The
purpose of this lesson is to introduce students to basic animation
techniques. It is assumed that they are
familiar with what constitutes animation. It is also assumed that the school has the
means to provide the necessary equipment and programs for the completion of the
assignment. That being said, this lesson
could be executed using traditional methods such as a light box, tracing paper,
and a pencil. The information garnered from this lesson might seem dated
compared to what you might find in the computer labs at Pixar or Dreamworks,
but it provides the foundation upon which these hyper realistic or beautifully
stylized animations are created. Aside
from the standards, my goal with this assignment is to spur student interest in
the topic of animation and hopefully encourage students to pursue animation as
a future career.
Under
the "Standards" column in the matrix, the first step of the lesson is
to research stop motion animations and basic animation principles. Stop motion animation was used prevalently in
cinema and television before computer generated imagery (CGI) became
widespread. Depending on the age of the
students, I might show them clips from the popular MTV series Celebrity
Deathmatch in which clay replicas of celebrities fought to the death in a
brutal fashion. Another option is the
popular Italian children's show, Mio Mao, which features delightful and
adorable little cats in a seamless stop motion animation. By presenting a few
examples of stop motion and having a general discussion about it with the
class, the students will have a good idea of what the idea result of their work
should look like.
Part
two of the first step of this assignment is to conceptualize the characters and
plot for their very own animation. This
would involve the creation of character sheets, which are sketches that
demonstrate what different emotions and actions would look like with a
particular character, as well as the character's appearance from different
views (front, back, side). This is
arguably the most crucial step in the process as the appearance of the
character would affect the difficulty of the animation later on. The plot should be simple, clear cut and
concise. Students can use the internet to find references for their concepts
and create their plots using concept mapping software and image editing
software.
The
second step of the lesson is to make the animation itself. This requires the construction of their clay
characters, an environment if applicable, props if applicable, and a digital
camera or camcorder to record the frames of their animations. After all the frames are photographed, they
will be transferred onto the computer where the students will use post
production software to edit the images and the lighting as needed. The collection of frames can then be exported
as an image sequence and made into a seamless little animated movie. The basic use of the camera and the photo
editing software will be taught to the students in an earlier class.
The
next step of the lesson is to share the animation with the class and critique
each others' work. The final image
sequence, created in step two, will be exported into a video sharing site such
as youtube to be shared with the class and so the students can show their
family at home. The critique is often
the most stressful step in any project but it can be the most valuable. Students will analyze the visual aspects of
the video, how the character's form affect the dynamic of the animation, and
the plot of the animation. They will
provide critical feedback, both positive and negative. If a student is applying for an animation
program it can be determined whether or not the student should feature this
work in their portfolio. Video sharing
software (youtube), and internet access are the necessary technologies involved
in this step.
The
final step of the lesson is to reflect on the animation and its meaning, and
how animation skills can have positive implications in the creation of any form
of artwork. Most often, amateur artwork
can be characterized by a certain stillness and lack of dynamic in it's
content. This might be the desired
effect, but usually it is not. Having a
familiarity with animation techniques can help improve the dynamic and movement
of your painting or illustration. It can turn an otherwise flat piece into just
one frame of a larger ongoing happening.
Furthermore, developing animation skills in high school would give
students who wish to pursue it a distinct advantage in college. The emotional aspects of animation can be
just as profound as that of the cinema, and the practice should be considered
as a means of conveying a story beyond "the single panel" moving
forward. Animation is intimidating for
some reason, but the truth is it is a very accessible medium, and I hope my
lesson encourages students to explore it on a deeper level.
