104807 - ANIMATION AND SPECIAL EFFECTS

Subject type: Optional

Coordinator: Jorge Oter Gonzalez

Trimester: Second term

Credits: 6

Academic year: 2025

Teaching course: 4

• Spanish

The subject will be taught in Spanish. Some content and resources may be presented in English or Catalan.

Animation and special effects are procedures present in very diverse contexts, from fiction cinema, advertising, the educational field or the world of art to video games and web and mobile environments. The objective is to learn about the different applications based on the acquisition of fundamental creative and procedural knowledge and obtain technical training to carry them out. These technical skills focus, within the subject, on design and animation tools that are current standards in the creative industry: After Effects, Photoshop and Illustrator. These allow both the creation and digital animation as well as the final composition of results under market production standards. In the post-production process, an approach to AI software for video, such as Runway or Freepik, will also be made to explore their possible uses and applications in post-production.

Beyond the technical and applied aspects, the subject focuses on the processes of conceptualization and production of this type of content, through artistic direction and the creation of the elements necessary for the development of a good 2D character design, in accordance with their physical and psychological construction, the storytelling linked to their background, and the context and environment in which they are integrated.

That is why the subject has as its driving axis and connector of the two blocks (conceptualization and animation) the creation of a project bible that will contain the conceptualization of the character, its adaptation to a 2D imaginary, the creation of a virtual environment in which to place the character, and the review of all parts of the creative process, from the concept and initial moodboards to the achievement of the final animations, composition and integration of VFX in a scene.

The classroom (physical or virtual) is a safe space, free from sexist, racist, homophobic, transphobic and discriminatory attitudes, both towards students and teachers. We trust that together we can create a safe space where we can make mistakes and learn without having to suffer prejudice from other people.

It is recommended that students, if the subject is related to their topic of interest or can contribute value to the development of the Final Degree Project (TFG), take advantage of it as an opportunity to begin preparing for it. In this case, the necessary adaptations to integrate the practical work into the subject will be assessed individually.

Block 1. Conceptualization and creativity

1. Introduction to art direction in animation

• Dedication: 2 hours in large group

• Description: Art direction as a strategic discipline. Art direction as an articulation of the on is explained and not from what explained. Roles and responsibilities of the art director. Key components.

2. Creative development and conceptualization

• Dedication: 10 h in large group and 2 h in small group

• Description: Blog in which the initial and fundamental steps for the development of a character from a creative point of view are worked on. Brief historical tour of contemporary art and aesthetics in animation.

3. Character creation

• Dedication: 4 h in large group and 6 h in small group

• Description: Creation of the character and the environment for subsequent animation within block 2 of the subject.

4. 2D animation production processes

• Dedication: 2 hours in large group

• Description: Analysis of the animation workflow.

Block 2. 2D animation and digital effects

1. Contemporary Trends in 2D Character Animation and VFX

• Dedication: 4 hours in large group

• Description: Contemporary trends in digital animation in film, television, the internet and video games. From the sitcom in adult animation. The emergence of animation platforms on television: LiquidTV and Adult Swim. Crossovers between comics, cinema and animation. Mini and micro-narratives on the internet: from Albino Blacksheep to Instagram. Corporate 2D animation: corporate MemphisTrends in video games: between hyperreality and abstraction.

2. Motion design and character animation

• Dedication: 10 h in large group and 6 h in small group

• Description: Preparation of the material and workflow between illustration and animation software. Organization and hierarchy of information for 2D animations. Advanced notions of animation in After Effects. Character animation with rigging, plugins and ActionScript (expressions) for creating complex animations and cycles.

3. Digital effects and scene composition

• Dedication: 6 h in large group and 4 h in small group

• Description: Can we talk about special effects in animation? Digital: between the paradigm shift and the return to entertainment cinema. Special effects as a replaced or improved reality.
  Scene composition techniques. Use of 3D cameras and lights. Integration of digital effects into the scene. Particle systems. Composition of animated character and rendered background.
  The use of artificial intelligence in art direction: the tension between the automation of visual decisions and traditional processes based on thorough research and authorship.
  The creative, ethical and conceptual value of manual and documentary work in the construction of aesthetic universes.
  Practical exercises in the classroom aimed at using Runway as a post-production tool, applied to work previously developed manually by students.
  How to optimize technical and expressive results without altering the original artistic conception of the project. Allowed use of AI with limitations.

4. Sound, rhythm and audiovisual narrative

• Dedication: 2 hours in large group

• Description: Sound in animated films. Concepts, resources and software. Application to students' final films.

EVALUATION

The subject is evaluated from 3 parts:

1. Learning activities: 3 activities divided with the following assessment percentages (60% of the final grade).

   - Design and artistic creativity of the character and the environment (20%).

   - 2D character animation: rigging and animation (20%).

   - Project Bible (general design document (20%)

2. Attendance at face-to-face laboratory sessions and completion of practicals (10% of the final grade).

3. Final content exam (30% of the final grade).


General description of the exam

The content exam consists of carrying out an evaluation test of the knowledge related to design and art direction reviewed in the first part of the course, and the technical concepts about animation and VFX developed in the second block.

It is mandatory to pass the content exam with a minimum of 5 to calculate the general average with the rest of the subject's activities.
 

Rules for carrying out the activities

For each activity, you will be informed of the regulations to be followed, and of the particular conditions that govern them. The realization of the practices is compulsory. Punctuality in the delivery of the different activities will be valued as follows:

-Products other than the required ones will not be accepted.

-Expired works will not be accepted.

-Deliveries will be made through the virtual campus, except in those cases where the weight of the files is higher than allowed by the server. In this case, the internship will be delivered via a Google Drive link within the virtual campus.

Given the content of the subject, creativity will be assessed based on an understanding of the theoretical and practical aspects specified in the work methodology, the correct organization of information, the preparatory sketches, the search for innovative solutions, and the graphic clarity in the result of the activities and the different follow-up works. The subject is based on the scenario of use of AI with limitations.
 

Evaluation activity in recovery period

In order to be able to access the recovery, the three evaluable parts must have been completed: 1. Learning activities, 2. Attendance at the face-to-face laboratory sessions and 3. Completion of the content exam in the regular call.

The suspended learning activities will have to be repeated under the guidance of the teachers.

The weightings of the assessable parts are the same as in the ordinary assessment for the case in which the student has had attendance and progressive monitoring of the subject. In the event that this has not been the case (activities suspended below a rating of 4), the weighting of the activities in the recovery period will be over 70%.

In case of obtaining a Not Presented in any of the parts the recovery cannot be accessed.

Information regarding plagiarism:

It is the student's responsibility to avoid plagiarism in all its forms. Identification of plagiarism is considered a serious circumstance that may result in a failing grade for an activity. In case of detection of plagiarism, the coordination of the degree will be informed so that the corresponding disciplinary measures can be taken.

Any form of academic fraud will be sanctioned in accordance with the center's assessment regulations. If signs of fraud are detected, including the improper use of generative artificial intelligence tools, the subject's teaching staff may call the student for an individual interview with the aim of verifying their authorship.

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