Foundations of Animation

In this course, students will learn about the history of animation, from the hand animated short films of the early 20th century, through to modern day 3D computer rendered films with budgets in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Students will explore the nature and themes of animation across cultures, from Japanese Anime to Western Animation. Students will develop their own animation skills and understanding through studying reference material and drawing, exploring topics such as structure, motion, physics and timing, and how the interplay of these various aspects are used to bring to life both animate and inanimate objects as their own characters. Concepts borrowed from film making such as staging, framing, blocking, posing and composition will be explored in both animation as well as static mediums such as graphic novels. At the end of the course, students will produce their own hand animated scene, demonstrating their ability to use their understanding of the principles of animation and the skills they have developed, to realise a visual narrative.