54404 Studio: Narrative Experimentations in Animation

Warning: The information on this page is indicative. The subject outline for a particular session, location and mode of offering is the authoritative source of all information about the subject for that offering. Required texts, recommended texts and references in particular are likely to change. Students will be provided with a subject outline once they enrol in the subject.

Subject handbook information prior to 2025 is available in the Archives.

UTS: Communication: MAP and Sound and Music Design
Credit points: 12 cp
Result type: Grade and marks

Requisite(s): (82320 Animation Studio: Narrative Investigations OR 54405 Studio: Narrative Investigations in Animation) AND (82321 Context: Animation Character OR 54407 Context: Animation Character)
These requisites may not apply to students in certain courses.
There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.
Anti-requisite(s): 88211 Animation Studio: Narrative Experimentations

Description

This studio enables students to engage with processes that connect social responsibility, inclusiveness, critical thinking and research to alternative animation media outcomes. Projects have a focus on experimentation and explore the conceptualisation of complex ideas and alternative narrative structures from concept through to full animation and exhibition.

Students use primary research processes as well as secondary research to explore original ideas that are capable of being realised as real-world projects in a global context. The subject explores professional practice for alternative and experimental media settings by taking students through the process of developing a professional proposal document for pitching to stakeholders and producing that proposal as a public work for alternative and experimental settings that operate outside mainstream animation broadcast media.

An important aspect of this subject is understanding how to position creative teams and concepts to external stakeholders and the development of collaborations with key creative partners. This supports students' professional practice and their ability to seek funding for alternative projects, to work in a team, exchange ideas, negotiate and communicate effectively with co-creators.

Subject learning objectives (SLOs)

a.	Articulate and position creative concepts and practice in a real-world professional context
b.	Produce original animated outcomes for experimental and non-traditional media
c.	Understand the role of visual metaphor and motif in animation
d.	Embed a practice of rigorous research in the creation of content
e.	Collaborate and negotiate with co-creators to evolve production outcomes
f.	Understand of the role of social responsibility, cultural exchange, and inclusion in animation media content

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:

• 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)
• Contextualise work within current and historical animation practice and theory. (2.3)
• Integrate risk taking and experimentation through development of unique aesthetics, techniques and movement languages in animation. (2.4)
• Act with transparency and exhibit personal and professional ethical integrity and broad social responsibility. (5.1)
• 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 is comprised of 5 face to face lectures and 5 online lectures plus 2 x 2hr studio tutorials. The subject engages design professionals as mentors and works with external creative industry partnerships to ensure all content and tasks are relevant to current professional practice in a global context. Students participate in individual tutorials, group discussions and team-based activities throughout the session.

The studio model in this subject reflects industry practices of collaborative and iterative work. When working in teams to produce an outcome, students must regularly present their individual contributions and reflections on the collaborative creative process to peers and their tutors. Tutors makes notes on and use these conversations, reflections and presentations to assess individual contribution to the assessment, as submitted. Students are expected to keep a process-journal throughout the session, this can be in digital or hard copy format and consists of the iterations and work produced over the session. Regular feedback is provided in tutorials and crits and it is the students' responsibility to take notes of this feedback.

This subject has two assessment tasks. Each task has a detailed brief and additional support material for the successful completion of tasks available on Canvas. There is an expectation of approx. 12 hours of self-directed practice outside class hours each week. Grades, marks, and summary feedback on assessment submissions will be provided through Review.

Content (topics)

The subject balances professional practice with creative outcomes. It enables alternative pathways for animation professionals such as work produced for galleries, public festivals and alternative media projects. It teaches students how to present themselves professionally to stakeholders and to position their work in a social and global context. Content is project-based with topics that include: professional presentation, portfolios and artistic statements, positioning work in a global context, social responsibility in relation to creative work, alternative pathways for animation, storyboarding, production design, production management, animation production, funding and exhibition.

