TITLE OF COURSE: Introduction to 2D Animation
COURSE NUMBER & SECTION: MMP260-1300, Spring 2020
SCHEDULE: Thursdays, 1PM-4:40PM, F-1007
PROFESSOR: Anna Pinkas | email: apinkas@bmcc.cuny.edu | Office hours: Mondays, 1PM – 4PM (or by appointment), 199 Chambers St, room S-622J
CREDITS: 3| CLASS HRS: 2| LAB HRS/WEEK: 2
BASIC SKILLS: ENG 088 or ESL 062, ACR 094 | PRE-REQUISITE: MMP 100| CO-REQUISITE: MAT 051
DESCRIPTION: Students will learn to design and create motion graphics for multimedia, building projects appropriate both for Internet applications and for film and video. Students will learn how to use Animate, a vector-based animation program, and After Effects, an animation and visual effects compositing program to create narratives through the use of storyboards.
COURSE STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES
| Description | Measurement |
|---|---|
| 1. Understand and apply the 12 principles of animation | Studies |
| 2. Create frame-by-frame animation in a digital environment | Studies |
| 3. Design a character for animation | Final project |
| 4. Understand how to create and develop a narrative with storyboarding | Final project |
| 5. Create and apply effects to compositions in After Effects | Final project |
| 6. Export animation to the correct format and share it on the web | Final project |
GENERAL EDUCATION LEARNING OUTCOMES
| Description | Measurement |
|---|---|
| Communication Skills – Students will write, read, listen and speak critically and effectively. Student behaviors include being able to: Express ideas clearly in written form; Employ critical reading skills to analyze written material; Exhibit active listening skills; Give an effective oral presentation. | Final project |
| Information & Technology Literacy – Students will collect, evaluate and interpret information and effectively use information technologies. Student behaviors include being able to: Conduct research using appropriate research strategies; Make effective use of technology. | All projects |
REQUIRED TEXT: There is no required textbook for this course. Slides, web resources and tutorials are available for free at https://openlab.bmcc.cuny.edu/mmp260-pinkas-s2020/
OTHER RESOURCES: Portable media for storing projects, such as a flash drive will be necessary. Students are advised to set up a cloud storage accounts such as Dropbox or Google Drive. Sketchbooks are recommended for taking notes and brainstorming ideas.
USE OF TECHNOLOGY: We will be working with Adobe Animate and Adobe After Effects. Other software, such as Photoshop and Illustrator, may be used to create graphical content. Computers with all software required for the course are available outside of class in room S-510C (199 Chambers Street). Visit https://www.bmcc.cuny.edu/students/lrc/lab-services/ for hours. However these labs are not equipped with Cintiq Tablets. These are only available in room F-1007 (Fiterman Hall). The lab will be open outside of class on:
- Mondays: 2PM- 5:30PM
- Tuesdays: 2:00PM-5:00PM
- Wednesdays: 2PM-5:30PM
- Fridays: 5PM-9:30PM (Richard’s SI session: 5PM – 7PM)
Students will use Blackboard to post their assignment. Faculty will upload grades and comments there too, along with any other course material they see fit. To login to blackboard, go to https://cunyportal.cuny.edu/, login and click on the Blackboard menu item.
Students will use Open Lab to post work in progress. Each student should create an Open Lab profile at the beginning of the semester and join the course page. Please follow these instructions.
Students will need to login to the classroom computer and blackboard every time the class meets. If you do not have (or cannot remember) your id and password for both/either, contact the BMCC helpdesk right away: 212-220-8379 helpdesk@bmcc.cuny.edu ; RoomS141 (199 Chambers Street). You may also reset your password by going to https://cunyportal.cuny.edu/and clicking on “Account & Password Reset”
SUPPLEMENTAL INSTRUCTION: This section of MMP260 is part of BMCC’s Supplemental Instruction Program. Richard Toney will be your SI leader this semester. He will attend all our sessions, provide assistance during class, and will run review sessions every Fridays, 5PM-7PM in F1007. He can also be reached via email at: Richard.toney@stu.bmcc.cuny.edu . You will receive extra credit towards your final grade if you attend at least 3 of the SI sessions over the course of the semester.
TUTORING: Take advantage of BMCC’s one-on-one tutoring services (free!). Go to the Learning Resource Center Reception Desk in S-510 (199 Chambers Street), or call (212) 220-1383 for more information
GRADING: Grading is based on successful completion of all projects, class participation and attendance. Students are expected to attend every class, to partake in the in-class tutorial, in-class workshops and crit sessions. Failure to do so will affect the “teacher evaluation and class performance” grade. Projects must be handed in on time. Points will be deducted for work that is handed in late.
- Teacher evaluation and class performance: 10%
- Studies: 50%
- Final project: 40%
PHONE/TABLETS: Using your phone or tablet for talk or text is not allowed during this class. You may use headphones, but only during work periods, not when the teacher or other students are presenting.
Class Participation. Participation in the academic activity of each course is a significant component of the learning process and plays a major role in determining overall student academic achievement. Academic activities may include, but are not limited to, attending class, submitting assignments, engaging in in-class or online activities, taking exams, and/or participating in group work. Each instructor has the right to establish their own class participation policy, and it is each student’s responsibility to be familiar with and follow the participation policies for each course.
