We have been teaching you the software and the focus has been that alone. Wrong wrong wrong.....
The software is secondary, just a tool. I have in the past taught Flash, and then Animation Master, and now we have added Lightwave. More and more sophisticated tools. Realizing that all four courses have animation in the title: Digital graphics and Intro to Animation, Animation, Animation Production, Animation Problems and Solutions, and yet I have teaching primarily software not animation. This realization has been dawning on me over the last couple of months, and its time for a change.
Lets look at the changes that will slowly be incorporated starting now and hopefully will all be in place with he start of next year.
- First of all I will be adding more software in the form of Maya, Blender, Pencil, Anime Studio, plus any others I can find for free or find the funds to buy. The tools the students use should be left up to them, and after some basic introductions will be.
- Second we will look at the history of animation and the types of animation.
- Third we will always remember we are creating a film, telling a story now matter how short. As Milt Kahl (early Disney animator) said "...just concentrate on giving the performance - that's what's important..."
- Fourth, time will be spent on understanding "animation concepts" like
- Flexibility
- Weight
- Anticipation
- Takes and Accents
- Timing
- etc.
- Finally, everything will be built around the eight stages of animation:
- Screenplay
- Storyboard
- Sound development
- Storyreels/animatics
- Modeling
- Scene creation
- Film Editing
- Final Production and Distribution
I have a lot of work to do so I better get busy........Anyone know a good textbook????
