Skip to main content
Unit outline_

CAEL2047: Animation

Semester 2, 2021 [Normal day] - Remote

This unit of study introduces you to the fundamental concepts and skills associated with 2D animation production. The unit provides both a conceptual and technical framework for you to explore the possibilities of animation in relation to your existing practice or as a completely new endeavour. Working in the digital domain, you will explore a range of approaches including frame-by-frame animation and stop motion animation. The technical component of this course provides you with the necessary skills to realise a self-directed project while encouraging exploration and experimentation. Class discussions, seminars and individual tutorials support screenings of historical and contemporary animated works to allow you to situate your own projects within a contemporary context.

Unit details and rules

Academic unit Sydney College of the Arts
Credit points 6
Prerequisites
? 
12 credit points at 1000 level in Visual Arts or 12 credit points at 1000 level in Studio Foundation
Corequisites
? 
None
Prohibitions
? 
None
Assumed knowledge
? 

None

Available to study abroad and exchange students

Yes

Teaching staff

Coordinator John Tonkin, john.tonkin@sydney.edu.au
Lecturer(s) Harley Ives, harley.ives@sydney.edu.au
Type Description Weight Due Length
Assignment Project 2 - Animation
submitted animation file
60% Formal exam period
Due date: 26 Nov 2021 at 23:59

Closing date: 03 Dec 2021
1 minute
Outcomes assessed: LO2 LO3 LO4
Assignment Project 1 - Collage Animation
submitted video file
25% Mid-semester break
Due date: 03 Oct 2021 at 23:59

Closing date: 17 Oct 2021
30 seconds
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO4 LO3 LO2
Assignment Project 2 - Proposal
recorded video presentation
15% Week 09
Due date: 17 Oct 2021 at 23:59

Closing date: 24 Oct 2021
3 - 5 minutes
Outcomes assessed: LO1 LO4 LO3 LO2

Assessment summary

 

The assessment tasks and weightings have been changed from what appears in the handbook.

Detailed information for each assessment can be found on Canvas.

PLEASE NOTE: You must attempt all assessment tasks in order to pass this unit!

Assessment criteria

The University awards common result grades, set out in the Coursework Policy 2014 (Schedule 1).

As a general guide, a High distinction indicates work of an exceptional standard, a Distinction a very high standard, a credit a good standard, and a pass an acceptable standard.  

This unit uses standards-based assessment for award of assessment marks. Your assessments will be evaluated solely on the basis of your individual performance You need to satisfy requirements as determined by academic staff, including attendance, communicated to you through the Sydney College of the Arts Handbook, unit of study outlines, other written notifications and/or verbally through tutorials or seminars. All requirements must be met in order to be eligible for an assessment.

Your work will be assessed according to the following criteria, based on: attendance; participation and responsiveness to the unit of study and academic direction; written work; studio work and other unit of study work; tutorial and seminar team discussion. These criteria apply to studio-based learning and to theory units of study.

1. Competence
Demonstration of the development and application of practical and intellectual competency and skills appropriate to the unit of study.

2. Development
Demonstration of the ability to initiate and realise your own objectives for studio practice and theory work within the requirements of the unit of study and of your developing knowledge of the historical and theoretical context of your practice. You are expected to improve your abilities, competency and understanding over the course of a semester, and over successive semesters.

3. Critical Awareness
Demonstration of developing a critical awareness and knowledge of the unit of study and the ability to objectively evaluate your own work, select appropriate methods and materials and to formulate and evaluate ideas/methods.

4. Commitment
Demonstration of commitment and self-motivation in respect of the unit of study. The level of commitment to study in the academic program is reflected in; the development of self-motivation applied to individual, group or assignment-based work; the degree of participation in all units of study including group work, project submissions, essays and discussions; the development of a consistent work pattern; and the regularity and punctuality of attendance and submissions.

5. Innovation
Demonstration of innovative and imaginative thinking, appropriate to the unit of study, evidencing the quality of ideas underlying your work and development in your studies.

For more information see guide to grades.

Late submission

In accordance with University policy, these penalties apply when written work is submitted after 11:59pm on the due date:

  • Deduction of 5% of the maximum mark for each calendar day after the due date.
  • After ten calendar days late, a mark of zero will be awarded.

Academic integrity

The Current Student website provides information on academic integrity and the resources available to all students. The University expects students and staff to act ethically and honestly and will treat all allegations of academic integrity breaches seriously.

We use similarity detection software to detect potential instances of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breach. If such matches indicate evidence of plagiarism or other forms of academic integrity breaches, your teacher is required to report your work for further investigation.

Use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) and automated writing tools

You may only use generative AI and automated writing tools in assessment tasks if you are permitted to by your unit coordinator. If you do use these tools, you must acknowledge this in your work, either in a footnote or an acknowledgement section. The assessment instructions or unit outline will give guidance of the types of tools that are permitted and how the tools should be used.

Your final submitted work must be your own, original work. You must acknowledge any use of generative AI tools that have been used in the assessment, and any material that forms part of your submission must be appropriately referenced. For guidance on how to acknowledge the use of AI, please refer to the AI in Education Canvas site.

The unapproved use of these tools or unacknowledged use will be considered a breach of the Academic Integrity Policy and penalties may apply.

Studiosity is permitted unless otherwise indicated by the unit coordinator. The use of this service must be acknowledged in your submission as detailed on the Learning Hub’s Canvas page.

Outside assessment tasks, generative AI tools may be used to support your learning. The AI in Education Canvas site contains a number of productive ways that students are using AI to improve their learning.

Simple extensions

If you encounter a problem submitting your work on time, you may be able to apply for an extension of five calendar days through a simple extension.  The application process will be different depending on the type of assessment and extensions cannot be granted for some assessment types like exams.

