ICA40811
Certificate IV in Digital Media Technologies
2D Animation Cluster
CUFPPM404A
Create Storyboards
&
CUFANM301A
Create 2D Animations
Learner Resources
About This Cluster
This assignment is a cluster of two units:
CUFPPM404A - Create Storyboards
This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to
create storyboards.
The creation of storyboards is a critical skill in the design and development of a broad
range of digital content, including video, film, animation and interactive media.
Depending on the type and scale of production, a range of people could be
responsible for creating storyboards, including storyboard artists, designers,
producers and information architects. In the film and television industry, people
creating storyboards work closely with directors to visualise productions
CUFANM301A - Create 2D Animations
This unit describes the performance outcomes, skills and knowledge required to use
industry-current software to create 2D animations.
This unit addresses basic 2D animation skills directed at developing animations for
inclusion in interactive media products, short stand-alone animated sequences and
basic games.
A person in this role works closely with other members of a production team and
reports to a senior animator, designer, director or producer. The short dynamic
animations they produce may include audio components.
Summary Of This Assignment
During this assignment, we will be exploring the areas of storyboarding and 2D animation
whilst developing skills within. You will be primarily be using the software Adobe After
Effects, but basic sketching, photography, audio manipulation and video editing will be
utilized.
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What is Animation? (TASK ONE)
Traditionally, animation was the process of displaying still images in rapid sequence so that
they appeared to be moving. More recently, with the increased use of computers, animation
has become a whole lot more.
In 1820, the first two frame animation technique was
used in the form of a Thaumatrope. Pictured right,
you can see how by spinning two images back-toback on a piece of string you give the illusion of
animation. Within the following decades, this evolved
into the Zoetrope (pictured below) and of course, the
flipbook.
By 1906, animations were incorporated into film by
photographing or drawing each frame. This is called ‘Stop
Motion’. Within the decade, the use of celluloid film makes
animation a lot easier by allowing animations to be layered.
For example the background and main character could be
animated separately meaning that each frame would not
require as much painful duplication of static objects.
In 1928, Walt Disney adds sound to a moving image in his
short animation ‘Steamboat Willie’. In 1937 Disney produce
the first, full length feature film ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’.
Advancements in animation continue throughout the century as Claymation take off and are
widely used from 1950 – 1980. Look at examples such as ‘Wallace & Grommit’ which are
more recent examples of this technique.
From the early eighties, ‘Computer Generated Imagery’ (CGI) takes off and is being used in
the TV & Movie industries. The Last Starfighter (1984) is the first motion picture to heavily
utilise this technique.
By 1995, 3D CGI and video compositing has improved dramatically and Toy Story is the first
movie to be entirely made using computers.
Advancements in animation continue to evolve and rely more heavily on the use and
involvement of computers and software. Consider the integration of face mapping in Avatar
and Grand Theft Auto (video game) which map the facial expressions onto 3D computer
models.
You should carry out some research on Youtube and view the following videos and
animations:
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Humorous phases of Funny faces (1906)
Gertie the dinosaur (1914)
Steamboat Willie (1928)
Avatar: Motion Capture Mirrors Emotions (www.youtube.com/ 1wK1Ixr-UmM)
The Art of Animation and Motion Graphics (www.youtube.com/X0hVEH4se-0)
Animation History & Techniques (www.youtube.com/watch?v=_F6HLQWFdNM)
2
What are Key Frames?
Keyframes are used in computer animation to change characteristics
over a period of time.
Typically you would use at least two keyframes in a section of
animation. Each keyframe has characteristics applied to it... For
example, the first keyframe at two seconds may be “size 90px”, the
second keyframe at five seconds may be “size 2000px”.
So, over the course of three seconds, whatever the keyframes were
applied to will increase in size from 90-2000px.
Key frames can be applied to almost any characteristic such as size,
position, rotation, colour, blur, effect property, etc.
Summary of Animation techniques (TASK ONE – Assessment 1)
There are several methods of creating animations, below are a few examples:
Computer generated – Perhaps, the most popular method today. Computer
generated animation can include 2D & 3D animation and may involve traditional stopmotion styles or the more modern key-framing techniques.
Flipbook Animation – A primitive form of animation not generally used for video
output. Each page or ‘frame’ is layered in a book and thumbed through at a speed
that gives the illusion of movement.
Rotoscoping – This is the art of ‘drawing’ directly on top of video to animate special
effects. Whilst this was popular in the 1980’s (Roger Rabbit) it has been replaced by
modern ‘compositing’ techniques.
