Week 1 – Animation Matters
1/18 – Course overview, animation as a medium
Assignment: Find an animated film online write a brief summary of what you find interesting about it
Week 2 – Becoming an Animator
1/25 – Types of animation, basic principles, storyboarding, stop-motion and hand-drawn animation
Assignment: Three seconds of frame-by-frame animation
Week 3 – Introduction to After Effects
2/1 – AE interface and workflow, setting properties, adding effects, keyframes
Assignment: Create a simple animation in After Effects
Week 4 – Motion Graphics and Text
2/8 – Typography, text presets, motion graphics
Assignment: Create a text-based animation
Week 5 – After Effects Beyond the Basics
2/15 – Easing, parenting, pre-composing, simple expressions
Assignment: Create an animation using advanced techniques
Week 6 – Character Creation and Design
2/22 – Character creation in Illustrator or Photoshop
Assignment: Design and create a character for your mid-semester project
Week 7 – Character Animation
3/1 – Importing and rigging, walk cycles
Assignment: Mid-semester project initial draft
Week 8 – Odds and Ends
3/8 – Discussion of various effects, work day for mid-semester project
Spring Break March 10 – 20
Week 9 – Editing and Sound Design
3/22 – Sound effects and music for animation
Assignment: Mid-semester project final draft
Week 10 – Mid-semester project review
3/29 – Review projects, discuss animation process
Week 11 – Expressions
4/5 – Discuss various expressions, review final project details
Assignment: Create a short scene using expressions, storyboards for final
Week 12 – After Effects and 3D
4/12 – Animating in 3D space, 3D cameras
Assignment: Create a 3D scene
Week 13 – Lights and Particles
4/19 – More advanced 3D techniques
Week 14 – Final Projects
4/26 – Review final projects
Finals May 3 – 10