CM Animation 1

In the scope of objectives of the Carrier Module ANIMATION the student, in gradual progression, covers all essential topics, tools and methodologies relevant for autonomous production work in the specific area of Animation within Media Arts and Practices.

-semester 1.
-to acquire advanced animation work experience through practical work
-to become familiar with advanced terminology and procedures in animation (extremes, phasing, interphasing, timing, anticipation, interaction, design, visual stylization, expression of materials)
-to become comprehensively familiar with digital aproach to classical animation techniques
-to work on concrete basic animation assignments

-semester 2
-to learn all the phases in a professional preproduction workflow of an animated film
-to build concepts of animated film of quality recognizable in the context of festivals, other public screenings and further dissemination forms of animated films
-to develop and form individual author/artistic expression in the area of animated film and acquire immediate experience in the making of a film, as well as of reflectiong its public perceptions and feedbacks
-to further enrich work experience with software and hardwares related to animation production

-semester 3
-to master with all the phases in a professional production workflow of an animated film
-to work on the final version of a short animated film which should be recognized in the context of festivals, other public screenings and/or further relevant dissemination forms of animated films
-to further develop and form their author/artistic expression in the area of animated film and acquire immediate experience in the making of a film, as well as of reflecting its public perceptions and feedbacks
-to further enrich work experience with software and hardware related to animation production

General knowledge in the field of animation and animated film and expressed interest in the specific field of interest, expressed in visual arts skills, highly reflected ability of visual or verbal storytelling, computer literacy, demonstrated mastery of basic tools for recording and editing.

The Carrier Module ANIMATION integrates a broad range of technical, conceptual and aesthetic animation practices, it is consisted of three semester-long course runs that are structured around three levels of outcomes (knowledge, skills) defined as “Explore”, “Define” and “Focus”, through which students gradually acquire competence for independent animated film production in their specific field..
The following syllabus, including its aims and outcomes, comprises the vertical structure of all 3 semesters to support the student's individual pathway in gradually attaining full competence within the (Carrier Module) ANIMATION area of Media Arts and Practices. After “EXPLORING” various possibilities within the area, the student “DEFINES” own field of interest, and eventually “FOCUSES” on her/his project.

Semester 1, Carrier Module ANIMATION – “Explore”:
-becoming familiar with the terminology and procedures in animation (extremes, phasing, interphasing, timing, anticipation, interaction, design, visual stylization, expression of materials)

-exploring varieties of animation technics: traditional drawn animation, stop motion animation (puppet animation, cutout animation, caly animation, pixalisation), computer animation etc.

-exploring varieties of visual language(s) and means of expression: drawing, sculpting, photography, computer modelling, graphics etc.
-learning, developing and using basic elements of animation: script and storyboard, creation of a visual concept, editing, creation of a soundtrack
-exploring roles in Studio projects.
Semester 2, Carrier Module ANIMATION – “Define”:

• student's own project and the chosen means of expression, technics, tools, individual visual language.
• the project and its phases, timeline, production plan(preparing for semester 3)
• student's own role in Studio projects
• elements of animation: script and storyboard, creation of a visual concept, animation, editing, creation of a soundtrack, building the relationship between the story and visual appearance.

Semester 3, Carrier Module ANIMATION – “Focus”:
-finalizing and preproducing individual author's animated film project
-finding additional resources esp. production facilities
-looking for possible co-producers in the local community-final story board, character building, space building, animatic, starting of animation, plan for postproduction, soundtrack, effects etc.

After semester 3 the student implements and/or finalizes the master project within the scope of the Master Thesis module, in semester 4.

Explore
(Students will)
-independently make hort animated work
-Independently use terminology, tools and procedures as well as participate in group work
-evaluate and critically analyze general esthetic and artistic achievements in the sphere of animation and related fields

Define
(Students will)
-acquire practical experience and theoretical knowledge related to the entire preproduction stage in the making of an animated film
-to articulate their own author integral project in terms of a complete plan, and adequately prepare all elements for the production stage

Focus
(Students will)
- bring their individual artistic project to the final stage, assuring its successful completion
-master all the phases and elements of animated film production
- acquire knowledge and skills that will enable them to make independently their own animated films according to all the professional standards in their specific field (within the area of animation)