Traditional Animation – Before computers were used, each frame was painted or
drawn. Typically, there may be up to 25 frames per second (fps) which would make
the process very laborious as there would be no use of layers!
Stop Motion Animation – Consider taking a photograph for each frame, again for
typically 25fps, each frame has subtle changes in movement.
Claymation – A stop motion technique that utilizes clay as the primary medium.
Characteristically captured with a stills photography camera.
Evaluating Other Animations (TASK ONE – Assessment 2)
Your second assessment tasks requires you to locate and evaluate two animated opening
credits for propular TV shows or movies. This could include any of the following but you are
encouraged to find something you are familiar with:
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Catch Me If You Can
Breaking Bad
Z Nation
American Dad
In the example below, we will examine the intro for the TV show ‘Fringe’
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4Vvs_JAh04) - DO NOT USE THIS EXAMPLE FOR
YOUR ASSESSMENT!
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What did you like, or dislike about the intro?
Taste is a very subjective matter that draws upon the personal interests and experiences of
the viewer. You should aim to be critical by deconstructing why you like a particular
element or not. For example, quality of the work could be mentioned. Similarly your
characteristics as a member of the audience should be considered as to how the video
appeals to you with tools such as music, style or emotional manipulation. For example,
being loosely related to the X-Files in terms of subject matter and style, you could say that as
a fan of the 90’s TV series, you find similar products such as this appealing.
What animation styles or techniques have been used?
This is a blend of 2D and 3D graphics (known as ‘2.5D’). Research will uncover that the
creator of this animated intro is Andrew Kramer, he has created his own software called
‘Element 3D’ that allows excellent integration of 3D models within 2D projects. He works
primarily with After Effects and Cinema 4D software.
As for the techniques themselves, you can see the use of realistic, physical camera effects
such as lens blur (bokeh) and depth on it’s many, many layers. This gives it a sense of
realism rather than a cartoonish style. Additionally, clever use of highly stylised 3D lighting
effects have been adopted. Furthermore particle effects have been used as well as intense
colour grading and vignetting.
Size, speed, and rotation have all been manipulated with key frames to add a dynamic
nature to the video.
What are the defining characteristics of the video’s target audience?
Watching your chosen videos for signs that appeal to specific audiences can reveal a great deal
about the motivations of the animator. Below are two examples that we could examine in this
particular video:
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Text & Typography – The key words used on this directly link to interests of the
views (Cybernetics, Artificial Intelligence, etc). This would suggest viewers of an
intellectual or ‘geeky’ nature
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Colouring - The dark tones and contrasting light effects would suggest mystery and
conspiracy themes that may appeal to those with an interest in these genres.
In your own examples, you should examine things such as:
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Music
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Indicators of audience demographics (age, gender, education, occupation, etc)
 Indicators of audience psychographics (personality traits, humour, values, etc)
Ask yourself how these things are used and what they represent.
Where does the video draw inspiration from?
Given the genre of the piece, there is a large body of similar works, most notably the 90’s TV
series X-Files. This is very similar in style, theme and content. It uses a more contemporary
approach to delivering the material.
You should suggest both technical and stylistic sources that you feel the videos have drawn
inspiration from.
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How has text been used or animated within the videos?
Text in this example has been used in two key ways, firstly, keywords are embedded into the
animation to enhance the theme. These are physically part of the animation and the camera
effects itself so that blur and movement are considered. Secondly, the show’s logo has been
created using 3D modelling and broken apart then played back in reverse. This is a very modern
technique used in 3D typography. It would also be useful here to discuss the textures and
materials placed on to the 3D objects and why they wre chosen.
How has audio been used to enhance the video or animation?
Only music has been used in this clip, however the pace and feel of the music drives the speed
and intensity of the animation. You should consider how the beat motivates cuts and anchors
movement.
How complex do you think the production of the videos was?
Although high in quality, this kind of video can be re-created rather easily once basic techniques
are understood. A solid understanding of layers, 3D and physical camera effects and 2.5D
compositing would be required. Tutorials to establish an understanding of this technique can be
found at videocopilot.net or greyscalegorilla.com
Scripting & Preparation
Task three requires that you plan and script a story before storyboarding it. You can see
example scripts at www.imsdb.com but they should follow the basic format below that
includes descriptions of the location, audio, character motivations and dialogue:
Ext. Brisbane rooftop high above the city skyline. Night.
LONG SHOT. Two men stand in the rain staring at each other. One holds a
briefcase, the other is holding an envelope in the air.
MAN ONE (HOLDING ENVELOPE):
I couldn’t get all of the money. This is all I have?
MAN TWO (HOLDING BRIEFCASE):
If you don’t have all of the money, you don’t get the case.
