DIY Animation for Beginners

What will we explore?

In this course we will explore the creatively empowering medium of animation and the fundamentals for creating it with a single person or small crew. 

As it is central to the medium, we will look at how movement can be represented in different styles. We will also look at the basics of character design, backgrounds (and other world building), representing speech visually, and the basic principles of editing.

Who is this class for?

The class is geared towards beginners and will focus on basic storytelling and representation concepts.

What do I need for this class?

For this class you will need the following:

- Sketchbook

- Large newsprint pad or storyboard sketchbook

- A computer and Adobe Creative Suite (specifically Photoshop, After Effects, and Adobe Media Encoder) 

- iMovie or other video editing software

- Wacom tablet, Cintiq, iPad Pro (with Astropad) or other digital drawing device

What is the project for this class?

The project for this course will be to create a short animation based on a piece of audio. This will include storyboarding, animatics, and a final animation. This exercise should help you understand the basics of animation and help you create an initial clip for an animation reel.

Additional Resources:

https://youtu.be/yNlr-y82Vy0

• Introduction
• Tools & Materials
• Objectives & Style
• Planning
• Visuals
• Timing & Movement
• Voiceover
• Editing
• Sharing & Recommendations