dm2

Digital Media 2 / Animation

Instructor: Marcin Ramocki   

mramocki@njcu.edu

 

Class Description:

Digital Media 2 is an advanced class introducing digital time media. You will be exposed both to software and concepts behind the contemporary digital animation. The purpose of the class is to familiarize you with the vocabulary, technology and theory behind 2-D animation. Main software examined will be Adobe After-Effects.

“Digital Media 2/Animation” is a very demanding class. Learning this software can be done only through constant experimentation and exercises. Advanced knowledge of Photoshop required.

Materials:

External storage drive 500 GB suggested.

Absence policy:

One absence allowed without further explanation. Second one equals to one grade drop unless accompanied by doctor’s explanation.

Grading:

Exercises

1 project: 20%

2 project: 20%

3 project: 10%

Final project: 40%

Class participation: 10%

Course Syllabus:

Week 1:           Introduction, overview of the class.

                        Homework: Photoshop file to work with for the bouncing ball exercise.

Week 2:           Exercise: Complex path animation, “bouncing ball”

Introduction to Adobe After-Effects. Menus, toolbox, basic concepts, timeline, playback head, tweening, animation path. Importing Photoshop files and layers.

Project 1: Coins Animation (15 sec, 720 X 480 dpi)

Project description: create two 30 second animations using scanned coins. Theme of the first animation is “love” and the second animation “war”. Think of the coins as your actors. Have them behave and interact like characters in a play or ballet. Try to be inventive and creative, attempt to express the psychology of human feelings through simple shape interaction. The animation should be set against an empty, black background.

Week 3:           Exercise: Anchor point and rotation, “spinning coin”.

Using tools, moving anchor point of a layer, applying scale effects to a layer to create an illusion of 3 dimensions. Fine tuning layer transformations. Rendering a composition.

Work period for Coins Animation          

Week 4:           Exercise: Applying filters over time.

                        Coin Animation due - group critique.

                        Project 2: “Dream” (60 sec, 720 X 480 dpi)

Project description: write down a description of a real dream you had. Try to be as specific and detail oriented as possible. Make sure to pick a dream with some special importance, which either recurred or made a big impression on you in your childhood. Try to recreate the dream in your animation. You are encouraged to do custom photo/video/sound work for this project.

Week 5:           Exercise: Nested compositions, “walking stick figure”

Complex motions: nesting multiple compositions to achieve non-linear animation effects. Human walk cycle. Examining the hierarchical structure of compositions. Updating compositions and footage. Placeholders and wireframe preview.

                        Work period for “Dream” project.

Week 6:           Exercise: Adding sound.

Sound in After-Effects. Editing and previewing sound layers. Applying sound effects. Important image effects: keying color, type, levels, curves.

                        Work period for “Dream” project.

Week 7:            Exercise: Using layer mask: “key hole”.

Concept of masking in After-Effects. Using pen tool to draw masks in the layer window. Animating masks over time. Mask opacity.

Work period for “Dream” project.

Week 8:           “Dream” project due, group critique.

                         

Week 9:           Project 3: “Countdown” (10 sec, 720 X 480 dpi)

Project description: this is a simple, conceptual assignment. Invent and create your own version of a movie countdown. You can only draw in Photoshop or scan things that you carry on you that day or a to be found in the classroom. No material for this project can be obtained outside of the classroom or on the Internet. Improvise. This countdown is supposed to reflect your personality. There are no other rules.

Week 10:          “Countdown” project due, group critique.

                        Examples of narrative “cartoon style” animation.

                       

Week 11:         Final Project: Narrative Animation (180 sec, 720 X 480 dpi)

                        Project description: this is your final, independent animation feature.

You are responsible for the story board, artwork, soundtrack, used media, layer animation, final rendered video clip. You have a full freedom as far as the subject matter; however simple, cartoon style animation is encouraged. Remember that this project is extremely time consuming: plan ahead. Pay attention to details!!! No more visible pixels, animation mistakes etc. Concentrate on character detail and emotional expression. We are aiming for professional quality. Work period for final project.

Week 12:         Exercise: Advanced techniques.

Work period for final project.

Week 13:         Exercise: Organizing your animation.

Work period for final project.

Week 14:         Exercise: Transfer to tape and DVD

Work period for final project.

Week 15:         Narrative Animation  due, Final Critique.