• Pilling, Jayne: A Reader in Animation Studies, John Libbey & Company Ltd 1997. Catalogue E-version
• Williams, Richard: The Animators Survival Kit, Faber and Faber Ltd 2001. Catalogue E-version
• Muybridge, Eadweard: Animals in Motion, Dover Publications Inc, 1957. Catalogue E-version
• Muybridge, Eadweard: The Human Figure in Motion, Dover Publications Inc, 1955. Catalogue E-version
• Gasek, Tom: Frame-by-Frame Stop Motion, Focal Press, 2011. Catalogue E-version
• Wright, Jean Ann: Animation Writing and Development, Focal Press 2005. Catalogue E-version
• Shaw, Susannah: Stop Motion: Craft Skills for Model Animation, Focal Press 2008. Catalogue E-version
• OBE, John Halas, Whitaker Harold: Timing for Animation, Second Edition, Focal Press, 2009. Catalogue E-version
• Winder, Catherine, Dowlatabadi Zahra: Producing Animation, Butterworth Heinemann, 2001.Catalogue E-version
• Sullivan Karen, Schumer, Gary: Ideas for the Animated Short: Finding and Building Stories, Focal Press, 2008. Catalogue E-version
• Laybourne, Kit: The Animation Book, Crown Publications, 1998. Catalogue E-version
• Katz, Steven D.: Film Directing: Shot by Shot - 25th Anniversary Edition: Visualizing from Concept to Screen, Michael Wiese; 2019. E-catalogue E-version
• Ansen Dibell: Plot (Writer's Workshop), CONSTABLE AND ROBINSON, 1990 E-version
• James Monaco: How to Read a Film: The World of Movies, Media, Multimedia:Language, History, Theory, Oxford University Press, 1st 1977, 3rd edition 2000 Catalogue E-version
• Bendazzi, Giannalberto: Cartoons, One hundred years of cinema animation, John Libbey & Company Ltd 1994. Catalogue E-version
• Bendazzi, Giannalberto: Animation: A World History. Vol. I-III. Routledge, 2017. Catalogue E-version2
• Sandy Flitterman-Lewis, Robt Stam: New Vocabularies in Film Semiotics: Structuralism, post-structuralism and beyond, Routledge, 1992 E-version
• Peguet Julia, SKRIVNOSTI ANIMATORJA, Pipinova knjiga 2021. Catalogue

Type (examination, oral, coursework, project): - regular coursework according to syllabus - final documentation, with presentation - oral examination Grading scheme: 50% regular coursework 20% final documentation 30% final presentation and/or oral exam

KOLJA SAKSIDA (Slovenian, born 1981) received his Master degree in Film Studies from the ECAL University of Art and Design, Lausanne. Kolja works in the field of filmmaking as a director, producer and teacher.

His animated series Koyaa – Wild Life was screened with success on the national Radio Television Slovenia throughout the 2005 season. Kolja also realized the short puppet animated films Kiddo – Slingshot, Koyaa the Extraordinary, Koyaa – Flower, Koyaa – Naughty Toy Car, Koyaa – Flying Workbook, Koyaa – Dancing Socks, Koyaa – Silly Stickers, Koyaa – Freezing Scarf, Koyaa – Wild Sunbed … and the animated film Azulejo or visual illusion created in mixed technique. His films were shown at more than 250 international film festivals, televisions and other venues worldwide. As a mentor and producer, Kolja leads animation workshops for children, youth and adults. Films made at
his workshops received numerous accolades at home and abroad. Kolja was invited as a resident artist at CEC Arts Link (New York), Open Workshop (Denmark), Talent Campus (Berlin and Sarajevo), Nipkow program (Berlin), Prime 4 Kids & Family program (Berlin) and CEE animation workshop , Trebon, Budapest).

As a producer, he also focuses on the development and realization of ideas by other authors and ensures that the initial synopsis is used to create an author's animated film, either in the stop motion technique or in the 2D technique. He co-creates animated films and series in collaboration with many domestic and foreign artists, co-creators, partners and co-producers. In recent years, as a producer, he has taken care of the realization of the animated films Farewell (dir. Leon Vidmar), Liliana (dir. Milanka Fabjančič). He is currently producing an animated film Of Unwanted things and
people: Yesterday's Newspaper (dir. Leon Vidmar). The film will be part of an international feature omnibus realized in the technique of stop animation.

As an co-editor and co-author of texts, he participated in the creation of Animate! - Handbook for animated film in kindergartens and schools (Zavod RS za šolstvo, 2016).

As a mentor and producer, he leads animated film and training workshops for islands, youth and adults. Short animated films created in the workshops receive numerous awards at home and abroad. Kolja is an associate professor of animated film at the Academy of Arts of the University of Nova Gorica.

Kolja is a member of the European Film Academy, a vice president of the Slovenian Animated Film Association (D: SAF!), a member of the Slovenian Audiovisual Producers Association (DAVP) and the founder of the production house ZVVIKS.