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Module UXS-1126:
Animation Principles & Practic

Module Facts

Run by School of Music, Drama and Performance

20 Credits or 10 ECTS Credits

Semester 1

Organiser: Dr Eben Muse

Overall aims and purpose

On this module, you will spend your time watching animations, talking about animations, and making animations. You do not need drawing skills. You will make use of a range of professional animation development tools to create a range of short projects to meet simple animation challenges. The challenges will reflect the uses of animation in the creative industries (including game characters, film credit sequences, adverts, holiday cards and short stories) but it will allow scope for individual creative expression.

Course content

Each week new techniques and principles are introduced during weekly seminar sessions, illustrated both by instructional explanations of the theory and through critical review of real-world examples. A regular series of animation challenges are provided which allow students to experiment with these techniques and principles and to develop their knowledge of the wide range of potential uses for animation. Students present selected work from the weekly challenges in an online portfolio that includes the animation and a short reflective piece. Feedback from these occurs regularly throughout the semester, and the student chooses one piece to be further developed.

Assessment Criteria

threshold

Typically, work graded D- to D+ (or 40 to 49) will show many of the following qualities: • Unsure and lacking in confidence when discussing ideas • Referring to the subject in question in a superficial manner • Making an effort to provide fairly balanced answers • Some points in the argument irrelevant to the topic • Little evidence of background reading • Some uncertainty over language and syntax • Strengths and weaknesses fairly balanced; occasionally clumsy and unimaginative • In creative work: superficial • Not succeeding in mastering the requirements of the medium

good

Typically, work graded C- to B+ (or 50 to 69) will show many of the following qualities: • Discusses ideas adeptly • Most of the arguments about a specific field are well-aired • Displays knowledge of the subject in question; the answer is relevant • Shows analytical and clear thought • Gives evidence of relevant reading • Shows accuracy in expression with mastery over language. • A few minor errors here and there. • Signs of creative thought deserve a higher position within the class • In creative work: shows signs of originality, having understood the requirements of the medium • Plans of well-balanced and full answers, despite some gaps

excellent

Typically, work graded A- to A** (or 70 to 100) will show many of the following qualities: Discusses ideas with confidence and precision • Demonstrates maturity and sophistication • Displays deep knowledge of the subject in question; the answer is totally relevant • Shows independent, analytical and clear thought • Gives evidence of substantial and relevant reading • Shows great accuracy in expression, displaying total mastery over all aspects of the language • Shows occasional signs of brilliance and originality of thought • In creative work: displays considerable originality • Command over medium; may have potential for publication/production

Learning outcomes

  1. Ability to produce short animations using a range of animation techniques, including key frame, straight-ahead drawings, peg riggings, and camera movement.

  2. Ability to use a range of software tools for animation, including bitmap editing, vector drawing and animation software

  3. Knowledge of the range of uses for animation within the creative industries

  4. Understanding of the nature of animation as an integrated combination of timing, visual imagery, and sound

  5. Creative use of animation design principles

Assessment Methods

Type Name Description Weight
LOGBOOK OR PORTFOLIO Animation Portfolio

A portfolio of short (5-20 second) animations with accompanying critical reflection

 100

Teaching and Learning Strategy

Hours
Practical classes and workshops

Weekly practical sessions applying techniques and principles to animation challenges

 22
Seminar

Introduction to and discussion of techniques, principles, and animations produced within creative industry

 11
Private study

Development of weekly workshop challenges and production of portfolio

 167

Transferable skills

  • Literacy - Proficiency in reading and writing through a variety of media
  • Numeracy - Proficiency in using numbers at appropriate levels of accuracy
  • Computer Literacy - Proficiency in using a varied range of computer software
  • Self-Management - Able to work unsupervised in an efficient, punctual and structured manner. To examine the outcomes of tasks and events, and judge levels of quality and importance
  • Exploring - Able to investigate, research and consider alternatives
  • Information retrieval - Able to access different and multiple sources of information
  • Inter-personal - Able to question, actively listen, examine given answers and interact sensitevely with others
  • Critical analysis & Problem Solving - Able to deconstruct and analyse problems or complex situations. To find solutions to problems through analyses and exploration of all possibilities using appropriate methods, rescources and creativity.
  • Safety-Consciousness - Having an awareness of your immediate environment, and confidence in adhering to health and safety regulations
  • Presentation - Able to clearly present information and explanations to an audience. Through the written or oral mode of communication accurately and concisely.
  • Mentoring - Able to support, help, guide, inspire and/or coach others
  • Self-awareness & Reflectivity - Having an awareness of your own strengths, weaknesses, aims and objectives. Able to regularly review, evaluate and reflect upon the performance of yourself and others

Subject specific skills

  • An understanding of creative and critical processes, and of the wide range of skills inherent in creative writing. (NAWE Creative Writing Benchmark Statement 3.1).
  • Artistic engagement and ability to articulate complex ideas in oral and written forms. (NAWE Creative Writing Benchmark Statement 3.2).
  • Ability to connect creative and critical ideas between and among forms, techniques and types of creative and critical praxis. (NAWE Creative Writing Benchmark Statement 3.2; English Benchmark Statement 3.2).
  • Reflective practitioner skills, including awareness of the practice of others in collaborative learning (NAWE Creative Writing Benchmark Statement 3.2; English Benchmark Statement 3.2).
  • Ability to engage in processes of drafting and redrafting texts to achieve clarity of expression and an appropriate style. (English Benchmark Statement 3.3; NAWE Creative Writing Benchmark Statement 3.2).
  • Information technology (IT) skills broadly understood and the ability to access, work with and evaluate electronic resources (NAWE Creative Writing Benchmark Statement 3.2; English Benchmark Statement 3.3).
  • Creative skills – conception, elaboration, adaptation, presentation, collaboration, preservation
  • Technological skills – digital capture, digital expression, digital innovation
  • Intellectual skills shared with other disciplines – research and exploration, reasoning and logic, understanding, critical judgement, assimilation and application
  • Skills of personal management – self-motivation, self-critical awareness, independence, entrepreneurship and employment skills, time management and reliability, organisation, etc.
  • Enhanced powers of imagination and creativity (4.17)

Resources

Resource implications for students

All books are available in the University library. The software resources are available in the computer rooms of John Phillips Hall.

Talis Reading list

http://readinglists.bangor.ac.uk/modules/uxs-1126.html

Courses including this module

Optional in courses: