88212 Animation Studio: Animation Practice

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: Design, Architecture and Building: Design
Credit points: 12 cp
Result type: Grade and marks

Requisite(s): 88211 Animation Studio: Narrative Experimentations AND 82420 Context: Animation Character Rigging Advanced
These requisites may not apply to students in certain courses.
There are course requisites for this subject. See access conditions.

Description

In this subject students engage in complex and challenging animation design projects that enable them to incorporate in-depth research and design techniques learned from previous design studios. Fostering experimentation in thinking and practice as a means for developing an individual design approach, students explore the role that animation designers and directors play in the development of complex design projects. There is a focus on executing well-considered and crafted outcomes, and on finding open-ended solutions that incorporate a broad range of traditional and contemporary animation methods and practices. Emphasis is also placed on building teams with complementary skill sets in order to promote a high level of both creative and technical competence in problem solving.

Students are expected to incorporate aesthetics and working processes developed through their chosen 2D hybrid or 3D animation pathway. 2D hybrid students pay particular attention to materiality and visual language, analogue and digital processes, production design for character and background, and shot choices for 2D animation. 3D digital animation students pay particular attention to developing rapidly prototyped characters and environments to suit the demands and time frame of project briefs.

Subject learning objectives (SLOs)

On successful completion of this subject, students should be able to:

1.	Demonstrate integration of sound design and music composition into animation outcome
2.	Demonstrate an understanding of camera, lighting, composition and production design for creating 2D and 3D animation worlds
3.	Communicate through visual form a complex performance and internal narrative of a animation character
4.	Demonstrate the ability to interpret a creative brief and respond with pitch demonstrating knowledge of topic, empathy with audience, clarity of concept, originality and cooperation with collaborators.
5.	Demonstrate the ability to write a short critical analysis of a film presentation, demonstrating knowledge of the material and your own original, reflective response.
6.	Demonstrate the ability to participate effectively in a team and negotiate responsibility and leadership.

Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs)

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

Ability to work cooperatively as part of a team, negotiate differences and take a leadership role when required (C.1)
Ability to communicate ideas clearly and effectively in verbal and visual presentations (C.2)
Ability to understand and challenge disciplinary conventions and practices (I.1)
Ability to develop unique aesthetic and movement languages for animation (I.2)
Ability to recognise the creative possibilities for animation technologies and materials, to experiment, to take risks, and contribute alternative directions (I.3)
Ability to understand and apply fundamental animation principles (P.1)
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

The term CAPRI is used for the five Design, Architecture and Building faculty graduate attribute categories where:

C = communication and groupwork

A = attitudes and values

P = practical and professional

R = research and critique

I = innovation and creativity.

Course intended learning outcomes (CILOs) are linked to these categories using codes (e.g. C-1, A-3, P-4, etc.).

Teaching and learning strategies

These studio projects are focused on a Problem Based Learning (PBL) strategy. Lectures and studios concentrate on elaborating on the set problem, and encouraging students to take initiative in finding their own solutions through discussion, ideas generation, research and iteration. This subject is not intended as a directly instructional process.

Students will be participating in individual studios, interactive lectures, group seminars and presentations throughout the semester. The subject is delivered by full time animation staff working alongside sessional staff from the animation profession.

This subject contains one x 1 hour interactive lecture and two x 3 hour Studio classes per week. Students are expected to develop ideas and solutions between sessions in response to individual (one on one) and group feedback delivered in class. Animation is a labour intensive discipline which carries a requirement of between 10-20 hrs additional work every week in order to achieve the subject objectives.

Students are expected to bring substantially developed work to every class, which will be subject to discussion and feedback from animation staff and their peers.

Grades, marks and feedback on final animation submissions will be provided through Review.

Content (topics)

This subject addresses the ways in which we further develop for animation:

performance
design
narrative

Projects are designed to cover areas such as:

advanced conceptualization for narrative and non-narrative animation
advanced animation principles for 2D and 3d performance animation
collaboration around music composition and sound design for animation

Activities will include:

meetings with key collaborators, specialist demonstrations and lectures
development of production schedules
individual and group presentations
concept pitching sessions.

Assessment

Assessment task 1: Character

Intent:

[CHARACTER DESIGN] Presentation of character development, that through the decision making tree, is shown that it can be moved into a narrative structure. The presented work will be appropriate to transfer into a cinematic form as part of subject 82621.

Submit a pdf presentation documenting your character research as a response to the creative brief given in class. You will present this to the class in week 2 and talk about your findings and plans. The talk will be no longer than 5 minutes with a brief Q&A from the group.

