Animation (1288X)

Program of Study
Level 1 (390 hrs)
ANI1513 Life Drawing for Animation I (60 hrs)
Life drawing is a fundamental skill for creating believability in our animated drawings of motion.
Through the use of casts and models, the student is introduced to the sight measurement technique
and gesture drawing. Emphasis is on maintaining proportions, foreshortening and the development
of good drawing skills that can be applied to the animation process.

ANI1550 Animation Design I (60 hrs)

Animation design deals with the staging or environment that the animated character will interact
with, whether it be a living room or forest location. The use of perspective plays a major role in the
creation of these location designs. Students are introduced to layout and location design for
animated productions. Students learn the basics and history of perspective and structured drawings.
Other topics include how to get research material, shot composition and an introduction to camera
angles.

ANI1557 Animation Practices and Principles I (60 hrs)

The animation industry now relies on multiple tools in the production process. Students learn the
principles of animation and how to apply them to classical, 3D and 2D tradigital animation
assignments. Students explore the interfaces, controls and general techniques of multiple software
programs in the creation of animated projects.

ANI1559 Environmental and Visual Problem Solving I (45 hrs)

The ergonomics of design and the understanding of aesthetics through real world observation are
essential skills for the animator. Students explore the foundations of design through the creative
process. Using individual and group studies, students solve problems using creativity, imagination
and the ability to visually communicate their ideas.

ANI1592 Animation Drawing I (120 hrs)

Animation drawing is the backbone of the industry. Using mostly traditional drawing techniques,
complemented by 2D tradigital and 3D skills, students apply the basic principles of animation and
drawing through simple, object-oriented assignments. Focus is on the fundamentals of timing,
spacing and the cartoon physics of motion.

ENL1813M Communications I (45 hrs)

Communication remains an essential skill sought by employers, regardless of discipline or field of
study. Using a practical, vocation-oriented approach, students focus on meeting the requirements of
effective communication. Through a combination of lectures, exercises, and independent learning,
students practice writing, speaking, reading, listening, locating and documenting information, and

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 Animation (1288X)
using technology to communicate professionally. Students develop and strengthen communication
skills that contribute to success in both educational and workplace environments.

Level 2 (435 hrs)

ANI1523 Life Drawing for Animation II (60 hrs)
Animated sequences are created by caricaturing the movements of real human bodies. Students hone
their sight measurement and gesture drawing skills. Landmarks of the human form are explored
through the study of human anatomy. The identification and comprehension of the bodys muscles
and bones allows students to create drawings that show a sense of accuracy and solidity of form.
Prerequisites: ANI1513, ANI1550, ANI1557, ANI1592

ANI1551 Animation Design II (60 hrs)

A good layout artist is able to evoke an emotional response from their audience. Students create
more advanced layouts that include a firmer grasp of perspective. Topics such as ellipses, inclined
planes, prop designs and exterior layouts are studied. By creating a room with personality, students
tell stories through their layouts. Prerequisites: ANI1513, ANI1550, ANI1557, ANI1592

ANI1558 Animation Practices and Principles II (60 hrs)

Students investigate character movement by applying the basic principles of animation to more
complex animated movements such as shifting weight and walks. Topics include squash and stretch,
anticipation, follow-through and overlapping action, and appealing motion. Students study all
aspects of animation using traditional, 3D and 2D tradigital tools. Prerequisites: ANI1513,
ANI1550, ANI1557, ANI1592

ANI1593 Animation Drawing II (120 hrs)

To create believable characters, students learn how to animate more complex motion. Body
mechanics, action analysis and character interaction with the environment increase students'
observation and animation skills. Traditional, 3D and 2D tradigital tools are utilized. Prerequisites:
ANI1513, ANI1550, ANI1557, ANI1592

ANI1618 Character Design I (45 hrs)

Designing characters with appeal, originality and emotion is a critical skill of a good character
designer. By exploring different character designs and styles, students gain insight into the
construction and structure of character design. Silhouetting, posing, acting, as well as creating
character rotations, elevate the students drawing skills. Students are introduced to the process of 3D
character builds. Traditional, 3D and 2D tradigital tools are utilized.

