(ARS 329-01) (SP19) ANIMATION: 2D ANIMATION

2D Animation

ARS 329

Wilson Hall 201

Office Hours: By appointment

Friday 10 am to 2 pm | Monday-Wednesday 2:30 pm to 4 pm

Ellie Nikoo

elham.nikoo@uah.edu

Office: 350

 

//Course Description

This course is designed to instill an understanding of 2D traditional animation workflows and principles. Throughout the semester, students will learn principles of 2D animation that apply to animation regardless of the software and technique. The topics covered will be reinforced through exercises, critique sessions, and assignments. The final project for this class is a short animation that gives students the opportunity to find their artistic voice and implement what they have learned in their animations.

//Learning Objectives

By the end of this course students will be able to:

  • Understand and apply the 12 principles of animation
  • Demonstrate progress in digital painting and animating skills
  • Find and employ their artistic voice through the medium of animation
  • Identify different timing and spacing that makes up an animating style
  • Critically analyze animating styles and animations
  • Provide constructive feedback and receive feedback to improve their work

//Method

Lectures and demonstrations will be used to teach tools, skills, and techniques. This demo section of the class will be limited to the maximum of an hour and the rest of the class will be spent as studio time. Online tutorials and readings are also assigned to reinforce learned materials or to engage you with new topics that are about to be covered. Critique sessions are an important part of this class. You will provide verbal feedback for your group mates and also submit written critiques as part of your assignments. 

Most of the assignments will be completed with Krita. Krita is a free and open source raster based application with free tutorials that allows for practice of 2D animation workflow with maximum artistic freedom. The editing software that will be used if needed is HitFilm Express which is a free and intuitive software. There will be in-class and take-home exercises and assignments to enhance your learning process, and to prepare you for the topics that will be covered in the coming classes. Some exercises you will complete are from Pixar in a Box courses on khanacademy.com . There is plenty of time for you to practice in the class but you should also spend time on assignments and projects outside of the class.

We are all familiar with high-end graphics of video games and animations and understandably want to create such work comparable with those standards. But remember, most of such projects are produced over a long period of time by large teams of professional artists and technicians. When deciding on projects and assignments for this course, aim for quality and developing good working habits instead of complexity.

Detailed instructions for completing main projects and grading criteria will be posted on canvas ahead of the deadlines. Following descriptions are given as general outlines and are subject to change if necessary.

//Evaluation

Exercises (Exrc) 25%
Critique comments (Crit) 5%
Assignments (Assign) 30%
Final project (Fin proj) 40%

 

Exercises: Graded on a 1 point scale. Exercises are short in class or take home practices for developing skills that are needed to complete assignments and final project. If exercises are turned in on time and at an acceptable level of completion and show effort and time put into them, they will receive 1 point. The exercises are designed to prepare you for learning a topic or help you better understand what you’ve just learned. That is why all exercises should be turned in on time, and late submissions and incomplete work receives no credits, 0 points.

Critique comments: Graded on a 5 points scale. As a part of the critique sessions activities you will write down comments for works of your group mates and submit it. All the comments for each person will be published in a page on canvas without the name of the commenter. It is important for everyone to receive their feedback as soon as possible so they can make adjustments to their works if needed. That is why late submission for critique comments will be graded 0.

Being able to meet deadlines is an essential skill for most jobs. In the animation industry, late submission of your work has serious consequences for you and the project you’re working on. That is why for assignments and final project, late submissions will result in grade penalty.

Updated Feb 13:

Assignments: Graded on a 20 points scale. Late submission for assignments will result in %20 points penalty for each day that the submission is late starting immediately after the submission due time. 

Final Project: Graded on a 100 points scale. Final project is a 15 to 20 seconds animation. This animation can be based on a soundtrack of your choice, a reference video of a dance. It is expected that the animation demonstrates the principles, skills, and knowledge learned during the semester. You will design characters, concept, and technique for this 2D animation. Submission for this project is broken down into steps.

Late submission for the final project submissions will result in grade point penalty for each day that the submission is late starting immediately after the submission due time. Technical difficulties such as software crashes, losing data due to not make incremental saves, and file exporting and uploading problems are all part of the process of making an animation and are not acceptable excuses for late submissions.

The work submitted should demonstrate time and effort you put into it. Making progress throughout the semester, meeting the deadlines, evidence of knowledge about the software, creative approach toward the project, and evidence of work outside of class are all considered in your grade.

//Textbook and Software

Required textbook: 

Richard Williams, “The Animator’s Survival Kit”

9780571202287_p0_v1_s550x406.jpg

Recommended textbook: 

Hannes Rall, “Animation, from concept to production”

Required software:

https://krita.org/en/

https://fxhome.com/express

 

//Grading System

97-100 A+
93-96 A
90-92 A-
87-89 B+
83-86 B
80-82 B-
77-79 C+
70-76 C
60-69 D
0-59  F

 

//Course Policies

/Canvas

All the materials and assignments for this course will be published on Canvas. You should access Canvas regularly as course announcements and materials will be posted throughout the semester.  Canvas is the official Course Management System for UAH.  Login problems and password resets need to be directed to the OIT Help Desk, helpdesk@uah.edu, 256-824-3333, http://www.uah.edu/oit. 

