AA1S49 - Exploring Animation 01 Sep 2022 - 31 Aug 2028 | Version 1

Associated Module Information

Module Code: AA1S49
Module Title: Exploring Animation
Faculty: Faculty of Business and Creative Industries
Faculty Group: Culture and Animation
Faculty Sub Group: Animation
Module Leader: Leonie Sharrock, Jonathan Edwards
Module Team:
First Intended Intake: SEP 2022 Final Year of Intake: 2027
Date Closed:
Credit Value: 20 Credit Level: 4
Language: English
Percentage of Module Taught in Welsh: 0
Equivalent Module:
HECOS codes: 100057 - animation
HECOS Code Weighting: 100

Document Version Information

Version 1
Valid From 01 Sep 2022
Valid To 31 Aug 2028

Module Aims

Animation is now an all-pervading set of techniques, covering all genres across film, games, and transmedia. Understanding animation’s history, which is as old as film and uses art and craft techniques that are far older, will enable students to contextualise their practice and introduce the relationship between art and technology that will inform their future animation work.
The module aims are:
• To give students an introductory understanding of the technological, social and aesthetic context of animation, past and present.
• To encourage students to question the nature and form of animation practice.
• To introduce students to a range of animation-as-art possibilities via materials, media, design styles and techniques.
• To understand how animated movement is designed using loops or cycles.

Content Summary

This module will consist of embedded theory and practice to give the students contexts within which to work, and encourage critical thinking from the outset. Both theoretical and practical research will cover topics such as:
• History of Animation;
• History of Major Art & Design movements synchronous with the development of animated film form;
• Practical application of history of animation by designing and constructing simple loops of movement using a range of techniques and media (e.g., Zoetropes and other Early optical parlour toys, under-camera work, cut- outs or automata).
• To encourage research-as-practice and foster confidence in giving presentations, the theoretical research will operate as a ‘flipped’ classroom with formatively assessed group presentations halfway through the module, and summatively assessed outcomes of a short essay and a portfolio of coursework.

Learning and Teaching Methods

Activity Type Hours
Lecture 10
Tutorial 2
Practical classes and workshops 20
Independent Study 80
Directed Study 75
Formative Assessment - Scheduled 8
Problem / challenge based learning 5
Total Hours Selected 200

Learning Outcomes

# Learning Outcome
LO1 Establish an introductory level of historical and contextual understanding of animation.
LO2 Implement and review a series of animated cycles of movement in a variety of ways.

Module Requisites

N/A

Assessment Criteria

Assessment Category Assessment Type Description Duration Word Count Weight (%) Best of? Pass Mark
Asynchronous Assessment Project Output 2 Research presentation on ‘What is Animation?’ 15 2000 50 No 40
Asynchronous Assessment Project Output 1 Designing movement - a showreel of a series of short animated 0 N/A 50 No 40

Assessment Matrix

Assessment Type Learning Outcomes
LO1 LO2
Project Output 2
Project Output 1

Reading List

Russett,R.,& Starr, C.; Experimental Animation an illustrated Anthology 1977. Out of print but in the library.
Harris,M., Husbands, L., Taberham, P., Experimental Animation: From Analogue to Digital . Routledge. London. 2019.
https://www.awn.com/animationworld/animating-under-camera
https://journal.animationstudies.org/gary-wilson-the-glass-canvas-approaching-digital-direct-under-camera-animation-runner-up/
https://www.brightontoymuseum.co.uk/index/Mutoscope
Buchan, S., Pervasive Animation. Routledge New York, Abingdon. 2013
Race, R., Making Simple Automata Crowood Press Wiltshire. 2014