The man holding the briefcase turns and walks away. The other character falls to his
knees and cries. The camera moves closer to the man holding the briefcase.
...
Storyboarding Techniques
You will be provided with a separate handout that will be used throughout the course. It will cover
storyboarding techniques and resources you can use for this task.
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Project Specification (TASK THREE)
Your large project begins in task four. Having established basic skills in the previous tasks,
you will now begin to plan your own animation. You must ensure that all of the project
specification is understood and included within the animation.
REMEMBER: You are creating an advert for a company of your choosing. It must be at
least 30 seconds long. ALL TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS CAN BE FOUND IN TASK
EIGHT OF THE ASSIGNMENT BRIEF.
You should write your project specification in Microsoft Word. You must include your name,
project title and clear headings for each of the sections below in addition to any other
material you wish to include. Below are some notes that will help you with the specification:
Summary of the client and overview of the intended advert
You must explain who your client is and why they need an advert. Additionally, you must
provide a description of your intended advert. It is important that you discuss the ‘Key Message’
and ‘Call To Action’.
What is a Key Message? You key message is the main point you are trying to get across to
your audience. The message should be concise, different/unique and appeal to the target
audience. For example, the key message for health insurance might be “Get our health
cover or risk high medical fees” or a gym’s key message may be “join our gym to get healthy,
sexy and find a partner”.
What is a Call To Action (CTA)? Once the audience have received the key message, you want
them to act upon it. This could something like booking a consultation, calling you or
requesting a quote. The CTA builds momentum of the customer to buy your service,
without it they may forget or not choose your company at all.
Below is an example of how to write this section:
“The project is about a commercial advert for a new earphones brand release. The main
idea is to convince the targeted audience that they should buy these new earphones.
The Key message is “you should get them because they will make your days more
bearable”. These earphones are supposed to have the most amazing stereo- surround
system, that will isolate the user from the street noise and make them feel abducted and
taken into a music world. The Call to action section of the video will induct the customer
to approach the most common stores where the earphones can be purchased.”
Technical Information about the final video (duration, frame rate, resolution, file type,
required hardware, etc.)
The assessment brief includes many specifications you must include (task eight). You must
demonstrate that you understand them and have made appropriate decisions based on this.
You should consider the following:
Duration: The brief states that your advert must be at least 30 seconds. Most adverts TV are
not much longer so you must decide how long your will be. This guide will determine the
cost of your broadcast as most advertising would pay by the second!
Frame Rate: Videos can run at different frame rates, cameras even shoot footage at varying
frame rates. Whilst film (cinema) has a frame rate of 24 FPS (frames per second), broadcast
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TV in Australia and many other parts of the world have 25FPS as they use PAL. In this
assignment, you must use 25FPS. So don’t forget to set this as a property in your Adobe
software!
Resolution: There are several possible resolutions for your products. Initially you should
determine if you will have a standard definition (SD) video or High definition (HD). Obviously
the quality for HD products is much better and is becoming a broadcast standard.
Don’t forget that when choosing HD, all images and assets used within must be very large
(high resolution) so they do become pixelated when stretched.
It is recommended that you choose a widescreen aspect ration (16:9)
Below are some suggested resolutions for your final video. They are measured in pixels.
SD
720 x 576
HD (720)
1280x720
HD (1080)
1920x1080
There is another option you must consider; this is wether to use progressive or interlaced
frames. You may have previously seen numbers like ‘720p’ or ‘1080i’. Where possible, you
should choose progressive frames (p) as the quality will be much better.
Discuss Creative Concepts & Ideas for the video (include reference examples and inspiration)
You must explain the ideas you have for your video and provide some similar videos or artwork
that have given your inspiration. For example, a breakdown of your video that summarises the
overall stylistic themes would be recommended. Likewise a narrative description of your video
that explains what will happen as the video progresses would be beneficial.
You may wish to split your advert into three or more phases (start, middle and end), then
describe in detail the look, feel and content of part.
Description of how you will apply screen, visual design and communication principles within
the advert
Within your animated video, you must adhere to a range of communication principles that help
convey your message in the most effective way possible. You will describe how each of the
following have been applied and considered:
Editing: As an editor, you have full control over pace, time, meaning and representation of
the content. This is all manipulated with the amount of time a shot is on screen for, how it is
coloured and how one transitions from one to the next.
Framing: This refers to the size and placement of the subject matter on screen. Refer to
your storyboarding handout to familiarise yourself with the relevant shot sizes (long shot,
close up, etc) then discuss our motivations for framing shots in this way.
