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Animation

Course Director: Panagiotis Kyriakoulakos
Course Code: 8205
Educational Units: 3
ECTS Units: 4
Type: Elective (ΕΕ)
Semester: 08 (Spring)
Hours: 3 hours lecture

The course is dedicated to traditional animation techniques (drawing, plasticine, stop-motion, etc). Understanding how to render rhythmic actions for narrative purposes is the main objective of the course. Both character and object animations approaches are taught in the classroom, based on traditional Disney animation principles. During compulsory laboratory sessions, students are invited to create their own concepts, storyboards, walking cycle exercises, and final short films.

The course schedule includes 2h of theory and 1h of laboratory sessions per week during the whole semester (13 weeks). Both theoretical lectures and laboratory sessions may include audiovisual material for better understanding of a given subject. The laboratory sessions include always practice with traditional animation techniques composed later in computer workstations equipped with the appropriate software.

At the end of the semester, the student will be able to prepare a complete animation proposal and understand all major animation principles in theory and in practice.

Basic Textbooks

  • 1. Paul Wells, Understanding Animation
  • 2. Richard Williams, The Animators Survival Kit: A Working Manual of Methods, Principles and Formulas for Computer, Stop-motion, Games and Classical Animators

 

Additional References

  1. Peter Lord, Brian Sibley, Cracking Animation / The Aardman Book of 3-D Animation
  2. Chris Patmore, The Complete Animation Course - The Principles, Practice and Techniques of Successful Animation
  3. John Lasseter (Foreword), Harold Whitaker, John Halas, Timing for Animation
  4. Ed Hooks, Acting for Animators: A Complete Guide to Performance Animation
  5. Kit Laybourne, The Animation Book
  6. Preston Blair, Cartoon Animation (Collectors Series)
  7. Shamus Culhane, Animation: From Script to Screen

 

Journals