/Saving Files

Do not save to the C/OS drive of the computers, instead save all files to D/Data.  The D drive will not be erased without notice, but the C drive may be overwritten (and all files on it deleted) several times a semester.  You need to create a folder with your name on drive D and keep all your materials in that folder! Remember that download, desktop, and document folders are all on drive C.

/File sharing and back up

As a student of UAH you have unlimited storage space on your UAH google account. You may back up and save your files to this google drive. Remember that you need to login to google accounts with your UAH google ID which is #your charger ID@uah.edu. Throughout the semester, links to a shared folder on google drive will be included in some assignments. In such cases, you need to login with your UAH google account to access that folder.

/Classroom

You will get card access to the lab and will have access anytime you are in the building and there are no other classes taking place.  Wilson Hall is open Monday to Friday 7AM to 10PM, Saturday 8AM to 10PM, and Sunday 9AM to 10PM.  You may use the lab outside of those hours, but you will need to already be in the building in order to do so.  Please do not prop open doors.

/Participation and Attendance

Class attendance is required! Good attendance record and effort put in on assignments can positively influence your final grade. Also, lots of course topics will be covered in each class, and most of the class topics are related. That is to say, if you miss a class, not only you miss the topics covered in that class, it will also negatively affect your performance and understanding of the topics in the coming classes. If you cannot make it to class for whatever reason, please communicate with me as soon as possible so I can help you keep up with the course. Other than official university absences, you are responsible for any assignments given during your absence and are required to turn in any assignments, regardless of attendance. Missing assignments given and collected on the same day will result in loss of credit.

/Cell phone

Cell phones seem to be an inseparable part of our lives. Along with all the benefits that come with them, there are many disadvantages such as constant distraction. Cell phone policies for this course are established to maintain a distraction free classroom and learning environment.  

Cell phones should be on silent mode. Checking your phone constantly and talking or texting during scheduled class time is not allowed. In cases of emergency, students may answer calls outside of the class.

/Instructor Communication

The office hours does not mean I am available for meeting. Please set appointments with me in advance through email or in person. You may send me messages through Canvas or your UAH email. I answer emails from 8 am to 8 pm on weekdays. I only answer emails on weekends if there is an emergency.

//Schedule

The following weekly schedule is for reference and is subject to change if necessary. Each topic comes with in-class or take-home exercises, and tutorials that are not included in this schedule.

Updated Feb 13:

Week

Topics

Assignments, Final Project

Readings

wk 1

-Syllabus overview

-Introduction to Krita

 

-Textbook: page 1-34

-Textbook: page 35-45

-Textbook: page 78-79

wk 2

-Bouncing ball

-Timing and spacing

-Straight ahead and pose to pose animation

 

-Textbook: page 46-67

-Textbook: page 84-100

wk 3

-12 principles of animation

 

-Textbook: page 256-272

-Textbook: page 273-284

wk 4

-12 principles of animation

 

 

wk 5

-12 principles of animation

 

 

wk 6

 

-Assign Due: 12 principles in action Jumping of a character - part 1 of 2

 

wk 7

 

 

 

wk 8

 

-Assign Due: 12 principles in action Jumping of a character - part 2 of 2

-Critique

 

 

wk 9

 

-Assign Due: walk cycle-part 1 of 3 

 

wk 10

 

-Assign Due: walk cycle-part 2 of 3 

-Critique

 

wk 11

Spring Break

Spring Break

Spring Break

wk 12

 

-Assign Due: walk cycle-part 3 of 3

 

wk 13

 

-Fin Proj Due: part 1 of 3 

 

wk 14

 

-Fin Proj Due: part 2 of 3 

-Critique

 

wk 15

 

 

 

wk 16

 

-Fin Proj Due: part 3 of 3

-Critique

 

//General Course Policies

Academic misconduct:

All forms of academic dishonesty are prohibited, and individuals or groups found guilty of any such misconduct may be subject to discipline as listed in the UAH Student Handbook Code of Conduct. Refer to the UAH Student Handbook for policies related to standards of conduct, including plagiarism, cheating, and student rights and responsibilities.

Professional behavior:

Every student is required to act respectfully and lawfully and in such a way as not to adversely affect the educational processes of the University or the rights of members of the University community and others. Violation of this general standard of behavior may be considered as misconduct.  

Plagiarism prevention:  

Plagiarism is the utilization of another person's work, published or unpublished, as one's own work. Any indication of plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct will be investigated and documentation of such will be considered justification for failure of the course and disciplinary action. Plagiarism includes submitting for a grade, work previously submitted by another student.  

ADA:  

The University of Alabama in Huntsville is committed to providing equal educational opportunities for all qualified students with disabilities.  Students with disabilities must notify their course manager the first week of class, and contact the DSS office (256.824.1997) with requests for accommodations no less than two weeks prior to the start of term (http://www.uah.edu/health-and-wellness/disability-support).

Course Summary:

Date Details Due