Within your framing and composition, you should discuss elements of balance, emphasis,
focal point, perspective and proportion.
Lighting: Contrast and brightness can change the mood of a video. Consider how lighting
can be used in your video.
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Narrative & Story-telling: Think about how your animation progresses from start, to the
middle to the end. Do you tell a story? If so, how is your story told? It could be verbally,
visually or a combination.
Explanation of the techniques you will use to storyboard the project
You should refer to your storyboarding handout and the notes from class to identify a preferred
method of storyboarding. It may include talking photographs and importing them into a word
document, hand drawing each frame, or using online software to build and place each
component.
You should explain why you are using one particular method over another and discuss what
other methods will be included such as using arrows, joining frames, adding written text for
sound and vision.
Explanation of the software you will use to create the animation (explain why and what
specific tools it offers)
There are numerous software solutions for computer animation. The choice depends on
your specific requirements. For example, if working on a 3D film, you may wish to use
3D Studio Max or Cinema 4D which are excellent professional packages for modelling,
character rigging, 3D environments, effects and animation. For 2D animation you may
wish to use Adobe After Effects, Flash or ToonBoom.
During this assignment we will be using Adobe After Effects. The version we will be
using in class is After Effects Creative Cloud (CC).
Why are we using After Effects:
 Excellent, industry standard animation & motion graphics tools
 2D & 3D environments
 Seamless integration with all Adobe software (Premiere, Illustrator, Flash,
Photoshop, etc)
 Use of transparency, layers & Effects
 Puppeteering tool
 Key-framing
How can I learn After Effects?
By far, the best free resource for learning After Effects can be found at Video Copilot’s website. Go to www.videocopilot.net/basic and follow their ‘Basic Training.
For general character animation, you may want to visit
http://vimeo.com/album/1603446
Having practiced some of the techniques in class, you should have a basic understanding of what
the software offers and how it’s tools can be used.
You should aim to highlight and explain how After Effects allows you to perform the following:
 acceleration/deceleration
 audio integration
 hinges and pivots
 key frames and tweens
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looping backgrounds
motion paths
rotation
speed/motion blur.
Many of After Efefcts features can be found at
https://www.adobe.com/au/products/aftereffects.html
Summary of Target Audience, their characteristics and how you will appeal to them
You should identify the audience that you are intending to engage with. Their key
characteristics should be identified and you should create a response that explains how you will
appeal to them. For example, if your audience are 16-21 year old, Australian boys, you could
classify more of their traits such as hobbies and interests. As a result of this you could
determine the best way to get their attention and make them like what you are selling. Music,
suggestion and imagery are excellent ways to do this.
Reviewing your Project (TASK EIGHT)
The final task in the assessment is to review the project. Below are some tips that will help you
answer.
Overall success of the project and how it met the original specifications
During this assessment, you have planned for and created an animation. You must evaluate
if your planning and original specifications match the final product. You should check that
they also match the specifications on the project brief and identify what worked and what
didn’t. if you have any particular successes or shortfalls, discuss them and explain why they
were good or bad.
What storyboard techniques would you use or abandon next time?
Having developed your storyboarding skills and applied them to a number of activities,
which do you feel were better than others? For example, if you were to create another
storyboard in future, would you use a camera or hand draw? Would you make it more
detailed or less? Explain your answers and link them to examples in your work.
How did you backup your storyboard files for contingency?
Throughout the project, you will have been encouraged to backup your work through a
number of possible ways such as USB stick, dropbox or email. Explain which methods you
used, if you had to recall a backup for any reason and what you would use next time in a
project such as this.
How did you liaise with your producer and submit them for approval?
The Producer (tutor) oversees the project and acts as the authorising personnel for key
decisions you present to them. At several stages throughout the assignment you will have
had to coordinate with them to ask for approval or feedback.
Task five required you to create a draft storyboard to show the producer. Task six involves a
consultation with your producer in which you gather feedback and document it. You must
discuss this process and explain if you feel it worked or not.
What areas of improvements would you make to your storyboarding process?
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If you were to do a similar project in future, what improvements would you make to the way
you storyboard as a result other classes and project outcomes.
How do you think your intended audience would react to your advert. Explain your
answer.
Having identified your audience earlier in the assessment and determined how you would
appeal to them, you must now write about the actual responses they would have to the final
project. Would it make them want to buy your product and follow up on your call to action?
If so why? If not, why not?
Summary of your reflections doing 2D animation (strengths & weaknesses)
Provide an overall summary of the project. Explain what new skills you have learned and
how they can be applied in future. Discus your ability as an animator and evaluate your
skills. If you were to create another animation in future, what would you do differently and
why?
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