You will then iterate over the ideas and hand in a final package at week 3 as an assessment. This will demonstrate your iterations and process over the 2 weeks on your journey to the final designs.

Objective(s):

This task addresses the following subject learning objectives:

1, 2 and 3

This task also addresses the following course intended learning outcomes that are linked with a code to indicate one of the five CAPRI graduate attribute categories (e.g. C.1, A.3, P.4, etc.):

I.2, P.2 and R.2

Type:

Project

Groupwork:

Individual

Weight:

20%

Criteria:

1. Draws upon research to come up with an original design

2. Designs are realised in cinematic form

3. The visual design reflects the complexity of the internal nature of the characters

Criteria linkages:

Criteria	Weight (%)	SLOs	CILOs
Draws upon their research to come up with an original design	40	1	R.2
Designs are realised in cinematic form	20	2	P.2
The visual design reflects the complexity of the internal nature of the characters	40	3	I.2

SLOs: subject learning objectives
CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

Assessment task 2: Audition Preparation

Intent:

[PEFORMANCE] Presentation of character audition in response to a creative scenario given in class. You will be taking on the identity of your character as designed in task 1 and acting in a choreographed audition performance in response to the creative brief for the role given in class. This task asks you to become a performer and explore your character in a performative way.

You will be working to specific creative boundaries which will be explained in class. You will choose from a set of selected props and scenarios that are consistent with the role that your character is hypothetically auditioning for. The presented work will be appropriate to transfer into a cinematic form as the foundation for an animated audition as part of subject 82621, Care should be given to sound and lighting and staging when filming.

Submit a 60-second live-action audition film to camera with sound.

Objective(s):

This task addresses the following subject learning objectives:

1 and 3

This task also addresses the following course intended learning outcomes that are linked with a code to indicate one of the five CAPRI graduate attribute categories (e.g. C.1, A.3, P.4, etc.):

P.1 and R.3

Type:

Project

Groupwork:

Individual

Weight:

20%

Criteria:

Show evidence of meaningful and surprising connections between sound and moving image

Understanding of performative language in a restricted theatrical space.
Creative performance that effectively communicates emotional and narrative moments into animation outcome.
Advanced performance for character animation that reflects an exploration of ideas through multiple iterations

Criteria linkages:

Criteria	Weight (%)	SLOs	CILOs
Demonstrate emotional potential of character.	50	1	P.1
Design compelling performance	50	3	R.3

SLOs: subject learning objectives
CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

Assessment task 3: Annecy

Intent:

Students will be individually assessed.

You will be expected to display:

Ability to negotiate and develop original animation responses to a brief.
Strict adherence to the boundary conditions of the brief regarding format, duration, content and creative requirements.
A clear understanding of who your audience is, what the delivery platform is, and to be able to clearly and professionally pitch your conceptualised responses as if to a client.
Creative innovation and original content that confirms and challenges audiences through engagement, and awareness of contemporary and historical excellence within the format.
Advanced and nuanced performance for character performance
Integration of theatrical quality original and legally reproducible surround sound design.
Cinematic quality for theatrical or broadcast screening.
In written form; to be able to analyse and participate in a critical conversation about a cinematic body of work.

Objective(s):

This task addresses the following subject learning objectives:

2, 4, 5 and 6

This task also addresses the following course intended learning outcomes that are linked with a code to indicate one of the five CAPRI graduate attribute categories (e.g. C.1, A.3, P.4, etc.):

C.1, C.2, I.1, I.3, P.2 and R.1

Type:

Project

Groupwork:

Group, individually assessed

Weight:

60%

Criteria:

Show evidence of meaningful and surprising connections between the intent, format, audience, sound and moving image

Understanding of authenticity and film language within the very short format that clearly services the objective of the brief.
Creative compositing, editing and character have driven narrative elements adhering to time and style constraints of the "client brief" - including the integration of sound design and music composition into your animation or hybrid outcome.
Advanced performance for character animation that reflects an exploration of ideas through multiple iterations and reviews.
Reflect, analyse and critique a cinematic review, contribute to a broader critical analysis.

Criteria linkages:

Criteria	Weight (%)	SLOs	CILOs
Effective Collaboration with co-creators	15	6	C.1
Clarity and originality of pitches and initial response.	15	4	C.2
Compliance to the brief	20	2	I.1
Originality and Engagement of Outcomes	20	4	I.3
Quality of outcomes.	20	2	P.2
Part B: Well constructed and articulated critical analysis	10	5	R.1

SLOs: subject learning objectives
CILOs: course intended learning outcomes

Minimum requirements

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