ENL1839 Scriptwriting for Animation (45 hrs)

Students are introduced to the basic concepts of screen writing. Students analyze animated and live-
action stories to determine the characteristics of effective screenplays. Students also write their own
eleven-minute screenplay featuring original, animated characters. Prerequisites: ENL1813A or
ENL1813M

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 Animation (1288X)
GED1288 General Education Elective (45 hrs)
Students choose one course, from a group of general education electives, which meets one of the
following five theme requirements: Arts in Society, Civic Life, Social and Cultural Understanding,
Personal Understanding, and Science and Technology.

Level 3 (360 hrs)

ANI1552 Life Drawing for Animation III (60 hrs)
Illustration of three dimensional drawing involves the utilization of shading. By using simple lighting
techniques, students add light and shadow to the surface planes of the body. Gesture drawing is
further developed, along with an exploration of muscles in motion through a series of movement
exercises. Prerequisites: ANI1523, ANI1551, ANI1593

ANI1553 Animation Design III (60 hrs)

The ability to draw an environment from any angle is a skill needed by any good layout artist.
Students use three-point perspective, draw caricatures, and employ a variety of camera shots to evoke
emotional responses from the viewer. Prerequisites: ANI1523, ANI1551, ANI1593

ANI1567 Character Animation I (120 hrs)

Pantomime acting is an integral part of animation. It allows the audience to instantly read/know
what motivates a characters actions. Students make a character appear to think and make decisions
based on external forces or internal motivations. Important animation building blocks such as
timing, moving holds, posing, staging, beats/phrasing, appeal, personality, solid drawing,
simplification of form and the use of straights against curves are explored. Active participation in the
Ottawa International Animation Festival is recommended to all students. Prerequisites: ANI1523,
ANI1551

ANI1572 Lighting Rendering and Modelling (60 hrs)

The creation of 3D models involves the understanding of realism and the application of details to
our environments, props and characters. The art of lighting, rendering and modelling is a key
component of animation. Topics of discussion include lessons on character lighting, indoor and
outdoor lighting, basic modelling and the application of rendering techniques.

ANI1619 3D Animation I (60 hrs)

The computer has become the standard viable tool in the creation of animated features. Using the
Maya interface, students apply the fundamentals of animation through simple exercises that include
the bouncing ball, a blade of grass, a pendulum, and an animated flour sack. Focus is on the
application of the principles of animation such as squash and stretch, timing and motion,
anticipation, acting, reacting, follow-through and overlapping action, slow in and slow out,
exaggeration, secondary action and appeal.

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 Animation (1288X)
Level 4 (405 hrs)
ANI1555 Animation Design IV (60 hrs)
For the purposes of performance, animators need guides to create consistency of characters in
different views along with a range of emotions. These guides are called model packs. Focus is on
character design model sheets (rotations/turnarounds) and expression sheets within these packs.
Horizontal, vertical and diagonal pan layouts are also explored. Prerequisites: ANI1552, ANI1553,
ANI1567

ANI1590 Character Animation II (120 hrs)

How an animated character delivers a line of dialogue is as important as why. The emphasis is on
sound, lip sync and dialogue acting involving body and facial expressions. Through a series of
exercises that begin with character animation syncing up with sound, students learn body and facial
acting and how to make a character talk. Focus is on strong story-telling poses, accurate mouth
shapes and proper facial expressions. Prerequisites: ANI1552, ANI1553, ANI1567

ANI1607 Life Drawing for Animation IV (60 hrs)

When animating a scene, animators start planning their action by creating thumbnail drawings.
These drawings are quick gesture sketches of the motion they are going to animate. Students create
thumbnail drawings of the human form in motion through the use of flipping technique. The
study of anatomy and gesture techniques are continued and refined. Focus is also on more advanced
shading skills. Prerequisite: ANI1552

ANI1620 3D Animation II (60 hrs)

Students begin to explore character locomotion. Exercises include walks, runs, acting and reacting.
Focus of this course is on the understanding of balance and weight of a character, beats/phrasing, as
well as how and why a character anticipates a move. Prerequisite: ANI1619

ANI1621 3D Character Design I (60 hrs)

As 3D character designers, students are responsible for creating major and incidental characters for
animated television shows and feature films. Students understand the clarity of design, shape
variation and the value of structured characters in design. Focus is on strong shape association
relative to character personality and basic rigging techniques, including placement of skeleton, joint
hierarchy, forward and inverse kinematics, and constraints.