Special consideration

If exceptional circumstances mean you can’t complete an assessment, you need consideration for a longer period of time, or if you have essential commitments which impact your performance in an assessment, you may be eligible for special consideration or special arrangements.

Special consideration applications will not be affected by a simple extension application.

Using AI responsibly

Co-created with students, AI in Education includes lots of helpful examples of how students use generative AI tools to support their learning. It explains how generative AI works, the different tools available and how to use them responsibly and productively.

WK Topic Learning activity Learning outcomes
Week 01 Unit Introduction: overview of the course. Defining keyframe animation. Seminar (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 02 Cutout Animation. Introduction to keyframe animation in After Effects. Seminar (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 03 Altering and Masking Still Images. Preparing images in Photoshop. Masking and Layering. Clone Stamp tool. Seminar (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 04 Animating Characters. Character Rigs. Walk cycles. Seminar (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 05 Puppet Pin Animation. Puppet Pin tool. CC Bend. Seminar (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 06 2D Layers in 3D Space. Using virtual cameras to animate 2D layers. Seminar (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 07 Motion Graphics. Drawing and animating motion graphic assets. Seminar (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 08 Critical Feedback and Discussion of Assessment 1 . Seminar (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 09 Animation in Real Life Footage 1. Chroma keying and masking in AE. Seminar (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 10 Animation in Real Life Footage 2. Rotobrush tool. 3D camera tracking. Seminar (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 11 Talking Characters. Converting audio to keyframes. Mouth Sets. Seminar (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 12 Creating a Scene. Blending layers. Distorting layers. Colour correction. Seminar (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4
Week 13 Project 3 Development. Test screening and feedback on Project 3 development. Seminar (3 hr) LO1 LO2 LO3 LO4

Attendance and class requirements

  • Attendance: According to Faculty Board Resolutions, students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences are expected to attend 90% of their classes. If you attend less than 50% of classes, regardless of the reasons, you may be referred to the Examiner’s Board. The Examiner’s Board will decide whether you should pass or fail the unit of study if your attendance falls below this threshold.

  • Lecture recording: Most lectures (in recording-equipped venues) will be recorded and may be made available to students on the LMS. However, you should not rely on lecture recording to substitute your classroom learning experience.

  • Preparation: Students should commit to spend approximately three hours’ preparation time (reading, studying, homework, essays, etc.) for every hour of scheduled instruction.

Additional requirements from Sydney College of the Arts

  • Students must attend a minimum of 90% of timetabled activities for this unit of study, unless granted exemption by the Unit Coordinator.
  • All assignments are compulsory and must be attempted. 
  • You must attend scheduled assessments to be eligible to pass. Non-attendance at assessment on any grounds insufficient to claim special consideration will result in the forfeiture of marks associated with the assessment. 

Study commitment

Typically, there is a minimum expectation of 1.5-2 hours of student effort per week per credit point for units of study offered over a full semester. For a 6 credit point unit, this equates to roughly 120-150 hours of student effort in total.

Learning outcomes are what students know, understand and are able to do on completion of a unit of study. They are aligned with the University's graduate qualities and are assessed as part of the curriculum.

At the completion of this unit, you should be able to:

  • LO1. contextualise your own creative approach towards animation within the history of animation and the visual arts
  • LO2. explore various software environment and workflow processes involved in creating animation
  • LO3. consider the basic principles involved in planning an animation project from inspiration and conception to production and outputting
  • LO4. understand and apply safe working practices - OH&S in the studio.

Graduate qualities

The graduate qualities are the qualities and skills that all University of Sydney graduates must demonstrate on successful completion of an award course. As a future Sydney graduate, the set of qualities have been designed to equip you for the contemporary world.

GQ1 Depth of disciplinary expertise

Deep disciplinary expertise is the ability to integrate and rigorously apply knowledge, understanding and skills of a recognised discipline defined by scholarly activity, as well as familiarity with evolving practice of the discipline.

GQ2 Critical thinking and problem solving

Critical thinking and problem solving are the questioning of ideas, evidence and assumptions in order to propose and evaluate hypotheses or alternative arguments before formulating a conclusion or a solution to an identified problem.

GQ3 Oral and written communication

Effective communication, in both oral and written form, is the clear exchange of meaning in a manner that is appropriate to audience and context.

GQ4 Information and digital literacy

Information and digital literacy is the ability to locate, interpret, evaluate, manage, adapt, integrate, create and convey information using appropriate resources, tools and strategies.

GQ5 Inventiveness

Generating novel ideas and solutions.

GQ6 Cultural competence

Cultural Competence is the ability to actively, ethically, respectfully, and successfully engage across and between cultures. In the Australian context, this includes and celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, knowledge systems, and a mature understanding of contemporary issues.

GQ7 Interdisciplinary effectiveness

Interdisciplinary effectiveness is the integration and synthesis of multiple viewpoints and practices, working effectively across disciplinary boundaries.

GQ8 Integrated professional, ethical, and personal identity

An integrated professional, ethical and personal identity is understanding the interaction between one’s personal and professional selves in an ethical context.

GQ9 Influence

Engaging others in a process, idea or vision.

Outcome map

Learning outcomes Graduate qualities
GQ1 GQ2 GQ3 GQ4 GQ5 GQ6 GQ7 GQ8 GQ9

This section outlines changes made to this unit following staff and student reviews.

This unit has been updated to work online.

Disclaimer

The University reserves the right to amend units of study or no longer offer certain units, including where there are low enrolment numbers.

To help you understand common terms that we use at the University, we offer an online glossary.