Course Title: Design animation and digital visual effects

Part B: Course Detail

Teaching Period: Term1 2020

Course Code: VART5093C

Course Title: Design animation and digital visual effects

School: 375T Vocational Design and Social Context

Campus: City Campus

Program: C6151 - Advanced Diploma of Screen and Media

Course Contact: Andrew Harrison

Course Contact Phone: +61 3 9925 4815

Course Contact Email: svdsc.mac@rmit.edu.au

Name and Contact Details of All Other Relevant Staff

Trewlea Peters

trewlea.peters@rmit.edu.au

9925 8011

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

In this course you will cover skills and knowledge required to design animation and digital visual effects for screen productions.

National Codes, Titles, Elements and Performance Criteria

National Element Code & Title:	CUAANM503 Design animation and digital visual effects
Element:	1. Clarify design requirements
Performance Criteria:	1.1 Assess scope of design projects with reference to production documentation 1.2 Analyse factors that may impact the design process 1.3 Participate in preliminary concept meetings to clarify the design requirements 1.4 Itemise elements to be addressed with reference to production documentation
Element:	2. Generate and assess ideas
Performance Criteria:	2.1 Generate a range of design ideas that respond to the brief and provide creative solutions to design issues 2.2 Assess ideas and collaborate, as required, with relevant personnel to maximise contribution of ideas to initial concepts 2.3 Appraise ideas for implications on cost, technical feasibility and creative requirements
Element:	3. Conduct research and experimentation
Performance Criteria:	3.1 Research content and target audience characteristics that influence production styles and techniques 3.2 Trial various techniques to test their suitability for given design projects 3.3 Organise research and provide relevant personnel access to experimentation materials 3.4 Analyse and document research and experimentation findings
Element:	4. Produce draft design specifications
Performance Criteria:	4.1 Evaluate initial concept ideas in light of research and experimentation findings in consultation with relevant personnel, and select the most appropriate approach 4.2 Discuss and agree with relevant personnel on suitable documentation to present design specifications 4.3 Create storyboards as required 4.4 Prepare or supervise development of sample material to be included in design specifications as required 4.5 Draft design specifications to advise the design and development teams 4.6 Discuss draft design specifications with relevant personnel to ensure all requirements have been addressed
Element:	5. Finalise design specifications
Performance Criteria:	5.1 Present draft design specifications to relevant personnel for review to ensure they are clearly presented 5.2 Participate in evaluation of design specifications 5.3 Negotiate and agree to additions or modifications and amend design specifications as required 5.4 Clarify designer’s role for the production phase 5.5 Review process of designing animation and digital visual effects and note areas for future improvement

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this course, you will be able to undertake design specifications for animation and digital visual effects.

Details of Learning Activities

In this program, structured learning occurs in the classroom and through completion of assessment. However, as an independent learner you will also be engaged in unstructured activities such as private study and practice of technical skills required in using cameras, lighting and sound equipment and editing tools . You are also expected to  familiarise yourself with different aspects of the screen and media industry. This includes spending time engaged in attending films and film festivals, watching streamed content, attending industry events and exhibitions and building relationships with industry bodies such as the Screen Producers Association and the Australian Society of Cinematographers.

In-class learning activities include, but are not limited to:
• demonstration and practical application
• peer teaching and class presentations
• group discussion
• online research
• individual and group project based work
• teacher directed group activities/projects
• workshopping of students’ own projects

Out-of-class activities include, but are not limited to:
• online research
• workshopping
• group project based work

 

Teaching Schedule

Please note: While your teacher will cover all the material in this schedule, the weekly order is subject to change depending on class needs and availability resources.

Week	Class Content - 3 Hour Class	Class Content - 2 Hour Class	Assessment
1	Introduction to Design animation and digital visual effects Review assessments, form production groups and brainstorm ideas	Revision of After Effects Keying, masking and animated masks in After Effects	Receive assessment tasks
2	Collaboration meeting 1 Introduction to the virtual studio, meet full production team and initial concept meeting	Motion tracking, pinning and stabilisation options in After Effects	Collaboration meeting between IM and VFX (Screen) students, Tour of Virtual Studio and initial concept meeting
3	Virtual Studio set up, Unreal Editor and Reality 1 hour session per group	Creating and Exporting particles from Motion Tracking and masking particles in After Effects
4	Collaboration meeting 2 Organise and research visual presentation to pitch at least two ideas that meet clients brief and target audience characteristics	Animation techniques in After Effects. Keyframe options, interpolation, animation assist, parenting and puppet pinning	Collaboration meeting between IM and VFX (Screen) students - Pitch Ideas
5	Virtual Studio set up, Unreal Editor and Reality 1 hour session per group	Introduction to the Unreal Games Editor Understanding the relationship between Reality and the Unreal Games Editor
6	Collaboration meeting 3 Finalise presentation documents and present design to relevant personnel	Virtual Studio set up, Unreal Editor and Reality Group 2, 2 hour studio session Prepare trials and experimentation when you are not in the studio	Collaboration meeting between IM and VFX (Screen) students - Present initial designs
7	Virtual Studio set up, Unreal Editor and Reality Group 3, 2 hour studio session Prepare trials and experimentation when you are not in the studio	Virtual Studio set up, Unreal Editor and Reality Group 1, 2 hour studio session Prepare trials and experimentation when you are not in the studio
8	Virtual Studio Trials and experimentation for Assessment Task 2 Group 1	Virtual Studio Trials and experimentation for Assessment Task 2 Group 2
9	Virtual Studio Trials and experimentation for Assessment Task 2 Group 3	Composite, edit and finalise trials for Assessment Task 2 Analyse and document findings
10	Collaboration meeting 4 Design and experimentation progress meeting Update paperwork and design documentation for Assessment Task 3	Using After Effects with Virtual Utilising animation and compositing techniques to increase ‘reality’ of virtual footage	Collaboration meeting between IM and VFX (Screen) students - Design and experimentation progress meeting
11	Prepare 3D environments in Unreal games engine Update paperwork and design documentation for Assessment Task 3	Prepare 3D environments in Reality Update paperwork and design documentation for Assessment Task 3	Collaboration meeting
12	Virtual Studio Trials and experimentation for Assessment Task 3 Group 3	Virtual Studio Trials and experimentation for Assessment Task 3 Group 2
13	Virtual Studio Trials and experimentation for Assessment Task 3 Group 1	Composite, edit and finalise Assessment Task 3 trials Export sample materials for IM Post Sound Production
14	Hand over sample materials for IM Post Sound Production Final experimentations Incorporate animation and visual effects into sample material using After Effects	Final experimentations Utilise green screen footage from Virtual to create another sample style in After Effects Review own performance, evaluate areas for improvement	Hand over sample materials for IM Post Sound Production
15	Collaboration meeting 6 Prepare final documentation with sample material for final presentation. Present design specifications and sample material to relevant personnel	Receive feedback	Collaboration meeting between IM and VFX (Screen) students - Final presentation
16	Review and feedback of Assessment 3	Review and feedback of Assessment 3

