Animation
The word in itself tells the audience that it's putting something into motion. When we're animating an object, we're making it more exciting because the audience can see the subject perform a task. The beginning of digital animation can be traced back to a company that created Macromedia Flash. Then the company Adobe purchased the software from the former company and renamed it to Adobe Flash. Over recent years, they've renamed it again to what it's called today "Adobe Animate".
To understand this concept of what a motion picture or animation is, this class will begin with a simple Stop Motion Video exercise.
To understand this concept of what a motion picture or animation is, this class will begin with a simple Stop Motion Video exercise.
Skill #1: Stop Motion Animation
The video on the right was created by Stephen B., as an assignment for the previous year's Animation 12 class.
Task:
Step 1: Record down an idea for a 15-20second animation Sign out a DSLR camera and possibly a tripod from the media storage room. Step 2: Create the starting scene of your idea with materials you choose. It can be as simple as a whiteboard marker and a whiteboard to the lego bits created in the example to your right. Step 3: Take photos of the scene and the subject you want to move. Re-position the object every time you take a photo so that it takes a couple of shots for an arm to move from a resting position to a wave for example. Keep animating the subject until your idea/story is complete. Step 4: Create an Adobe Animate file under ActionScript 3.0 Take the photos and slot them into Adobe Animate as "frames" for your animation. Since you're making frames, it is required that all the frames are the same size. It will take you some time to make sure all the photos you take are the same dimensions. Watch the video below for a quick tutorial on to input your finishing product into the program. Export your video as an .SWF file or mpg movie file. |
"I made a stop-motion of a smiley face starting to form then crumble away. The photos took one day of shooting them then it took two days to crop the photo so I can place them in flash. It took two days of placing them in flash. I like doing this project for the outcome of the video but making it was long and flash would freeze at times. Also cropping the photo was difficult since I wasn't sure how to keep it the same size. I should have left some marker on where to crop before taking the photos."
--Emily W. |
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Skills Mastery List:
--Photos focus on the subject(s) that's doing the animation /1
--Animation completes a simple task that shows
movement in the final product /1
--Video does not have big chunky gaps between frames of movement /1
--Animation is neatly compiled in the order from
start to finish within Adobe Animate /1
--Stop Motion Video plays properly once the
final video is compiled and exported /1
--Photos focus on the subject(s) that's doing the animation /1
--Animation completes a simple task that shows
movement in the final product /1
--Video does not have big chunky gaps between frames of movement /1
--Animation is neatly compiled in the order from
start to finish within Adobe Animate /1
--Stop Motion Video plays properly once the
final video is compiled and exported /1
POST YOUR FINAL PRODUCT ON YOUR PORTFOLIO UNDER THE WEBPAGE "ANIMATION".
(Must be captioned to explain what the video is about.)
(Must be captioned to explain what the video is about.)
Skill #2: Onion Skin
Next, you will use Animate, to create a basic frame-by-frame animation. Watch the sample video below, and create your own animation, using the onion skin overlay.
TutorialOnion skin is a feature on Adobe animate that will allow you transparently see through the work of your previous frame without having to duplicate the whole frame.
Maybe there is something that you would like to animate specifically (i.e. a specific element) and not the entire background to emphasize something. This is when the onion skin feature can help immensely based on where you've positioned that element in the last frame so you can move it accordingly in subsequent frames. If you are a beginning animator and not a good drawer, you may create a simple animation that runs for 20 seconds. If you are considered an advanced animator who wants to show off your skills and take this opportunity to show future employers a digital portfolio, you may take a lot more time and effort into this project and animate it for 5 seconds. (To see what an advanced animation looks like, see the Hulk Transformation video on the right. Skills Mastery List:
Uses the onion-skin feature tool in Adobe Flash for a smoother animation /1 Animation runs for 5 seconds --good quality animation. OR Animation runs for 20 seconds--lesser quality animation (e.g. stickman) /1 Does the animation contain a story? Does it have a beginning and an end? /2 Animation has sufficient frames per second for a smooth transition /1 POST YOUR FINAL PRODUCT ON YOUR PORTFOLIO UNDER THE WEBPAGE "ANIMATION". (Must be captioned to explain what the video is about.) |
Sample Student Work |
Part III: Tweens
Next, you will learn how to use Motion Tween and Shape Tween, and create a basic animation, using these tools. Watch the following videos and follow along to create another basic animation showing the skills you have now learned.
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Create a higher quality animation,(like the one above,) that uses all Tween actions. Criteria and length will be decided/discussed as a class.
Skills Mastery List:
Successfully changed a shape from one thing into another /1
Animation runs smoothly without any stuttering or lagging iterations /1
Shows the use of layers properly allowing for certain elements to be animated and others remain stationary. /1
Creativity (5 point scale: VP/P/F/G/VG) ___/5
Successfully changed a shape from one thing into another /1
Animation runs smoothly without any stuttering or lagging iterations /1
Shows the use of layers properly allowing for certain elements to be animated and others remain stationary. /1
Creativity (5 point scale: VP/P/F/G/VG) ___/5
Sample Student Work:
Credits: Emily Greenhalgh (2016-17)