Introduction to Audiovisual Animation

Objectives

This course will focus on a 2D software (Adobe Animate) and learn all the basics tools to achieve the main animation concepts. By end of the course the students will be able to create-animate their own characters and place them in different environments.

Learning outcomes

The student:

• Understands the fundamentals and technical principles of animation as well as the different production processes.
• Expresses her/himself with the technique of animation, being able to create animated films.
• Applies her/his knowledge to solving problems in complex or professional and specialized work areas that require the use of creative and innovative ideas.
• Identifies her/his own training needs and organises his/her own learning with a high degree of autonomy in all kinds of contexts (structured or not).
• Solves problems and situations specific to professional practice with entrepreneurial and innovative attitudes.

Competencies

General skills

• Acquire skills in project design and management by making appropriate decisions and using problem solving strategies.
• Organise and plan tasks related to professional performance through proper time management and timing of these tasks.

Specific skills

• Master audiovisual and multimedia technology and apply it to the different stages in the creative process and thus be able to adapt to different work environments.
• Operate in a variety of computer and digital environments for traditional communication disciplines, in written and audiovisual formats, and also in new contexts online.

Basic skills

• Students can apply their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional manner and have competencies typically demonstrated through drafting and defending arguments and solving problems in their field of study.
• Students have developed the learning skills necessary to undertake further studies with a high degree of independent learning.

Core skills

• Become the protagonist of one's own learning process in order to achieve personal and professional growth and acquire all-round training for living and learning in a context of respect for linguistic, social, cultural, gender and economic diversity.
• Project the values of entrepreneurship and innovation in one's academic and professional career, through contact with a variety of practical contexts and motivation for professional development.

Content

1. Introduction to animation pre-production: synopsis, script & breakdown list
   1. Pre-design (models, props, FX and Bgs)
   2. Expression and acting
   3. Bibles
2. Animation with Adobe Animate I
   1. Introduction to animation - animation styles - what is animation?
   2. Introduction of Adobe Animate software (workface, interface and tools)
   3. Introduction of the concept: timing-spacing
3. Animation with Adobe Animate II
   1. Ways to apply animation (frame by frame, motion tween, classic tween, guide tween)
4. Animation with Adobe Animate III
   1. How to generate symbols (graphics) and how swap them.
5. Animation with Adobe Animate IV
   1. Key poses and in between drawings.
   2. Expressions and takes
   3. Lip synch using Frame Picker.
6. Animation with Adobe Animate V
   1. Walk cycle (frame by frame)
   2. Use cameras
7. Cut out animation with Adobe Animate I
   1. Building a character by layers (SETUP)
   2. Riggig a vectored character so can move and change the expression (character setup to be animated using bones, layer hierarchy and frame picker)
8. Cut out animation with Adobe Animate II
   1. How to do walk from a cut-out character.

In this class we see how to compose a layout and add the elements to do different scenes and at the same practice all the concepts learnt during the course, such as:

• Timing-spacing
• Ease in and ease out
• Takes
• Anticipations
• Overlap
• Lips synch
• Posing-acting

During the course we will do 5 animation tasks and the final project.

Final project (Short movie): project and animation done in Adobe Animate. During the course we will work on the project process (concept design, animatica, scene breakdown), with continuous evaluation. This short movie can be individual or group, with a maximum of two students per group.

Evaluation

• Exercises and work in class: 60%
• Short movie in 2D Adobe Animate: 30%
• Class attendance and active participation: 10%

Methodology

Work in class with exercises and theoretical explanations with continuous tasks and assessment.

Bibliography

Key references

• Donald Crafton. (1982). Before Mickey. The Animated Film 1898 – 1928. The University of chicago Press.
• Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston (1981). The Illusion of life. Disney Animation. Disney animation.
• Giannalberto Bendazzi (2003). Cartoons. 110 años de Cine de Animación. Ocho Y Medio.
• Norman McLaren. (1991). On The Creative Process. National Library of Canada. Compiled and edited by Donald McWilliams. National Film Board of Canada.
• Shamus Culhane (1988). Animation. From the script to screen. St Martins Griffin.

Further reading

Teachers will provide complementary bibliography and compulsory reading throughout the course via the Virtual Campus.