BMCC is committed to the health and well‐being of all students. It is common for everyone to seek assistance at some point in their life, and there are free and confidential services on campus that can help.
Single Stop www.bmcc.cuny.edu/singlestop, room S230, 212‐220‐8195. If you are having problems with food or housing insecurity, finances, health insurance or anything else that might get in the way of your studies at BMCC, come by the Single Stop Office for advice and assistance. Assistance is also available through the Office of Student Affairs, S350, 212‐220‐ 8130.
Counseling Center www.bmcc.cuny.edu/counseling, room S343, 212‐220‐8140. Counselors assist students in addressing psychological and adjustment issues (i.e., depression, anxiety, and relationships) and can help with stress, time management and more. Counselors are available for walk‐in visits.
Office of Compliance and Diversity www.bmcc cuny.edu/aac, room S701, 212-220-1236. BMCC is committed to promoting a diverse and inclusive learning environment free of unlawful discrimination/harassment, including sexual harassment, where all students are treated fairly. For information about BMCC’s policies and resources, or to request additional assistance in this area, please visit or call the office, or email olevy@bmcc.cuny.edu, or twade@bmcc.cuny.edu. If you need immediate assistance, please contact BMCC Public safety at 212-220-8080.
Office of Accessibility www.bmcc.cuny.edu/accessibility, room N360 (accessible entrance: 77 Harrison Street), 212-220-8180. This office collaborates with students who have documented disabilities, to coordinate support services, reasonable accommodations, and programs that enable equal access to education and college life. To request an accommodation due to a documented disability, please visit or call the office.
BMCC Policy on Plagiarism and Academic Integrity Statement Plagiarism is the presentation of someone else’s ideas, words or artistic, scientific, or technical work as one’s own creation. Using the idea or work of another is permissible only when the original author is identified. Paraphrasing and summarizing, as well as direct quotations, require citations to the original source. Plagiarism may be intentional or unintentional. Lack of dishonest intent does not necessarily absolve a student of responsibility for plagiarism. Students who are unsure how and when to provide documentation are advised to consult with their instructors. The library has guides designed to help students to appropriately identify a cited work. The full policy can be found on BMCC’s Website, www.bmcc.cuny.edu. For further information on integrity and behavior, please consult the college bulletin (also available online).
WEEKLY BREAKDOWN (Subject to change)
Week One (Thu 1/30)
- Overview of course, class site, and Open Lab
- Introductions
- What is animation: different approaches, 12 principles, early history, 2D animation today
- Assignment: flipbook
Week Two (Thu 2/6)
- Flipbook assignment due
- Introduction to Hardware (Cintiq)
- Introduction to Adobe Animate: interface, frame-by-frame vs. tweening, paint vs. symbols, file format, exporting.
- Key concepts: frames, FPS, working on 1s and 2s
- 12 principles applied: squash & stretch, slow-in & slow-out
- Assignment: bouncing ball #1 (up and down)
Week Three (Thu 2/13)
- Bouncing ball #1 assignment due
- Key concept: straight ahead vs. pose to pose, in-betweens and breakdowns, timing charts
- 12 principles applied: arcs, timing
- Assignment: bouncing ball #2 (arc)
Week Four (Thu 2/20)
- Bouncing ball #2 assignment due
- Key concepts: review straight-ahead, loops
- Assignment: looping effect
Week Five (Thu 2/27)
- Looping effect assignment due
- Assignment: flour sack
Week Six (Thu 3/5)
- Flour sack assignment due
- Character design for animation
- Final project – step 1: character design
(Thu 3/12) CORONAVIRUS HIATUS – CLASSES CANCELLED ON 3/12. REVISED SCHEDULE FOLLOWS.
Week Seven (Thu 3/19)
- Character design due
- Storyboarding
- 12 principles applied: staging
- Final project – step 2: storyboard walk cycle
Week Eight (Thu 3/26)
- Storyboard due
- Walk cycles
- Final project – step 3: walk cycle (rough)
Week Nine (Thu 4/2)
- Rough walk cycle due
- 12 principles applied: follow through & overlapping action
- Final project – step 3: walk cycle (revised)
NO CLASS ON THURSDAY 4/9 and 4/16 – SPRING BREAK
Week Ten (Thu 4/23)
- Revised walk cycle due
- Introduction to After Effects
- Final project – step 4: creating a background
Week Eleven (Thu 4/30)
- Background due
- Camera in After Effects
- Importing an Animate project into After Effects
- Saving, moving and submitting your After Effects project
- Final project – step 5: adding a background and applying After Effects’ camera to the walk cycle
Week Twelve (Thu 5/7)
- Background + camera -enhanced walk cycle due
- Effects in After Effects
- Final project – step 6: Adding effects to the walk cycle
Week Thirteen (Thu 5/14)
- Effects-enhanced walk cycle due
- Animating text in After Effects
- Nesting compositions in After Effects
- Sound and animation
- Adding sound in After Effects
- Final project – step 7: Creating animated title and credits for the walk cycle
- Final project – step 8: Adding sound to the walk cycle (extra credit)
Weeks Fourteen (5/21)
- Final project submissions
