Week 1 (1/22)
TOPICS
- Overview/Introduction to the Class and Syllabus
- A short history of animation
- Introduction to Flash
- The Animate Environment: Tools, Windows, Inspectors, Menus
- Movie Properties
- Drawing Tools
- Raster vs. vector graphics
- Modifying Shapes and Paths
- Grouping/Arranging
- Color in Animate CC
- Keyframes and Frames
- Understanding Frame Rate
- Onion-Skinning
- Step Animation/Animation Basics
LAb/Homework/ONLINE
- Review the class syllabus and grading details
- Work on Exercise # 1 (due 2/3)
Exercise #1: STEP ANIMATION (due 2/3)
Explore the drawing tools in Animate CC to create representational or abstract graphic artwork. Animate your artwork using step animation (also known as frame-by-frame or straight ahead animation), as demonstrated in class and in the video tutorials.
Your animation should be at least 5 seconds long (or around 60 frames minimum with a frame rate of 12 fps). Set your screen size to 858 x 480. You may wish to use a series of keyframes, erasing and modifying your artwork as you go. Or, you may wish to create straight-ahead animations by creating a series of blank keyframes (by hitting F7 or Modify > Timeline > Convert To Blank Keyframes) and filling the blank keyframes with novel imagery as you progress in time (Tip: be sure to turn on onion-skinning and use the comma (",") and period (".") keys to quickly move forward and back in the timeline. Also, remember the quick keys: F5 = Insert Frame, F6 = Insert Keyframe, and F7 = Insert Blank Keyframe).
Name your file with the naming convention lastname-e1 (ie. "cleveland-e1.fla") and publish it to create .swf and .html files. Additionally, explore creating an animated gif from the file, using Explort > Export Animated GIF. Upload the .gif, .fla, .swf, and .html files to the exercise1 folder on the MAT server. See Publishing Instructions and FTP Info for the MAT Server for detailed instructions and a video tutorial.
- Exercise 1 Example (View HTML)
LINKS & Resources
- Index of Video Tutorials (Lecture and Demo Review)
- Publishing Instructions and FTP Info for the MAT Server
- CollegeBuys.org (discounted software through the Foundation for California Community Colleges - This is best pricing on the software)
- The recommended textbook for free via Safari Books Online.
- My Lynda.com recommended playlist about Animate/Flash Animation and Interactivity (use of lynda.com is optional)
- Adobe - Animate Help and Support and Help Center By Topic
- Some History and Inspiration for Step Animation (interactive toys)
The Art of Animation, Some History, and Inspiration
- The Art of Animation and Motion Graphics (from PBS Off Book)
- Some History and Inspiration for Step Animation (interactive toys)
- Film Before Film - Phenakistoscope, Zootrope, Praxinoscope (YouTube)
- Emile Cohl - The Puppet's Nightmare - The first animated film (YouTube)
- Winsor McCay - Gertie the Dinosaur - The first animated film using keyframe animation techniques (YouTube)
SITES of INSPIRATION
- Animated Shorts by Adam Phillips (animation)
- They Rule by Josh On (data visualization, activism)
- Becoming Human (interactive documentary)
- A is for Apple (net art, interactive multimedia, non-linear narrative)
- MonoFace (viral marketing, interactive design)
- The Turn.tv (experimental interface, sound, video)