Course Name (short): Storyboarding: Creative Struct
School: Animation Arts and Design
Program(s): Bachelor of Animation
Program Coordinator(s): Angela Stukator
Course Leader or Contact: Nancy Beiman
Originator: Paulette Geffros
Designate: Paulette Geffros
Version: 18.0
Status: Approved (APPR)

Calendar Description
This course is designed to provide students with opportunities to incorporate two characters into a creative story that utilizes music and sound effects.

Typical Instructional Format

Courses may be offered in other formats.

Section I Notes: Course Contributors: Tony Tarantini, Maury Whyte

Detailed Description
This course will enable students to construct story reels for simple animated films and introduce them to the basic tools of the art. Topics include structured story arc, character development from storyboard, and pitching a storyboard to an audience. Emphasis is placed on creativity in plot and character development and motivation, and how the characters are driven (performance driven and dialogue driven). Through a combination of interactive lecture, discussion, demonstration and studio work, students extend story development into related disciplines.

Program Context

 Critical Performance
By the end of this course, students will have demonstrated the ability
to develop creative stories through exploration of characters,
narratives, visuals and other elements of animated storytelling. 

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

1. Develop storyboard panels that tell a complete story.

2. Create storyboard panels that express complex emotion and action.

3. Explain how the story arc is realized through the character arc. 

4. Graphically depict character motivation, conflict and 
   attraction,global and historical contexts, tension; conscious and 
   unconscious intent.

5. Compare and contrast live action and animated narrative.

6. Conduct a pitching presentation that incorporates the terminology
   of animated filmmaking.

7. Discuss the importance of story in the creation of character 
   designs, settings, art direction and layouts.

8. Pitch a complete story board using animation terminology.

9. Direct and edit a simple Leica or story reel, with music and sound 
   effects, to a set deadline.

10. Implement standard production practices and processes with
    storyboard and Leica presentations.

Assignment 1: Beat Boards                             10%
Assignment 2: Reverse Pitch                           10%
Assignment 3: Storyboard (Story Provided)   20%
Assignment 4:  Beat Boards                             10%
Assignment 5: Pitch Original Storyboards     10%
Assignment 6: Storyboard (Original Story)     20%
Assignment 7: Leica Reel                                   20%
Total                                                                     100%

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.

Work that is more than one week late will not be graded unless a 
prior arrangement has been made with the professor; the arrangement 
must be documented on email or a memo, with the new due date 
identified. There will be no resubmission of work unless, under 
exceptional circumstances, this has been agreed to or suggested by 
the professor.  Again, a hard copy of the agreement is necessary.

If there is a valid reason for the late project, the student must 
email the professor at least 3 days before the due date.  If the 
reason is deemed to be valid, there will be no late penalty.  A new 
due date with be set by the instructor.

The basic late policy as laid out above will be followed, except in 
the instance that an instructor requires a variation in policy. That 
variation will be provided to the student in writing as part of the 
actual assignment, which will be handed out by the instructor.

Textbooks:
Prepare to Board! Creating Story and Characters for Animated Features 
and Shorts, by Nancy Beiman

WEEK 1
- DISCUSSION: Live Action, Animated Feature, and Television 
- Storytelling: An Introduction and Comparison
- Introduction to Storyboard: Expectations and Procedures
- Handout:  Story boarding tips and abridged syllabus.
- Comparison of Concept Drawing with Beat Board; Analyzing and 
  identifying story beats; identifying conflicts and story 
  resolutions.
- Assignment 1 Given : Nursery Rhyme (:30) beat boards. 
- Concept sketches due Week 2 
- Beat boards and rough character lineup due Week 3. 
- In-class workshop on thumbnails and tonal sketches.
   
WEEK 2 
- DISCUSSION: Types of Stories: Linear, Non Linear, Character Driven 
  and Situation Driven. Creating narrative development.
- Concept sketches reviewed in class. Continuation of tonal exercise 
  in-class.
- DESIGNING THE FRAME: Screen directions: high and low angles, use of
  contrast, use of positive and negative space; TONE used to set 
  moods in storyboard, working with character groups.
    
