Open Curricula Projects 2D Animation 9-Day Class

WORK IN PROGRESS! This page is under development. Check back soon for updates.

This Open Curricula Projects 2D Animation project is a 9-day introductory crash course on the fundamentals of animation, traditional animation on paper (cels), traditional animation on computers, design-in-motion and design-over-time, compositing, editing, etc.

Job placements may follow the 9-day class so a particular focus will be on pragmatically preparing students for production, with less emphasis on theory, homework, and practice exercises.

Brief overview: Windsor Media Centre Animation Classes

Schedule

The Windsor Media Centre's first 2D animation classes start in September, 2023.

9 days over 3 weeks:

Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays

4,5,6 | 11,12,13 | 18,19,20 of September, 2023.

• Class size of ONLY 10-15 students.

Hours

• 3.5 hours morning (9am - 12:30pm)
• 0.5 hour lunch (12:30pm - 1pm) ???
• 3.5 hours afternoon (1pm - 4:30pm)
• after class hours ???
• off-class days ???

Portfolio

Not a requirement, but it might be good if students could bring in examples of their illustration abilities and/or brief clips of video work. Not to worry if you have none to show or aren't prepared.

2D Animation - Day 1/9

Introduction to traditional 2D animation on paper, day 1 of 3.

1A/9 - 9:00-12:30

1A/9 - 09:00-10:00 Introductions.

• Brief teacher overview.
• Student introductions, portfolios, experience, ambitions, goals, objectives.
• Teacher gauges the general class levels.
• Run down the overview of what has been prepared for the class to be presented.

Flexibility of options.

• Student may get out of the class what they wish to get.
• Students may be as passive or as active as they wish.
• Students may absorb the fundamentals class as prepared and presented.
• Students may take a vote to set aside portions of little interest to focus on other elements.
• Students may generally ignore the lessons to work on their own personal project for their demo reel, and ask for assistance when the teacher has a moment.
• Students may prefer to work on a collaborative class production.

As a flexible creative teacher, I will not only be ready to spontaneously adapt to other scenarios, I have several great creative concepts worthy of being fleshed out by the class, should they wish to explore my options. With luck and time available I may even outline these options on the side - just in case.

For clarity and simplicity, the remainder of this 9-day class outline will be traditionally prepared to be presented, without tangential "options".

1A/9 - 10:00-11:00 General animation production

Like any other industry, animation is a business.

• Animation business
• Animation producers
• Animation resources
• Grant writing
• Publishing and distribution
  • Copyrights and copylefts
• Screenwriting
• Wikipedia: Art pipeline

  Like any other production, a good pipeline is necessary.

A professional animator's craft must be commercially viable.

P.I.C.T.U.R.E.

• Physics - must be obeyed, even cartoon physics.
• Intention - and purpose must apply to everything, all scripts, motives, and actions.
• Clarity - is paramount.
• Timing - is critical.
• Utilize limitations - embrace them to develop into your style.
• Respect the audience, their attention, their intelligence, their time, etc.
• Emotions in all things, animate or not.

Wikipedia: Chekhov's gun

1A/9 - 11:00-12:00 Filmmaking

Like any other motion picture, animation follows the Fundamentals of filmmaking.

REFINE THIS SECTION

• Art department
• Wikipedia: Art pipeline
• Characters
• Character arcs
• Character dynamics
• Editing
• Genres
• Layout and design
• Originality
• Pacing
• Performance
• Plot arcs
• Production design
• Screenwriting
• Staging
• Stereotypes
• Storytelling
• Subtext
• Themes
• Tones
• Visual language

1A/9 - 12:00-12:30 Drawing circles

1B/9 - 1:00-4:30

1B/9 - 01:00-02:00 Introduction to fundamentals of classical animation

• WP: Traditional animation

File:Disney's Illusion Of Life.jpg

Twelve basic principles of animation were introduced by the Disney animators Ollie Johnston and Frank Thomas in their 1981 book Disney Animation: The Illusion of Life.
01 Squash and stretch
02 Anticipation
03 Staging
04 Straight ahead action and pose to pose
 : Straight ahead animation
 : Pose to pose animation
 :: Key frame
 :: Inbetweening
 :: + Pushing through or bounce back.
05 Follow through and overlapping action
 : + Successive breaking of joints.
 : + Whip.
06 Slow in and slow out
07 Arc
08 Secondary action
09 Timing
10 Exaggeration
11 Solid drawing
 : + Physics.
12 [https://en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve_basic_principles_of_animation#Appeal Appeal

