Flash Animation Unit! 11/18-11/26

Students have learned how to create simple animations on flash using their tools along with their timeline.  Students must create keyframes to create animations very similar to their stopframe animations but different storylines.  Think that each picture taken, is the same as each keyframe you create.  Everything thing that students want to move separately needs to be in its own layer, just like in Photoshop. 

The tools from Photoshop to Flash are very similar, the only difference is you are making your layers move.  With what students have learned, they need to create a story and begin to create their Flash animation.  Each student will receive a packet of information to remember along the creation process along with project requirements (which are also listed below). 

Practice makes perfect!  Your animation might not be exactly how you want the first time around...feel free to delete any keyframes you are unhappy with and reset them when you are. (right click on the frame--->select--->Remove Frames)

Create an animation with a subject of your choice. 

     Requirements:   This is a single person project--NOT  group project.

1. Minimum of 400 keyframes.  (Press F6 to add frames)
2. Create a SCENE...not just what you are animating.  For instance, if you are having a person walk down the street, you must create the street--buildings, cars, sidewalks etc.
3. Standard timeline animation must be your primary source of animation.
4. You must also use at least one Motion tween or Shape tween. (directions for both are on the share drive if you have forgotten!)
5. You must tell a story- use your imagination! 
6. CREATIVITY COUNTS!
7. No one wants to watch a boring animation…MAKE IT INTERESTING!!!! J

Editing Day!

3A- Projects due 11/12
4A - Projects due 11/14

 

You are done when your FINAL project is save in your Folder on your S; Drive along with your pictures AND  your partner evaluations are handed in.

 

Next class we will begin a new unit!

 

 

 

Update on ARTiFacts!

 

11/4 Monday -- 11/8 Friday

Welcome back!  Students have been working on their stop frame animations with their partners for the last week or so and we will continue working on them through this week.  We are aiming for a Friday end of class due date!  Remember, 400 pictures MINIMUM!  Keep on snapping those pictures!

Wednesday 10/15

Today students will finish their sticky note animations and turn them in.  We will then choose partners for their stop frame animations and discuss storyboards even further and how they will work with their own animations.  As partners, students will discuss what they want their animations to be about and what tools they need to complete their story.

 

Monday 10/14

Today students will finish their "My Movie" animations and will peer grade them in class.  After our animations are complete, I will be showing students a variety of different types of Stop Frame/Stop Motion Animations from YouTube.  We will discuss how to use multiple different mediums in the picture animations they will be doing themselves.  To build up to these animations we will first be practicing with sticky notes and discussing storyboards and how the two work together!  Students will be working on their sticky note animations for the rest of the period today and continuing on to next class as well.

 

Thursday 10/10

Today students will be moving into their Animation Unit!  We will begin by learning a new program called "Windows Live Movie Maker" which is what we will use for picture animation.  Students will be using this program for two different animation projects.  The first project is a movie about themselves, simply a snapshot of their life.  See below for details.

 

Tuesday 10/8

Today students will choose a word and create a visual image for their view only by using the word itself.  See below for more info and examples!

 

 

 

Wednesday 10/2 & Friday 10/4

Due date for Typography has been pushed to FRIDAY 10/4!  Projects will be due at the END of Fridays class! 

Wednesday and Fridays class will be ALL typography work time.

At the end of Fridays class we will also read and discuss an online article located on Cole 3.0!

DUE FRIDAY-DUE FRIDAY-DUE FRIDAY!

 

 

Monday 9/30

Happy Monday!  I'm sorry I can't be there with you today as I am home sick.  I would like you to continue working on your typography designs today, just as we have been doing the last few days.  Remember, we are aiming for a Wednesday, end of class, due date!  Therefore, make sure you are working hard today and I expect that you all will be on your best behavior for the substitute. 

For any questions about the process, please refer to the blog post that has the directions listed or the worksheet I gave everyone with the steps.  You may also ask your neighbors for help if you are stuck. 


Don't worry about your ARTiFact, we will catch up on them when I return.

Thursday 9/26

Students will continue working on their final Typography project.  For directions, see two posts below. 

We are aiming for a Wednesday Oct 2 due date.

Tuesday 9/25

Today students will begin their final project in the Typography unit.  All directions are listed on the previous post.  Please re-read for step by step directions.  Students will be allowed to move to their final project after I have checked their Parrot Eye design.  If you have any questions about the directions, please ask!  You will need to use your creativity and patience for this project and they will turn out great!

Good luck!

Thursday 9/19

Today students will continue working on their "Parrot Eye" activity.  When students are done, they need to show me and when given the "ok" they will be able to begin searching for a photo they would like to recreate with words.  Students may choose either an animal or a person. 

Directions for Design:

Step 1:  Choose your image (Human or Animal.  NO CARTOONS) and save to your H: Drive

Step 2:  Decided your composition and change it as you need.  Don't change to make it simple, change it to make it interesting!
              -Are you going to keep your image the same size?
              -Are you going to crop your image to choose the most interesting part?

