82620 Animation Studio: Animation Industry Project

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.

Description

In this subject, students have the opportunity to demonstrate initiative crafting short original works and through engagement directly with an animation industry partner, developing ideas and characters for a range of animation formats and target audiences. Students gain valuable field experience relating to project development and presentation, creative negotiation, reiteration processes and idea viability.

This subject exposes students to the complex team working methods of the professional animation environment and emphasises the importance of collaboration, meeting deadlines, understanding milestones and reacting proactively to critical feedback.

Subject learning objectives (SLOs)

Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)

This subject also contributes to the following Course Intended Learning Outcomes:

• Ability to communicate ideas clearly and effectively in verbal and visual presentations (C.2)
• Ability to contribute positively to critique and feedback process (C.3)
• Ability to develop unique aesthetic and movement languages for animation (I.2)
• Ability to demonstrate a high level of craft and production values across all methods of animation process (P.2)
• Ability to undertake primary and secondary research, exploring a wide range of visual and textual materials, and connect research process to final outcomes (R.1)
• Ability to contextualise work within current and historical animation practice and theory (R.2)
• Ability to iterate, reflect, edit and engage in self-critique and critical thinking (R.3)

Contribution to the development of graduate attributes

Graduate Attributes:
The term CAPRI is used for the five Design, Architecture and Building graduate attribute categories where:
C = communication and group work
A = attitudes and values
P = practical and professional
R = research and critique
I = innovation and creativity
Subject Name encourages student learning to develop these graduate attributes. The course content, learning strategies and assessment structure is explicitly designed with these attributes in mind.

Teaching and learning strategies

Weekly sessions of 1-hour lecture, one 2-hour and one 3-hour studio-based workshops and tutorials.

This subject uses a problem-based learning strategy that involves students in researching and developing their own solutions to complex design challenges. The subject combines one 1-hour interactive lecture, one 2-hour studio tutorial and class activity session, and one 3-hour appointment-based feedback session per week.

Each week students will be asked to familiarise themselves with a range of different online written and visual resources that relate to the topics included in the program description. They will then attend interactive lectures where they must be prepared to ask questions, raise ideas and apply their understanding of the topic in a collaborative learning environment. Preparation in advance of these interactive learning sessions is essential.

Studio tutorials (after the lecture) will give students the opportunity to discuss questions about the weekly topic with peers and tutor/mentors, collaborate on projects directly relevant to key ideas and the assessment items that engage them, and develop skills as a researcher and practitioner. Studio tutorials will provide students with the opportunity to take ownership of the ideas encountered in preparatory reading and research. Tutor mentors will help facilitate discussion and offer expert insight and direction where needed, but students are primarily responsible for the collaborative and participatory nature of the tutorial. Feedback will be provided in a number of ways which echo industry practice and allow students and tutors to approach creative problem solving from a range of perspectives. The focus in this subject is the creation of new story content for animation television series, and students will present ideas directly to industry partners. These partners will provide feedback on student projects, and tutors and students will then work together to address the suggestions for development. In-class feedback will be conducted in the following ways:

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 in order 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.

Outside class times students are expected to extend the enquiries made in the collaborative learning session with the independent development of their assessment projects.

Grades, marks and feedback on submitted tasks will be provided through Review.

Content (topics)

• Creativity through concept development.
• Communication and interpersonal skills through visual and verbal presentations.
• Practical and professional skills through research and design iteration.
• Critical thinking through analysis, discussion and reflection.

Assessment

Assessment task 1: Concept, writing and design for animation series- Pitch Bible

Assessment task 2: Professional Practice Project

Minimum requirements

The DAB attendance policy requires students to attend no less than 80% of formal teaching sessions (lectures and tutorials) for each class they are enrolled in to remain eligible for assessment.