1.UTILISE A RANGE OF ANIMATED TECHNIQUES WITH ADVANCED COMPETENCE, CONTROL AND RELVANCE IN SUPPORT OF YOUR CHOSEN PATHWAY.
1 – KNOWLEDGE & UNDERSTANDING

2. DEMONSTRATE ADVANCED KNOWLEDGE, UNDERSTANDING AND APPLICATION OF KEY ASPECTS OF CHARACTER-BASED PERFORMANCE WITHIN A SET OF ANIMATION PROCESSES IN SUPPORT OF YOUR CHOSEN PATHWAY.
2 - LEARNING

3. EVALUATE AND RESOLVE CREATIVE AND TECHNICAL SOLUTIONS RELATED TO A RANGE OF CREATIVE PROBLEMS, ARRIVING AT APPROPRIATE RESOLUTIONS TO ACHIEVE THE MODULE GOAL.
5 – PROBLEM SOLVING

4. USE AND APPLY ANIMATION TIMING TO CREATE A SET OF BELIEVABLE MOVEMENT IN A RANGE OF ANIMATED PROJECTS.
7 - APPLICATION

Students will be expected to attend all module sessions in order to benefit from the delivery and understanding of new material, gain understanding of module expectations / tasks and to engage in weekly peer-to-peer and tutor feedback.

Work-in-progress will be reviewed weekly for FORMATIVE discussion and feedback.

Character Animation: 2 is an online portfolio submission of completed technical & creative exercises, animated sequences and motion studies that clearly demonstrate an advanced understanding and application of advanced character performance principles, utilising sound (pre-recorded and bespoke.)

Portfolios will be supported by clear documentation of work-in progress and development of ideas.
[Learning Outcomes 1, 2, 3,4]

All students will be expected to submit Portfolios for assessment via the professional video-sharing platform Vimeo (www.vimeo.com)

Supporting work will be submitted via a professional, appropriately formatted and organised on-line BLOG.

Please see module handbook for further details. It is expected that you will understand digital formats for submission of digital work.

This is a pathway module designed to support you in your chosen specialism of animation production: 2D Digital or 3D Digital or Stop Motion.

As part of the ‘REFLECT. SELECT. EVOLVE.’ process at the end of each Semester and with negotiation with your personal tutor or Award Leader you will select a method of animation to respond to the module requirements to support your career goals and ambitions.

Building upon the work, intermediate skills, knowledge and understanding acquired in ‘Character Portfolio: 1’ this module will develop your understanding and skills in more advanced notions of character animation and performance focusing on further movement, script, sound analysis and its relation to advanced character performance.

You will focus on the mechanics of creating a range of advanced character-based animated sequences exploring the importance of the voice in animated performance, facial animation and lip-sync techniques in conjunction with gestural performance.

The module will provide an overview of phoneme-based systems for your specialism Pathway in 2D Digital, 3D Digital and Stop Motion characters.

You will complete a series of animated sequences and tests demonstrating your application and use of mouth shapes timed to voice tracks, appropriate to your selected Pathway.

The module will also introduce you to how a variety of sound sources can be incorporated as narrative, voice dialogue, Foley and score.¿You will investigate the use of music score in films and the importance of copyright protection.

You will gain insight into directing actors, animating the spoken word and sung lyrics (advanced lip-sync) in response to pre-recorded and bespoke audio and soundtracks.

You will gain experience of creating bespoke, scripted audio recording in collaboration with Drama students.

Students will gain a comprehensive understanding of character acting from observation of performance where you will continue to explore timing, movement, emotion and character performance and its application in 2D, 3D and Stop motion animation methods.

You will demonstrate advanced use and understanding of the LAV – Live Action Video reference to further support the believability in animation.

Lectures will support shared principles that apply to all specialism Pathways.
Technical instruction will then be split into your Pathway specific groupings where Pathways are supported by weekly lectures in which Pathway specific software tuition and contextual support is delivered to support the module requirements.

Pathway components will comprise of:

2D Digital pathway: software – TOON BOOM
Completed series of lip-sync performance exercises and tests – ‘The Spoken Word’ and ‘Sung Lyrics’.
Demonstrating control and advanced use of digital Cut-out, rigged puppets and traditionally drawn animation in a series of animated sequences and tests that imbue the character with believable emotion, personality, gesture and use of performance principles.

Documentation of supporting work to include (but not exclusive to):
Evidence of working with Actors in creation of character voiced recordings (created in collaboration with Drama students.)
Completed Dope Sheets (evidence of sound breakdown and analysis)
Understanding and application of phonemes and phonetics
Appropriate use of Maya blend-shapes to support convincing lip-sync
Knowledge of the use of music, effects and speech, voice performance and script analysis.
Storyboard pre-production planning
Use of LAV reference


3D Digital pathway: software – MAYA
Completed series of lip-sync performance exercises and tests – ‘The Spoken Word’ and ‘Sung Lyrics’.
Demonstrating control and advanced use of pre-existing digital rigged puppets (Maya) in a series of animated sequences and tests that imbue the character with believable emotion, personality, gesture and use of performance principles.