 

 

Learning Resources

Prescribed Texts

References

Other Resources

Other resources for this course are available on Canvas.

 

 

Overview of Assessment

Assessment for this course is ongoing throughout the semester. Your knowledge of course content is assessed through participation in practical exercises, knowledge assessment tasks and practical projects.

Assessment Tasks

For each assessment task you will receive a detailed brief specifying requirements

To demonstrate competency in this course you will need to complete the following assessments to a satisfactory standard. You will receive feedback on all assessments.

Assessment Task 1 - Interpret brief, research and return brief meeting. Students must independently clarify design requirements, breakdown brief, analyse the scope, itemise elements, research content and target audience characteristics, and develop a range of ideas to present to the client in return brief meeting. Due date: week 3

Assessment Task 2 - Return brief meeting, draft design specs, pitch ideas, refine design specifications, trial and experiment, report findings. Working as a team, each group must clarify design requirements, collaborate in preliminary concept meetings to respond to return brief findings, draft design specifications and develop a range of ideas (2-4 ideas that meet brief) to present to the client in pitch, finalise project idea. Due date: week 10

Assessment Task 3 - Produce sample materials for Museums Project and review outcomes. This task demonstrates the student’s ability to develop a refined project to meet the client’s brief. Each student must evaluate initial concepts in light of research and experimentation findings. Then collectively select the most appropriate approaches to improve and refine the project. Making sure that the client's requirements are met in the installation sample material, the production design is appropriate for historic accuracy and ensure that all design specifications have been updated and addressed prior to production. Collaborate and contribute to developing final script and storyboard, producing final trials and experimentation to use as sample material to present to the client, edit, composite, store materials where they can be accessed by all relevant personnel and distribute to IM students for post sound mix. Individually review process of designing animation and digital visual effects and note areas for future improvement. Due date: week 15

 

Assessment Tasks 1, 2 and 3 are to be finalised by no later than end of Semester 1 Week 16

Results that apply to courses that are delivered and assessed in accordance with competency based assessment are:

CA: Competency Achieved

NYC: Not Yet Competent

DNS: Did not submit for Assessment

Assessment Matrix

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

Other Information

Please refer to the RMIT student page for extensive information about study support, assessment, extensions, appeals and a range of other matters:

http://www1.rmit.edu.au/students

 

Attendance:

Your learning experience will involve class-based teaching, discussion, demonstration and practical exercises

It is strongly advised that you attend all timetabled sessions. This will allow you to engage in the required learning activities, ensuring you the maximum opportunity to complete this course successfully.

Information about your studies:

You can access My Studies through the RMIT website for information about timetables, important dates, assessment dates, results and progress, Canvas etc.

 https://www.rmit.edu.au/students

Assessment:

Information on assessment including Special consideration, Adjustments to assessment, (eg. applying for an extension of time):

https://www.rmit.edu.au/students/student-essentials/assessment-and-exams/assessment

 

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.

https://www.rmit.edu.au/students/student-essentials/assessment-and-exams/academic-integrity

Credit Transfer and Recognition of Prior Learning:

Credit transfer is the recognition of previously completed formal learning (an officially accredited qualification).

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is an assessment process that allows you to demonstrate competence using the skills you have gained through experience in the workplace, voluntary work, informal or formal training or other life experiences.

Recognition of Current Competency (RCC) RCC applies only if you have previously successfully demonstrated competence in a unit of competency, and now require to be reassessed to ensure that the competence is being maintained.

Please speak to your teacher if you wish to discuss applying for Credit Transfer, RPL, or RCC for the unit(s) of competency addressed in this course.

https://www.rmit.edu.au/students/student-essentials/enrolment/apply-for-credit

 

Course Overview: Access Course Overview