Unit 1: Planning, researching and developing ideas for a specialist brief part 1.

There are 5 parts to Unit 1 the first one we are working on is:

1 Plan how to investigate the requirements of a brief/project.

Here is what the exam board wants;

Brief/project could be:
• set by a real client
• set by a teacher acting as a client
• self-identified, where a need exists and is presented to a client
Establish details with ‘client’:
• specification
• ideas, expectations
• audience
• budget
• deadlines – review, feedback, completion
Plan how time will be organised and managed

TASK 1 : Your first task is to get a sketchbook. you will need a sketchbook for all of your units so start getting your sketchbooks in now!

TASK 2: You now need to find an interesting project to work on for unit 1, remember you will be taking this into unit 3 so choose something that you know you will want to be working on for a long time. your brief needs to require a short animation to be produced for something, this could be something like:

a web advert or online animation to advertise something:

An animated cartoon to tie in with a product like a new book release etc..,

an animated music video etc...,

If you can find a real client then that would be brilliant but if you can't and have a good idea then I can act as the client for you, or if you have identified a need that would require a short animation produced for it then you yourself can be the client! (I hope that makes sense!)

Task 3: Now you have your project you need to write a brief, this needs to go at the front of your sketch book. the more detail you can fit into your brief the better.

below is a pro forma you can copy and paste into word and fill in to make it easy for you.


PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Project Title: (You need to give your project a name)

Project Type: Short Animated film/ A series of short animations

Company: (this will be who ever the job is for. If you want me to act as the client put Norkest media)

Briefing Date: (todays date)

WHERE ARE WE NOW?
Current Situation: (This is the problem that needs solving, this will be something like you have an upcoming event that needs to be advertised or a tv show needs a title sequence etc..)

WHERE DO WE WANT TO BE? (what do we need the animation to do?)

HOW WILL WE KNOW WE'VE ARRIVED? (How will we know if the animation is successfull?, this could be through showing it to the target audience and getting positive reviews from them)

WHAT ARE WE DOING TO GET THERE? (what are you going to do? this is an easy one, your going to reasearch the project, find your target audience and create an animation that appeals to them)


Campaign Strategy

Key Messages: (What is the main message that you are trying to get across?)

Key Media: Toon boom studio

Tonal/Brand Values: (What will the feel of the animation be? fun and appealing to kids, or dark and moody etc)

WHO DO WE NEED TO TALK TO?

Definition of target group: Insights into this target group: (Who is your target audience)

PRACTICALITIES AND APPROVALS

Budgets: (You will need to work out how much the task wil cost you, include stuff like the cost of the animation software you use and also how many hours you will spend on it. Obviously you arent really going to get a budget, however you need to pretend that you actually are working to a budget for the exam board)

Timings: Deadline Nov 20th 2009 (you will also need to arrange a time half way through to have an official meeting with me about how your project is going, I will leave this up to you)

Appendices (to be attached to brief): (this will be any additional information that you might need to include)

Task 4:

Lets get animating!

your last task of the week is a basic animation test, however despite it being simple its probably one of the most important techniques you will ever learn.

Squash and stretch

Your going to animate a simple ball dropping and bouncing several times.

Sounds easy doesnt it, however its also important that you can use squash and stretch, it doesnt just apply to a rubber ball bouncing it can be used when making a character move, facial expressions and in nearly every part of a good animation.

You will learn the following animation skills from doing this task.

make sure you make a note of these and understand them as you will be using them a lot in the next 2 years.

PATH OF ACTION.

TIMING

SQUASHED drawings to create the illusion of weight, contact.

STRETCHED drawings to create the illusion of speed.

KEYDRAWINGS, BREAKDOWNS, INBETWEENS.

SLO-IN (transition drawings)builds momentum.

SLO-OUT (transition drawings)reduces momentum.