Course Title: Design animation and digital visual effects
Part B: Course Detail
Teaching Period: Term1 2012
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
Teacher: Jessie DiBlasi
Email: jessie.diblasi@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: |
1.1 With reference to production documentation identify the scope of design projects. |
Element: |
2 Generate and assess ideas. |
Performance Criteria: |
2.1 Generate a range of design ideas that respond sympathetically to the brief and provide creative solutions to design issues. |
Element: |
3 Conduct research and experimentation |
Performance Criteria: |
3.1 Research aspects of content and target audience characteristics that might influence production styles and techniques. |
Element: |
4 Produce draft design specifications. |
Performance Criteria: |
4.1 In consultation with relevant personnel, evaluate initial concept ideas in light of research and |
Element: |
5 Finalise design specifications |
Performance Criteria: |
5. Finalise design |
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
- guest lecturers
- teacher directed group activities/projects
Out-of-class activities:
- independent project based work
- online and other research
- independent study
Teaching Schedule
Week 1 Introduction.
Principles of animation
Screening of Chuck Jones: A Life of Extremes and Inbetweens
Element: 3
Week 2 Timing, squash and stretch, pose to pose animation or straight ahead animation
Introducing Exercise 1:
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
Element: 1, 3
Week 3
Scanning and assemble Post-it note Morph.
Flash basics
Element: 3
Week 4
Post-it Note morphs to be presented at the start of class.
Key Poses and in-betweens
Easing in and Easing out
Introducing Exercise 2:
Draw two key poses, then 3 in-between drawings
To be drawn on tracing paper or white paper (if you have a light box)
Create 2 versions in Flash: 1 with just the two key poses and 1 with the key poses and the 3 in-between drawings.
Formative Exercise 1:
Post–it Note Morph due this week at start of class.
Element: 2
Week 5 Present your Exercise 2
Creating a walk cycle
Introducing Exercise 3: Walk cycle pencil test
Draw a side walk cycle consisting of 8 drawings minimum.
On tracing paper or white paper
To be scanned and assembled in Flash.
Formative Exercise 2:
Draw two key poses, then 3 in-between drawings
Element: 3
Week 6 Walk cycles continued
Element: 2, 3
Week 7 Present Exercise 3: Walk cycle pencil test
Formative Exercise 3: Walk cycle pencil test
Element: 1, 2, 3
Week 8 Introducing Summative Assessment task 1
More about animating and working in Flash
Formative Exercise 4 Creating a Flash walk cycle
Formative Exercise 4 Creating a Flash walk cycle
Element: 1, 2, 3
Week 9 Building a character in Flash drawing in Flash
Importing images from other software
Continue to work on Summative Assignment 1
Element: 1, 3
Week 10 Formative Exercise 5: Getting characters to move in Flash
- anticipation
- key poses
- tweening
Summative Assessment task 1
Present Part 1: character (front and Profile) design broken-down body parts in Flash, and storyboard of animation sequence.
Formative Exercise 5:
Getting characters to move in FlashSummative Assessment task 1
Present Part 1: character design, and storyboard of animation sequence.
Element: 1,2, 3
Week 11 Formative Exercise 6: Lip synching,
Lip synching – getting a character to talk
Formative Exercise 6: Lip synching
Element: 2, 3.
Week 12 Work on your character’s Flash walk cycle for the Summative Assessment Part 2
Get feedback
Element: 2
Week 13 Work on the building the one movement of your character for Summative Assessment Part 2
Get feedback
Element: 3.
Week 14 Create your character’s mouth shapes and record dialogue for lip synch sequence.
Get feedback
Element: 3.
Week 15 Add in the Backgrounds
Shadows, basic shadow, drop shadow, perspective shadow, element such as smoke, rain, lightening
Get feedback
Element: 1, 2, 3.
Week 16 Add in the audio.
Finalise the animation sequence – add titles and credits to the animation
Get feedback
Summative Assessment task 1
Part 2 due today.
