Teaching & Training

I teach five courses during the academic year at the University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona. Please sign up for courses using the university website. Below is a summary of each. During the holiday, I am also available for targeted training for companies, groups, and individuals. See below for the topics that I offer.

ANIM1001: Motion Studies

Semester: 1

This course is designed to provide students with an introduction to the principles of four-dimensional design through optical toys, stop motion, video, photography and traditional hand-drawn animation. Assignments will allow students to explore attributes of movement and time, still photography & moving images, and sequential & non-linear narratives. Emphasis will be placed on the relationship of composition, pacing and storytelling rather than technical dexterity.

COMM3399: Media Research and Production

Semesters: 1 & 2

Media and communication technologies continue to evolve, and today's media practitioners must be able to present research information in various formats that go beyond the traditional research paper. Research can now be conducted and presented using digital video and audio documentaries to multimedia formats created for dissemination in various media channels. This course allows the student to conduct research and present the research using select media outputs. Students work with their supervisors during the year to complete a research project that must be presented in a digital format. The emphasis in this course is on research and not production; the student is therefore expected to be familiar with the production demands for the media format in which they choose to present their research.

ANIM1020: Principles of 2D Animation

Semester: 2

This course covers the fundamental principles of 2D animation, focusing on character animation utilising the technique of ‘cutout’ animation (individual body elements connected by a skeleton or rig) and "tradigital" animation (a combination of digital and traditional cel animation) workflows. Following an explanation of a typical animation production procedure, students are introduced to some of the terminology commonly found in the industry. Students will learn how to differentiate between keys, breakdowns, x-sheets, and in-betweens and the proper indicating and charting thereof. They will create camera keys and layouts, study basic principles including squash and stretch, anticipation and settle, wave principle and overlapping action, and apply these principles to assignments.

ANIM2021: 2D Animation Production

Semester: 2

This course is designed to expand upon the principles and techniques of animation established in ANIM1020 - Principles of 2D Animation. It allows the student to apply a combination of the knowledge acquired in drawing courses taken throughout the first and second years. This course is meant to be taken alongside ANIM2013 - Layout and ANIM2003 - Storyboarding and Screenwriting. The course content directly relates to what is covered throughout the semester. Students will apply their cumulative knowledge and skills to their final animation project, a 60-second film. This short-form piece should be produced at a quality level worthy of placement in the student’s portfolio.

MDIA3004: New Media Portfolio

Semester: 2

This course may be a substitute for the HUMN3099 (formerly AR3X0) final-year research project. A portfolio is significant for new media professionals. It provides a medium to showcase work and experience to potential employers and collaborators. The course focuses on developing a usable and aesthetically pleasing portfolio. It covers the essential processes associated with Return to Table of Content 50 preparing digital portfolios, including conceptualisation, identifying suitable formats, organising work and converting traditional material into a digitally ready form, repurposing digital material and creating a portfolio website. In addition to learning best practices for developing a personal portfolio, students will also learn approaches to effectively presenting their portfolios for new media career options. The course also prepares students to make presentations incorporating aspects of the digital portfolio during the job interview exercise.

Training

Summer (June - August) and Christmas Holidays (January)

Here is a list of topics that I can cover for your training needs:

Study skills and working in groups,
Social media marketing,
Personal branding,
Graphic design,
Presentation skills,
Small business tools,
Information and digital literacy,
Teaching strategies,
Instructional design,
Teaching technologies,
Project management for creatives,
Any combination of topics,
or other student-related, teaching-related, business-related, and creative-related topics.

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