Create Your 2D Animation Short: A Comprehensive 3-Month Course (72 Hours)

Course Overview

• Learn the skills to create a captivating 2D animated short film.
• Master animation fundamentals, industry software, and storytelling.
• Graduate with a completed short film to showcase your abilities.

Course Structure

Part 1: Building the Foundation (Weeks 1-4)

• Week 1-2: Introduction to Animation (12 Hours)
  
  • The Magic of Animation: History and evolution of animation.
  • Drawing Fundamentals: Form, perspective, and composition for animation.
  • Software Introduction: Getting familiar with Adobe Animate, Photoshop, and Illustrator.
• Week 3-4: Storytelling for Animation (12 Hours)
  
  • Storyboarding: Visual planning through storyboards, character development, and plot structure.
  • Character Design: Creating characters with distinct personalities for animation.
  • Animation Pre-Production: Concept development, scriptwriting, and production scheduling.

Part 2: Bringing Characters to Life (Weeks 5-7)

• Week 5-7: Animation Techniques (24 Hours)
  
  • The Twelve Principles of Animation: Applying core principles for lifelike animation.
  • Traditional Animation (Optional): Exploring hand-drawn animation techniques.
  • Cut-Out Animation: Creating animations with pre-drawn assets (Software: Photoshop)
  • Adobe Animate Fundamentals: Mastering core functionalities of Animate.

Part 3: Advanced Techniques & Polishing (Weeks 8-10)

• Week 8-10: Advanced Animation Techniques (18 Hours)
  
  • Character Animation: Advanced character movement, lip-syncing, and emotional expression in Animate.
  • Animation Timing and Spacing: Understanding timing’s impact on motion perception.
  • Background Design and Compositing: Creating backgrounds and integrating them with animation.
  • Sound Design and Foley (Optional): Exploring sound design principles (Software: Adobe Premiere)

Part 4: Project Completion & Presentation (Weeks 11-13)

• Week 11-12: Putting it all Together (12 Hours)
  
  • Project Management: Effective workflow strategies for animation projects.
  • Refining Your Animation: Receiving feedback through class critiques and instructor sessions.
  • Final Touches: Integrating sound effects, music, and finalizing animation for export.
• Week 13: Graduation & Showcase (Not Graded)
  
  • Final Project Presentation: Presenting your completed short film and receiving feedback.
  • Portfolio Development: Constructing a compelling animation portfolio.

Additional Information

• Software Used:
  
  • Adobe Animate (Primary)
  • Adobe Photoshop (Secondary)
  • Adobe Illustrator (Secondary)
  • Adobe Premiere (Optional)
• Assessment:
  
  • Weekly assignments (drawing, storyboarding, animation techniques, software proficiency)
  • Midterm project: A short animated sequence demonstrating specific animation principles.
  • Final project: Your completed graduation short film.
• Grading:
  
  • 60% – Project Work & Participation
  • 20% – Midterm Project
  • 20% – Final Project
• Note:
  
  • This syllabus is a guideline and may be subject to change.
  • Optional sections can be incorporated based on class time and student interest.

By successfully completing this course, you’ll possess the skills to embark on your journey as a 2D animator, ready to bring your own stories to life!