57108 Film Animation
UTS: Communication: Creative PracticeCredit points: 6 cp
Result Type: Grade, no marks
Handbook description
This subject introduces students to all the major styles of traditional film animation and to the study of film animation techniques. Students are introduced to flip books, claymation, drawing on cells, pixilation and collage animation styles through hands-on exercises and detailed study of animation films. Equipment used includes 16 mm non-sync cameras and 16 mm and 35 mm Oxberry Animation Stands.
Subject objectives/outcomes
At the conclusion of this subject students are expected to:
- have an understanding of different styles of traditional film animation
- have developed conceptual and technical skills in at least one style of film animation
- have skills in collaborative creative work
- be able to research and choose a style appropriate for their own animation concept or story
- have basic skills needed to develop a proposal, storyboard or script for a short animation film
- be able to critically revise their own work.
Contribution to graduate profile
Students completing this subject will:
- have developed understanding of all the traditional animation styles
- have had the opportunity to develop their conceptual and technical skills in at least one style of film animation
- be able to work collaboratively in groups on a creative project
- be able to develop and critically revise their own work
- be able to conceptualise, research and script a short animation film
- have had the opportunity to develop an animation project to proposal, storyboard and/or script stage.
Teaching and learning strategies
Lectures and seminars will focus on styles and concepts involved in film animation. In class workshops will be used to teach use of relevant equipment and material for the different styles of traditional film animation. Students' work will involve in and out of class exercises, and work on a proposal and storyboard or script for a short film animation project of their own. Students should take this opportunity to develop traditional animation skills by reading recommended texts and by viewing film animation works out of class.
Content
- frame by frame animation
- claymation
- pixilation
- sequential drawing, flip books
- collage techniques
- camera-less animation, hand-painting, scratching
- introduction to 16mm and 35mm Oxberry camera
- introduction to Bolex and Arri ST Camera
- ideas for animations, writing for animation, treatments, storyboarding to production, visual sequencing
- editing: visual transitions, metamorphoses, cuts, fades, timing and exaggeration
- sound ideas, approaches and issues re making a soundtrack for film animation.
Assessment
Assessment item 1: Completion of class exercises
| Objective(s): | a, b, c |
| Weighting: | 20% |
| Task: | Small groups will be formed to work in and out of class on a five to fifteen seconds in length animation in one of the main traditional styles eg claymation, pixellation, 16 and 35mm cell or drawn animation, or collage animation. The exercise will set by the lecturer and all students are required to work to complete the exercise in their group by the due date. |
| Assessment criteria: |
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Assessment item 2: Short film animation exercise
| Objective(s): | a, b, c, d, e, f |
| Weighting: | 80% |
| Task: | The production of a short animated film or film sequence, 15-60 seconds in length. This will be done in small groups. Students present their work on the initial idea, script, storyboard, animation artwork, filming and editing in class at designated stages during semester. |
| Assessment criteria: |
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Minimum requirements
Students are expected to read the subject outline to ensure they are familiar with the subject requirements. Since class discussion and participation in activities form an integral part of this subject, you are expected to attend, arrive punctually and actively participate in classes. If you experience difficulties meeting this requirement, please contact your lecturer. Students who have a reason for extended absence (e.g., illness) may be required to complete additional work to ensure they achieve the subject objectives.
Attendance is particularly important in this subject because it is based on a collaborative approach which involves essential workshopping and interchange of ideas. Students who attend fewer than ten classes are advised that their final work will not be assessed and that they are likely to fail the subject.
Indicative references
A book of readings for the subject will be available.
Books
Books marked with an asterisk will be particularly useful - others are background you may wish to read.
Adamson, Joe, Bugs Bunny: Fifty Years Old and Only One Grey Hare, Henry Holt and Co, 1991
Avery, Tex, King of Cartoons, Da Capo Press, 1975
Bendazzi, Giannalberto, Cartoon: One Hunderd Years of Cinema Animation, Indiana University Press, Bloomington, Indianapolis, 1994
Cervone, Tony Animating the Looney Tunes Way, Foster books, 2000
Cabarga, Leslie, The Fleisher Story, Da Capo Press, 1988
Canemaker, John, Felix: The Twisted Tale of the World's Most Famous Cat, Pantheon, New York, 1991
Canemaker, John The Art and Artists of Disney Storyboards, Hyperion, 1999
Treasure of Disney Animation Art, Artabras, 1982
McKay, Windsor: His Life and Art, Abbeville Press, 1987
Cholodenko, Alan (ed) The Illusion of Life: Essays on Animation, Power Publication, 1991
Crafton, Donald Before Mickey: The Animated Film 1898 - 1928, MIT Press, Cambridge Massachusetts and London, England 1984
Cohl, Emile The origins of the Animated Film, Vols 1 and 2, UMI Dissetation, Yale University, 1977
Cohl, Emile Caricature and Film, Princeton University press, Princeton, New Jersey, 1990
Culhane, Shamus Animation from Script to Screen, 1990
Hahn, Don Animation Magic, Disney presss, 1996
Halas, John, Masters of Animation, BBC Books, London , 1987
Halas, John The Contemporary Animator, Focal Press, London and Boston, 1990
Halas, John Visual Scripting, Hastings House, New York, 1986 and 1988
Hooks, Ed Acting for Animators, Heinemann Drama, 2001
Jones, Chuck, Chuck Amuck, Harper Collins, 1990
Klein, Norman 7 minutes: The Life and Death of the American Animated Cartoon
Kunzle, David, The Early Con-Lic Strip, University of California Press, 1973
Moholy-Nagy, Lazlo Vision in Motion, Paul Theobald and Co, Chicago, 1947
*Muybridge, Eadweard Animals in Motion and The Human Figure in Motion, Dover, 1957 and 1955
Perisic, Zoran The Animation Stand: Rostrum Camera Operations. Focal press, 1976
Russett, R and Starr, C Experimental Animation: Origins of a New Art, (Rev Ed.) Da Capo press, New York 1976 and 1988
Sibley, Brian Chicken Run: Hatching the Movie, Abrams, 2000
Simon, Mark Storyboards: Motion in Art, 2nd edn, Focal Press, 2000
Simon, Marc Producing Independent 2D Character Animation: Making and Selling A Short Film, Focal Press, 2003
Sitney, P. A, Visionary Film: The American Avant Garde, 1043 1978, Oxford University press, New York, 1979
Scott, Jeffrey How to write for Animation, Overlook Press, 2002
Schneider, Steve, That's All Folks, Henry Holt and Co, 1988
Sennett, Ted The Art of Hanna-Barbera: Fifty Yeas of Creativity, Viking Studio, 1989
Solomn, Charles Enchanted Drawings: The History of Animation, Alfred A Knopf, 1989
Spess, Marc Secrets of Clay Animation revealed, MinuteMan Press 2001
White, Tony The Animator's Workbook, Watson Guptill, New York, 1986 and 1988
*Whitaker, H and Halas, J Timing for Animation, Focal Press, 1981
Williams, Richard The Animator's Survival Kit, Faber and Faber, 2001
Selected animation films in the UTS Library
Animation Pie
Mouris, F Frank Film
Melies, George Trick Films
McKay, Windsor Gertie the Dinosaur (1914)
Fooke, Maggie Pleasure Domes
Lye, Len Free Radicals
Whitmore, Lee On a Full Moon
Whitmore, Lee Ned Wethered
The Lead Dress
Jones, Chuck Daffy Duck and Bugs Bunny
McLaren, Norman Begone Dull Care, Blinkety Blank, Neighbours
Tupicoff, Denins The Darra Dogs
Tupicoff, Dennis His Mother's Voice
