MOTION DESIGN

Single discipline educational activity

Course Sheet

Course code:

D171

Academic Year of enrolment:

2020

Year of supply:

2022/2023

Type of Course:

Characterising

Degree:

Course of 1st Cycle Degree in DESIGN

Disciplinary Sector:

Industrial Design

Location:

PESCARA

Credits:

Programme Year:

Professor and Collaborators:

MASELLI Vincenzo

Cycle:

First semester

Obligatory attendance:

Yes

Hours of classroom activity:

Individual study hours:

Prerequisites:

Students must pass the course of Advanced Drawing to take the final exam of Motion Design. No previous knowledge and specific skills are required for successfully learning course's contents.

Objectives

The objectives of the course are:
- combine traditional communication studies with a vocabulary of guiding principles and specific definitions of time-based media.
- master technique and tools to build audiovisual artifacts.
- learn the production process of a motion design project, from the definition of the storytelling (brainstorming, mind mapping, writing and diagramming), to the image-making phase (style frame, design board, storyboarding, production).
- Acquire tools to conduct design experiments around a thematic connector.
Upon completion, students will be able to:
- create style frames, design boards and process books;
- create themed videos for social platforms;
- know the main aspects and production processes of the different animation techniques;
- handle animation and editing software;
- critically analyze the kinetic forms;
- communicate and formally present concepts through animations.

Contents

The course is an introduction to motion design in its complexity as a discipline that combines technical, visual, semantic and experimental aspects. Through an analysis of the theoretical, taxonomic, and practical aspects of motion design, students explore the fundamental techniques and aesthetic qualities of moving images, and learn to create style frames, design boards, process books, storyboards, three-dimensional, two-dimensional and stop-motion animation as means of communication. The course provides the theoretical and practical foundations of the following time-based media categories: drawing animation, 2D digital animation, motion graphic, 3D computer animation, cut-out, claymation, stop-motion animation.

Extended Syllabus

The theoretical and practical activities, aimed at achieving the expected learning outcomes, are:

Frontal lessons:
- taxonomy and motion design artifacts;
- design-driven production process of a motion design project;
- Social Campaigns video;
- animation techniques
- production details and brief historical excursus: cell animation, motion graphic, 2D digital animation, claymation, cut-out, stop-motion, 3D digital animation;
- the 12 principles of animation.

Workshop activities: The workshops aim at applying the 12 principles of animation and learning the main functions of the software with which students will have to carry out the final work, and include:
- the notions of frame by frame and tweening animation software, 3D animation, motion graphic, stop-motion: Adobe Animate, Adobe After Effects, Autodesk Maya, DragonFrame.
- verification of understanding by carrying out 4 exercises, each relating to one of the software being explained.

The exercises concern:
- frame by frame animation of a stickman's jump (Adobe Animate);
- the 2D interpolated animation of a calendar page (Adobe After Effects);
- 3D modeling and animation of a Christmas themed set (Autodesk Maya);
- the stop-motion animation of a bouncing ball and a splashing object (DragonFrame).
- a monographic essay: Motion designer / artist. The monographic essay on a motion designer chosen by each student will have to investigate innovations, contributions, or discoveries made by the designer. The student looks at the influences received from the designer, at the aesthetic / design effects of his work and compares style and poetics with that of other artists / designers. This exercise has the following objectives: - Define the profession of the motion designer; - Investigate the influence of motion designers and artists and their work in the history of time-based media; - Discover the philosophies, poetics, and innovations developed by these designers; - Collect references for future use. Final work: Process book and animated artefact are the most important deliveries for the overall evaluation, and concern the work on the connecting theme of the course.

Recommended Bibliography

J. Krasner (2013). Motion Graphic Design. Applied History and Aesthetic (3rd ed.). Oxford: Focal Press. [Cap. 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-11]

G. Rondolino (2016), Storia del cinema d’animazione. Dalla lanterna magica a Walt Disney, da Tex Avery a Steven Spielberg. Torino: UTET Università. [Cap. I-II-III-IV-V(fino a pag. 181)-VI(fino a pag. 215)-X-XI(fino a pag.426)]

A. Shaw (2015), Design for Motion: Fundamentals and Techniques of Motion Design. New York: Focal Press. [Cap. 1-2-3-5-6-17-18-19-20-21-22]

Teaching Methods

The knowledge of motion design products and processes is provided through lectures, workshops, assignments and a final work to be completed in groups of 3 people and evaluated in the final exam.

Evaluation methods

Verification of learning:

The final evaluation consists of the average of assessments acquired by students during the planned activities: midterm practical assignments aimed at knowing how to use software; the construction of a process book; the writing of a monographic essay about a motion designer/artist; the production of the final work, consisting of an audio-visual product made according to one of the animation techniques studied during the course; oral examination to verify the learning of theoretical contents explained during the course.

Contacts/More Information

The Motion Design course is held in the first semester. The attendance is not compulsory but strongly recommended. Students with specific needs are asked to discuss the methods of carrying out the planned activities directly with the teacher.

Università degli Studi
"G. d'Annunzio"

Chieti - Pescara

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