Foundations of Animation

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Section 1: Introduction to Animation
Lesson Plan (Week 1: Overview of Animation; Week 2: Animation Workflow and Pipeline
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Section 2: Core Principles of Animation
Lesson Plan (Week 3: Squash and Stretch, Timing, and Spacing; Week 4: Anticipation, Staging, and Follow-Through; Week 5: Arcs, Exaggeration, and Secondary Action)
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Lesson 1: Overview of Animation

Week 1 Lesson Plan: Overview of Animation

Objective: Understand the history, types, and storytelling role of animation; gain familiarity with animation tools.
Duration: 2 hours
Materials:
- Lecture slides or video on animation history (e.g., from cave paintings to modern CGI).
- Access to Adobe Animate, Blender, or Maya (free versions or trials).
- Online platform (e.g., Zoom, Google Meet) for discussion.
- Clips of iconic animations (e.g., Disney’s Snow White, Pixar’s Toy Story).
Activities:
1. Lecture (30 min): Discuss animation history, types (2D, 3D, stop-motion), and its role in storytelling.
2. Discussion (20 min): Students share their favorite animated films and identify techniques used.
3. Tool Demo (30 min): Instructor demonstrates basic navigation in Adobe Animate or Blender.
4. Hands-On (40 min): Students install and explore a chosen animation tool, creating a simple shape or frame.
Interactive Online Activity:
- Virtual Animation Gallery Walk (using Padlet or Miro): Students upload a screenshot or short clip of an animation they admire to a shared online board, adding a brief note on what technique or style stands out. Peers comment on at least two posts to spark discussion.
- Platform: Padlet (free, collaborative board for sharing images/text) or Miro (virtual whiteboard for visual collaboration).
Assessment: Participation in gallery walk and tool exploration.