Sketchbook Assignment for Wed. 2/15: Character Design Analysis

For Wednesday's class, I want you to select a cartoon character that you think has an interesting design. I want you to make a sketch of that character in your sketchbook, paying special attention to all the elements of of its design – hair, clothing, body type, facial structure, etc. In a paragraph under the sketch of the character, I want you to write out an explanation of the personality of the character, with details of how that personality is visible in the design of the character itself. For example, a character who has a sinister personality might have sharpened, pointy teeth, or heavy eyebrows that point downward. Include elements of the character's costume in your explanation as well.

Your abstract/music animation is due at the beginning of class.

Sketchbook assignment for Monday

You have a sketchbook assignment for next Monday -- or rather, two short sketchbook assignments. They are both exercises in thinking in images. They are:

1. I want you to draw a sketch of a memorable image. This could be an image from a film, a poster, a painting, a TV show, a book (in which case you'll have seen the image in your mind's eye, not in "reality") -- some vision that sticks in your brain. And then, also in the sketchbook, write a short paragraph about the image -- where you saw it, what it means -- and why you think that image is memorable.

2. Make a sketch of something memorable that actually happened to you -- in particular, something you saw or experienced that was intensely scary. It could be from a movie that you saw as a kid; it could be something that actually happened to you and really spooked you -- just make sure it's something that left an impression on you. As with the other sketchbook exercise, write a short paragraph about the scary event, and explain what made it so scary.

Here are the two videos I showed in class today:

Audio and Vector resources

Megan sent me a brief demo on how to scrub vocals from a music track. Evidently this method is hit-or-miss, depending on the song you use, but it could be worth a shot:



The program used in the demo is Audacity, which is on our macs; it is freeware, and can be downloaded for your own computer here:

http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

I'll be talking about vector art in Monday's class (the drawing tools in flash create vector art). There are many resources online that provide free vector art that can be used in Flash. Here are a few sources:

Vector portal logo shapes

Freevectordownload's design vectors.

Freevectors.net

Vecteezy.com

Bittbox has some great stuff.

Of course, you can also google "free vector art downloads" and it'll turn up a lot of links as well.

Most of this vector art will be in Adobe Illustrator format. Open your downloaded vector in Adobe Illustrator, then copy it and paste it directly into Flash. Most of the time that works -- if it doesn't work, just bug me in class and we'll fix it.

Lastly, here is a recent music video that uses abstract shapes in an interesting way. I'll screen it in Monday's class:

Abstract Animation Assignment

By next class (wednesday), you should be ready to begin your first flash animation assignment -- an abstract animation, of a duration somewhere between 30 seconds and a minute, set to music.

At the beginning of next class, you should have:

1. A sound file of the music you'll be using -- the music can be any genre, but must be completely instrumental (at least the portion you'll be using for your cartoon). Sound formats that can be imported into flash are: WAV, AIFF, and mp3. Bring your audio file on your zip drive or a CD.

2. At least two pages of sketches in your sketchbook, of visual ideas you'll be using in your piece. These could be colors, shapes -- perhaps they are images or forms that appear to you when you listen to the music. You won't have to follow these sketches exactly; it's more to give you a jumping-off point. But try to identify some forms/images/colors that feel like they have the same emotional quality of the music itself. You can briefly use representational images (like the houses that flicker in and out of McLaren's "Begone Dull Care") but the vast majority of your animation must be non-representational. Think of how rhythm, color, contrast, composition, form, contrast, motion and texture can be used to evoke a reaction in the viewer.

Does a zig-zagging line have a different effect or "meaning" than a straight or curved line? Does a large shape have a different effect than a small shape? How about a quickly moving shape versus a slowly moving one? Does the color blue have a different effect when it's placed against purple, as opposed to yellow?

Each of these choices will produce different emotional results. These are the basics of visual information -- composition, color, motion, timing -- that provide the structure of all animation. In representational animation, these components usually have a subliminal effect on the viewer; in this project, the components will be laid bare. If you never make an abstract animation again, the principles you will explore here will continue to be applicable to narrative animation.

Snow Day Today

Class has been canceled today, due to the weather.

The above still is from Paul Grimault's Le Petit Soldat (1947)

Welcome, and first assignment

Welcome to the blog for the animation class at SNC. Your first assignment -- due next Wednesday -- has two parts.

1. Make a flipbook. A pad of sticky notes might be a good thing to use. Show something that involves some action (or series of actions); or show an object from several points of view; or show something transforming into several other things. The subject matter is really wide open -- just have fun drawing.

2. Start your dream journal. Write down what you remember of your dreams (useful images might percolate out of this). You will be asked to share one of these dreams next class.

Also, by next class you need to have your portable drive and your sketchbook (you can keep your dream journal in your sketchbook).

Lastly, if you'd like a copy of the syllabus, you can download one here:
http://www.box.com/s/dqbpqrx3k157v8pi9agz


The image above is from a cartoon directed by Tex Avery

What's due on Wednesday's final

For the final, I'll want your fla and swf files for all the animation project's you've done this semester:

1. Abstract/Music animation
2. Characters interacting animation
3. Rotoscope animation
4. Final animation

Remember, for your final animation:

1. It should have a title and credits.
2. You should, on the top layer, have a masking rectangle (preferably black) with a hole cut into it at the exact stage size -- so that if the swf plays on a screen with a different aspect ratio than your animation's aspect ratio, no one will see all the symbols that are "offstage."

During the final, we'll screen your final animations, and I'll also screen an animated feature for your to write an in-final response to, looking at elements we've been talking about in class: shots, images, character design and acting.