The goal of this project is to utilize the animation capabilities of Adobe Flash in such a way as to create an engaging, interactive short. By doing so, it is hoped that students will become adept at the Flash authoring tool in preparation for the second and third projects that will focus more heavily on scripting.
Students may wish to create their graphics in another program such as Illustrator then import them into Flash. Conversely, they may choose to create them all in Flash. Students may use stock images to decrease their drawing time, but additional consideration will be given to those individuals who create their own graphics. High quality graphics and animation are a vital component of this project.
Students may want to examine other multimedia projects to help get the creative juices flowing. Here is a link to previous projects. You should also scour the web for other useful examples.
Limited interactivity may be incorporated by:
Allowing the user to choose multiple pathways
Allowing the animation to run in a particular sequence similar to "Joe Cartoon" animations
A combination of these elements
Your own particular style of interactive animation
The length of the animation will vary depending upon the content but should generally approximate the length of the examples provided on the class web site. Animations must be produced at a 16:9 aspect ratio. While specific dimensions and resolution will not be specified due to the scalable nature of Flash files, animations should be completely viewable in a Web browser, so students should publish their movies to fit "above the fold" of the browser.
Required Checkpoints (all or nothing, each worth 5 pts)
Check1: First Friday (at 11:00 PM) after project is assigned:
Preproduction materials. If done by hand, scan them so that you have digital copies.
Obvious lack of trying results in a zero. Simply turning in something does not guarantee 5 points. Your preproduction materials must be complete and well done.
Copy all files and place in a P1_Check1 folder nested inside your Project1 folder
Check2: Second Friday (at 11:00 PM) after project is assigned:
Asset library. Make a copy of your .fla and any other asset files you have and paste them into this checkpoint folder.
Copy all files and place in a P1_Check2 folder nested inside your Project1 folder
Check3: Third Friday (at 11:00 PM) after project is assigned:
Roughly 75% of your project should be complete. Make a copy of your .fla and any other files and paste them into this checkpoint folder.
Copy all files and place in a P1_Check3 folder nested inside your Project1 folder
Preproduction
To be successful, students must develop appropriate preproduction materials before creating anything digitally. Before creating the animation itself students must have materials such as shot lists, storyboards, and concept sketches approved.
The minimum requirement for preproduction materials are shot lists and storyboards. Concept sketches are NOT required if the storyboards are sufficiently detailed. Storyboards should be high-quality, have detailed captions, and should adequately depict the proposed animation. Failure to have preproduction materials approved will result in a significantly lower grade. Once preproduction materials are approved, the project should not deviate significantly from those materials.
Content
Due to the fact that CGT 353 students vary greatly in regards to their specific area of graphics focus, the content of the animation project will also vary depending on the individual student's interests. For example, a student specializing in Building Construction Graphics probably wouldn't benefit from creating a character animation. Instead, a BCG student might create an animation that depicts a construction process such as the construction process of a specific type of building or buidling component. By tailoring the project to their interests, it is hoped students create a potential portfolio piece while still acquiring the intended skills.
In short, create an animation that a) you're interested in and b) will benefit your portfolio!
Whatever content students decide to focus on, everything they do should be of the highest possible quality and designed to produce the best possible project. For example, while preproduction materials for a building construction animation would obviously not include character designs, other materials such as flowcharts and story boards would definitely be necessary. As such, it is up to each individual student to modify the project to suit their individual needs and career goals. Students are required to submit their ideas to the instructor as often as necessary to ensure that everyone is on the same page. Failure to do so will result in a lower grade.
It is the discretion of the instructor to determine whether or not a student has fulfilled the requirements of the project. If they feel that a student has deviated significantly from the original design without their consent, they can and will deduct points from the project. To prevent such deductions from occurring, students should run their ideas by the instructor early and often.
Resources and Assets
This project requires many resources and assets that need to be created and/or acquired to complete the animation. While using stock assets such as photos, clip art, audio, and video are certainly permissible for this project, students should be aware that special consideration will be given to those who take the effort to create their own assets. The ability to generate original work is always valued, and is often required outside the academic setting.
However, in the interest of time students may choose to use stock assets. Those who do so must clearly indicate (in writing) the original source of their resources and submit this information along with the rest of their project in the Itoya portfolio.
Resources for this project may include::
Graphics (obviously required) - Either acquired or created by the student.