]

• Superior to the 12 principles, on YouTube: 21 Foundations of Animation (9:41) ~ Angry ANIMATOR, 2019-01-15.
  • AngryAnimator.com/word/2022/11/18/what-courses-to-watch

Superior to the 12 principles:
21 Foundations of Animation (9:41)
01 Appeal
02 Strong Design
03 Staging
04 Acting & Pantomime
05 Keys & Breakdowns
06 Straight Ahead & Pose to Pose
07 Thumbnails
08 Timing, Spacing & Easing
09 Squash & Stretch
10 Arcs
11 Primary & Secondary Action
12 Silhouette
13 Line of Action & Reversals
14 Anticipation, Overshoot & Settle
15 Opposing Action
16 Counterpose
17 Leading Action
18 Breaking Joints
19 Overlap & Follow Through
20 Accents
21 Exaggeration
clearly presented by Angry ANIMATOR, 2019-01-15.

YouTube bad animation to have class critique

1B/9 - 02:00-03:00

1B/9 - 03:00-04:00

1B/9 - 04:00-04:30

• Pendulum swing

• Key frames
• Inbetweens

• Drop ball bounce
• Heavy & bouncy balls
• Bounce off cube

• Arcs

• Drawing grain-sack emotions
• Animating grain-sacks

• Pencil tests

• Figure drawing
• Walk cycles
  • Side
  • Front
  • Three-quarters
• Sneak

• Storyboarding

• Baseball pitch
• Baseball swing

• Animatic / boardomatic

• Whip

Mouth shape chart featuring common phonemes and visemes.

A page from Cartoon Animation (1994) by Preston Blair, the best book for animation students.

• WP: Phonemes and visemes
• WP: Viseme

• Facial expressions
• Meow
• Lip sync

• Click tracks

• Dope sheets

• Layout and design

2D Animation - Day 2/9

Introduction to traditional 2D animation on paper, day 2 of 3.

2A/9 - 9:00-12:30

• 09:00-10:00
• 10:00-11:00
• 11:00-12:00
• 12:00-12:30

2B/9 - 1:00-4:30

• 01:00-02:00
• 02:00-03:00
• 03:00-04:00
• 04:00-04:30

2D Animation - Day 3/9

Introduction to traditional 2D animation on paper, day 3 of 3.

3A/9 - 9:00-12:30

• 09:00-10:00
• 10:00-11:00
• 11:00-12:00
• 12:00-12:30

3B/9 - 1:00-4:30

• 01:00-02:00
• 02:00-03:00
• 03:00-04:00
• 04:00-04:30

• Classical animation exercises

• Character design
  • Model sheets
• Illustration
• Storyboards
• Layout
• Backgrounds
• Animatics
• Key animation
• Inbetweening
• Pencil tests
• Scanning
• Inking
• Painting

Long Weekend 1

4 days.

2D Animation - Day 4/9

Introduction to 2D animation on computers, day 1 of 3.

4A/9 - 9:00-12:30

• 09:00-10:00 Brief overview of Animation research - history, techniques, and styles.

• 10:00-11:00 Brief overview of Visual language for animation.

• 11:00-12:00 brief overview on how to use a computer

Photoshop gimp onionskin gif

• 12:00-12:30

brief overview on how to use software

4B/9 - 1:00-4:30

• 01:00-02:00
• 02:00-03:00
• 03:00-04:00
• 04:00-04:30

2D Animation - Day 5/9

Introduction to 2D animation on computers, day 2 of 3.

5A/9 - 9:00-12:30

• 09:00-10:00
• 10:00-11:00
• 11:00-12:00
• 12:00-12:30

5B/9 - 1:00-4:30

• 01:00-02:00
• 02:00-03:00
• 03:00-04:00
• 04:00-04:30

2D Animation - Day 6/9

Introduction to 2D animation on computers, day 3 of 3.

