City University of New York (CUNY)

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Open Educational Resources City College of New York

2020

2D Animation Principles
Pilar C. Newton
CUNY City College

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2D Animation Principles
CCNY ART 39528
3 credits
Fall 2020: August 31 – Dec 14
Monday
Building: CG room 121
Pilar Newton-Katz [email protected]
Office Hours: Monday 5-6 (By appointment)

Table of Contents
2D Animation Principles...................................................................................................................... 1
Course Description ...................................................................................................................................... 2
Projects ........................................................................................................................................................ 2
Learning Outcomes and Assessable Tasks ................................................................................................... 2
Supply List: Bring every week ...................................................................................................................... 2
Readings and Resources ................................................................................................................................ 2
Course Outline .............................................................................................................................................. 2
1) Overview of class syllabus and resources. ............................................................................ 2
2) In Class Animation Lab: Create a free form animation. ....................................................... 3
3) In class compositing lab. Export your scanned drawings for collection. ........................ 3
4) In class exercise Animation Principle – Squash and Stretch ............................................. 3
5) In-class studio exercise Animation Principle –Timing ......................................................... 3
6) In-class exercise Animation Principle – Anticipation ........................................................... 3
7) In-class studio exercise Animation Principle ......................................................................... 4
9) Animation Principle of the day tutorial and exercise ............................................................ 4
10) Animation Principle of the day tutorial and exercise – slow in/slow out.......................... 4
11) Animation Principle of the day – follow through and secondary action .......................... 4
12) Introduction of Project: Creative Prompt animatic ............................................................... 4
13) Animation Principle of the day Exercise: Exaggeration ...................................................... 4
14) In class lab time to work on Project: Creative Prompt ......................................................... 4
15) Project: Creative Prompt: Work in progress crit. .................................................................. 4
GRADING: ..................................................................................................................................................... 4
Academic Integrity ...................................................................................................................................... 5
Academic integrity is an essential part of the pursuit of truth, and of your education. .................... 5
We are all are all responsible for maintaining academic integrity at City College – it is the rock on 5
which the value of your degree is built............................................................................................... 5
 Accessibility Clause ....................................................................................................................................... 5
Instructor Bio ................................................................................................................................................ 5

Course Description
This course will allow you to work with a professional animator who will help you develop
your drawing/design, conceptual and technical skills needed to create animation. In this
class Adobe Animate will be used as a tool to learn the principals of Animation. This
course also focuses on the fundamentals of character design and visual storytelling, which
students will apply to the creation of in-class exercises and three short projects.
Projects
Project 1: Animation Lab: Drawn
Animation.
Project 2: Rotoscope
Project 3: Enter Character
Project 4: creative prompt (TBT)

Learning Outcomes and Assessable Tasks

 Become familiar with the vocabulary of Animation
 Develop drawing/design skills needed to create a clear visual narrative
 Learn and experiment with basic traditional animation techniques
 Learn the tools of Adobe Photoshop (for animation) and Adobe Animate
 Learn about the field of Animation/Motion Graphic Design
 Create a series of short animation exercises

Supply List: Bring every week

 Sketchbook (for note taking)
 Pens (Sharpie thick or thin, and black felt tip) and pencils something to sketch with
as a number of your homework assignments will be done in your sketchbooks.
 Flash Drive/Thumb Drive (8 GB min.) for backing up your work
 Wacom Tablet + driver software: both can be borrowed and checked out from the
EDM Department but I really recommend that you have your own because you can
work at home on your tablet.

Readings and Resources

(Optional, but getting one of these is recommended)
 The Animator's Survival Kit (Paperback) by Richard Williams
 Cartoon Animation by Preston Blair
 The Illusion of Life by Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston

Course Outline

1) Overview of class syllabus and resources.

Animation Principles In-class group exercise.
Homework Assignment:
•Bring plain copy paper at least 20 sheets and pencils. (You must arrive with paper
or you cannot do the assignment and you will get an incomplete)
 • Watch Adobe Animate tutorial. You must bring file in to show that you did the
tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-3TtT2ypBU

2) In Class Animation Lab: Create a free form animation.

Homework Assignment: Scan in your Animation Lab drawings. You must arrive with
drawings already scanned in.

3) In class compositing lab. Export your scanned drawings for collection.

•Straight ahead animation: Intro to rotoscope. Assignment: Rotoscope 4 seconds of
animation.