Audio (required) - sound tracks, voice overs, sound effects, etc (Not all of these types of audio components are required as long as some audio is included)
Video (not required)
Note: For more information on possible resources students may use, check the CGT 353 "Useful Links" page.
Recommended Procedures: Phase 1 - Preproduction
As previously stated, the specific preproduction materials will vary depending on the type of project the student is creating.
Preproduction materials may include any combination of the following:
Shot lists
Storyboards
Concept designs
Flowcharts
Outlines
Students are responsible for determining which preproduction materials they need to generate.
Materials must be approved by the instructor and should be able to convey the information independently. That is, the instructor should be able to determine the details of the project without the student telling them what is going on.
Simply put, If the instructor can't figure it out, it's not good enough. Students who fail in this regard may be asked to resubmit their preproduction materials
Character Animation Preproduction Suggestions
Develop a shot list. A shot list is a brief step-by-step written description of each camera sequence (usually numbered). Essentially, the shot list is an outline that verbally describes the animation. Shots lists are beneficial because they help define the animation without any drawing taking place, therefore they are easily modified. Once the shot list is finalized, storyboards can be created, often with the shot list text lists below each frame.
Storyboard the animation using either the thumbnail sheets provided by the course or using your own format. If students decide to use their own format they must submit professional either digitally or on paper. Poor sketches or unacceptable presentation (wrinkles in the paper, eraser marks, etc) will result in grade deduction. Storyboards are required to have written captions detailing the action, which are usually just an extension of the shot list.
Digital storyboards are strongly recommended but not required. Creating the boards in Flash may significantly cut down on the project production time since the process of digital transfer is not necessary. Additiona time can be saved when the time comes to create the animatic for the project.
Concept sketches are usually created to design the look of the characters, scenes, props, etc... However, in the interests of time for this project concept sketches are not required for this project as long as the storyboards are drawn with sufficient detail. As such, students may choose to a) create detailed storyboards and no concept sketches or b) simple boards with quality concept sketches.
Sample Story Board
Recommended Procedures: Phase 2 - Asset Library
Once students get their preproduction materials approved, they should create and collect the project assets. This includes graphics, photos, audio, and video. Since every student will have a different project, the exact number of assets will be left up to the individual student.
The rough project should be 80%-90% complete with only minor tweaks and revisions being needed. Students should seek input from their peers and instructors to fine-tune the project for final delivery. At this stage, most animation and interactivity should be present.
Recommended Procedures: Phase 5 - Final Delivery
Students should be prepared to conduct an in-class critique/ peer evaluation of their projects. As such, students should submit their files to their share space on the web server so that it is readily accessible.
You are to deliver the following copies
of the project:
One finished copy in your share space on the server. Do not modify the files after the due date/time. We will check the timestamp. Your Project1 folder will contain the checkpoint folders listed above with all associated files. You should also provide resources, that is a description of any materials that were not created by the student along with the location of where said materials were acquired (URLs, stock CD's, etc...)
Grading Criteria
Grades will be based on overall aesthetics, smoothness of animation, basic interactivity, and degree to which the project successfully depicts the storyline/ message. Above average grades will be awarded to those projects that go above and beyond the general specifications of the project. Implementation of the following elements will put a project into "A-B" range consideration.
Superior, detailed animation
Original, aesthetically pleasing characters, graphics and overall design
Integration of lip-syncing (if applicable)
Various interactive/ Actionscripted elements (other than starting and stopping the animation).
Use of Actionscript to control movie clips in some fashion
Note: It is difficult to quantify aesthetic value and quality. It is entirely possible to include all of the above elements and not receive an "A" grade because the project simply doesn't come together or convey the intended message. However, good preproduction materials and design discussion along with periodic feedback from the instructor should minimize this risk.
Also note: Students have limited time for creating projects. Although they should strive to produce the best possible project, time constraints are often a factor, and students have to make choices. Students may then opt to sacrifice one element in favor of another to save time.
For example, while creating original assets is encouraged...there is no doubt that it takes time to do so. Subsequently, a student who wishes to focus more on the quality of the animation (movement) may choose to use a great deal of stock imagery. Another student who wishes to focus more on interactivity may choose to shorten the length of the animation itself. Students should be aware of the choices they may have to make, and should decide as early as possible on which features of the animation to focus on.