GEDXXXX General Education Elective (45 hrs)

Students choose one course, from a group of general education electives, which meets one of the
following five theme requirements: Arts in Society, Civic Life, Social and Cultural Understanding,
Personal Understanding, and Science and Technology.

Level 5 (360 hrs)

ANI1578 Life Drawing V (60 hrs)

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 Animation (1288X)
Drawing figures is enhanced by the practice of observational skills. Topics include tonal drawings,
such as how to draw drapery, muscular and skeletal studies of animals and humans, expressive
gesture drawing, and creating animated drawings through pose association exercises. Mixed media
such as cont and pastels are introduced. Prerequisite: ANI1607

ANI1579 Animation Design V (60 hrs)

Within Levels 5 and 6, students select their area of expertise and begin to hone the skills needed to
become an accomplished artist in this specialty within the animation industry. Based on the
students initial idea for their specialization, students work one-on-one with the design instructor to
work from inspirational sketches to final design concepts. Focus is on creating well-formed, solid
structures, developing a design personality, creating concept packs and building a professional
portfolio. Prerequisites: ANI1555, ANI1603, ANI1607

ANI1594 Character Animation III (120 hrs)

Students work one-on-one with the animation instructor to create believable character animation,
location/prop designs and animated effects. Students can work individually or in groups to produce
the project-based assignments or short films. Focus is on producing professional studio quality
scenes. Prerequisites: ANI1555, ANI1590, ANI1603, ANI1607

ANI1622 3D Animation III (60 hrs)

Students explore how to make a character seem alive. Exercises include pantomime acting, creating
animations that illustrate characters inner thought processes, as well as full dialogue acting. Topics
include sound and lip sync. The focus is on creating shots that show the subtle nuances of facial
acting. Prerequisite: ANI1620

ANI1623 3D Character Design II (60 hrs)

Students use polygon modelling tools to create organic modelling for characters and environments.
Students learn the best practices for telling a story as they model an entire character and the
background or layout for that particular character. Concepts such facial rigging and organic
modelling are discussed. Prerequisite: ANI1621

Level 6 (345 hrs)

ANI1583 Character Animation IV (120 hrs)
Students work one-on-one with the instructor to create believable character animation, layouts/props
designs and animated F/X. Students work individually or in groups to produce final project based
assignments. Focus is on the creation of blog content and a student demo reel. Students also prepare
for integration into a studio environment. Prerequisites: ANI1578, ANI1579, ANI1594, ANI1604

ANI1584 Life Drawing VI (60 hrs)

Students hone their life drawing skills through a continued study of expressive gesture and long pose
drawing. Emphasis is on professional quality rendering through exercises that focus on rhythm,
dynamic drawing and exaggeration. Prerequisite: ANI1578

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 Animation (1288X)

ANI1586 Business Studies for Animation (45 hrs)

Students gain insight into business practices and the principles of operating a small business. The
course culminates with the development of an Electronic Press Kit for their short films. The course
remains current through the exploration of emerging trends and issues that impact the industry.
Guest speakers from a variety of representative businesses are invited to share their experiences and
insights with students.

ANI1624 3D Animation IV (60 hrs)

Students plan and execute two-person dialogue shots. Creating shots that cut together correctly, and
staging the acting to best tell the story behind the scene are just two of the topics explored. Focus
is also placed on animation scene planning, which includes basic composition, storyboarding and the
proper use of camera angles and cuts. Prerequisite: ANI1622

ANI1625 3D Character Design III (60 hrs)

Students explore advanced character design techniques. Using a pressure-sensitive Cintiq, students
delve into the complete process of organic sculpting, including various methods of object creation
and manipulation, from basic forms to finely detailed sculptures. In addition, students are
introduced to the interface and workflow and incorporate digital sculpting into their artistic
pipeline. Prerequisite: ANI1623

Total Program: 2295 hrs

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