Program(s): Bachelor of Animation
Program Coordinator(s): Mark Mayerson
Course Leader or Contact: Mark Mayerson
Version: 13.0
Status: Approved (APPR)

Section I Notes: Course Contributors: Mark Mayerson, David Quesnelle

Detailed Description
This course is designed to provide students with opportunities to incorporate the mechanics of speech into animated sequences. Students design and animate characters to pre-recorded dialogue, ensuring that the mouth action is synchronized and that the body action works properly with the dialogue. Topics include film analysis, lip synch, character design using different facial anatomies and expressions, and interpreting the emotion and performance reflected in the sound track. Through a series of interactive lectures, film clips, discussions and studio work, students develop the ability to act through an animated speaking character.

Program Context

 Critical Performance
By the end of the course, students will have demonstrated the ability 
to convey a portion of an animated story with characters delivering 
lines of dialogue in a believable fashion that is consistent with the 
character's design.

Learning Outcomes

To achieve the critical performance, students will have demonstrated 
the ability to:

1. Explain the function of the lips, tongue and teeth in formulating 
   speech.

2. Analyze the mechanics of speech in a frame-by-frame study of a 
   soundtrack.

3. Use appropriate software to break down a soundtrack.

4. Incorporate soundtrack break down into one or more exposure sheets 
   to use when animating.

5. Discuss facial structures and expressions found in human and 
   animal anatomy and how the specific structure affects speech.

6. Design characters with various types of mouths (e.g. beaks, 
   muzzles).

7. Animate characters with various types of mouths (e.g. beaks, 
   muzzles).

8. Synchronize the mouth action of designed characters with a pre-
   recorded soundtrack.

9. Animate the designed characters so that the performance 
   synchronizes with the soundtrack.

10. Integrate the animation of various characters into a limited 
    story sequence. 

Animation:
One Assignment             15%
One assignment             25%
Two assignments @ 30% ea   60%
Total                     100%

Design:
One Assignment 10%
One Assignment 20%
One Assignment 30%
One Assignment 40% 
Total                    100%
 
NOTE:  Final grade is the average of the ANIMATION and DESIGN portions
       of the class.  Students must achieve 50% or better in each
       area in order to pass the course.

Late Policy for all courses in the program:

All assignments are due within the first 15 minutes after the start
of class on the due date. Late projects, submitted after the first 15
minutes of the start of class will receive a 20% grade reduction.
Late projects submitted the following week will receive a 30% grade
reduction. There will be no submission of work after the last day of
semester unless arrangements have been made and documented by the
professor.

N/A

Instructors
Mark Mayerson - Animation
Peter Emslie - Character Design

Week 1
Animation: 
Lip synch principles and Magpie Pro software demo. Animation 
Assignment #1

Design: 
Discuss Anthropomorphism (1st of 2 classes), both in terms of objects
and animals. Show various degrees of anthropomorphism. Assignment #1 -
"Anthropomorphism" 2 character model sheet

Week 2
Animation: 
Lip synch examples.

Design: 
Part 2 of Anthropomorphism. Discuss benefits of using animals as
representatives of human "types".

Week 3
Animation: 
Human synch. Animation assignment #1 due. Animation Assignment #2

Design: 
Discuss pliability of Muzzle and Beak for lip synch.

Week 4
Animation: 
Human synch examples.

Design: 
Discuss the design, communication and proper focus of character's 
eyes. Deadline for Assignment #1 - "Anthropomorphism" 2 character
model  sheet.

Week 5
Animation:
Animating clothing.

Design: 
Discuss stylized animation. Run "Symphony in Slang", "Mars and Beyond"
and Cantinflas cartoons.  Assignment #2 - "Design to a Theme"

Week 6
Animation: 
Lip Synch for muzzles.  Animation assignment #2 due. Animation
assignment #3.

Design: 
Elements of Appeal: lines and shapes. Show examples of both
dimensional and graphic styles that have appeal vs. those that don't.
Run "Once Upon a Wintertime" as example of `S' Curve appeal.

Week 7
Animation: 
Lip Synch for beaks

Design: 
Drawing from a costumed model to devise poses that will aid in their
Theme assignment.

Week 8
Animation: 
Exposition

Design: 
Character interaction and leading the viewer's eye. Run "Pecos Bill" 
to show rhythmic interaction between horse and rider. Have students 
copy still frames. Deadline for Assignment #2 - "Design to a Theme"

Week 9
Animation: 
Clean up procedures. Animation Assignment #3 due.  Animation
assignment #4.

Design: 
Sketch from "The Little Whirlwind" as a way of how to clearly stage a
pose showing visual appeal and clear silhouettes.

Week 10
Animation: 
How story elements relate to performance.

Design: 
Show film clips to illustrate pantomime performance (Pink Panther,
Humphrey Bear).  Assignment #3 - "Performance"

Week 11
Animation: 
How story elements relate to performance. Review of cleaned up keys
for assignment #4

Design: 
Intro to Caricature, showing the artistic considerations in designing
the likeness of a specific individual. There will be an in-class 
assignment given, worth 10%.

Week 12
Animation: 
Styles of motion.

Design: 
Show examples of caricature used to create character designs and
"types" in animated features.   Deadline for Assignment #3 -
 "Performance"

Week 13
Animation: 
Styles of motion.  Assignment #4 due.

Design: 
Stress gestural approach and rhythmic motion through drawing from
clips of dance movement, to get them ready for 3rd Year.

Week 14
Animation: 
Course summary and expectations for 3rd and 4th year.

Design: 
Cover student requests.