Animation Project #1 day 2 instructions AND reflection. Posted 1/29, due 2/3 - MAJOR and Minor

Today you will finish shooting your video. Once you are done, you and your partner will EACH download all of the images you have taken. You will EACH be making your own video using those images.

To download the images:

1. Carefully take the SD card out of the camera. I will demonstrate in class how to do that. The SD card is spring loaded so you have to push down and it will pop up so you can take it out.

2. Insert the SD card into the card reader at your computer. Make sure the gold boxes are facing upwards when you insert it. The card readers are NOT spring loaded, so you just push it in until it stops. You may need to hold the back of the card reader a little to get it firmly into the reader.

3. On your desktop should be an ICON that looks like the SD Card and is probably called EOS-DIGITAL. Double click to open it. Open DCIM. Open 100Canon. 

4. On your desktop, make a new folder, title it Animation 1. Open that folder.

5. Go back to the 100Canon folder. Use Command-A to select all of the images and then click, hold and drag them into the Animation 1 folder.

6. Let the images process.

7. When all the images are transferred, go back to the EOS DIGITAL ICON and Right-click-EJECT the icon. It will disappear from the screen. 

8. Take the SD card out of the reader and CAREFULLY put it back into the camera. DO NOT FORCE IT. If you need help ASK!!

To make the video using iMovie:

1. Go to the launcher in your Dock

2. Find iMovie and open it

3. Now watch the videos below to learn how to import images into iMovie and to make your stop-motion animation.

REMEMBER - you both need to make your own movie, because next time you will make your OWN stop-motion animation video and you need to know how to make your own video.

This video will show you how to bring the video's into iMovie and to set up all the boxes in the program to get the video working properly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DfNd85lbKYE

This video will show you how to increase the speed of the video. Remember that the fastest frame rate you can get is 10 FPS and I would love to see you get to 12 or even 15 FPS. This video shows you how to achieve that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U74PkcoIePk

I am going to include a couple more videos that I found that do a decent job of explaining how to do the video if watching another video would help you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSaGLUmSNJo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U74PkcoIePk

Turning in your Movie

There are numerous ways to accomplish this. I will walk you through the easiest way I know here:

1. At the top menu on the right click Share
2. Export movie as a FILE- a pop-up box will appear
3. In that pop-up box, change the resolution to 720p (it will probably say 1080p)
4. In that same pop-up box, change the quality to Medium (it will probably say High)
5. Rename the movie to Lastname_Animation1
6. Make sure the file is directed to your desktop

When the movie is finished exporting - it could take 3-4 minutes or more. It MUST have a .mov at the end of the final designation, ex. Reeves_Animation1.mov, if it does not look like that, you will need to do it again.

7. Once it is done generating (watch the little timer in the corner), move that file into your Drive.

8. Click SHARE and make sure it is set to BOWIE HIGH can VIEW

9. Get the link

10. Go to your Google Site and make a new subpage called Animation 1 and use the EMBED function on the Insert Pane on the right and paste the link there.

11. HIT PUBLISH so I can watch it.

Reflection (This is a Minor grade)

Now that you have finished your project, it is time to reflect upon what you created.

On a new page on your Google Site on a page called Animation Project #1 Reflection please answer the following questions:

Questions

1. What aspects of your video turned out well? Explain your answer.

2. What aspects of your video didn't turn out as well as you hoped? Explain your answer.

3. Explain the parts of the project, as a whole, that were easier to complete?

4. Explain what parts of the project, as a whole, were more difficult to complete?

5. What App, website, or program did you use to make your video?

6. Would you recommend that App, website or program to a friend who was assigned a similar task?

7. If you could do your project again, what would you change or do again?

8. On a scale of 1-10 how much did you enjoy this project? Explain your answer and what you would recommend the teacher do to make the project better for future students

Animation Project #1. Assigned 1/20, due 1/27 - MAJOR

For the animation unit, I do want us to complete two projects using stop-motion. I am going to break this project down into four parts. There will be FOUR grades for this project.

Day 1 - Part 1 – Planning - minor

Day 1 & 2 - Part 2 - Story Board - minor

Day 2 & 3 - Part 3 – Shooting the project - MAJOR

Day 3 - Part 4 – Reflection - minor

If you miss a day or two during this process, you should do whatever you can at home. If you use your cell phone, you can easily do this at home. If you are here in class, you will create it using a DSLR camera and you will use iMovie to process the video.

 

Part 1 - PLANNING

 

First, let’s do some planning for your shoot. You will be using everyday objects to tell a short story. So you can use clay or Play-Doh, Legos, model figures like GI Joe or Barbie dolls, stuffed animals, or if you want you can make a stop motion presentation using your imagination and all kinds of objects.