1, 2, 3
Semester Two
Week 1
Photoshop: Alpha channels and advanced masking - Formative assessment 1 - Element 4, 5
Week 2
Simple shapes character design- The Simpsons - Formative assessment 2 - Element 4, 5
Week 3
Summative A01 concept presentations - Formative assessment 3 - Element 4, 5
Week 4
Photoshop: Correcting perspective - Formative assessment 4 - Element 4, 5
Week 5
Project structure/asset management + Summative A01 studio class - Element 4, 5
Week 6
Summative A01 studio class - Element 4, 5
Week 7
Photoshop: Shadowing techniques - Formative assessment 5 - Element 4, 5
Week 8
Summative A01 - Design Character Concept Art - class presentation - Element 4, 5
Week 9
Fuzzyard poster design/ Intro Summative A02 - Character Animatic - Formative assessment 6 - Element 4, 5
Week 10
Script breakdown, timing and animatics - Element 4, 5
Week 11
Photoshop: Replace studio background + Summative A02 animatic presentations Formative assessment 7 - Element 4, 5
Week 12
Photoshop: Faux styles + Summative A02 studio class - Element 4, 5
Week 13
Summative A02 studio class - Element 4, 5
Week 14
Photoshop: Hair masking - Formative assessment 8 - Element 4, 5
Week 15
Summative A02 - Character Animatic - class presentation - Element 4, 5
Week 16
Photoshop: Advanced compositing - Element 4, 5
Learning Resources
Prescribed Texts
Galer & Andrews, 2010, Photoshop CS5 Essential Skills, Focal Press |
9780240522142 |
References
Williams, R, The Animator’s Survival Kit |
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.
Semester Two
You are required to own your own copy of the following prescribed text, to complete class assessments. Available at the RMIT Bookshop
Galer & Andrews, 2010, Photoshop CS5 Essential Skills, Focal Press - ISBN 9780240522142
Students are expected to make full use of University library facilities, in researching and developing photographic, digital imaging and graphic design techniques.
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.
FORMATIVE ASSESSMENT TASKS (Sem 1)
Formative Exercise 1:
Post–it Note Morph due this week at start of class.
Due: week 4
See Brief on the Design Animation Digital Visual Effects assessment tasks on Blackboard.
Formative Exercise 2:
Draw two key poses, then 3 in-between drawings
Due: week 5
See Brief on the Design Animation Digital Visual Effects assessment tasks on Blackboard.
Formative Exercise 3: Walk cycle pencil test
Due: week 7
See Brief on the Design Animation Digital Visual Effects assessment tasks on Blackboard.
Formative Exercise 4 Creating a Flash walk cycle
Due: week 8
See Brief on the Design Animation Digital Visual Effects assessment tasks on Blackboard.
Formative Exercise 5: Getting characters to move in Flash
Due: week 10
See Brief on the Design Animation Digital Visual Effects assessment tasks on Blackboard.
Formative Exercise 6: Lip synching
Due: week 11
See Brief on the Design Animation Digital Visual Effects assessment tasks on Blackboard.
SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT TASKS (Sem 1)
Assignment 01: Create a short animation sequence, including pre-production.
Part 1: Pre-production due Week 10
Part 2: Animation sequence due: Due date: week 16
See Brief on the Design Animation Digital Visual Effects assessment tasks on Blackboard.
Semester Two
Formative Assessments
1. Photoshop: Alpha Channels and Advanced Masking
Demonstrate your ability to make and refine alpha channels in Photoshop. Due before the following class.
2. Simpsons Character Design with Simple Shapes
Draw Bart, Lisa, Homer, Marge or your choice of Simpsons character, illustrating your understanding of structure using simple shapes. Due before the following class.
3. Summative Assessment 01 concept presentations
Present your concepts for Summative Assessment 1, concept art for an animated cartoon character based on simple shapes. Due in class.
4. Photoshop: Correcting perspective
Demonstrate your ability to correct perspectives in Photoshop. Due before the following class.
5. Photoshop: Shadowing techniques
Demonstrate your ability to create realistic shadowing in Photoshop. Due before the following class.
6. Fuzzyard poster design
Demonstrate your ability to develop informative + interesting poster design. Due before the following class.
7. Summative Assessment 02 Character Anamatic presentations
Present your current progress in the Summative Assessment 02, Character Animatic. You need to produce sufficient evidence of your work in progress. Due in class.
8. Advanced Hair Masking
Demonstrate your ability to do the hardest thing in Photoshop, cut out hair perfectly. Due before the following class.
Summative Assessments
1. Character Concept Art
Plan, develop, design and create a series of high resolution images for print, that illustrate an animation character in various scenarios. Due in class.
2. Character Animatic: 15 sec (presented as Quicktime file)
Plan, develop, design and create a 15 sec animatic using your character from assessment one, to realise a series of simple scripted actions. Due in class.
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
Feedback:
You will receive feedback by teacher on your work. This feedback also includes suggestions on how you can proceed to the next stage of developing your projects.
Late Submissions
Please refer to the course blackboard site for policy information including information on late submissions and plagiarism
Plagiarism
RMIT has a strict policy on plagiarism. Please refer to the website for more information on this policy.
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.
Please refer to the following URL for extensions and special consideration:
http://www.rmit.edu.au/browse;ID=qkssnx1c5r0y;STATUS=A;PAGE_AUTHOR=Andrea%20Syers;SECTION=1;
Course Overview: Access Course Overview