University of Technology Sydney

54405 Studio: Narrative Investigations 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): (82220 Animation Studio: Foundations in Animation Design OR 54402 Studio: Foundations in Animation Design) AND (82221 Context: Introduction to 3D and 2D Hybrid Animation OR 54409 Context: Introduction to Hybrid Animation) AND (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): 82320 Animation Studio: Narrative Investigations

Description

This studio enables students to engage with processes that advance critical and creative thinking. It emphasises critical analysis of animation as a communication medium, and an understanding of the role of design, character and performance in communicating ideas. Projects explore the conceptualisation of complex ideas and narrative drive through design and storyboarding to full animation, with a strong focus on experimentation. Building on the fundamental animation skills acquired in first year, students incorporate these principles directly into studio projects.

Students use primary research processes grounded in first-hand experience, case studies, collection and observation as well as secondary research processes to explore ideas through numerous iterations and avoid formula and cliché. The subject explores psychology and emotional drive within production design, character, performance, film language, camera, composition, narrative structure, sound and dialogue.

An important aspect of this subject is the development of collaborations with key creative partners. This supports students' professional practice and their ability to work in a team, exchange ideas, negotiate and communicate effectively with co-creators.

Subject learning objectives (SLOs)

a. Develop plot devices and narrative drive through scripting and storyboarding
b. Synthesise and articulate the connections between research, critical thinking and creative outcomes
c. Collaborate and negotiate with co-creators to evolve production outcomes
d. Produce professional animation project from concept to finished animation
e. Apply critical engagement with protocols and practices of Indigenous peoples in relation to production and screen media
f. Demonstrate professional aesthetics and techniques

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)
  • Apply a critical and responsible understanding of Indigenous peoples, cultures and protocols to creative practice (4.1)
  • 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 10 weekly sessions of 1 x 1hr blend of prerecorded and on campus lectures plus 12 weekly sessions of 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 semester.

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 semester, this can be in digital or hard copy format and consists of the iterations and work produced over the semester. Regular feedback is provided in tutorials and critiques and it is the students' responsibility to take notes of this feedback.

This subject has three 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.

An aim of this subject is to help students develop academic and professional language and communication skills to succeed at university and in the workplace. During the course of this subject, students will complete a milestone assessment task that will, in addition to assessing their subject-specific learning objectives, assess their English language proficiency.

Content (topics)

The subject teaches students how to apply and combine individual skills acquired in the first year of the degree to achieve a professional creative outcome in the areas of concept art and in animation filmmaking. It broadens students’ critical thinking in relation to animation history and theory and supports students in attaining competencies in relation to protocols when working with First Nations peoples and knowledges. Content is project-based with topics that include the following: ethical adaptation, animation filmmaking, social responsibility in relation to creative work, storyboarding, production design, production management, animation production, creative collaboration, film festival exhibition, animation history, theory, critical thinking and writing.

Assessment

Assessment task 1: Adaptation: Pre-Production Bible and Animatic

Objective(s):

a, b, d and f

Weight: 30%
Length:
  • A4 pre-production bible
  • Must include: research, character designs, environment designs, colour palette/s, storyboard, technical specifications
  • 60 second first draft animatic
  • 4 page pdf curated from the student’s process journal
Criteria linkages:
Criteria Weight (%) SLOs CILOs
Level of originality and imagination evidenced in character design 20 b 2.4
Level of rigour in design and iteration process 20 d 2.2
Level of connection of research findings to the final design outcome 20 b 2.1
Degree of communication of semiotic and narrative concepts through design 20 a 1.3
Level of professional aesthetics and technique in final pre-production bible 20 f 1.2
SLOs: subject learning objectives
CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

