Common Essential Learnings Foundational Objectives

Learning Objectives	Notes
11.1 To research technologies and processes used to create a variety of special effects.   11.2 To compare similarities and differences. (CCT)	Have students explore a range of physical and digital effects employed in the communication industry. Some categories of special effects include: Optical effects using mirrors, false perspectives, projected images, fades, lighting, and diffusion. Chemical effects using rain, snow, smoke, fog, fire, explosions. Mechanical effects using props, furniture, film, computer images. Electronic effects using inserts, computer images, superimposing. Sound effects using separate effects, computer sound effects, editing, voice overs, synchronized effects with video. (Fish, 1988) Research how various special effects are created in audio, video, and multimedia productions. View a video that contains examples of various effects, and their creation and application. Consult the Media Group Catalogue for examples and ordering information.
11.3 To explore the application of various special effects.   11.4 To discover relationships and patterns. (CCT)	Listen to various audio special effects and try to determine how they might have been created. Create and catalogue samples of audio effects that could be used in future student productions. View old films to see how early special effects were used, or view examples of visual effects used in film, video, and multimedia. Have students write critiques or discuss examples focusing on the effectiveness of the effects. Have students make a list of situations in which simple special effects would add to the impact of the audio or visual presentation. Pick two or three examples, and in a production lab try to create special effects using available materials and technology. Students might, for example, create masks for a video they are producing, or add digital effects during the editing stage of a production. Be sure to remind students that safety is a priority and that all special effects must be approved by the teacher before use.
11.5 To become familiar with new developments in special effects.   11.6 To compare and evaluate. (CCT)	Have students search the Internet for sites that deal with 3D modelling, animation, and motion editing. Companies such as the following might provide useful information: Weta Visual Effects: http://www.wetafx.co.nz/WetaLtd-Index.html Alias Wavefront: http://www.aliaswavefront.com/ Biomechanics Inc.: http://www.biomechanics-inc.com/ SoftImage: http://www.softimage.com/ 3D Studio: http://www2.discreet.com/index-nf.html Blue Moon Rendering Tools (BMRT) - Shareware: http://www.bmrt.org/index.html High End 3D: http://www.highend3d.com/ 3D Site: http://www.3dsite.com/ VisualFX Pro: http://www.vfxpro.com/ Giant Studios: http://www.giantstudios.com/ Biomechanics World Wide: http://www.per.ualberta.ca/biomechanics/

Module 12: Animation (Optional)

Module Overview
This module is intended to introduce students to video and/or multimedia animation. The projects that students undertake will depend on the equipment and software that is available. All students taking this optional module should be able to produce at least a short animated video. Even where the software is not available for students to create animation on computers, students should conduct research on the Internet so that they are introduced to the basics of multimedia animation. Many good books are available on animation techniques and many animation studios have informative websites (e.g. www.pixar.com).

Students should be able to carry out the basic functions of video production prior to taking this module. A work station is required that can remain in place for a period of time while students complete the module.

Equipment/supplies (video): camcorder, stopwatch, tripod, television, and VCR

Equipment /supplies (multimedia): computer animation software, computers with sufficient memory to support the software programs

