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 / Objectives
* 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.

What you need for this class:

Several pencils
Headphones
Sharpie Ultra-fine BLACK marker
Colored Pencils

Film #1 - Cutout Animation

1. Plan - collaborate with your production company and agree on a theme/ genre for your film. For this film, your theme will be winter holidays (Christmas, Kwanza, Chanukah)

2. Write - While it is easier to write a saga, and go on and on with a story, for our purposes, you need to make the story for your film SHORT! Remember, you will be creating a drawing for each of the movements of the story. Come up with a story that has a beginning, middle, and end. Have a minimum of two characters and a maximum of six (simplicity is necessary.) The story should not be more than one or two typed pages in length. When the story is complete, re-write it as a script.

3. Draw – Assign one or two members of the team to create a storyline and storyboard. Use the Storyboard template and draw a series of sketches that outline the scene sequence, major changes of action and follows the storyline / script. The top boxes of the storyboard are where you will draw the story – Remember, a storyboard is a visual representation of a story! The smaller, middle boxes are for you to write in the camera changes or directions / scenery and set changes. The boxes at the bottom are for dialogue.

4. Create – Depending on which type of animation you are creating, begin to gather, assemble, and create the characters that will be “acting” out your story in the film. Make each character no larger than 4”. Make sure to scale the characters so that they relate to each other in size and “style.” For cutout animation, create the backgrounds out of cutout paper. You’ll need as many backgrounds as your story requires.

5. Film – Choose an area of the room where you can work on your film and leave the set-up so that it will not be disturbed. Set up your background and characters. Attach the digital camera to a tripod and decide on a camera angle. Using the storyboard as a visual guide, begin to move the characters and take a digital picture of each slight movement. One person should be the cameraperson, and others in the group should be the “actors” – the ones moving the characters. Don’t rush – it’s better to take more photographs than not enough. The slower the movement, the smoother the animation.

6. Import – When the camera memory card or disk is full, one or two team members should begin to import the images on the camera into the computer. You will import the images via iPhoto.™ Connect the digital camera to the USB port on the computer and turn on the camera. iPhoto™ will automatically open. Now, just click the import button to bring the photos into the computer, right into iPhoto!

7. Organize – Use iPhoto™ to check each photograph and rotate, enhance, or crop the images. Delete any photos that are not usable. Now put the images in order by dragging them in the “organize” window. This will help when you get into iMovie. ™

8. Sequence – When the filming is done and the images are organized in iPhoto™, open iMovie™ and begin to put the film together! Drag the iPhoto™ images onto the iMovie™ timeline. Change the timing of the images (in the photo window) as necessary. Following the storyboard as a guide, continue sequencing the images until the story is complete. Check (play) the animation frequently to see if the movement is SMOOTH and that the story is unfolding like you want it to. Save frequently!!!

9. Add – Use the audio window in iMovie™ to add sound effects, music from iTunes™, or to “voice act” and record dialogue for your animation. Drop the sounds onto the iMovie soundtracks and adjust as necessary. Using iMovie™, add special effects from the effects window - add transitions from the transition window – add titles and credits from the titles window. (check the list on the page for what should be in your film credits. Make the movie look “real!”

10. Export – When you have completed the animation, export the movie to QuickTime™ (full quality dv). Drop in teacher dropbox.

This film is due (filmed and edited) on or before November 25th.

Object Animated Film - follow the steps above to create a group object animated film. If you wish to change groups, now is the time to do it. Step 1 is deciding on who is in the group and the production company name.

You will be useing either objects (3 dimensional objects) or Legos to create the films. You'll need the usual, a story, storyboard, characters, background, etc.

Film and edit and put in the dropbox by December 17th

Rotoball

For this assignment, you can work with ONE other person or you can work by yourself.

1.Rotoball is a black ball that transforms into something different for each person who comes into contact with it.

2.Rotoball is a collaborative rotoscoped animation project. It was originally intended for high school students as a unique opportunity to connect with other students who are geographically distant.

The project is not required, just recommended, to be rotoscoped. Any form of animation will be accepted.

3.Rotoball began as a class project developed by David Gran for Advanced Video students at Huntington High School in 2005. This version of the project has been reorganized as an MMPAP by David Gran and Heather Swan.

The Rules
1.Each animation must be exactly 15 seconds long.
2.The animation can be as creative as you’d like, but MUST contain the following:

•You catching the ball from the left side of the screen.
•The ball transforming in some way.
•You interact with the transformed object.
•The ball returning to normal.
•The ball leaving the right hand side screen.

Updated Rules: Rotoball 2010
These are not so much new rules as clarifications:
•The animation does not have to be a rotoscoped animation. It is the preferred form for this project, but we like variety too. The name, however will remain ‘Rotoball’. We like that better than “Animatiball”

•The ball can enter a scene already in progress- this creates more of a story.

DUE DATE - FINAL EXAM DAY!

Rotoball 2009 (ver.2) from The Carrot Revolution on Vimeo.

Step 1 - Complete this online questionnaire.
You can write just enough to spark the memory or tell the whole story. Write as much as you need to in order to recall unusual or special details.
You can work on the questions in any order you want to.
You can write more than one answer/story to a particular question.

Due Date - Tuesday, August 25th

Read what you have written. One of these stories will JUMP OUT at you as the one that you want to tell, the one that you want to draw, the one that you want to make into a comic strip!
When you have decided on what story you want to do, try to visualize how you might begin laying out the panels.
What will you most look forward to drawing?
Imagine telling the story in front of a group of people. Where does the story begin? How does it end?
Are there any funny parts? Sad parts?
Do you think it will be a one or two page comic strip?
Is there any opportunity to write dialogue?
Thought balloons?

