3, 4
10  Creating an animated interactive character

Continue working on the 2D animated Character elements

 

   3, 4
11  Creating an animated interactive character

Continue working on the 2D animated Character elements

Formative Assessment 03: 2D animated Character elements completed.
 
3, 4
12  Creating an animated interactive character

Continue working on Interactive character Folio Project - “The Lost thing”

  3, 4
13  Continue working on Interactive character Folio Project - “The Lost thing”   3, 4, 5
 14  Creating an animated interactive character

Continue working on Interactive character Folio Project - “The Lost thing"

 Summative Assessment Part 02: Interactive character Folio Project - “The Lost thing completed  3, 4, 5
15  Review and finalise work   3, 4, 5
 16  Review and finalise work    3, 4, 5


Learning Resources

Prescribed Texts


References

Williams, R, The Animator’s Survival Kit
Blair, P, Cartoon Animation

You are advised to look at the course Blackboard site for ongoing updated information.


Other Resources

You are advised to look at the course Blackboard site for ongoing updated information.

Williams, R, The Animator’s Survival Kit
Blair, P, Cartoon Animation

Other resources

You need to purchase tracing paper. Pencils, pens.
Overview of assessment


Overview of Assessment

Assessment for this course is ongoing throughout the semester. Your knowledge of course content is assessed through participation in class exercises, practical project work and through the application of learned skills.


Assessment Tasks

Assessment tasks in this course are either formative or summative. Formative tasks provide the basis for ongoing feedback and can be considered as essential building blocks for the more substantial summative assessment tasks.
To demonstrate competency in this course, you will need to complete each of the following pieces of assessment to a satisfactory standard. You will receive feedback on all assessment and a grade for the summative assessments.

SEMESTER 1


FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT TASKS (Sem 1)

Formative Assessment task 1:
Post-it note morph - Due week 4
 

Formative Assessment task 2:
Walk cycle pencil test - Due week 10

Formative Assessment task 3:
Creating a puppet style walk cycle in Flash - Due week 11


SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT TASKS (semester 1)

Animation Project: Monster Scream Audition is a folio piece for semester 1.
(It will provide an assessment result for the following units of competency: Design animation and Digital Visual Effects, Create 3D digital environments and Create Titles for Screen Productions.)

Part 1: Monster Scream Audition pre-production document and presentation.
Due date: Week 08

Part 2: Monster Scream Audition Animation sequence due: Due: week 15.
See Brief on the Design Animation Digital Visual Effects assessment tasks on Blackboard.
 

SEMESTER 2

Formative Assessment 01. Lip synching
To be done in class week 2.

Formative Assessment 02 Progress presentation of 2D animated Character elements
Due week 8

Formative Assessment 03: 2D Animated Character elements completed.
Due week 11


Summative Assessment Part 01: 2D animated Character Pre-production material

Due Week 5

Summative Assessment Part 02: Interactive character Folio Project - “The Lost thing” completed
Due week 14

See Assessment task briefs for full details in the Assessment task folder on Blackboard
 



For further information on the grading system and criteria used, please refer to the course blackboard site.

Grades which apply to courses delivered in accordance with competency-based assessment, but which also use graded assessment:
CHD Competent with High Distinction
CDI Competent with Distinction
CC Competent with Credit
CAG Competence achieved - graded
NYC Not Yet Competent
DNS Did Not Submit for Assessment

For further information on the grading system and criteria used, please refer to the course blackboard site.


Assessment Matrix

The assessment matrix demonstrates alignment of assessment tasks with the relevant Unit of Competency. These are available through the course contact in Program administration
 

Other Information

Attendance
The major learning experience involves studio based exercises, demonstration and production. It is strongly advised that students attend all sessions in order to engage in the required learning activities, ensuring the maximum opportunity to gain the competency.

Cover Sheet for Submissions
You must complete a submission cover sheet for every piece of submitted work. This signed sheet acknowledges that you are aware of the plagiarism implications.

Feedback - You will receive spoken and written feedback from teachers on your work. Where appropriate, this feedback will also include suggestions on how you can proceed to the next stage of developing your projects.
Student feedback at RMIT http://www.rmit.edu.au/browse;ID=9pp3ic9obks7

Student Progress
Monitoring academic progress is an important enabling and proactive strategy to assist you to achieve your learning potential. Student progress policy http://www.rmit.edu.au/browse;ID=vj2g89cve4uj1

Special consideration Policy (Late Submission)
All assessment tasks are required to be completed to a satisfactory level. If you are unable to complete any piece of assessment by the due date, you will need to apply for an extension. You can apply in writing for up to a week’s extension from your course teacher. If you need a longer extension, you wil need to apply for special consideration. Special consideration, appeals and discipline http://www.rmit.edu.au/browse;ID=qkssnx1c5r0y

Academic Integrity and Plagiarism - RMIT University has a strict policy on plagiarism and academic integrity. Please refer to the website for more information on this policy go to Academic Integrity
http://www.rmit.edu.au/browse;ID=kw02ylsd8z3n

Work Placement:
It is a requirement of this program that all students participate in authentic work related tasks. These may be either simulated or in a real work environment. On occasion, we are approached by industry and given opportunities for students to apply for short term placements. When these placement opportunities arise, students are required to negotiate the specific details with the relevant program coordinator or teacher. All industry placements require students, RMIT staff and host organisations to sign a written agreement prior to the commencement of the placement.

Course Overview: Access Course Overview