MI5017 - Animation Performance

You will learn through the delivery of a contextual lecture series and set of group discussions, how to establish an understanding of the history and principles of performance in animation and how it relates to character animation as well as more abstract representations.

You will use methods of filming a performance as a basis for understanding human movement that is relevant to animation performance.

You will set up and periodically add this research, set exercises and design development to a blog (with appropriate reflective annotation) as the device to contain and present your work throughout the module.

Academic staff will work with you in practical workshops, seminar sessions, technical demonstrations and on project supervision through tutorials, to facilitate ‘learning through doing’ in the generation, development and presentation of animation performance.

You will use tutor-guided independent study and student independent study, to execute further practical exercises, to realise design ideas through experimentation and exploration. Exercises will be set to refine traditional drawn character performance as well as 3D computer generated animation performance.

Small group critiques will be undertaken so that you can present and justify your short form animated film and critically reflect on your own films and other’s.

Formative and summative class presentations will allow you to see the work of peers and learn to critically reflect in a larger forum on what is successful and how to improve your own work. At the group presentations of your short form animated film, you will also receive feedback, which will focus on the conceptual, research and practical design strengths, as well as areas for improvement.

Module brief/guides outline the indicative workload of a module comprising lectures, design and software workshops. You will be prompted to complete exercises by academic staff and deliver work on key building blocks in the module. Briefs will be uploaded to the eLearning Portal before any module activity commences. Associated learning materials will be available on the eLearning Portal to download and support developmental skills and if necessary, these will be discussed in class first to make sure that you understand the key concepts of the material.

Email support is available throughout the module, especially during directed and independent learning periods when you are working alone. You can also make appointments to talk through your work with a member of staff.

The programme has a subscription to ‘Digital Tutors’, the design and technical software support facility, due to the specialist nature of the software that you are required to learn. You will have access to this resource, both inside and outside the University, to help with any problem solving when designing or modelling in 3D. It will include support materials for other creative software such as Adobe CC and Autodesk Maya, which will also be required in this module. You will be directed to the relevant Digital Tutors resources on the eLearning Portal, but will be encouraged to solve your own design and technical problems by searching for solutions in Digital Tutors also to encourage independent / autonomous learning.

Technical demonstrations will be led by the Animation Technician who is also available to support with technical assistance that may arise in your projects.

All modules at Northumbria include a range of reading materials that students are expected to engage with. Online reading lists (provided after enrolment) give you access to your reading material for your modules. The Library works in partnership with your module tutors to ensure you have access to the material that you need.

Knowledge & Understanding:

1. Identify appropriate research and show evidence of critical design development and aesthetic analysis for animation performance.

Intellectual / Professional skills & abilities:

2. Generate, progress and communicate design concepts and solutions, through drawing, with traditional or digital technologies.

3. Use tacit and digital design skills in an experimental and innovative way to create animation performance.

Personal Values Attributes (Global / Cultural awareness, Ethics, Curiosity) (PVA):

4. Show awareness of historical and contemporary character animation.

You will present your initial, individual research work to the group, early in the semester, you will receive formative feedback here MLO 4.

During a mid-point presentation, which will focus on the conceptual and practical design strengths as well as areas for improvement, you will receive more formative feedback from staff and peers by addressing MLOs 1 & 2. You will have an opportunity to reflect on and respond to the feedback before submitting the final project assignment.

You will receive formative feedback throughout the module, this consists of group discussions and individual tutorials and this will help you to reflect upon the conceptual and practical elements of your work with a view to addressing MLOs 1, 2 & 3. MLO 3 should be further addressed in the second half of the semester when the majority of the animation creation takes place.

Following the final summative project submission, you will receive written summative feedback on your achievement against all of the module learning outcomes, using the Faculty Feedback sheet and a final grade will be given. Feedback will be provided within 20 working days of submission.

Your work should be submitted via the eLearning Portal. On the module page in the eLearning Portal, there is a folder called ‘Assignment Submission’ you will find all the necessary links in this folder.

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Please find details of this module in the other sections provided.