This is your homework--have fun thinking about your story until the next class.
Select the story that you are going to draw. Write down the key points of the story - these are the ones that you're going to create a cartoon with.

Remember:
You are an expert on your story.
Your story does not have to be funny.
There is no subject too small! ! !

Due Date - Wednesday, August 26th

Step 3 -

Look at the examples of a rough sketch.

Use a pen. Divide the piece of paper into 12 panels, leaving space for your title. Are you going to work horizontally or vertically?

Begin laying out your comic strip. Don’t get too detailed now. Try to capture the essence of the action in your drawings.

Use soft pencils so that you can make a clearly seen line without having to indent or permanently mark the paper. After the inking you want to be able to cleanly erase all the pencil lines. With a hard surface paper and a soft pencil, you should be able to do this erasing cleanly, quickly, neatly. As you begin your sketch test erase your pencilwork with a soft eraser in order to understand the correct pencil and pressure to use.

PURPOSE OF ROUGH SKETCH IS TO....
1. Figure out placement of words in relation to pictures.
2. Nail down the wording. This includes dialogue, thoughts, narration, and commentary.
3. Figure out how many panels you will need.
4. Practice. Loosen up!

TIPS OF THE TRADE & HINTS
1. Use dialogue and thought balloons whenever you can. It brings characters to life. Remember, you can write your own dialogue exactly the way you want your readers to hear it. (Example: “Here ya go Dea...an’ say Hullo to yur Mutha for me!”)

2. You can add commentary by writing something with an arrow pointing to someone or something. Putting a little box around it sometimes helps.

3. Exaggerate. If your character is nervous, don’t rely on drawing facial expressions. Think about it first. What kind of body language does a nervous person have? Biting fingernails? Buckets of sweat sliding down his face? Shaking all over. Forget about realism. EXAGGERATE!

4. Give your characters visible and distinguishing traits so that they are always recognizable to your reader no matter how bad your drawing may get! (Example: my character has big teeth, ponytail, and cowboy boots.)

5. Use metaphors! If you felt like a square at a prom, draw your head as a square! It is funnier and probably more fun and easier to draw. If you stuck your foot in your mouth at an interview, you may want to consider drawing just that! And if you write, “It was raining cats and dogs”...well, you get the picture.

6. It’s an autobiographical comic so get personal. Draw from your point of view and how you felt/feel about the situation.

7. Use the language of cartoons! Words like CLUNK! SLURP, HA HA, GRUNT, SPLAT, AAAAHHHHHHHH!, HELP! will help you to get your point across faster and more directly if you use them. Symbols like: lightbulbs above a head, stars and birds circling a head, fume lines, hearts, teardrops or sweat drops, puffs of smoke disappearing around a corner, lots of ZZZZZZZZZZZs are part of the established language of comics.

8. HAVE FUN!

Due Date - Thursday, August 27th

Step 4 -

With a sharp pencil (and an eraser and pencil sharpener close at hand) begin drawing your comic strip on bristol board. Use your rough sketch as a guide.

Start by drawing the outside border. Then draw in your panels. Decide whether you want to use space between the panels or not. Some cartoonists like to use rulers when they draw borders; others (like me) prefer a looser look.

MAKE DECISIONS, MAKE CHANGES
Remember that nothing is ever set in stone. This is also the time to make changes, erase, nail down dialogue, make decisions about the tiny compositions of each panel, etc. Change the sizes of the panels if necessary, make adjustments, but you should be getting more detailed in your drawing and neater with your printing. Try to work out any problems at this stage. You will be ready to move on to Step #4 only when you have resolved all the little problems with your comic.

Read your comic strip all the way through. Does it read the way you want it to? Do you think readers will understand what you are trying to say? Will it evoke the emotions and feelings that you are trying to evoke? Is it funny where you want it to be? Sad where you want it to be? Show it to someone you know and ask him or her to give you feedback.

When you feel content with your pencil sketch and excited about inking it, then you know that you have completed this step.

Due Date - Monday, August 31st

Step 5 -

The last of the five steps in completing your comic strip is to ink your pencil sketch and color it with colored pencil.

Go over the pencil lines with your sharpie marker. Erase all of the pencil lines and then color using colored pencils.

You can ink your comic strip any way you want. Begin with the lines and do the shading afterward. Try to consider the entire page as a composition, achieving a balance of lights and darks, small panels and large panels.

Collect samples of comic art. Note the very different ways artists use hatching, lines, patterns, dots, solid blacks, and other devices to create interesting effects. Often the way in which the comic is inked is an important aspect of the artist’s unique style.
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Try not to use white out if you can. Be spontaneous and let inking accidents become part of the design choices when possible. But don’t worry about some “cakey” looking white out on your drawing.

Due Date - Wednesday, September 2nd.

Directed flipbook

Go to http://www.makemovies.co.uk/lessons/lessons_frame.htm and do ALL of the 21 animation exercises in a flipbook. Start from the back of the book and work forward. - Due, Friday, Sept. 25th.

100 Page flipbook

You are going to create a 100 page flipbook that "tells a story" in a very short time. Not an epic story, but someting engaging for 100 images. You will outline and color the entire book.

We will be filming the book and this will be your first animated film. - Due on October 19th (this includes filming as well)

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 2009

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.