Homework Assignment: Complete rotoscope.

4) In class exercise Animation Principle – Squash and Stretch

 Rotoscoping presentations.

Discussion of Assignment: Enter Character – Animate a character entering the stage from left
to right, stops, waves (or some similar short action) then character exits.

Homework Assignment: In your sketch pad: Sketch out ideas for a short sequence of a
character entering the stage from left to right, waves (or some similar short action) then
character exits.

5) In-class studio exercise Animation Principle –Timing

• Round table discussion of Enter Character sketches.

Homework Assignment:

6) In-class exercise Animation Principle – Anticipation

 Review Storyboards for Enter Character.
 In class studio time to work on Project II work on creating a storyboard
animatic in Adobe Animate.

Homework Assignment: Enter Character Animatic (Adobe Animate file is fine doesn’t
need to export yet)
7) In-class studio exercise Animation Principle

8) In-class studio exercise Animation Principle –Timing

 Enter Character Continued
Homework Assignment: Work in progress of Enter Character due. Rough poses should
be sketched in.

9) Animation Principle of the day tutorial and exercise

10) Animation Principle of the day tutorial and exercise – slow in/slow out
 Class critique of Enter Character.
Homework Assignment: Enter Character due

11) Animation Principle of the day – follow through and secondary action
 Class Critique Enter Character
Homework Assignment: Complete animatic for Project: Creative Prompt

12) Introduction of Project: Creative Prompt animatic

 Sound workshop/animating to sound
 Animation principle: Appeal
Homework Assignment: 1/3 of animation due for Project: Creative Prompt

13) Animation Principle of the day Exercise: Exaggeration

 Animated Symbol tutorial
Homework Assignment: Rough animation work in progress due for Project: Creative
Prompt

14) In class lab time to work on Project: Creative Prompt

Homework Assignment: Complete Project: Creative Prompt

15) Project: Creative Prompt: Work in progress crit.

GRADING:
Attendance + Participation: 40% (20/100
points)
Assignments: 60 % (20/100 points)

A= Student work shows development, a full understanding of the principles discussed in class and a
creative evolution. The student displays an enthusiasm towards the class and participates fully and
constructively in critiques, and presents work professionally. Overall, an exceptional performance.

B= Student completes all assignments in a thorough manner. The work created over the course shows
an understanding of the principles and lessons covered in class. The student participates in critiques
and discussions and provides insight to others, showing a better-than-average performance.
 C= Work and performance quality is barely adequate.

D= Poor work. Doesn’t understand the assignments.

F= Don’t even go there! This class should be fun. But, if you want to get an F, this is what you need to
do: do not complete the course work, have a negative attitude, don't participate, and disrupt the good
studio vibe we establish in the classroom.

Your Work: You own your work. Everything that you create in this class is your own. I host and have
access to many screening events. I look for opportunities for your work to be screened. But I will never
screen any of your animations without asking permission from you first.

Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is an essential part of the pursuit of truth, and of your education.
We are all are all responsible for maintaining academic integrity at City College – it is the rock on
which the value of your degree is built.

If you cheat on a test or plagiarize by using someone else's work or ideas, you defeat the purpose of your
education.
Any artwork, images, video, text or music must be credited to the original artist, filmmaker or author.
In addition, academic dishonesty is prohibited in the City University of New York, and is
punishable by failing grades, suspension and expulsion.

To read the full policy: http://www.ccny.cuny.edu/about/upload/academic_integrity.pdf

Accessibility Clause
The AccessAbility Center/Student Disability Services ensures equal access and full participation to all of City
College’s programs, services, and activities by coordinating and implementing appropriate accommodations. If
you are a student with a disability who requires accommodations and services, please visit the office in NAC
1/218, or contact AAC/SDS via email ([email protected]), or phone (212-650-5913 or
TTY/TTD 212-650-8441).

Instructor Bio
Animator/educator Pilar Newton-Katz has earned a BFA in Film and Animation at the Rhode Island
School of Design. She has done work for Nickelodeon, Nick Jr., Cartoon Network, MTV, Ted Ed and Sirius
Thinking among many others. With a focus on 2D Adobe Animate animation, Pilar’s Brooklyn-based
company PilarToons, LLC has a growing client base. As an avid educator, Pilar teaches several acclaimed
after-school animation programs. She is also a visiting teacher at New York City’s prestigious LaGuardia
High School of Music and Art and the Performing Arts where she is also a graduate.