For Tuesday!

NOTE: FOR REMINDERS OF WHAT IS DUE, PLEASE REFER TO THE POST BELOW THIS POST!

Review this video, where a member of the storyboarding team at Cartoon Network pitches an episode of Samurai Jack!  This will help give you ideas on shaping your pitch better!
Samurai Jack - The Episode Pitch

Continue working on your pitch, and start crafting your storyboard for your film!

At this point, you have 1 WEEK (and no more) to get everything together for Wednesday's pitch! Make sure that you work together to accomplish everything on the list below!

If you have any questions, feel free to notify me!

Also, I know Animation Club is having their 24-hour Animation day from tomorrow @ 5 P.M.  to Saturday. Perhaps this would be a great time to work together on your film for a few hours? If not then, you want to schedule enough time so that you complete your storyboard in an elementary draft form BEFORE TUESDAY!

The thing you do not want to do, is spend TUESDAY NIGHT trying to accomplish everything for Wednesday. The quality will be lower, and the content itself will not be as refined.

You want to make sure that everyone participates in all parts of the process! Notify me if you need tips on accomplishing this!

Due Next Thursday: March 5th, 2015

1. Have your film storyboarded with your animatic! I will provide notes on producing this via review for thursday!
• The best thing you can do is showcase a timed animatic with your story, so we can get a feeling of the story's flow.  You can show this in addition to walking through your storyboards and characters step by step. If you want to provide a dialogue scratch track, you can make time later this week to record one! You could be super low-key with dialogue, and record some rough samples with the mac computers, or your own phones.
• You also have one person in your group from the sound class, you could coordinate with them to use our sound equipment if you choose as well.
2. Have all production materials complete with color! These include:
• Character Designs (with turnarounds)
• Environment Designs
• Your Design Document.
• Additional art you have created to better flesh out the story.
3. Have your pitch 100% ready! We will start at 4:35, no exceptions.
• Properly package your materials in a folder on a flash drive, or on the server so you can pitch clearly and best showcase your story for green-lighting.
• ADVICE:  Practice your pitch! Remember I am allocating 10 minutes for each pitch.  You probably want to complete your pitch in 7 minutes, so you have 3 minutes of flexible time. (You always take longer than you realize in the actual pitch)
4. CREATE THESE MATERIALS
• Due Thursday
• Print 15 copies of your script so everyone has one for review!
• Print 3 copies of your storyboards with the format, (3-Panel Horizontal)
• And 3 copies of your storyboards with the format, (Overview)
• This way, we can review the story, and the materials after you speak!
• Export storyboards to PDF in the following formats.
• 3 Panel Horizontal
• Overview
• Full-Page (You can use the full page version to enhance your pitch!)
• Create a design document for drawing your characters! I.E. a "how to draw guide."  This must be turned in by everyone on wednesday, and those who have approved stories will give it to their teammates for review.
5. Post to your blog write-ups and videos of the final version of every assignment you have completed and want to be graded, no later than 4:35 Thursday! Videos will be uploaded to youtube or vimeo, and posted to your blog. I will be grading your organization as part of your midterm grade!
1. I need posts on the following:
1. Your Ten Second test we did in class (will finish in a moment)
6. Post to the server, in the designated folder, video and image files of each assignment!

You all have the potential to be great artists and storytellers. Everyone has a skill to lend to the animation process. GIVE IT YOUR ALL THIS WEEK!  This is your first foray into a professional career setting for animated short production!  I look forward to seeing what we bring to class for thursday!  I will review storyboarding next class for those who need it! My office hours will be dedicated to review and asking questions about this process, so anyone who chooses to stay is allowed to ask me any question in the world about creating animated films!

Assignment for Feb 24th

A)  As a group, come to class with 4 story ideas! You will have to schedule time as a group to work on your ideas this weekend!

Each idea should have an outline that contains the following:

• Theme: What is the central theme of your story?
• Genre: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_genres
• Character List: Who are the characters?
• Story Outline:  (Read: This is not every detail of your story, but all of the main elements! You must outline your story with respects to three act structure!
• Some rough sketches that show ideas you have in mind for your story!

ACT 1: (25% of your film's runtime)

1. Who is(are) the protagonist(s)?
2. What is the setting of the film?
3. How does the film begin?
4. What is the inciting incident? (What triggers the main plot of the story?  What is the protagonist looking for?)
5. What is the major first plot point that moves the story into act II?

