Pre-College: Animation Course

Each day we’ll view a variety of animations and behindthe-scenes DVD extras, supplementing our education on the history of popular and underground animation. Hands-on lessons will begin with animating objects to mimic the laws of natural physics through principles like “squash and stretch,” “ease-in and ease-out,” and “anticipation.” By acting through the characters you animate, you can make viewers believe your character is not only alive, but actually thinking and making decisions.

During the 2D animation study, you will use paper or Wacom tablets to draw frame-by-frame animations in Adobe Flash. We will start with a bouncing ball and a swinging pendulum, and advance into speaking and walking characters. You will spend the duration of the week experimenting or completing your own short animation.

For the stop-motion animation study, you will build characters out of clay over pre-made armatures (ball and socket skeletons). After constructing miniature props and sets, you will capture your narrative step by step with a digital camera. We will focus on the believability of your character's movement as well as on camera angles and composition. You will animate the images in Adobe Premier and, if necessary, add special effects in Adobe After Effects.

Please bring your own digital camera with USB cable, tripod, and/or Wacom tablet. We will accommodate students who do not have these items.