Saturday, September 3, 2011

Read me

All,
Christa has alerted me to a discrepancy on the syllabus, where it states that there are two parameters from the 5 layer assignment do on the server at class time. I did indeed verbally assign you one due on your desktop at class time on Thursday, which is what I am expecting from you on Tuesday.

Thursday, September 1, 2011

13 month license

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Wednesday, August 31, 2011

5 layer assignment instructions


Assignment #1, 5 layer exercise
Works in progress critique will be Tuesday, September 13th
Due posted on blog Monday, September 19th by noon.

This animation needs to be at least 30 seconds long, and consist of at least five drawing layers/elements.  Your animation needs to address the following 5 directives.

1.One element that morphs from one shape to another.
2.One element that uses the 3-dimensional space of the frame.
3.One element that uses the frame line and off-screen space– in other words enters and exits the frame.
4.One element that changes radically every frame, utilizing rapid replacement animation.
5. One element that employs both exaggerated squash and stretch and ease in and out.





syllabus


Introduction to Animation Techniques
DM200
MACLAB 4
Tuesday/Thursday 1:00PM-3:35 PM
Professor Meredith Root
Ext 258
 mroot@mca.edu
office hours will be held on Tues/ Thurs from 3:35-4:15 PM (Mac Lab 4) , Tuesday 12:00-1:00 (faculty office) or by appointment

Course Description This course will serve as a comprehensive introduction to Toon Boom Animate Pro, and provide a solid foundation in the history, techniques, and language of animation.  Students will gain experience in animation techniques such as rotoscoping, frame-by-frame, hand-drawn, and collage animation.  Basic animation principles--shooting on two's, easing in and easing out, morphing, and squash and stretch--will be discussed and experimented with. 

Grade breakdown:
Participation%20
This portion of the grade assesses student involvement in discussions, and is contingent upon students reading the relevant materials, actively engaging in critique, and being timely with assignments.
3 projects  Assignment #1 is %20 of your final grade, and Assignment #2 and #3 are %30

ATTENDANCE IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT
4 absences will lower your grade by one full letter. Six absences will result in a failing grade.  Three late arrivals – more than ten minutes – will count as an absence. Any excused absence must be discussed prior to the day of class. 

This course outline is subject to change, depending on the pace of the class
Week 1:Tuesday, August 23rd -- Screening and discussion --Film and The Frame - watch tutorial chapter 4 "About the Interface" for class on Thursday
  Thursday,  August 25th -- Workshop -- Basic Intro to Animate Pro, drawing tools

Weekend assignment: Create a palette (min 20 pots) and brush set (min 10). Create a 10 second animation for class Tues.
Week 2:Tuesday, August 30th Screening and discussion, drawing, animating frame by frame, introduce  mapping motion, introduce Assignment # 1  
  Thursday, September 1st -- Workshop -- key poses and in betweens, onion skin 

Weekend assignment: Choose 2 of Assignment # 1 parameters to work on over the weekend and place in server class folder by the start of class Tuesday

Week 3 :Tuesday, September 6th -- Workshop - exposures, drawings, fine-tuning, trace backs
  Thursday, September 8th --Traditional animation processes/history/two trajectories/individual vs studio

Weekend assignment: Choose 2 of Assignment # 1 parameters to work on over the weekend and and place in server class folder by the start of class Tuesday
Week 4 :Tuesday, September 13th --  paste special, cycles 
  Thursday, September 15th -  Screening and discussion--Imperfection,time,and texture 
Post Assignment # 1 -- 5 layer exercise  on class blog Monday by noon.  Watch all assignments and come to class Tuesday prepared for critique
Week 5 :Tuesday, September 20th -- critique Assignment #1 , Read Help Manual chapter 8, "Gathering content" pg. 338-361 for class on Thursday
  Thursday, September 22nd -- collage screening, gathering assets, introduce  Assignment # 2
Week 6 :Tuesday, September 27th-- animating layers keyframes, stop-motion vs interpolation
  Thursday, September 29th-- splines and functions

Week 7:Tuesday -  October 4th - NO CLASS --Read Help Manual chapter 8, "Setting up the network" pg. 503-521 for class on Thursday
  Thursday, October 6th--  effects, introduction to network view
Week 8: Tuesday, October 11th --Works in progress critique  Projects must be on server at the beginning of class
               Thursday, October 13th --symbols and templates
   
Week 9: Tuesday, October 18th - NO CLASS-FALL BREAK
  Thursday, October 20th --open workshop
Post Assignment # 2 -- moving collage  on class blog Monday by noon.  Watch all assignments and come to class Tuesday prepared for critique
Week 10: Tuesday, October 25th -- Critique Assignment #2                 
               Thursday, October 27th -- Critique Assignment #2   
       
Week 11: Tuesday, November 1st -- intro to character design and jointing
    Thursday,  November 3rd  -- drawing pivots and pegs
Week 12: Tuesday,  November  8th-- parenting and heirarchy
    Thursday,  November 10th -- effects bonanza
Week 13:Tuesday,  November 15th --Workshop--layer screening
  Thursday,  November 17th --   Workshop--camera moves and pegs
Week 14:Tuesday,  November 22nd -- Screen work in progress
    Thursday,  November 24th NO CLASS - THANKSGIVING BREAK
Week 15: Tuesday,  November 29th-Workshop
    Thursday, December 1 -- Workshop
Week 16: Tuesday, December 6th Final Critique Assignment # 3 due
    Thursday, December 8th Final Critique Assignment # 3 due


The policy of no food or drink in any Memphis College of Art computer lab will be strictly enforced. The below noted labs which comprise the Memphis College of Art computer system are included in this policy: MacLab 01(previously MacLab 16), MacLab 02 (previously MacLab 12), MacLab 03 (Animation), Writing Lab, Graduate Center Labs, and the computer workstations in the Library. “Students, faculty and/or staff violating the rule will be fined $50.00. Repeat offenses will be assessed further disciplinary action.”
________________
"Students are required to attend fifty percent of the extra- curricular lectures, held at the college, per academic year. This includes the Faculty Lecture and Visiting Artist Lecture series. "
________________
Professional and courteous conduct is expected while in residence within the design studios and computer labs. Additionally, students must conform to the College’s and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration [OSHA] safety policies. The proper and informed use of all digital equipment is compulsory.
________________
Each student has an independent, assigned folder, on the College’s file server for the temporary storage of digital files. When working, students must transfer files from the server to their respective desktop. The file server is relatively secure. The amount of space available to each student is not fixed, it is up to all students to use this space wisely and in consideration of their peers, however when full, files will be deleted. Also, due to the nature of the platform, malfunction may occur resulting in the fragmentation, altering, or loss of files. Therefore, it is the full responsibility of the student, not Memphis College of Art, to safely store their files. Independent archiving is strongly advised.
________________ 


Wednesday, August 24, 2011



One morning, it had been raining all night, and there were these marvelous little clouds in the blue sky. As I was looking at these clouds I was thinking, wasn’t it Constable who sketched clouds to try to convey their motions. Why pretend they are moving, why not just move something? All of a sudden it hit me – if there was such a thing as composing music, there could also be such a thing as composing motion. After all, there are melodic figures, why can’t there be figures of motion?
 Len Lye