Documentation of supporting work to include (but not exclusive to):
Evidence of working with Actors in creation of character voiced recordings (created in collaboration with Drama students.)
Completed Dope Sheets (evidence of sound breakdown and analysis)
understanding and application of phonemes and phonetics
knowledge of the use of music, effects and speech, voice performance and script analysis.
Storyboard pre-production planning
Use of LAV reference

Stop Motion pathway: software - DRAGON FRAME
Completed series of lip-sync performance exercises and tests – ‘The Spoken Word’ and ‘Sung Lyrics’.
Demonstrating control and advanced use of pre-existing articulated puppet (to be supplied) in a series of animated sequences and tests that imbue the character with believable emotion, personality, gesture and use of performance principles.

Documentation of supporting work to include (but not exclusive to):
Evidence of working with Actors in creation of character voiced recordings (created in collaboration with Drama students.)
Completed Dope Sheets (evidence of sound breakdown and analysis)
Understanding and application of phonemes and phonetics
Appropriate use of mouth replacements to support convincing lip-sync
Knowledge of the use of music, effects and speech, voice performance and script analysis.
Storyboard pre-production planning
Use of LAV reference

Character Portfolio: 2 intends to prepare you with essential skills that will enable you to develop character-based animated performance to an advanced level and further.

This module content is designed to progress in parallel with below course modules where content and wider-learning opportunities are highlighted and Dove-Tailed:
CHARACTER ANIMATION PORTFOLIO: 1
ANATOMY OF ANIMATION: 1
ANATOMY OF ANIMATION: 2

A series of supporting Technical Instruction sessions (T.I.’s) will also be available to all students to further promote individual learning, knowledge and understanding of Technical software.

Studio learning takes place in timetabled sessions with academic staff who introduce key contextual and practice-based lectures focused on the development of:¿
Animation through the application of advanced timing, movement and acting principles and advanced lip-sync performance, spoken and sung.

Lectures will deliver core concepts, theory and practical tools necessary to build a repertoire of animation productions skills as a foundation for further development in your Third year of study.

Through these initial lectures you will gain an understanding of the core concepts, theory and practical tools necessary to complete a dialogue driven animation.¿

Attendance at Technical instruction sessions will be crucial for the understanding and use of software applications and physical production methods in the creation of mouth shapes.

Independent study will form the majority of time spent "answering the brief" through evidence of research visual analysis, preparatory drawings, studio work and application of methods and processes necessary for completion of assignments.¿

Pathway specific Technical instruction sessions will be assigned to assist software applications and craft-based learning.

Formative assessment points support your studio practice through 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.¿

Final Assessment should include all components of the module submitted via Vimeo or BLOG.

Throughout the module you will be required to demonstrate your understanding and application of the core concepts required to develop a range of animated sequences that you will require throughout the award and your future career.

Traditional and digital tools will be available to use throughout the module and students should explore a range of techniques appropriate to the given task.

Your work will be supported by online resources from a Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) providing resources for study. As the majority of completed work is submitted digitally this is an integral part of learning on the course.¿

Students will also have access to a range of video tutorials from online learning resource providers.

Group critique and discussion will support your studio practice through weekly formative evaluation and will take place throughout the module as well as at critical points of the semester to review your working progress. Students are expected to engage in this process as part of the module feedback cycle.
Summative assessment takes place at the end of the module where digital / online portfolios will be presented for final assessment.¿

Where required, booking of equipment and facilities may be necessary by the student.

ON-LINE READING LISTS WILL BE UPDATED ANNUALLY.
THIS IS AN INDICATION OF REFERENCE TEXTS REQUIRED FOR 2019-20 ONLY.

HAYES, D & WEBSTER C (2013) ‘Acting & Performance for Animation’, Focal Press

HOOKS, E (2005) ‘Acting in Animation: A Look At 12 Films’, Greenwood Press

HOOKS, E (2011) ‘Acting for Animators’, Routledge

KERLOV I (2009) ‘The Art of 3D Computer Animation and Effects’, Wiley Press

LORD P, SIBLEY B (2015) ‘Cracking Animation: The Aardman Book of 3-D Animation’, Thames & Hudson

Links:
www.vimeo.com
www.11secondclub.com

Animation Studio facilities.
2D line testers and light-boxes.
A3 scanners.
Digital Animation Suite – Toon Boom Harmony. Storyboard Pro. Autodesk Maya. Adobe Photoshop, Premiere, After Effects.
Seminar / Lecture room with projector.
Stop Motion Animation studios – Dragon Frame. Canon SLR digital cameras. Lighting.
VLE: Blackboard / Digital Tutors / Lynda.com¿/ other supporting Online resources
Vimeo.com – to be used for display and submission of completed work.
Stop Motion Armature(s) / Articulated puppet(s) / Mouth Shape library
Pre-recorded Audio Track(s)


University Library resources: http://www.staffs.ac.uk/uniservices/infoservices/library/¿
Reference books / DVD collection / Journals and periodicals (physical & online)