54402 Studio: Foundations in Animation Design
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Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.
Credit points: 12 cp
Result type: Grade and marks
Requisite(s): (54406 Context: 2D Animation Introduction OR 82121 Context: 2D Animation Introduction) AND (54403 Studio: Foundations in Animation Language OR 82120 Animation Studio: Foundations in Animation Language)
These requisites may not apply to students in certain courses.
There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.
Anti-requisite(s): 82220 Animation Studio: Foundations in Animation Design
Description
This subject advances students’ knowledge and skills in the development of both narrative and non-narrative forms of animation. Students build on their fundamental animation skills, with a continuing emphasis on animation and film language.
Projects focus on the production of animated sequences as final outcomes, with a strong emphasis on experimentation and creative risk-taking. The subject expands on building both representational and conceptual narratives for animation through visual and auditory stimuli.
Students explore composition, colour theory, staging, timing, and movement to sound, as well as the application of animation principles within different contexts. The introduction of multiple software platforms supports the studio projects and broadens the students' knowledge of professional practice.
Subject learning objectives (SLOs)
| a. | Employ a range of primary visual research methods through first-hand experience, including drawing, note making, photography, film-making and sound recording |
|---|---|
| b. | Employ a range of secondary research methods through the use of the library, internet, social media and discussion |
| c. | Generate and discuss animation ideas and explore a wide range of set problems, including both narrative and non-narrative sequences |
| d. | Participate in experimentation, risk taking and play within production design and in animation |
| e. | Explore and iterate in the process of creating original, authentic production designs and narrative scenarios |
| g. | Apply effective time management and organisation for clearly defined project aims |
| h. | Communicate design ideas and concepts clearly in writing as well as in feedback and verbal presentations |
Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)
This subject engages with the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes (CILOs), which are tailored to the Graduate Attributes set for all graduates of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences:
- Apply fundamental and higher-level animation and cinematic principles with understanding and professional proficiency. (1.1)
- Demonstrate a high level of craft and production value across multiple methods, aesthetics and techniques of the animation process (1.2)
- Apply theoretically informed processes to production practice including managing complexity and collaboration, incorporating research into development, active iteration and critique, clarity in communication, delegation, and resource management. (1.3)
- Deploy literacy skills to undertake primary and secondary research, exploring a wide range of visual and textual materials, and connect research process to final outcomes (2.1)
- Demonstrate reflexive critical thinking as creative practitioners who are intellectually curious, imaginative, and innovative, with an ability to evaluate their own and others' work with candour. (2.2)
- Integrate risk taking and experimentation through development of unique aesthetics, techniques and movement languages in animation. (2.4)
- Possess well-developed skills and proficiencies to present and communicate narrative, complexity and abstract ideas with precision. (6.1)
- Work cooperatively as part of a creative team, challenging and negotiating differences with candour, engaging with the big-picture while mindful of detail, perception and nuance, and take a leadership role when required. (6.2)
Teaching and learning strategies
This subject uses a problem-based learning strategy that requires students to research and develop their own solutions to complex design challenges.
Collaborative Lectures. On campus lectures with built in activities provide practical knowledge relevant to the subject and facilitate teamwork and peer-to-peer learning by offering collaborative exercises and authentic shared experiences across the cohort. The knowledge provided in these collaborative lectures covers design and narrative methods to be used in the development of an animated audio-visual piece and its contents. These collaborative lectures are complimented by online video content where appropriate for students to engage with at times that suit them.
Design Studio Sessions: In two in class Design Studios per week, students participate in individual tutorials, group discussions and team-based activities. These studio sessions are designed to cultivate the collaborative team culture required for successful production of a large-scale public project. This project will encompass work contributed by all of first year. These culture building sessions often require the students to shuttle between classrooms for specialist workshops, design exercises and technical demonstrations.
One-to-one discussions with tutors. These are designed to facilitate discussion and analysis of the unique conceptual and aesthetic direction within each student idea. Students should nominate a note-taker to facilitate retention of complex and fast-moving discussions. Students are expected to bring notes from previous sessions to ensure clear agreement on iterative progress and targets.
