Northeastern University ARTD2370
Animation Basics
8:00am on Mondays
09/04/2024 - 12/14/2024
Lab: TBD
Post Homework (link)
Location: On site- Ryder 301
Instructor: M. Brackett
Contact instructor: (link)
Learning Objectives:
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
• Demonstrate the understanding of the 12 Principles of Animation and their application in both object-based and character-based animation (2D & 3D)
• Demonstrate the ability to use industry standard animation techniques in your work, using them as a baseline to express original ideas
• Identify industry standard tools and 2D/3D authoring software, its function within computer (2D & 3D) animation development pipeline
• Describe 3D Cartesian space and the fundamentals of geometric elements • Utilize real-world reference to enhance the “believability” of animated projects
• Demonstrate the ability to offer both technical and aesthetic criticisms of the work of peers and self
Course description: Offers an introductory studio course that explores the creative potential of animation. Exposes students to a variety of traditional animation processes and techniques through lectures, demonstrations, and hands-on assignments. Provides an historical survey of animation art through the twentieth century. Emphasizes using the computer to develop concepts creatively while learning the fundamental skills of constructing animated images and forms.
Week 1
09/09/24
Covered in this class: Syllabus, Intro to Adobe Animate, Disney’s 12 Principles, Solid drawing skills, Appeal, Intro to Autodesk Maya
Exercises:
Warm up - Lines and Swirls
2D Squiggle Text
2D Wandering Worm
3D Shape Stack
Adobe Animate Basics:
Hotkeys:
Basic drawing:
[v] selection tool/basic cursor
[b] brush tool
[e] eraser tool
[l] (L) lasso tool
[k] paint bucket tool
[i] eyedropper tool
[space] hold to navigate around stage & viewport
Timing:
[f5] add time to an existing frame
[f6] create duplicate keyframe
[f7] create blank keyframe
[shift] + [f5] remove frame
UI Buttons:
New Layer
Toggle Layer Visibility
Lock Layer
Onion Skin
Loop
Maya Basics:
View controls:
Pan: [alt] + MMB
Orbit: [alt] + LMB
Zoom: scroll wheel OR [alt] + RMB
Toggle view mode: spacebar + hover LMB
Object Interaction:
Move: [w]
Rotate: [e]
Scale: [r]
Duplicate: [shift] + [w]
Videos:
HOMEWORK:
Homework A - Explore Adobe Animate:
Draw for 72-96 frames (3-4 seconds). Explore and have fun! We are looking for interesting, fluid motion.
Deliverable: Looping gif, Animate (.fla) file
Homework B - Explore Autodesk Maya:
Move, rotate, and scale shapes in interesting positions and combinations to create new shapes . Place at least 24 shapes, either mimicking real-world objects or curating an abstract collection with cohesive design elements.
Deliverable: 3 screenshots of Maya viewport, Maya (.mb) file
Disney’s 12 Principles progress:
Squash and stretch, Anticipation, Staging, Straight-ahead and pose-to-pose, Follow through and overlapping action, Slow in and slow out, Arc, Secondary action, Timing, Exaggeration, Solid drawing, Appeal
Animation to check out:
Stanley & Stella in Breaking the Ice (1987)
Also known as Love Found, this is a vintage short film directed by Larry Malone and created by about 90 animators primarily from Symbolics Graphics Division and Whitney/Demos Productions. The piece features algorithmically-generated flocking and schooling behaviors, an impressive coding feat in 1987! Despite being part tech demo, the short was considered visually gorgeous for the time. Compare Stanley & Stella to the graphics Pixar achieved in the same year with Red’s Dream.
Week 2
09/16/24
Covered in this class: Healthy Work Practices, Staging, Cinematography, Straight Ahead & Pose to Pose, Staging, 3D Animated Camera
Resources:
Class Slides (link)
Wrist stretches (link)
Exercises:
Warm up - Straight Ahead
2D Morphing Shapes
2D Enter a Door
3D Wild West Street
Wellness reminders:
20/20/20 Rule:
Every 20 minutes of screen time, look away to something at least 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds.
Joints:
Protect wrist, elbow, shoulder, neck, and back with regular stretching.
Fatigue:
Pay attention to signs of fatigue especially in the wrist, eyes, and spine.
Saving:
Save with [ctrl] + [s] as frequently as every 5 minutes, save iteratively (NewFile_003.file) every hour to avoid losing significant work in crashes/corruptions.
REMEMBER TO EAT FOOD AND DRINK WATER.
Maya:
Animated camera:
Create>Cameras>Camera
Turn on Autokey
[s] to keyframe camera on frame 1
Move scrubber to end frame, move camera
New hotkeys:
Keyframe all attributes: [s]
Edit pivot: [d]
Videos:
HOMEWORK:
Homework A - Explore Adobe Animate:
Draw for 72-96 frames (3-4 seconds). Explore and have fun! We are looking for interesting, fluid motion.
Deliverable: Looping gif, Animate (.fla) file
Homework B - Explore Autodesk Maya:
Move, rotate, and scale shapes in interesting positions and combinations to create new shapes . Place at least 24 shapes, either mimicking real-world objects or curating an abstract collection with cohesive design elements.
Deliverable: 3 screenshots of Maya viewport, Maya (.mb) file
Disney’s 12 Principles progress:
Squash and stretch, Anticipation, Staging, Straight-ahead and pose-to-pose, Follow through and overlapping action, Slow in and slow out, Arc, Secondary action, Timing, Exaggeration, Solid drawing, Appeal
Animation to check out:
Stanley & Stella in Breaking the Ice (1987)
Also known as Love Found, this is a vintage short film directed by Larry Malone and created by about 90 animators primarily from Symbolics Graphics Division and Whitney/Demos Productions. The piece features algorithmically-generated flocking and schooling behaviors, an impressive coding feat in 1987! Despite being part tech demo, the short was considered visually gorgeous for the time. Compare Stanley & Stella to the graphics Pixar achieved in the same year with Red’s Dream.
Week 3
09/09/24
Covered in this class: Charts, Squash & Stretch, Anticipation, Maya Cube Bounce
Resources:
Class Slides (link)
Adobe Animate hotkeys (link)
Exercises:
Warm up - Box, Ball, Bean
2D Ball Bounce
2D Ball Tumble
2D Arm Point
Cube Bounce
Adobe Animate Basics:
H
Timing:
[
Maya Basics:
V
Videos:
HOMEWORK:
Option A: Choose 3 objects to animate in 2D tumbling across the stage as you did for the final ball exercise (ball tumble). Think about how the object’s material would change how they bounce. If the item would break, show it breaking as it bounces.
Deliverable: Looping GIF, Animate (.fla) file
OR
Option B: Use primitive shapes to create an obstacle, then animate 150 frames of a cube crossing/conquering it.
Deliverable: Maya Playblast, Maya (.mb) file
Disney’s 12 Principles progress:
Squash and stretch, Anticipation, Staging, Straight-ahead and pose-to-pose, Follow through and overlapping action, Slow in and slow out, Arc, Secondary action, Timing, Exaggeration, Solid drawing, Appeal
Animation to check out:
Stanley & Stella in Breaking the Ice (1987)
Also known as Love Found, this is a vintage short film directed by Larry Malone and created by about 90 animators primarily from Symbolics Graphics Division and Whitney/Demos Productions. The piece features algorithmically-generated flocking and schooling behaviors, an impressive coding feat in 1987! Despite being part tech demo, the short was considered visually gorgeous for the time. Compare Stanley & Stella to the graphics Pixar achieved in the same year with Red’s Dream.