WEEK 3 
- DISCUSSION: Storytelling without Dialogue: Symbolic Shapes and 
  Colors in Animation
- ASSIGNMENT 1 DUE: Beat Boards and rough character designs pitched
  with in-class revisions as necessary. 
- Groups 1 and 2 assigned for remainder of semester
- ASSIGNMENT 2 and 3 GIVEN: DUE Weeks 5 and 6: Tonal boards with  
  Rough character designs for one of the two poems; Reverse Pitch. 
  Assignment 2 is graded separetely. 
- WIP rough thumbnails Week 4
- Research and Story Pitch Preparation and Development
- Translating Original Concepts into Storyboard Panels
- Extension of Original Concept

WEEK 4 
- DISCUSSION: Pitching, Directing, and Editing Storyboard Sequences: 
  Mistakes and Corrections
- WIP: 30 second Storyboard Roughs (Thumbnails) with In-Class 
  Revisions
- Translating Original Concepts into Storyboard Panels
- Continued Development of Original Concept

WEEK 5 
- Assignment 3 Storyboard due: In-class reverse pitch, (Assignment 2)
  Group 1 with critique
- Screenings: TBA

WEEK 6	
- Assignment 3 Storyboard due: In-class reverse pitch, (Assignment 2)
  Group 2 with critique
- Screenings: TBA 

WEEK 7
- Assignment 3 final hand-ins/revisions due in Hand In Folder	
- TWO-CHARACTER PERFORMANCES FOR ANIMATION
- Screenings: TBA

Assignment 4 GIVEN: 
- Develop original story concept through free association for  :30 
  second-1 minute storyboard using two original characters
- In-class Free-association story workshop for Assignment 3
- Beat Boards/character rough sketches due Week 8
- Development of Original Story Concept
- Troubleshooting and Problem Solving in Story Development

READING WEEK

WEEK 8
- Screenings: TBA
- Assignment 4: Beat Boards and character sketches due: In-class 
  pitches
- Assignment Week 5 and 6 given: Rough boards and Leica reel with 
  music and sound FX for :30 seconds-1 minute story featuring two 
  original characters.
- Storyboards with tonals and color key (Assignment 6) PITCHES
(Assignment 5) are graded separately from STORYBOARD. Both due Week 11-12
- Leica reel (Assignment 5) due Week 14
- MUSIC AND STORYTELLING: Sample Leica Reels Screened

WEEK 9      
- WIP Assignment 6 continuation and revision of Beat Board pitches 
  and character sketches 
- DISCUSSION: COLOR KEYS: Color and Storytelling

WEEK 10     
- Translating storyboards into digital story reel: Timing workshop- 
  Scratch tracks and animation: Setting Timing and Mood through Music
- Assignment 6 WIP
- LEICA REEL (Assignment 7) GIVEN. Leica reel with music and sound 
  effects due in Week 14.
- Guest Lecture (Technician) on Editing in Premiere.
- Prerecorded Instrumental music track  (scratch) due Week 12
- Screening TBA

WEEK 11     
- Discussion and Analysis of Leica Reel and Final Film
- In-class pitch (Assignment 5), Group 2 ASSIGNMENT 6 STORYBOARDS DUE

WEEK 12     
- In-class pitch, (Assignment 5) Group 1 Assignment 6 STORYBOARDS DUE
- Studio Story Pitches: Analysis and Discussion of Methods. Screening
  TBA.

WEEK 13
- Storyboards Assignment 6 due in Hand In Folder. Please make 
  revisions to Leica for Assignment 7 (will be counted toward final
  grade)     
- WIP Leica Reels, Assignment 7
- Screening: TBA
- Final editing processes
   
WEEK 14     
- ASSIGNMENT 7 due: FINAL LEICA WITH SOUNDTRACK DUE, GROUPS 1 AND 2: 
- In-class screening, analysis, and group review (graded)
- Screening TBA

Please contact the professor by email (nancy.beiman@sheridanc.on.ca)  
if  illness, emergencies, or  severe weather conditions cause you to 
miss any classes. It is your responsibility to contact the professor
for missed handouts. New deadlines and appropriate make-up assignments 
will be arranged on a case-by-case basis. In the event of emergency 
or extreme weather, assignment dates will be modified. 
Students will receive all information and materials described in this 
syllabus, though not necessarily in the indicated order.
Classes will start on time. 
There will be one 15-minute break during each session. Students not 
returning to class after break will be marked absent. Students must
attend classes in their own section. All assignments must be scanned
and deposited in your hand-in folder  after in-class presentation by
your section's deadline to avoid late penalties. Please do not remove
your assignments from this folder until you are instructed to do so by
a technician.