Course Name (short): Adv Fig Draw & Art Direction
School: Animation Arts and Design
Program(s): Bachelor of Animation
Program Coordinator(s): Mark Mayerson
Course Leader or Contact: Tim Mccormack
Originator: Paulette Geffros
Designate: Paulette Geffros
Version: 10.0
Status: Approved (APPR)

Calendar Description
In this course, students experience how animation relates to the cognitive, conceptualization process that stands on the shoulders of observational drawing. Students closely examine the relationship between life drawing and visual story development.

Typical Instructional Format

Courses may be offered in other formats.

Section I Notes: N/A

Detailed Description
In this course, students experience how animation relates to the cognitive, conceptualization process and principles of observational drawing. Students closely examine the relationship between life drawing and visual story development, and demonstrate how the mythology and humanity of a story is reflected in the characters created using life drawing principles. Students explore a variety of different media through life drawing activities in order to understand how these media influence the effect of the life drawing within a filmic context. These activities may include 3-D computer generated puppetry, claymation and sculpting, all of which address 3- D character analysis and drawings based on this analysis. In addition, students use props and the figure drawing podium as a constructive stage setting from which the figure can be drawn and moved about within a story context. Students articulate a visual story in relation to life drawing and incorporate work from established animation films to reinforce the mythology and humanity of a story that provides it with a lasting appeal that may transcend time and generations.

Program Context

 Critical Performance
By the end of this course, students will have demonstrated the 
ability to create a portfolio of refined observational drawings 
grounded in research, completed to industry standard, and designed to 
inform the performance aspect of animation.

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

1.  create life drawings that augment the independent film by 
    informing aspects of  the visual story (e.g. mythology); 
2.  reconstruct a scene from an established film in order to 
    incorporate its essence into the development of the independent
    film;
3.  complete life drawings that reflect economy of style while 
    incorporating significant elements of staging and lighting;
4.  create life drawings that incorporate significant use of costume 
    and drapery, environment, and elements of architectural style;
5.  extrapolate a wide range of characters that may be integral 
    to the story using one or multiple models;  
6.  experiment with different variations of flexible historical 
    tableaux;
7.  translate their personal expression of figurative movement as an 
    expression of story; 
8.  generate life drawings that reflect refined application of key 
    observational concepts, principles, and theories related to 
    dynamic anatomy;
9.  incorporate volumetric analysis and 3-D performance in life 
    drawings that may be translated to computer generated characters;
    and
10. integrate historical knowledge of art direction, directorial 
    styles and other media into their work in order to  generate life
    drawings in appropriate contexts.

Students demonstrate their learning in the following ways:

Individual Portfolio Proposal and pitch                                20%
Interim assignment submission (including sketchbook)  30% 
Final Portfolio                                                                           50%
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.

n/a

WEEK 1	Introductions, Course Requirements and Expectations
	Portfolio Development Guidelines
	
WEEK 2	Targeted Learning Outcome #3 
        Complete life drawings that reflect economy of style while
        incorporating significant elements of staging and lighting
			
WEEK 3	Targeted learning Outcome #4
        Create life drawings that incorporate significant use of   
        costume and drapery, environment, and elements of 
        architectural style.
        Portfolio Proposal and Pitch (including sketches.) due (20%)

WEEK 4 	Targeted Learning Outcome #7
        Translate their personal expression of figurative movement  
        as an expression of story.
 
WEEK 5 	Targeted Learning Outcome #8
        Generate life drawings that reflect refined application of  
        key observational concepts, principles, and theories related  
        to dynamic anatomy.

WEEK 6 	Targeted Learning Outcome #8
        Generate life drawings that reflect refined application of  
        key observational concepts, principles, and theories related 
        to dynamic anatomy.

WEEK 7  Interim assignment submission due (30%)
	Critique

WEEK 8 	Targeted Learning Outcome #5
	Extrapolate a wide range of characters that may be integral 
        to the story using one or multiple models

WEEK 9	Targeted Learning Outcomes #9
        Incorporate volumetric analysis and 3-D performance in life 
        drawings that may be translated to computer generated 
        characters

WEEK 10 Targeted Learning Outcome #9
        Incorporate volumetric analysis and 3-D performance in life  
        drawings that may be translated to computer generated 
        characters

WEEK 11 Targeted Learning Outcomes #6 and #10
        Experiment with different variations of flexible historical
        tableaux
        Incorporate historical knowledge of art direction, 
        directorial styles and other media to generate life drawings 
        in appropriate contexts

WEEK 12	Targeted Learning Outcomes #1 and #2
        Exhibit how life drawing augments the film by informing the  
        mythology and humanity of the visual story through visual 
        story arcs 
        Pay homage to an established film by reconstructing a scene  
        from it in order to incorporate its essence into ones own 
        independent film
 
WEEK 13	Final Portfolio due (50%)

WEEK 14	 Exhibition and Celebration

Academic Honesty
The principle of academic honesty requires that all work submitted 
for evaluation and course credit be the original, unassisted work of 
the student.  Cheating or plagiarism including borrowing, copying, 
purchasing or collaborating on work, except for group projects 
arranged and approved by the faculty member, or otherwise submitting 
work that is not the students own violates this principle and will 
not be tolerated. Instances of academic dishonesty, including 
assisting another student to cheat, will be penalized as detailed in 
the Student Handbook.

Students who have any questions regarding whether or not specific 
circumstances involve a breach of academic honesty are advised to 
discuss them with the faculty member prior to submitting the 
assignment in question.  

Discrimination and Harassment
Sheridan is committed to provide a learning environment that respects 
the dignity, self esteem and fair treatment of every person engaged 
in the learning process.  Behaviour which is inconsistent with this 
principle will not be tolerated.  Details of Sheridans policy on 
Harassment and Discrimination are available in the Student Handbook.