CP 470A & MCMA 552 Understanding Animation: History, Theory & Technology Mondays 9-11:50 COMM 1116 Instructor: Dr. Michele Torre email: [email protected] TA: Adam Davis ([email protected]) Ellen Charlise Rocha ([email protected]) Office: 1121L, Communications Bldg. Office hours: Dr. Torre – M 12-2pm, T 12-2pm Adam Davis – Ellen Rocha - Required Texts: Understanding Animation by Paul Wells, New York: Routledge, 1998 Art in Motion: Animation Aesthetics by Maureen Furniss, Eastleigh, UK: John Libbey Press, 2007 Course Description: This course will serve as an introduction to the history of animation, its practitioners and technological developments. Our studies will take us from pre-cinematic visual toys of the late nineteenth century to current digital animation technologies. Students will learn to pay attention to the aesthetic of the animated image and its relation to animation’s unique ability to communicate. Additionally, we will discuss some of the major theoretical constructs surrounding the study of animation. Finally, students will be encouraged to explore a variety of animation formats and techniques: puppet, claymation, cel animation, CGI, and so forth . Course Goals: This course will familiarize students with: * the theoretical approaches to the art of animation * the basic history of animation styles and technologies * the analysis of animated media and its impact on culture * rudimentary animation techniques Expectations: Students are expected to attend class sessions, participate in class discussions, and complete all assignments and projects on time. Active participation means prior reading of assigned materials and sharing of relevant thoughts and experiences both in class and on-line in your blogs. Students are encouraged to bring to class examples of visual material from a variety of sources to further class discussions. Everyone must log on to SIU Online at http://online.siu.edu (if you don’t have a SIUC network ID, you must register for one immediately.) Assignments are due as indicated on the course calendar. Late assignments will lose 10 points for each day they are late. ALL assignments MUST be turned in, regardless of how late they are. Failure to turn in an assignment will result in an F for the course. All cell phones MUST be turned off prior to entering class. Texting and IMing during class are NOT permitted. Please be considerate of your fellow classmates. Class Assignments: Blog Postings – Each student is required to start a blog for this class (word press or blogger.com are the easiest). Each week you will be expected to post a three-paragraph (or so) entry in your blog for that week. These entries must be posted before class each week. In addition you will be required each week to comment on two of your classmates blogs. Animation Assignments – You will be given several assignments that will introduce you to some of basics of animation techniques. Don’t worry if you are not artistically inclined, these will be simple assignments that will provide you with some appreciation for the work involved in creating and analyzing animation. Final Project – Each student will be required to complete a final project. You will have two options: you can either write a critical paper, 10-15 pages in length or complete a longer animation project (done individually and groups). Class Presentations – you will each have to give a presentation on your final project. Presentations should be 10 minutes in length. More detailed guidelines will be handed out in class. Grades: Class Presentation 5% Blog Postings 25% Participation 10% Midterm Exam 15% Animation Assignments 15% Final Project 30% Total 100% Attendance: ATTENDANCE IS MANDATORY! Many of the animations shown in class come from my personal collection. The library does not own them and therefore they cannot be put on reserve. However, you are responsible adults, if you should happen to miss class; you are responsible to getting notes from fellow classmates. Missing class however, does not exempt you from completing work that was due. Academic Misconduct: Southern Illinois University, the College of Mass Communication and Media Arts is committed to academic and professional ethics. Should any student be guilty of plagiarism, cheating, misrepresentation, or other forms of dishonesty in any assigned work, they will be subject to a failing grade, and to additional disciplinary action as may be recommended pursuant to University regulations. Academic misconduct includes the following: Cheating, or the improper taking or giving of information, which includes copying graded homework assignments from another student, looking at another student's paper during an examination, giving your work to another student to be used or copied, giving answers to exam questions either when the exam is being given or after taking an exam, and providing a term paper or project to another student. Plagiarism involves submitting the words, work or ideas of another and representing them as your own, without citation. SIU subscribes