ACT 2: (50% of your film's runtime)

1. What setbacks does the protagonist face in Act II?
2. How does the protagonist deal with those major plot points?
3. What is the second major plot point that finally kicks the protagonist's butt in gear? What is the jumping off point for Act 3?

ACT 3: (25% of your film's runtime)

1. What is the climax of the film? Does the protagonist get what is wanted, what is needed, or something else entirely?
2. In the Denouement, how does the film relax itself back to a state of equilibrium? How is everything resolved?
3. How does the film end?

B) Start drawing sketches of characters for the film! 

 Come up with some ides for environments too! We only need sketches at this point! This weekend is meant for idea creation. Have four stories you're super happy with where you, as a group, can choose any and make a great film!

Start learning more about each other, what everyone else is good at, and start trying to find ways to help each other develop their skills.

FYI, you will spend the next 3 classes, inside and out, developing a storyboard and picth bible for the project you choose on next tuesday!  Take this weekend to, instead of picking one, and getting ahead on the storyboards, truly come up with 4 excellent ideas! The creative development process is really important! =D

Notes on the Collaborative Art Process!

Here are some tips to make the collaborative process easier and more enjoyable:

1. Allocate responsibilities!

Every member is good at something. Spending 30 minutes in the beginning making a list of what everyone is good at, will help the group succeed in the long run!

2. Check in every two days as a group with progress updates!

You should not tackle this large assignment with an “everyone do their part, we’ll put it together in the end” attitude.  Instead, create a list of small, objective-based goals that will help you see your project through to the end!

3. Create a schedule!

Design a timeline that has, at minimum the following milestones!

1. Story finalized! (do you need a script written? it may help!)
2. Vocals recorded!
3. Music begins production!
4. All sound recorded!
5. All sound effects created!
6. Music is completed and ready to test!
7. Audio mixing begins!
8. In-Progress Track is fully mixed and ready to test!
9. Final mixing is completed and ready to test!
10. Music is revised!
11. Final adjustments complete!

Those are clear objectives that help you make artwork within a group setting. Any large jobs should be broken up into smaller groups.  To help you better function, be willing to help someone with one part of their work with the added notion that that person helps you with your work as well!

4. Brainstorm ideas!  

Go one by one, across the entire group 4 or 5 times.  Pick a person to take notes, and write down every idea everyone has first!  Ask each other why the idea came to mind, and what quality scenarios could be made from the idea.  (The question mentioned just now is what you call an OBJECTIVE question. It gets you thinking in terms of specific goals, and not open-ended thoughts that often end with everyone going "I don't know...")

Sift through each idea with pro and cons lists and see what sticks from each idea! Find a way to incorporate something that everyone likes to create a piece that is greater than the sum of it’s parts!

5. Take turns leading and following when working together!  

If you have an idea, be willing to share it! But make note that you may be working with someone in your group who is usually more on the quiet side. Because of this, be willing to periodically ask the members of your group one of these simple questions:

"What do you think?  How can we get this done?  Do you think there is a better way?  What would you do differently?"

This encourages group participation and encourages critical thinking on all ends of the process!

6. The goal of collaborative art making is twofold: Make incredible art, and have a good time doing it.  

Follow the steps above to make the experience an enjoyable one!

7. Clear Objectives 2:

Be sure to have a goal for all class periods! We technically will have 4. (Morning and afternoon for both weeks.)

Someone should take notes of all ideas mentioned.

8. COMMUNICATE!

Before you do anything else, make a list of everyone’s contact information. Emails, phone numbers, instant messengers, and even Facebook addresses if need be.  Once you have an idea you’re happy with, you need to make time during the week to meet together to make epic sound projects!

If you find that you’re having problems, nip it in the bud and talk it out early!  Be cordial, and try to avoid hostile language.  Be mindful that your idea of natural speaking patterns may not be the same as someone’s else. If you make controversial jokes, like to use excessive four-letter language or the like, make sure everyone else in your group is cool with it.  Yes, we're an art school, but you never know. It’s better to check early.

If you often have medical issues, or something unavoidable that you feel may cause you to leave from a collaborative session early, talk with everyone ahead of time.  The best thing you can do is communicate!

Make note of email chains! Start an ongoing conversation with your group mates and make use of the "Reply All" button!

If you find that you have a dispute and you need a mediator outside your group, that is what I am here for. Let me know of the problem early, before it becomes much larger! (note: if you feel like you're on the verge of speaking with hostility and a few 4 letter words, stop, take a breather, and come back to the situation when you've calmed down.)

