Course Name (short): Sequential Narrative
School: Animation Arts and Design
Program(s): Bachelor of Animation
Program Coordinator(s): Mark Mayerson
Course Leader or Contact: Nancy Beiman
Originator: Barbara Mathieu
Designate: Barbara Mathieu
Version: 3.0
Status: Approved (APPR)

Calendar Description
Students analyze the sequential construction of animated motion picture stories and students learn the production pipelines for feature and television storyboards.

Typical Instructional Format

Courses may be offered in other formats.

Section I Notes: N/A

Detailed Description
Students analyze the sequential construction of animated motion picture stories and students learn the production pipelines for feature and television storyboards. Students work with song lyric `scripts¿ that require them to maintain continuity on a longer project. Topics include developing characters and settings based on soundtrack `script¿; storyboarding a sequence to a pre-timed soundtrack; creating a group Leica reel for a multi-verse musical film; maintaining story and character continuity on a group project; writing an outline for a television story, writing and labeling dialogue on storyboards, and completing a television storyboard that uses a professional template. Digital formatting and presentation are emphasized, reflecting the latest industry standards.

Program Context

 Critical Performance
By the end of this course, students will have demonstrated the ability
to develop industry-standard feature and television storyboards for a
complete sequence in a group storyboard project.

Learning Outcomes
To achieve the critical performance, students will have demonstrated
the ability to:
1. Create television storyboards and sequences of feature storyboards 
   using professional terminology and templates. 
2. Work with a written script and predesigned characters to create a
   commercial storyboard.  
3. Storyboard a television commercial as television-style 
   storyboards using industry-standard templates, formatting and 
   digital tools. 
4. Complete one or more sequences from a group feature-style 
   storyboard to a prerecorded track with each sequence working in 
   continuity. 
5. Develop a group work ethic and maintain story continuity on a 
   longer production.
6. Develop a sequential story arc in a group production.
7. Create sequences that are precisely timed to pre-recorded tracks 
   and pre-edited bar sheets. 
8. Meet all production deadlines and learn time management.

Students demonstrate their learning in the following ways:

STORY
Assignment #1 Sequential Beat Board and Character Sketches       10% 
Assignment #2 Sequential Story Boards                            20%
Assignment #3 Leica Reel for Sequential Storyboard               20%
Assignment #4 1:00 Commercial Television Beat Boards from Script 20%
Assignment #5 Pitch of Rough Boards for 1:00 Commercial          10%
Assignment #6 1:00 Commercial Television Storyboard              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.

Beiman, Nancy. Prepare to Board! Creating Story and Characters for
Animated Film. Focal Press, 2007 (second edition, 2012, if available) 
 ISBN-10: 0240808207
Glebas, Francis. Directing the Story: Professional Storytelling and
Storyboarding Techniques for Live Action and Animation. Focal Press,
2008   ISBN-10: 0240810767  
Scott, Jeffrey. How to Write for Animation.  http://www.jeffreyscott.tv/

Recommended Reading: n/a

WEEK 1	
Music and Dance in Animation	
Screenings TBA
Assignment# 1-3 Given: Sequential reel with dialogue based on
preexisting track (soundtrack provided by professor)
- Beat boards and character sketches (Assignment 1) due week 2
- Storyboard pitches (Assignment 2) in week 5
- Finished Leica  (Assignment 3) due week 7
	
WEEK 2
Sequential  Storytelling: An Analysis
Definition and exploration of sequences in animated films compared
with live action films directed by animators.
Screening and Analysis: TBA
STORY
DUE: Beat Boards for Assignment 1, Character Sketches presented in class

WEEK 3
Working Against Character Types Screenings and Analysis: TBA
-Visual and auditory creation of character identities
Screening and Analysis: TBA
WIP:  Storyboard rough pass: in-class workshop for Assignment 2

WEEK 4
- Structural Approaches To Storytelling- Part 1
STORYTELLING THROUGH COLOUR: COLOUR SCRIPTING screenings tba
WIP: Storyboard sequences assignment 2

WEEK 5
Structural Approaches to Storytelling Part 2
Adapting a Story from Print to Visual Media
STORY
DUE: In-class pitch of storyboard for Assignment 2 with Song Track
(all groups)
GIVEN: Assignment 3, Sequential Leicas

WEEK 6
The Actor and the Animator: The Use and Overuse of Dialogue in Animation
WIP Assignment 3, Sequential Leicas. In-class analysis of timing,
editing of individual sequences: discussion of hookups and technical
specifications
   WIP Digital Lab: Leica reels for Assignment 3 

WEEK 7
Screening: Storytelling in Television Commercials
Screening and analysis: TBA
DUE: Assignment 3   In-class screening of sequential Leica Reels
Given: Assignment 4: Beat Boards for 1:00 Television Commercial
Handout:  Character Designs and Script

(Reading Week)

WEEK 8
STORY
Television, New Media, and Feature Storyboards part 1: An Analysis of
the Differences
Screening and analysis: TBA
In-class screenings of edited Songs from assignment 3, incorporating
all sequences
- DUE:  ASSIGNMENT 4 in-class presentation of Beat boards for
television commercial 
GIVEN: Assignment 6: Widescreen 1:00 Television Commercial
Storyboards, due week 13

Week 9
TELEVISION, NEW MEDIA, AND FEATURE STORYBOARDS part 2

Handouts: Television Storyboards from Preschool and Action Television
Series
WIP storyboards for Assignment 6
Analysis and Comparison of Television, Feature and Live Action Storyboards

Week 10
Television Boarding Techniques 
Screening and Analysis: TBA
WIP storyboards for Assignment 6

WEEK 11  
Screenings TBA
WIP dialogue notation and panel numbering
Due: Assignment 5: rough storyboards for assignment 6 pitched in class
(Group 2)     
                                              

WEEK 12
Storyboard Portfolio Examples
Handout: Creating Final PDF for assignment 6
Due: Assignment 5: rough storyboards for assignment 6 pitched in class
(Group 1)   

WEEK 13
New Media and Storyboard:  Hand drawn images in a digital future
Screening and Analysis: TBA
Assignment 6 PDF digital hand in due (Class-specific deadlines):
In-class presentation and grading.

WEEK 14
ALTERNATIVE TAKES
- Review and Summary and Conclusions
- DUE: Revisions to Assignment 6 as necessary (class specific deadlines)
(in-class review of digital hand ins)
Screening and Analysis: TBA 

Please contact the professor by email (nancy.beiman@sheridanc.on.ca)
to arrange meetings outside of class time or if illness, emergencies,
or  severe weather conditions cause you to miss any classes. New
deadlines 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 may not attend classes in a section that they are not
assigned to for any reason.
All assignments 1-4 must be scanned and deposited in your hand-in
folder to class-specific deadlines announced during hand out and also
provided via Sheridan email. Please do not remove your assignments
from this folder until you are instructed to do so by a technician.