to the anti-plagiarism services of TurnItIn.com, where you can find out more about how to avoid missteps in your writing. Misrepresentation includes lying or misrepresenting facts to affect your grade. Course Calendar: Week 1 Jan 23 What is Animation? Read: Ch.1 “Thinking About Animated Films” Understanding Animation by Paul Wells Ch.1 “Introduction to Animation Studies” Art in Motion by Maureen Furniss Screen: Various shorts – Thaumatrope, Praxiniscope, Zoetrope, Muybridge Photography Series, Norman McClaren, Brick Films, Clips from Waking Life, Sleeping Beauty, Silly Symphonies Due: Set up Blog by the end of the week, your first post is due Friday by 2pm, email Blog address to Dr. Torre and Allie by Friday @2pm Week 2 Jan 30 Theories of Animation and Animation Aesthetics Read: Ch. 2 “Notes Towards a Theory of Animation” Understanding Animation by Paul Wells Screen: Various clips, Duck Amuck, Alexander Alexeieff, Creature Comforts Due: Blog post, comment on other blogs Week 3 Feb 6 In the Early Days Read: “From Comic Strip and Blackboard to Screen” by Donald Crafton on Blackboard “Some Critical Perspectives on Lotte Reiniger” By William Moritz on Blackboard Screen: Mélies, Windsor McKay and His Moving Comics, Popeye, Prince Achmed, Felix the Cat, Looney Tunes, Steamboat Willie, Cameraman’s Revenge, Raoul Barré Due: Animation Assingment #1, Blog post, comment on other blogs Week 4 Feb 13 Narrative Strategies Read: Ch. 3 “Once upon a Time: Narrative Strategies” Understanding Animation by Paul Wells Screen: Various clips, Betty Boop’s Snow White, Jiri Trnka, Due: Blog post, comment on other blogs Week 5 Feb 20 Experimental Read: Ch. 13 “Considering Form in Abstract Animation” Art in Motion by Maureen Furniss “Restoring the Aesthetics of Early Abstract Film” by William Moritz, Screen: Various clips from Len Lye, Norman McClaren, Dziga Vertov, Brothers Quay, Jan Svankmejer Due: Blog post, comment on other blogs Week 6 Feb 27 Issues of Representation Read: Ch.5 “Issues in Representation” Understanding Animation by Paul Wells Ch.9 “Issues of Representation” Art in Motion by Maureen Furniss “Other(ed) Latinidades: Animated Representations of (Latino) Ethnicity” by C. Richard King, et al Screen: Three Caballeros, assorted Svankmajer Due: Animation Assignment #2, Blog post, comment on other blogs Week 7 Mar 5 The Disneyfication of Animation Read: Ch.6 “Classical Era Disney Studio” Art in Motion by Maureen Furniss “Disney Films 1989-2005: The Eisner Era” by Amy Davis Screen: Alice in Wonderland and clips from other Disney films Due: Midterm Exam, Blog post, comment on other blogs Week 8 Mar 12– SPRING BREAK Week 9 Mar 19 Animating the Boob-Tube Read: Ch.7 “Full and Limited Animation” Art in Motion by Maureen Furniss “Clay Animation and the Early Days of Television” Blackboard “Animatophilia, cultural production and corporate interests: The Case of Ren & Stimpy” by Mark Langer on Blackboard Screen: Looney Tunes, Rocky & Bullwinkle, Gumby, Simpsons, Ren & Stimpy, The Family Guy Due: Animation Assignment #3, Blog post, comment on other blogs Week 10 Mar 26 Anime Changes the Face of Animation Read: “Early Japanese Animation in the United States” by Brian Ruh on Blackboard “Disney, Warner Bros. and Japanese Animation” by Luca Raffaeli on Blackboard Screen: Ghost in the Shell or Akira, and various Anime Clips Due: Blog post, comment on other blogs Week 11 Apr 2 100 years of Puppet and Claymation Read: Ch.8 “Stop Motion Animation” Art in Motion by Maureen Furniss TBA Screen: Clips from Wallace and Gromit, The Making of The Fantastic Mr. Fox, Corpse Bride, Ossuary & Other Tales, Coraline, Vladislav Starevich Due: Blog post, comment on other blogs Week 12 Apr 9 Animation for Adults Read: “The Cinema and the Spectator” Understanding Animation by Paul Wells TBA Screen: Adult Swim, South Park, Boondocks, Archer, Fritz the Cat Due: Animation Assignment #4, Blog post, comment on other blogs Week 13 Apr 16 The Computer Revolution and Pixar Read: Ch.9 “Animation and Digital Media” Art in Motion by Maureen Furniss “ ‘Reality’ Effects in Computer Animation” by Lev Manovich on Blackboard Screen: Clips from various Pixar films, Shrek, Azur and Asmar: The Prince’s Quest, 9 Due: Blog post, comment on other blogs Week 14 Apr 23 Gaming Read: “Inventing Space: Toward and on and off screen taxonomy in video games” on Blackboard “Does Lara Croft Wear Fake Polygons? Gender and Gender-Role Subversion in Computer Adventure Games” on Blackboard Screen: various gaming trailers, WOW Due: Blog post, comment on other blogs Week 15 April 30 The Future of Animation Due: Class Presentations Due: Blog post, comment on other blogs Week 16 April 30 The Future of Animation Due: Class Presentations Due: Blog post, comment on other blogs Final Projects Due May 7th at 2pm Final Exam Wednesday May 12 12:50-2:50 We will use this time to finish presentations University’s Emergency Procedure Clause: Southern Illinois University Carbondale is committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for study and work.