9.  Find each other's strengths!

Everyone, EVERYONE, is good at something.  And part of the collaborative process is finding out what someone else can do, that is done much better than you!  Being open and honest about this makes it easier for you to learn new strategies for alleviating your greatest weaknesses, while helping someone else do the same!  Be open, ask questions, and be willing to ask each other about processes you have yet to try!

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One of the important facets of artistic creation is the collaborative environment. Everyone must gain the important skill of being able to work with others!  It gives you new points of view for problem solving, and a chance to work on something much larger than an individual could produce in that time. Learn from each other, be willing to teach when necessary, and make something awesome!

Goals for today!

YOUR JOB AS A CLASS:

Formulate a group that enhances your strengths by covering your weaknesses!  You need a group that has no real weakness, but giving everyone an opportunity to have something they are the best at, and something they are the weakest at!  Cover your ground! Group size must be between 3 and 5.  A group of six will lead to two groups of 4, or one group of 5 and one group of 3, so think about balance!

Cover your bases! You want to be great! But you want to come in knowing what you can do, that everyone else can not! This is not about selfishness, and thinking your poop doesn’t stink. it’s about being honest about your skills, and finding a team of people you can learn from and grow with!  It’s about collaborating in a way where everyone can get stronger!

Then, post the rules for groups from sound class. Tailor a bit for animation.

Give the class to brainstorm ideas.  In a week and a half, will need a storyboard designed! Everyone must design an equal percent of it, so you will need to take parts, and stick them together. I’ll show you how to divide up the scenes you make and the like next week.  This weekend: Design your story ideas! Create 3 outlines, choose the best one to work with! Turn all 3 into me next tuesday!

As a group, you will work together to rank your teammates and yourself in each area on a scale from one to ten. You will help each other think critically about your skills (highlighting positives, and areas of improvement! Keep a balance of each when you discuss this!). Before you do, think about what a 3, a 5, and a 7 would be.  Because all of you have different skill levels, you want to balance your thoughts between commonly accepted levels of personal quality, and personal development, i.e. the stage you’re at now, vs the stage you want to be at.  

*note, this exercise is not about making you feel like garbage about your art, or making you feel like you’re the best of all time. It’s about helping you think objectively about your improvement! One of the problems we often face when we try to get better at something is that we stick personal hurdles we create in our own head in front of the door to personal improvement. [ i can only do this, I only have x amount of time, I have other things to do, this is really hard for me.] *  (I will draw an example for the class) If we think objectively about these problems, we can start creating solutions! The solution for these problems will be your film as it’s being created, as well as the opportunities you create to learn from each other! The research you do personally!  The support for this is you and your team interactions and dynamics as you motivate each other!

Read: This is about making the most of the time you *do* have, no matter how large or small, and approaching that block of time with

clear thinking, encompassing a realistic, positive, optimistic, and creative mindset!*

Your goal will be to increase by at least 3 points in each by the end of the semester!  As you continue this project, you will make at least one piece of content at each stage of your film that shows honest growth in these areas!

Note about the end of class

Please upload your environment designs to the ENVIRONMENTS folder *labled orange* on the server!

Keep track of your work and bring it to class on thursday. We will revisit this work!

Make note of what you have done today, and try to practice our techniques of creating scenes with context on your own!

Try not to spend any more than 5 minutes on each drawing.  Anyone that can produce 10 before class  thursday and show considerable improvement will receive extra credit on last weeks assignment!

As you have noticed, there are a lot of possible mediums to consider for animation production. We will talk a lot about utilizing traditional and digital media in your animated production!

We will also start talking about your film's parameters on thursday!

Due Tuesday, Feb 10th!

1.  Read Chapter 1 and 2 of Framed Ink and Your Career in Animation!
2.  On your Blog: Please upload the following projects.

• Your Weight Animation
• Your Impact Animation
• Your Character Designs
• Once uploaded, critique the projects of your fellow students!  (Note: I realize this link did not update until this morning. So I'll extend the deadline for this portion of your homework to thursday.) 
• Be sure to click the links to the right and comment on each other's work asap. This will come in handy for what we do at the end of this week. If the blog to the right is not your current blog, or you have changed your address, notify me via email so I can change it!

3.  Create 2 environment sketches with the following parameters!

• Image one should be an interior. You want to use the same process we used in class to create it.
• Image two should be an exterior.
• Redesign the exterior to have a similar visual language (read: similar shape and line relationships) to your character design and chosen art research! If your character design was made with sharp angles and a sense of monumentality, treat your environment with the same approach!