Projects

Lees and Margaret McMillan Primary Schools

Animation Method

The students had already visited the Cartwright Hall Art Gallery and produced work inspired by a painting on display. The students were then introduced to the animation stage of the project and shown examples of various animation techniques including model, drawn and cut-out animation. Students were encouraged to ask questions about the work they had viewed and contrast the different styles used in each film clip.

The class was divided into small groups; each group would make their own animated film based on the rhymes they had produced during the earlier gallery visit.

Students were shown examples of storyboards and shots, and discussed ideas on types of compositions and framings to use that would best express the meanings they wanted to convey. Students then worked on their own storyboard to illustrate the rhyme.

Once the individual storyboards were complete, they were photocopied. The photocopied storyboards were cut up into individual storyboard panel sections. Each member of the group contributed several of their story panels to the larger group storyboard. This aided group collaboration and provided a clear vision and idea for the film.

Once the storyboard was complete, the groups made lists of all the characters, props and backgrounds that they would need to draw in order to produce the film. Some characters needed to be drawn in a side view as well as front and back views. It was important that this stage of the production planning was completed to ensure that all sections of the storyboard could be animated when students began work on the computers. Students drew out their characters on paper according to the list they had compiled. The drawings were coloured by hand before being scanned into the computer.

Once all the images were loaded into the computer animation began. Students worked in their groups animating their own section of the film. Each group divided the work between the members; this was done according to complexity of the shot, ability or confidence of the group member and interest.

Students worked with a professional musician Joe Caswell, to create narration and sound effects for their films. Joe encouraged students to work with a range of familiar and unfamiliar musical instruments to convey the different characters and animals in their animations.

Watch the final animation