Outline

Overview

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	Salote Tawale, salote.tawale@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: 13 Nov 2023 at 23:59 Closing date: 26 Nov 2023	1 minute
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Project 1 - Collage Animation submitted video file	25%	Week 08 Due date: 18 Sep 2023 at 23:59 Closing date: 29 Oct 2023	30 seconds
Outcomes assessed:
Assignment	Project 2 - Proposal recorded video presentation	15%	Week 09 Due date: 03 Oct 2023 at 23:59 Closing date: 22 Oct 2023	3 - 5 minutes
Outcomes assessed:

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.

Learning support

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.

Weekly schedule

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

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

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.

Outcomes
Graduate qualities

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
Learning outcomes

Responding to student feedback

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.

Current students

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect

Current students

CAEL2047: Animation

Semester 2, 2023 [Normal day] - Camperdown/Darlington, Sydney

Overview

Overview

Unit details and rules

Teaching staff

Assessment

Assessment

Assessment summary

Assessment criteria

Late submission

Academic integrity

Learning support

Learning support

Simple extensions

Special consideration

Using AI responsibly

Weekly schedule

Weekly schedule

Attendance and class requirements

Study commitment

Learning outcomes

Learning outcomes

Graduate qualities

Outcome map

Responding to student feedback

Responding to student feedback

Disclaimer

On this page

Useful links

Media

Student links

About us

Connect