Step 3: Create a new document and open your saved Image

Step 4:  Change your Image size by going to Image > Image Size and change only your resolution to 300.  Leave the actual size as is.  If this makes your image HUGE then use your Ctrl and +/- key to make it smaller (or larger if your image is small)

Step 5: Choose in your head how you are going to execute your image.  Will you use words? Will you use letters?  Will you use a combination or both?  Whatever you choose, make sure that the letters or words relate to your image.  For instance if you used a Zebra.  The letters that make up Zebra would be good letter choices.  

Step 6: Think about the color theme you will use. 
             - Will you match your letters to your background?
              - Will you use all light wording on a dark background?  Or vice versa.
              -Will you come up with a color theme of your own like changing colors from one color to the next. 

See examples below for inspiration.  Or Google "typography as images" and see what you can find.  Use examples as inspiration...not to copy! :)


Things to remember as you are going through this project

1. Think about the contours (lines/shapes) of your 3D object.  Try to capture those curves to make your image appear 3-D.
2. Think about your fonts, sizes, adding in boldness, italics and s p a c i n g.
3. Most importantly, make it look like your image!  When you take your picture away, it should still appear as the same image.
4. Breathe!  This is a frustrating but rewarding project.  Take your time, and have fun with it.  If you need a break, take one, just don't make it too long or bother others that are trying to work.
5. I am here to help.  I don't know you are having trouble or frustrated unless you tell me.  :)

 

 

 

Tuesday 9/17

Today students finished their ARROW designs and learned how to make multiple layers into one layer. 

To merge your layers together you must:
Select a layer and then shift + select the other layers you want to combined and press control + e

This merges the layers together, therefore you may now move everything together, make the object larger or smaller, or even rotate them.  In addition, you may add detail to your object, like adding shadows or bevels to the object by double clicking in the layer.

After students finish their ARROW they will begin on their Parrot Eye class assignment.  This is the "pre-test" to students final projects.  Using what they learned by creating their ARROW assignment, they must do the same thing with the Parrot Eye, BUT they must now also change the color of the text to match the background.

Here is an example:

 This is the starting picture

 

 

 

Here we have began to add wording/lettering into the center part of the eye.

 

 

If we take away the background picture, here is what the picture begins to look like.

Basically, we are recreating a picture using letters/words, colors, and shapes. 

 

This process is very long and patience is needed, but in the end the final product is worth it!  When students are done with their parrot eye, they will begin selecting a picture for their final Typography.  They will have to OK the picture with me as well as show the parrot "pre-test" to prove they know what to do. 

 

Next class we will finish up our parrots and begin selecting our final images!

 

 

 

 

Friday September 13th

No school due to flooding

Up to date...9/11

Please forgive my lack of posting within the last few weeks.  There have been many schedule changes which means a lot of catching up with many students.  If there is something you have missed before this time, please speak with me directly and I will catch you up with what you need to know.  As for now...lets move forward! 

On Wednesday, September 11th students began a new unit: Typography.  We discussed typography as a class while going through the Typography PowerPoint that is located on Cole 3.0.  We discussed: appropriate typefaces (fonts) for different scenarios, ALL CAPS vs. lowercase, as well as sizes and colors.  We also talked about how different typefaces give different emotional connections to the viewer. 

After a few small class activities, we began creating a simple contour word design.  We created an arrow and using the word arrow and the letters in a-r-r-o-w to arrange them inside of an actual arrow.  The point of this is when you remove the background (starting) picture, you should still see the shape even though we have taken away the original picture.  See example below.

Next class we will finish our arrow designs and students will begin working with a more complex picture of their own. Similar to....

Also I have attached all the artifacts up to this point!

Tuesday 8/27

Today students will explore more into Adobe's Photoshop.  As a class, students will learn how to create a radio station logo.  Within this lesson, we will learn how to turn normal font into 3D font by adding shadows and beveled edges as well as learning how to add shapes to a background or make shapes transparent so you can see through them to what is hiding in the background!  Once the class tutorial is done, students will be challenged to creating their own radio station to market to the public.  Students will think about font, design, and creating a logo that will be desirable to their audience.

Students will continue to work on these logos for part of the next class.  The class will then vote on the most appealing design and that student will win a prize! 

We also began our daily ARTiFacts!  The first one is listed below!

Wednesday & Friday 8/21 & 8/23

On Wednesday we began with taking notes on the Elements of Art and Principles of Design PowerPoint.  If you need to see this PowerPoint again, it is located on Cole under "Files/Links".  Student then created their own PowerPoint using the Elements and Principles notes.  One slide for each Element and each Principle with the addition of two title slides "Elements of Art" and "Principles of Design"  Each slide (besides the title slides) must have a title, definition and a picture to show me they understand what each element and principle means.  Students will finish this project on Friday 8/23 and upload their PowerPoint into DropBox on Cole.  The DropBox is located under assignments and is titled "Elements and Principles DropBox"  Click on "Elements and Principles DropBox" and click "submit assignment" on the right side.  Click on the File tab and attach your assignment and then click "submit."  Once your project is submitted, you are done.  We will be moving on to logo designs next class!

Welcome to 2D Design & Animation!

Welcome to 2D Design and Animation. This blog is to help you stay on track in class. Each day I will post what are doing in class along with that days ARTiFact. In this class you will learn how use Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash, and Live Movie Maker. We will be doing a wide variety of fun structured projects building on similar techniques and strategies. I hope you enjoy and I am happy to have you in class! Welcome!