Studio learning takes place in timetabled sessions with academic staff who introduce key contextual and practice based lectures focused on the development of:
- Stop motion facial animation and expression through replacement modelling.
- Scriptwriting essentials for animation including Synopsis and treatment for animation.

Through these initial lectures you will gain an understanding of the core concepts, theory and practical tools necessary to complete a dialogue-driven animation.
Independent study will form the majority of time spent "answering the brief" through evidence of researching mouthshapes, preparation drawings, studio strategy and application of methods and processes necessary for completion of an appropriate response to the assignments.
You will access studio and pre-recorded material for review and consolidation of dialogue simulation software during the production.
Attendance at Technical Instruction sessions will be crucial for the understanding and use of software applications and physical production methods in the creation of mouthshapes for speech.
Seminars and group Critiques support your studio practice through formative evaluation and will take place at critical points of the semester to review working progress.
Summative assessment takes place at the end of the module where the work will be presented for final assessment.
There will be two designated tutorials set up to enable students to discuss their work individually with key members of delivery staff.

Dancyger, K., "Alternative Scriptwriting", 2nd edition, 1995 (808.23).
Rumsay & McCormick, "Sound and Recording: An Introduction", Focal Press, 1993 (681.3893).
Shaw, S., "Stop Motion, Craft Skills for Model Animation", Focal Press, 2004, ISBN 0-240-151659-1.
Webber, M., "Gardner's Guide to Animation Scriptwriting: The Writer's Road Map", Garth Gardner Company, 2001, ISBN: 0966107594.
Zaza, T., "Script Planning, Positioning and Developing Scripts for TV and Film", Focal Press, 1993 (808.23).

Animation Workshops
Specialist Animation equipment
Sound equipment
Sound booth

Non-specialist computing facilities for e-mail, internet access, word processing, database, spreadsheet and basic presentations will be available through LLRS/Information Services facilities on campus, not from within the Faculty itself - the exception being the Faculty's Student Browsers based in studios which will support e-mail and internet access.
Specific Skills Modulettes will be assigned to this module in use of Animation equipment including health and safety.
Pro tools technical instruction.

A comprehensive listing of the modulettes is available from the Faculty Office, together with the current operational parameters (group size, time allocation, etc) for the modulettes. Some module descriptors will have will have more than one modulette assigned and this information will be held by the Faculty Office initially.

The main focus of this module is to develop the use of lip-synch techniques in stop motion animation dialogue and to develop a basic understanding of story.
You will be required to gain a full understanding of Exposure sheets and bar sheets and be able to show evidence of their use in industry, and in the completion of this module.
This module will provide an overview of phoneme based systems on mouth shapes for stop motion characters. You will create a body of replica forms to use within a dialogue-driven piece of work and seek solutions to an economical method of production.
You will also develop an understanding of audio editing and the construction of original soundtrack (foley) with scripts, for inclusion in your animations.
You will undertake a program of study which aims to provide you with an understanding of the importance of a script and storytelling in general.
You will look at novels and screenplay and understand how they are constructed and applied to film.
You will make an animation demonstrating of how you have incorporated a voice track timed to mouth shapes for assessment and a short animatic story with a completed soundtrack.

Production of an animation developed from an original dialogue (i.e. vox pop) demonstrating effective synchronisation with an audio soundtrack.
Evidenced by the production of an animation sequence timed in synch with voice dialogue (30%) [Learning Outcomes 3,4,5]

Create a library of geometric heads suitable for use in stop motion production to give the illusion of speech.
Evidenced by the design, creation and animation of a set of computer modeled heads using a selected part of a script (50%) [Learning Outcomes 1,2,3]

Show ablility to write an animation script suitable for production.
Evidenced by sound recording for use in animation demonstrating its breakkdown for use in bar and dope sheets (20%) [Learning Outcomes 1]

All animation content to be presented on Mini DV tape only