Planning
Overview
You will be creating a single project this semesters and will work through the storyboarding, design, production art, animation, and sound design components during the course of the semester. Each student will choose one of the prerecorded Aesop's Fables to animate.
Software
You will be creating all of the art and animation in Adobe Animate, which is especially adept at vector illustration. Vector illustration has some advantages over bitmap illustration, including:
Infinite scalability without soft or jagged edges
Lines can be set to "not scale", which can create the illusion of traditional hand-drawn animation
It's very easy to revise and manipulate shapes
File sizes are manageable
Playback in the editor is quick and smooth (as long as point counts are managed)
Assignments
Adobe Animate Filmography
Television
Here is a list of the television shows that have been created in whole or in part using Adobe Animate (external link). Some highlights include:
Craig of the Creek
Ben Ten
Regular Show
Adventure time
Samurai Jack
Fairly Odd Parents
Film
Here is a list of the films that have been created in full or in part using Adobe Animate (external link). Some highlights include:
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse (credits)
The Incredibles I and II (credits)
Isle of Dogs (2D animated screens)
Coco (opening sequence and credits)
The Loud House Movie (all)
Fantasia 2000 (Beethoven's Symphony no.5 sequence)
Google Drive Directory Set-Up
(a) Create a Google Drive project folder and share it with me
Use your own personal Gmail account
Share it with this email: lead.bill.fischer@gmail.com
(b) Set up a directory in the folder that is organized exactly like this:
Folder: Your First and Last Name-CourseName (Ex: Bill Fischer-AnimProc)
Folder: Planning and Storyboard
Folder: Design and Production Art
Folder: Animation
Folder: Sound Design
Folder: Final
(a) Set-Up
(1) Create a Google Doc in your planning folder
name the file: Planning
Put this information at the top:
Your name
The fable you have chosen to animate
Download the audio file that you chose for later use
(b) Animation & Art Style
In your Google Doc...
(1) List the Technical Art Styles you will be using (see below)
Keep in mind that that the actual shapes and proportions of your art can be unique to you. These styles are really about the technical aspects which include line weight, line color, shading method, and generally shape types.
Here is an example of how you might configure your list:
Characters shapes: cartoon
Character shading: 1 level
Character Stroke widths: all thin
Backgrounds: flat shapes, no strokes
(2) List 1-3 animation styles you will primarily be using (see below)
Here is an example of how you might configure your list:
Clever Transitions
Loops
(c) Experience
In your Google Doc...
(1) List all of the experiences that you have had working in Adobe Animate (including courses and personal work)
(2) List all of the experiences that you have had animating in general. Include the software you used. (including courses and personal work)
(3) if you have a website or social media page where you show your art and design... provide links to them.
(4) Paste in 1-4 jpeg images of your own art that represents the creative style you will be working in. (max 1400 pixel size on the longest side)
Technical Art Style Examples
Note: your shapes may be different from these examples
(1) From 'Get Your Sketch'
Characters shapes: comic style
Character shading: 1 level
Character Stroke widths: thick and thin
Backgrounds: gradient shapes with no stroke
(2) From Adventure Time (flat cartoon art with all thin strokes)
Characters shapes: cartoon
Character shading: none
Character Stroke widths: all thin
Backgrounds: flat shapes, thin strokes
(3) From Vidico (external link)
Characters shapes: organic & iconic
Character shading: none
Character Stroke widths: no strokes
Backgrounds: flat shapes, no strokes
(4) From The Jim Crow Museum Project (external link) by KCAD students and faculty
Characters shapes: realistic proportions
Character shading: 1 level
Character Stroke widths: thick and thin
Backgrounds: minimalist with paper texture
(5) From Bill Fischer
Characters shapes: geometric & iconic
Character shading: 1 level
Character Stroke widths: no strokes
Backgrounds: flat shapes with no stroke
Animation Style Examples
(1) Traditional Shot to Shot
Owen Hurley: From Anim. Proc.
Flying chicken: by Bill Fischer
(2) Loops
Rockwell: from Animation Processes
Are You Lost: professional work
(3) Animated Backgrounds
Door: from Animation Processes
Gabbert: upper level student
(4) Camera Action
Kafi: upper level student group
Oz: professional
(5) Text Over Animation and Clever Transitions
Madmen Titles: professional
Emily: upper level student
(5) Motion Comic
Spiderman & Wolverine
Watchmen
Aesop's Fables Examples from This Class
Annah Jarrett
Cameron Schleicher
Jenn Lohman
Ava Tolonen
Michaela Barton
Dan Neph