Class Animation II

The first half of the course provides insights and practical experience with both shaping and animating a 3d puppet in physical space, making it relevant for later continuing this experience in 3D computer animation. The students test the succes of their puppets built in the previous semester, while learning the basics of acting for animators and technical skills of character animation, which are relevant for all animation techniques, and will be built on this experience in the coming semesters and other courses. The second half of the semester will be dedicated to 2D animation. Introduction to the 12 base laws of animation. Picking up from what was taught in stop motion, that knowledge will now have its following into digital 2D animation. This half semester will initiate the students on all the skills they need for present and future semesters. They will learn the basis of 2D animation and the basis of Toon Boom software.

Not applicable

  Part 1: puppet 1. Physicality of the puppet and its limitations. The animation bible. 2. Anatomy of the movement. Anticipation. Ease in and ease out. Follow through. Secondary action. 3. Weight and interaction with an object. 4. - 5. Interaction with another puppet (cause/consequence) impact, acting and empathy. 6. Walk cycle. 7. Say/show/act 1 sentence - expressions/blinks 8. Emotion/empathy A weekly homework will be assigned after every class, following the weekly topic. Part 2- 2D animation theoretical classes/ basic 12 laws of animation and Toonboom software. The practical classes will be about understanding the theoretical part and use it to execute exercises for training and evaluation 1- walk cycles 2- character looks away, blinks, and nods or says no - anticipation/arches/ease in and out 3- scared frog jump -anticipation/ stretch and squash 4- lifting a block from the ground - weight transfer/acting 5- character gets up from a chair and waves - proportion/ weight transfer/ acting      

The methodology is based on both theoretical and practical approaches. The theoretical explanations are derived from the Animator’ s Survival Kit, which gives technical explanations about movement and Hooks Acting for Animators, which is more about how to get to the soul of the character, more of a mental guide of seeing, thinking and then acting and creating movement. The students learn simple and then more complex movements, in smaller groups, which allow collaboration, helping and learning from each other. The 2D animation part of the semester will be made of 7 classes , 2 theoretical and 5 practical. In the practical classes students will learn how to use the 12 laws of animation and adapt them to the 5 evaluation exercises with the objective of delivering well performed,and timed animation, showing weight and attitude. The exercises will have an increasing level of difficulty, from a basic cycle to a character performing an indicated action.

1. Hooks, E. (2011). Acting for animators. Routledge. SBN10:0415580242 ISBN13:9780415580243 2. Williams, R. (2001). The Animator's Survival Kit: A Manual of Methods, Principles and Formulas for Classical, Computer, Games, Stop Motion and Internet Animators. Faber and Faber. ISBN-10:‎086547897X ISBN-13: ‎978-0865478978 3. Purves, Berry. (2008). Stop motion: Passion, Process and Performance. Taylor and Francis. ISBN 0240520602, 9780240520605