6A/9 - 9:00-12:30

• 09:00-10:00
• 10:00-11:00
• 11:00-12:00
• 12:00-12:30

6B/9 - 1:00-4:30

• 01:00-02:00
• 02:00-03:00
• 03:00-04:00
• 04:00-04:30

Long Weekend 2

4 days.

2D Animation - Day 7/9

Introduction to 2D post production on computers, day 1 of 3.

7A/9 - 9:00-12:30

• 09:00-10:00 Brief overview of 'Audio production
  • Audio engineering
  • Audio performances
  • Sound editing
  • Sound effects
  • Sound engineering
  • Sound foley
  • Sound recording

• 10:00-11:00 Brief overview of Computer animation production
  • Brief Introduction to computer animation
  • Fundamentals of computer animation
  • 3D animation production is incrementally built in stages, often compartmentalized into CGI departments
    1. Storyboards
    2. Modelling
    3. Rigging
    4. Staging
    5. Previsualization
    6. Animation
    7. Dynamic simulations
    8. Textures
    9. Lighting
    10. Rendering
    11. Post production (see below)
    • See also, Wikipedia: Art pipeline

• 11:00-12:00 Brief overview of Post production
  • Colour timing
  • Compositing
  • Compositing 2D
  • Compositing 3D
  • Editing
  • Graphic design
  • Video editing
  • Visual effects

• 12:00-12:30

7B/9 - 1:00-4:30

• 01:00-02:00
• 02:00-03:00
• 03:00-04:00
• 04:00-04:30

2D Animation - Day 8/9

Introduction to 2D post production on computers, day 2 of 3.

8A/9 - 9:00-12:30

• 09:00-10:00
• 10:00-11:00
• 11:00-12:00
• 12:00-12:30

8B/9 - 1:00-4:30

• 01:00-02:00
• 02:00-03:00
• 03:00-04:00
• 04:00-04:30

2D Animation - Day 9/9

Introduction to 2D post production on computers, day 3 of 3.

9A/9 - 9:00-12:30

• 09:00-10:00
• 10:00-11:00
• 11:00-12:00
• 12:00-12:30

9B/9 - 1:00-4:30

• 01:00-02:00
• 02:00-03:00
• 03:00-04:00
• 04:00-04:30

2D Animation - End Of Crash Course

Fin.

2D Animation - Job Placement

Potential video production fields:

• 2D production
• 3D production
• Character animation
• Commercials (and public service announcements)
• Documentaries
• Event videos (festivals, protests, weddings, etc.)
• Feature films
• Imagery
  • Photography
• Industrial videos
• Memes
• Music videos
  • Audio engineering
  • Audio production
• Podcasts (audio/radio/video)
• Shorts
• Visual poetry (art films)
• Web ads
• Web design
• Web site clients

Potential places that may be interested in placements:

• Audio Den Studios, Windsor?
• --- Audio (WMC board member), Windsor
• Bad Boy D
• BeeVision, Toronto
• CBC
• CTV
• Digital Alchemy, Vancouver
• Free Flow With Coco
• Freedom For Journalists
• Gary White
• Gavin Michael Booth
• Giraffe Ideas
• Global
• Glossed And Profound
• Guru Animation Studio, Toronto
• PlugNPlay Productions
• Riggi Media International (Walter Riggi)
• Spin, Toronto
• The Trumpet Of Truth
• Topix, Toronto
• TVO

2D Animation - FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

2D Animation - Notes

Questions for Amanda

1. Did Amanda look at my invoice?
   • Did she understand it was based on the December numbers?
   • Did it make sense to her?

1. Class hours are 9:00am - 4:30pm.
   • May teachers and students come early and stay later to use the equipment (ie. homework, projects, testing, practice, etc.), seek answers, and/or socialize?
   • Is there a lunch break, and for how long?

1. Classes take place Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays.
   • May teachers assign homework evenings and/or over the two 4-day weekends?

1. Job placements may follow the 9-day class.
   • What are the criteria that must be met, and by when?
   • May we start compiling lists of folks to cold call to see if they're interested?

1. How many video cameras will we have to record the classes?
   • Will we have decent lighting and sound recording?
   • Will someone be available to edit the footage under my supervision?

     We'd likely cut to minimize length and repetition.

     We'd likely also cut in example clips found online.

   • Can we share the videos online?
   • For free? (This is the best way to market the next class.)