Facilitated peer to peer discussions. These are designed to facilitate collaborative learning and recognize the value of student perspectives. Tutors will encourage peers to take the lead in highlighting issues and suggesting directions for concept and design development. Articulating different viewpoints and communicating ideas to peers is central to professional design practice.
Whole group pin-up sessions. Regular pin-ups and in class presentations of work will be conducted. This is a dynamic, participatory process in which students are invited to contribute feedback for each other’s concepts. This process allows tutors to share insights gained from individual examples with the whole group. It is also beneficial for prompting and sharing ideas between students. Viewing works in progress together raises awareness of patterns of best practice, and helps clarify issues around standard, expectation and delivery.
Individual presentations. Students will evolve their communication skills by presenting to industry partners in front of class at key assessment points. These presentations will be conducted within a clear framework, with set content requirements and timing. In these sessions, industry will lead the feedback, providing high-level, professional critique. A note-taker is required for this process.
Content sharing. Students will also share screen and print-based materials which demonstrate their wider research and practice interests. The multiplicity of constantly evolving content and platforms means that everyone has an important role to play in disseminating new ideas and forms of design.
Feedback. Students receive feedback from mentors and peers prior to the census date during in-studio feedback sessions and formal critiques of the works-in progress.
Access to Learning Material. All learning materials are accessed via Canvas. Grades, marks and feedback on final design submissions are provided through Review.
An aim of this subject is to help you develop academic and professional language and communication skills to succeed at university and in the workplace. During the course of this subject, you will complete a milestone assessment task that will, in addition to assessing your subject-specific learning objectives, assess your English language proficiency.
Content (topics)
This subject focuses on the development of narrative and non-narrative concepts for animation and builds upon the conceptual knowledge, technical skills and aesthetic sensibility developed through previous studio and context subjects.
Students will explore different aspects of animation such as:
- Creative concept development
- Storytelling in animation
- Field research
- Stop-motion workflow
- Applied animation fundamentals
- Animation production pipeline
Assessment
Assessment task 1: Stop Motion Animation Project
| Objective(s): | a, b, c, d, e, g and h | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight: | 40% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Length: | 8-16 second animated sequence which forms a part of a large-scale audio-visual work. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Criteria linkages: |
SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes |
Assessment task 2: Animatic Project
| Objective(s): | a, b, c, d, e, g and h | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight: | 40% | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Length: | 1 minute animatic per group | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Criteria linkages: |
SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes |
Assessment task 3: MasterLAB
| Objective(s): | d and e | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Weight: | 20% | ||||||||||||
| Length: | Varies with each set task | ||||||||||||
| Criteria linkages: |
SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes |
Minimum requirements
- ATTENDANCE: Students must attend at least 80% of classes and on-campus lectures to successfully pass this subject. In this subject a majority of the grades is awarded to creative process. Teachers seek evidence of research, concept development and reflexive iteration over the course of the session during feedback and discussion each week in class. We are unable to accurately assess the rigour of process in student work if they are not available for discussion and feedback during class time. Attendance will be marked at the beginning of each class. Students who have not met the attendance requirements will be refused to have their final assessment marked (see Rule 3.8).
- Students must pass all assessment tasks to pass this subject, as each task assesses unique subject learning objectives. If they do not pass a task they will receive an X Fail grade.
References
Berger, J. (1972). Ways of Seeing. Penguin.
Blair, P. (1994). Cartoon Animation. Walter Forster Publishing.
Dorne, A. (1967). Famous Artists Course in Commercial Art, Illustration and Design. Famous Artists’ School.
Edwards, B. (2012). Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. Tarcher / Penguin.
Heiss, A. ed. (2020). Growing up Aboriginal in Australia. Black Inc.
Hughes, R. (1988) The Fatal Shore. Vintage.
Madden, M. (2005). 99 Ways to tell a story: Exercises in style, Penguin.
Mateu-Mestre, M. (2011) Framed Ink, Titan Books
Pascoe, B. (2014) Dark Emu: Aboriginal Australia and the birth of Agriculture, Magabala books.
Williams R. (2001) The Animator’s Survival Kit, Faber and Faber.
McCloud, S. (1994) Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art, Harper Colins.