Week 1
8/26/2009 - Introduction to course. Summary of 12 principles of animation.
Week 2
8/31/2009 - Distribution of lightboxes. Screening of Chuck Jones documentary. Screening of animated shorts illustrating the 12 principles, with lecture and discussion. Shorts screened:
- Luxo Jr.
- Dover Boys
- Tom and Jerry: "That's My Mommy"
9/2/2009 - Flipbook exercise assigned. Continuation of screening and lecture / discussion. Shorts screened:
- What's Opera, Doc?
- The Animation Show: Intermission
Week 3
9/7/2009 - Labor day holiday. No class.
9/9/2009 - Visit to the camera stand; tutorial on QuickTime Pro and various image enhancement techniques.
Week 4
9/14/2009 - Studio time or optional visit to a colloquium on the UC budget crisis.
9/16/2009 - Bouncing ball exercise assigned. Screening of a clip of Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum from Disney's Alice in Wonderland. Lecture on the animation process.
Week 5
9/21/2009 - Screening of the class flipbook. Lecture on conventional story structure. Screening of Tom & Jerry: "Puppy Tale".
9/23/2009 - Colloquium on aesthetics: "From Kant to Computation". Falling lines exercise assigned. Continuation of lecture on the animation process.
Week 6
9/28/2009 - Continuation of lecture on story structure. Introduction to visual storytelling techniques.
9/30/2009 - Guest speaker Jim Peterson to cover storyboarding. Assignment of moving squares exercise. Screening of a clip of the cards from Disney's Alice in Wonderland.
Week 7
10/5/2009 - Conclusion of lecture on visual storytelling. Critique of bouncing ball exercises.
10/7/2009 - Guest speaker Randy Nelson to cover acting and story development. Assignment of character design exercise.
Week 8
10/12/2009 - Guest speaker Anthony Wong to cover timing.
10/14/2009 - Guest speaker Jan Wurm to cover basic drawing techniques. Assignment of storyboard exercise.
Week 9
10/19/2009 - Drawing lesson given by art students.
10/21/2009 - Assignment of walk cycle exercise; screening of Tom and Jerry: "Down Beat Bear"; critiques of student work. Pixar info-session at 5:30.
Week 10
10/26/2009 - Guest speaker Alex Seiden to cover editing and shot breakdown in short films.
10/28/2009 - Pitches of student story ideas for final projects.
Week 11
11/2/2009 - Guest speaker Jim Peterson to cover cinematography.
11/4/2009 - Guest speaker Mary Coleman from Pixar to cover the Pixar story process, and give a gesture workshop.
Week 12
11/9/2009 - Guest speaker Marilyn Fabe from the film department covers early film, editing, and cinematography.
11/11/2009 - Academic holiday.
Week 13
11/16/2009 - Guest speaker Derek Thompson covers cinematography and storyboarding.
11/18/2009 - Review of student storyboards; lecture on Eadweard Muybridge.
Week 14
11/23/2009 - Screening of sample clips illustrating principles in animation, cinematography, and editing. Clips shown include:
- Wallace and Gromit - A Matter of Loaf and Death
- Rurouni Kenshin
- Full-Metal Alchemist (2009)
- "Winter Song" (music video by Sarah Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson)
- NewsRadio
- Azumanga Daioh
- Strawberry Marshmallow
- G.A. Geijutsuka Art Design
In-class in-betweening exercise.
11/25/2009 - Class cancelled.
Week 15
11/30/2009 - Screening of "Neighbors" by Norman McLaren and Beavis & Butthead by Mike Judge. Overview of compositing videos in QuickTime. Studio-time for final projects.
12/2/2009 - Screening of "The Big Snit" by Richard Condie and "Ah, L'Amour" by Don Hertzfeldt. Review of compositing videos in QuickTime. Last-minute critiques of student work. Studio-time for final projects.