ART 203 - Animation I at Germanna Community College
Course Description
Effective: 2014-01-01
Introduces the student to the basic techniques of animation, combining traditional and computer-generated skills. Teaches theoretical elements of the aesthetics of sequential imagery. Provides practical experience in two-dimensional and/or three-dimensional animation. Exposes the student to a variety of animation techniques.
(3-4 Cr.) Lecture 2 hours, Lab 2-4 hours. Total 4-6 hours per week.
3-4 credits
General Course Purpose
Teaches the concepts and techniques of basic, two-dimensional animation, both traditional and computer generated. Through hands-on experience the student will develop awareness and appreciation of well-designed animated productions, and give the student historical and current perspectives.
Course Objectives
- Build basic 3-D models using the Modeler program, part of LightWave
- Create surfaces (colors, surface characteristics, textures, envelopes) and apply them to 3-D objects.
- Effectively light a scene using 3-point lighting and various types of digital lights.
- Animate a scene by creating keyframes at points along a timeline, using a variety of animation techniques.
- Create bones inside a 3-D object and use them to bend and move the object.
- Combine sound, voice and music with an animation into a QuickTime movie.
- Name, save, and organize the component files for an animation.
- Create a demo reel of the student's semester's work using video-editing software.
Major Topics to be Included
- Basic concepts of computer-generated animation which are common to most animation software: 3-D models and model-building, keyframing, x-, y-, and z-coordinates, lighting, surfacing, bones, rendering.
- Develop the ability to use the basic animation and model-building tools in the current version of LightWave 3-D animation software to create soft animations.