ANIMATION

 Overview

This week introduces students to the world of animation — covering its history, foundational principles, and traditional frame-by-frame animation exercises. It lays the groundwork for understanding how motion works in animated sequences.

Key Learnings

• History and evolution of animation
  
• Understanding the 12 Principles of Animation
  
• Importance of timing, spacing, squash & stretch
  
• Basics of flipbooks and digital frame-by-frame animation
  

End Result
Students will produce a flipbook and create digital animations of a bouncing ball and pendulum swing, demonstrating basic timing, spacing, and motion principles.

 Overview
This week focuses on hands-on software training in both 2D and 3D animation. Students learn how to use tools like Adobe Animate and Blender to animate characters and objects using rigging and keyframes.

Key Learnings

• User interface and workflow of professional animation software
  
• Simple 2D character rigging and walk cycles
  
• Introduction to Blender for 3D animation
  
• Keyframing, interpolation, and camera movement
  

End Result
Students will complete a 2D character walk cycle and a 3D bouncing ball animation with camera movement using industry-standard software.

 Overview
This week covers visual storytelling and pre-production. Students will learn how to plan their own animated short through storyboarding, animatics, and environment design, while also touching on motion graphics basics.

Key Learnings

• How to create a storyboard for animation
  
• Structuring scenes and animatics with timing and sound
  
• Background and environment design principles
  
• Intro to motion graphics and UI animation
  

End Result
Students will deliver a full storyboard and animatic for their final project, along with a simple motion graphics animation.

 Overview
The final week is dedicated to producing a complete animated short using all the skills learned so far. Students will animate, refine, add sound, and prepare their project for rendering and presentation.

Key Learnings

• Animation production workflow: blocking, in-betweening, cleanup
  
• Audio syncing and adding sound effects/music
  
• Exporting and rendering animation projects
  
• Presentation, critique, and feedback skills
  

End Result
Students will produce a polished 30–60 second animated short with synchronized audio, ready for presentation and portfolio use.