Assessment

Assessment task 1: Animating Public Space: Expression of Interest Document (EOI)

Objective(s):	a, b, d, e and f
Weight:	30%
Length:	Approx. 15 - 20 pages in landscape pdf format
Criteria linkages:	Criteria Weight (%) SLOs CILOs Degree to which a case can be made for the originality of the proposed creative outcome 17 b 2.2 Level of articulation of the connection between visual and textual research and the proposed creative outcome 17 d 2.1 Ability to design a cohesive pitch document that confidently positions the team and the proposal in a professional and socially responsible global context 17 a 1.3 Ability to understand the role of social responsibility, cultural exchange and inclusion in animated media 17 f 5.1 Level of professionalism in presenting the team as a cohesive creative collective as evidenced in the final pitch document. 17 e 6.2 Degree to which the proposal evidences an understanding of alternative narratives and media 15 b 2.4 SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

Assessment task 2: Animating Public Space: completed animation

Objective(s):	a, b, d, e and f
Weight:	50%
Length:	Finished min 60 sec animation, produced by your group, that is a response to the brief 5 page pdf curated from your process journal 300 word reflection
Criteria linkages:	Criteria Weight (%) SLOs CILOs Level of craft and production values evidenced in the final animated outcome 20 a 1.2 Level of proficiency in the application of metaphor and motif to alternative narrative structures 20 b 6.1 Degree of understanding of the role of social responsibility, cultural exchange, and inclusion in animation media content 15 f 5.1 Level of experimentation in the final outcome 15 b 2.4 Degree to which the work evidences an understanding of contemporary and historical precedents 15 d 2.3 Degree of professionalism and ability to reflect on your role in the process when negotiating, problem solving and working cooperatively in a creative team 15 e 6.2 SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

Assessment task 3: Animating Public Space: Documentation Video

Intent:	1 - 2 minute video communicating your Animating Public Space concept and exhibit
Objective(s):	a, c and e
Weight:	20%
Length:	Approx 12 – 15 seconds of limited animation
Criteria linkages:	Criteria Weight (%) SLOs CILOs Ability to communicate final exhibition concept through video documentation 30 a 6.1 Ability to delegate tasks within the group 40 e 6.2 Ability to communicate the concept through the use of metaphor and motifs 30 c 2.4 SLOs: subject learning objectives CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

Minimum requirements

Attendance at tutorials is essential in this subject. Classes are based on a collaborative approach that involves essential workshopping and interchange of ideas with other students and the tutor to build capacities towards meeting the subject learning objectives. A roll will be taken at each class. Students who have more than four absences from class will be refused marking of their final assessment (see Rule 3.8)

Students must pass Assessment 2 to pass this subject.

Required texts

There are no required texts for this subject. Recommended readings will be available via UTS Library and through the subject site.

Recommended texts

Arnaldi, B., Guitton, P., & Moreau, G. (2018). Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality: Myths and Realities. John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated.

Beauchamp, R. (2013). Designing Sound for Animation. Routledge.

Bond, R. (2011). Poetics and public space: an investigation into animated installation. Animation Practice, Process & Production, 1(1), 65–76.

Günter Figal. (2018). Intangible Matters: On Color and Sound in Art (James Turrell, Morton Feldman). Research in Phenomenology, 48(3), 307–317.

Glover, T. D. (2019). The transformative (and potentially discriminatory) possibilities of animating public space. World Leisure Journal, 61(2), 144–156.

Hart, E. (2017). The Prop Building Guidebook: For Theatre, Film, and TV (2nd ed.). Routledge.

Krauss, R. E., & Kentridge, W. (2017). William Kentridge . The MIT Press.

Kim, J. (2016). Between Film, Video, and the Digital: Hybrid Moving Images in the Post-Media Age (Vol. 10). Bloomsbury Academic & Professional.

Koeck, R. (2013). Cine-scapes?: cinematic spaces in architecture and cities . Routledge.

Krajina, Z. (2013). Negotiating the Mediated City: Everyday Encounters with Public Screens. Routledge.

Stone, R. B. W. (2019). The Theory and Practice of Motion Design: Critical Perspectives and Professional Practice. Routledge.

Susik, A. (2012). The screen politics of architectural light projection. Public (Toronto), 23(45), 106–119.