Foundational Objectives

Common Essential Learnings Foundational Objectives

Learning Objectives	Notes
12.1 To reflect on the range of animated products and techniques with which students are already familiar.   12.2 To identify and use a variety of resources. (TL)	Ask students to list examples of animated videos and multimedia products with which they are familiar: television shows movies commercials children's cartoons lyrical or "art" animations. Do the students know how any of the examples they listed were created? Have them find out what they can by searching the Internet. They could search, for example, "The Simpsons" or "Toy Story". Have small groups make brief presentations to the rest of the class on what they find.
12.3 To explore how animation has evolved from the first animated film to the computer animation of today.	Present information to the students on the history of animation (see bibliography for resource list). If possible, view clips from different time periods. The NFB has many old and new animated films/videos that can be borrowed. Students might have animated computer games in their own collections. Much animation is available on television and the Internet.
12.4 To explore historical developments of particular technologies. (TL)	View a video on the animation process such as F.X.! Consult the Media Group catalogue for ordering information.
12.5 To reflect on the purposes and advantages of using animation rather then live action.   12.6 To discover relationships and patterns. (CCT)	Have students list reasons why a person might choose to create an animated story or other animation product. In creating their list, students should reflect on the following questions: What are some characteristics of animated products with which they are familiar? What can you do with animation that you cannot do with live action? What might attract a person to working in animation?
12.7 To create a bank of animation resources.   12.8 To contribute to a catalogue of available resources. (TL)	Have students compile a bibliography of information on animation. The teacher will probably have resource books that he/she can contribute, as well as favourite websites. Students can spend time searching the Internet for useful and informative sites, of which there are many. Because of rapid and continuous changes in the industry, the Internet is a source of up-to-date information, and will be a particularly useful component of the class bibliography.
12.9 To review the purpose and method of storyboarding.	Students will probably be familiar with storyboarding by the time they take this module. Review the importance of storyboarding, even for a short animated project. Remind students that storyboards are not fixed in stone, and that they might revise their storyboards as they progress through their project.
12.10 To create a simple video animation project.   12.11 To design and construct. (CCT)	Present students with several types of animation from which they can choose for their first project. Suggestions include cut paper, sequential drawings, claymation (using clay or plasticine), and animation with plastic action figures or common objects. It would be useful to encourage individual students or groups of students to choose different types of animation so that the class can view and learn from the variety of experiments. The object of this first project is to create a simple action sequence: a figure walking, a tea cup sliding across the table cloth, a clay duck waddling in a circle, construction paper shapes moving in a lyrical sequence, etc. This animation project need only be seconds in length - 15 seconds, perhaps. Students should create a storyboard as part of their planning. As a class, view the students' projects. What reflections do students have on the limitations and advantages of animation after completing and viewing these first projects?
12.12 To introduce students to the terminology and software used in multimedia animation.   12.13 To explore the evolution of technological innovations. (TL)	Many good resources on animation exist, to which the teacher can refer. See the bibliography for this course. Search the Internet. The following terms are ones that teachers can present and/or demonstrate to students using the respective software. Cel animation: This refers to animation in which the animator draws or paints a background. Over this background the animator lays transparent sheets containing components of the frame that have moved since the preceding frame. This is a film technique that computer programs can electronically recreate. In computer terminology, drawing/painting refers to creating figures, objects, etc. using draw and paint programs. Pixel animation: This type of animation has the capability to create three-dimensions as opposed to the "flat" nature of cel animation. Terms include: modelling - the creation of three-dimensional characters, props, sets, etc. animation - creating motion shading - creating surface characteristics lighting - digitally creating lighting effects rendering - creating finished images from the information determined in the above programs. Draw and paint programs are the more traditional animation programs, and the ones which will most likely be available to students. If possible, create computer work stations where students can experiment with the available software.
12.14 To create a simple multimedia animated project.   12.15 To explore the technical aspects of various media. (TL)	This activity is dependent on the availability of computer software and hardware. Have students create a short animation using the available paint or draw software. The "bouncing ball" is a common introductory activity in multimedia production. Have students create a ten to fifteen second animation of a ball bouncing. Students should consider questions such as the following and then create a storyboard: What is the ball made of (e.g., rubber, cement, water)? What characteristics will the ball have because of the material from which it is made? Does the ball have a personality or mood? What will happen to the ball's shape when it hits the ground? How will the shape change when it is in the air? Have students view and critique each other's productions. What worked especially well? What difficulties did they encounter? What were they able to do to create a feel of motion? What characteristics were they able to give the ball that a viewer would be able to detect?
12.16 To plan an animation production.   12.17 To create an animation production.	The remainder of the module should be spent on student projects. Students might work individually or in small production teams. Depending on the time allotted to this module and the resources available, student projects will vary. Students might produce: one video or one multimedia animation one video and one multimedia animation two animations in either video or multimedia format.
12.18 To design and construct. (CCT)   12.19 To explore the technical aspects of various media. (TL)	Students should develop an animation production using the same sequence of production phases as other types of production. All student animation projects should be short, probably not more than a few minutes in duration.
12.20 To reflect on personal and peer projects.   12.21 To evaluate creative processes and projects. (CCT)	Have students complete self-assessments of their projects. Ask them to focus on the following: Their planning process. Did they plan sufficiently? Was their storyboard adequate? Did they manage their time well? Their skill development. What skills did they develop? What skills are needed to improve their work in animation? The creative aspects of their project. Are they happy with their animation "story"? Are they satisfied with the overall look of their animation project? If they had time to do it again, what might they do to make improvements? Hold an animation festival, at which student projects are showcased for each other or for other students in the school. After the festival, conduct a class discussion on the overall success of the animation projects. What did students learn from each other's projects?