Individual animation projects: Students individually design and produce two (2) animated shorts/vignettes using 2D and/or 3D animation tools. Animation Project #1 occupies the first half of the semester; Animation Project #2 occupies the second half. It is expected that students will learn new techniques and/or deepen their existing software knowledge. Mixed media projects are encouraged.

Research & Readings: Students will periodically be asked to research specific topics, animations, or readings and to comment on them in their blog. In all cases, students should come to class prepared to show and discuss the results of their research or reading. Each student will also individually prepare a research presentation to the class on a topic of their own choosing.

In-class exercises: Students also work periodically, both individually and as a group, on story-development and design exercises. The ideas, stories, scenes, and designs developed here will not be produced as final animations.

Blogs: Students will maintain a blog and update this blog with new materials every week. Materials posted may include storyboards, animatics, concept art, motion tests, test renders, responses to research, and other thoughts. Blogs must have a unique link such that only material for this course is on this blog. Blogs are to be accessible to all students in the class, and are expected to be well designed, clearly structured and allow a reader -- instructors and classmates -- to follow a project's progress.

(missed class for some; others attended other section)

Syllabus overview

Review previous student work

Intro to critical paradigms; Intro to Mimesis

Homework:

Research at least two of suggested Mimesis topics
First thoughts and sketches for animation project #1

Review of project plans
Discussion of reading
The Continuity or "Hollywood" style of storytelling

Homework:
Animation vewing:
Dots, N. McLaren
Object Conversation, P. Glabicki
Creature Comforts, N. Park

Review of progress and discussion of reading

Story development exercise

Studio time... individual meetings

Homework:
Animation vewing:
Homer³: episode of The Simpsons

Mid-point Assessment of Project #1
Group critque
Feedback from instructor

Story development exercise

Studio time... individual meetings

Homework:
Street of Crocodiles, The Quay Brothers

Story development exercise

Student research presentation

Studio time... individual meetings

Student research presentation

Studio time... individual meetings.

Student research presentation

Studio time... individual meetings

(Class was cancelled; building closed)

Student research presentation

Studio time... individual meetings

Animation study, cf homework assignment
Discussion: Derrida -- framing, parergon

Studio time... individual meetings

Mid-point Assessment of Project #2
Group critque
Feedback from instructor    

Studio time... individual meetings  

Student research presentation

Studio time... individual meetings

Upload your file to Vimeo and send me the link prior to next week's class.

Last session: Individual Project #2 due

All final materials handed in. Final critique of projects.

There will be regular assigned readings. Students are expected to read texts closely, to comment on them in their blogs, and to come to class prepared to share their thoughts and actively participate in discussions.

In addition to the required assigned readings, there are several other texts and sources that can be very useful.

There are many suggested readings and topics on my Critical Paradigms page.

Also, Animation: Genre and Authorship, by Paul Wells, Wallflower Press, 2003, ISBN: 1903364205

Grading will be based on the originality, visual sophistication, conceptual depth, technical skill, and timely completion of projects. The meaning of grades is as follows:

A = Extremely good work
A- = Very good work
B+ = Good work, better than average
B = Satisfactory work, but not outstanding
B- OK, short of satisfactory
C+ = Slightly better than minimally passing, not acceptable quality
C = Minimally passing, not acceptable quality
Grades below C are considered non-passing at the graduate level

The weighting of grades is as follows:

Individual Project 1 = 35%
Individual Project 2: = 40%
Research Presentation = 5%
Active participation in the classes, blogs, exercises and discussions = 20%

All assignments must be handed in on the due date. If you have not finished your work or as much as you had intended, you should hand in whatever you have finished up to that point. Your work will be graded based on whatever portion you have handed in as of the due date.

Please note that technical problems, lab problems, or being “really busy” do not constitute an excuse for unfinished work. Such issues are part of life and life with computers, and you should assume they will occur. It is your responsibility to schedule your time and your work to allow for this sort of problem and still get your work done well and on time.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

Pratt Institute considers Academic Integrity highly important. Instances of cheating, plagiarism, and wrongful use of intellectual property will not be tolerated.

• Faculty members will report each incident to the registrar for inclusion in studentsí files.
• More than one report to the registrar during a studentís program of study at Pratt will result in a hearing before the Academic Integrity Board, at which time appropriate sanctions will be decided. These may include dismissal from the Institute.
• The nature and severity of the infraction will be determined by faculty members who can: ask students to repeat an assignment, fail students on the assignment, fail students in the course and/or refer the incident to the Academic Integrity Board.

For more details about these procedures please see the Pratt Student Handbook, the Pratt Bulletins, and the pamphlet entitled Judicial Procedures at Pratt.

CHEATING

If students use dishonest methods to fulfill course requirements, they are cheating. Examples of this include, but are not limited to:

• Obtaining or offering copies of exams or information about the content of exams in advance.
• Bringing notes in any form to a closed book exam.
• Looking at another studentís paper during an exam.
• Receiving or communicating any information from or to another student during an exam.

PLAGIARISM

Plagiarism is a bit more complicated, but the rules of documentation and citation are very specific and are tailored to different academic disciplines. Types of plagiarism include:

• Including any material from any source other than you in a paper or project without proper attribution. This includes material from the Internet, books, papers, or projects by other students, and from any other source.
• Using your own work to fulfill requirements for more than one course
• The extensive use of the ideas of others in your work without proper attribution.
• Turning in work done by another person or a fellow student as oneís own.

Please remember that all work must be the studentís own. If it is not, the source should be cited and documented appropriately.

If there are aspects of this statement that are not understood, ask faculty members for help.