Assessment task 2: Adaptation and collaboration

Objective(s):

a, c, d and f

Weight: 50%
Length:
  • Finished min 60 sec animation that is a response to the brief (groupwork)
  • 5 page pdf curated from your process journal (individual)
  • 300 word reflection (individual)
  • Assessment of understanding of protocols and practice in relation to Indigenous peoples, culture, knowledges and creative practice (individual)
Criteria linkages:
Criteria Weight (%) SLOs CILOs
Degree of professionalism and integrity in adapting the work of another author 20 c 5.1
Level of design aesthetics and their relationship to narrative theme 20 f 2.1
Level of proficiency in communicating narrative, complexity and abstract ideas through design and animation 20 a 6.1
Degree of professionalism and ability to reflect on your role in the process when negotiating, problem solving and working cooperatively in a creative team 20 c 6.2
Level of craft and production values in the final outcome 20 d 1.2
SLOs: subject learning objectives
CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

Assessment task 3: Critical Thinking Presentation

Objective(s):

b and e

Weight: 20%
Length:
  • 10 minute in-class presentation on research topic
  • PDF of presentation (this must include the written presentation notes with appropriate academic referencing)
Criteria linkages:
Criteria Weight (%) SLOs CILOs
Degree of relevance of topic to animation and media practice and theory 25 b 2.3
Depth of critical thinking in relation to thematic focus, methodologies and the evaluation of creative practice in a research context 25 b 2.2
Clarity and accuracy of individual written and verbal expression 25 b 2.1
Depth of understanding of Indigenous peoples, cultures and protocols in relation to creative practice 25 e 4.1
SLOs: subject learning objectives
CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

Minimum requirements

Attendance at classes 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 studio tutorials will be refused marking of their final assessment (see Rule 3.8)

Required texts

Janke, T. (2015). Indigenous Cultural Protocols and the Arts. Terri Janke and Company Pty, Limited. (available online through UTS library)

Janke, T., & Gray, C. (2009). Pathways & protocols?: a filmmaker’s guide to working with Indigenous people, culture and concepts . Screen Australia. Available online at https://www.screenaustralia.gov.au/about-us/doing-business-with-us/indigenous-content/indigenous-protocols

Johnston, M., & Forrest, S. (2020). Indigenous Protocols. In Working Two Way (pp. 29–39). Springer Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-4913-7_3 available online from UTS Library

APA Referencing

https://www.lib.uts.edu.au/referencing/apa

Academic skills

https://www.uts.edu.au/current-students/support/helps/self-help-resources/academic-skills

Copyright

https://www.lib.uts.edu.au/services/copyright-advice

References

Alia, V. (2009). Outlaws and citizens: indigenous people and the “New Media Nation.” International Journal of Media and Cultural Politics, 5(1&2), 39–54. https://doi.org/10.1386/macp.5.1-2.39_1

Bacher, H. P. (2008). Dream worlds: production design in animation (1st edition). Focal Press, an imprint of Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780080926926

Buckland, W (2019). Symbolic Storyworlds. In Wes Anderson’s Symbolic Storyworld: A Semiotic Analysis (pp. 3 – 30) Bloomsbury Academic.

Davis, A. M. (2007). Film as a Cultural Mirror. In Good girls & wicked witches: Women in disney's feature animation. (pp 17-31) Indiana University Press. Central https://ebookcentral.proquest.com

Greenberg, S. (2017). Disorienting the Past, Cripping the Future in Adam Elliot’s Claymation. Animation: an Interdisciplinary Journal, 12(2), 123–137. https://doi.org/10.1177/1746847717716255

Gibson, P. C., & McDonald, T. J. (2012). Costume and Adaptation. In A Companion to Literature, Film, and Adaptation (pp. 293–311). John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.https://doi.org/10.1002/9781118312032.ch16

Hearne, J. (2017). “I Am Not a Fairy Tale”: Indigenous Storytelling on Canadian Television. Marvels & Tales, 31(1), 126–146. https://doi.org/10.13110/marvelstales.31.1.0126

Midla, C. (2020). The Multiplanar Otaku: Animetic Movement in Kon Satoshi’s Work. Film Matters, 11(1), 95–108. https://doi.org/10.1386/fm_00050_1

Mohamed, F. N., & Mohd Nor, N. L. (2015). Puppet Animation Films and Gesture Aesthetics. Animation: an Interdisciplinary Journal, 10(2), 102–118. https://doi.org/10.1177/1746847715587425

Rall, H. (2020). Adaptation for animation: transforming literature frame by frame. CRC Press, Taylor & Francis Group.