 

Your project must have a character or a subject and it must either tell a story or show a sequence of events i.e. your subjects must move. Your video must be at least 10 seconds in length, but please do not exceed 45 seconds.

Check out this overall tutorial:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5wgXmOqcMY

 

Here is a traditional stop-motion video using a character, and telling a story, using clay:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kA2XrXeHSRg

 

Here is another option, that has a subject (candy) and shows a sequence of events:

 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DFzjP6PbnU

 

And here is a stop motion video using Legos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38qSx5gqBCE

Using action figures:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BJUyutdOw0

Finally, here is one using paper cutouts:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hB62sUW-8OM

Obviously you can use YouTube to find lots of stop motion videos and tutorials.

On your Google Site, create a new subpage called Animation Project planning - Explain your ideas for your stop-motion project. Write a few sentences (2-3) telling me what materials you will need, and what story you want to tell for the project. Don't labor or agonize about this. As with all plans, you might get started and need to change up. Just give me an idea of what you think you might do.

Part 2 - STORY BOARD

The first step to is plan out your video. The best way to do this is to create a story board. 

What is a story board? Well I am glad you asked. Here is what a story board is with a couple of examples:

 

https://www.vyond.com/blog/what-is-a-storyboard-and-why-do-you-need-one/#:~:text=A%20storyboard%20is%20a%20graphic,the%20script%20during%20that%20shot.

 

Now that you know what you are going to be doing on a new page on your Google Site called Animation Project Planning, please answer the following questions:

 

1. Think about what you have at your home, what might you use as your character(s) or subject?

2. Now think about your “story” you might tell or the sequence of events you want to share. What do you think you might try to do?

3. What is the purpose of the story board?

4. What are at least two programs/apps you can use to create a story board?

5. What is one movie that you have seen that utilizes stop motion animation? (HINT: you can do a Google search to get a pretty comprehensive list of them)

Now it's time to make a story board. The story board is a guide for what will happen in your animated video. You have two options to make these story boards. I strongly recommend the first option as it will make your life much simpler to meet the requirements and probably won't take you as long. You will need to create a story board of 8-16 frames (must be an EVEN AMOUNT). 

Option #1

You will get paper and colored pencils from me. I do NOT expect highly detailed drawings. These are sketches to show what will happen in your video. You may create 2 "boards" on a single sheet of paper if you would like. You will each need to turn in 6-8-10-12 sheets of paper to represent your Story Board. There is a sample video below for those of you who don't not feel like you can draw very well. I found it helped me when I made mine because I am not that great at drawing.

You will also need to take photos of your individual story boards and then transfer those photos to your Google Drive and from there onto your Google Site. You can use your Chromebook to take those photos, or you can create them digitally - see below.

Option #2

For those of you who like to create things electronically, I am open to using different computer-based programs to make a story board. For example, you could create a series of sketches in Google Draw which is located in your Google Drive, or using https://sketch.io/sketchpad/

If you have another app or program you would like to use, I am fine with that. The expectations are the same, you will need to create a 8-16 "page" story board and I will need to be able to see the sequence on your Google Site. That means you ultimately need to get them out of those programs as a .JPEG or a .PNG most likely. If you use a program that doesn't allow for that, you could alternatively take screen shots of each "page" of your story board and then place those on your Google Site.

I am not a tech expert in every program, so it is on you to figure out how to achieve what I expect to see on your Google Site. No exceptions.

If you plan your Story Board based on one idea and you eventually create a completely different animated video, I will be fine with that. You can plan one thing and do another.

 

Here is a tutorial for those of you who don’t feel like you are much of an artist and need some advice:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ux_Em1lVsjI

Next time we are together, you will need to have all the things you need to create your animated video, so DON'T FORGET TO BRING WHATEVER YOU NEED: lego set, figures, play dough, candy, etc. I will have some of these things available, but I DO NOT have enough for everyone. I will show you more samples next class of student created items.

Famous Animators. Assigned 1/15, due 1/20 - Minor

This assignment gives you the opportunity to look at the work of 5 notable Animators. 

Check out this website: https://conceptartempire.com/famous-animators/

Select 5 of the animators on the list and go research them. You are welcome to use people not on this list, just make sure you give me links so I can go check them out.

On your Google Site, make a new subpage (remember to use the 3-dots next to the 3rd 9 weeks subpage you made last class) and title it Famous Animators. 

Please include the following for each of the 5 people you choose:

1. The name of the animator.
2. At least one image of a character or animation that they are best known for underneath their name.  You can select the image from the article or any other creation of theirs that you found online. To save a photo right click and choose save to your Google Drive This will only work if you can save as an image format such as a JPEG or PNG. If you cannot right click take a screen shot of the character, and move the screen shot to your Google Drive.
3. List three things each Animator is best known for. It can be a character, show movie, TV show cartoon strip or other sort of animation work.
4. Explain in two sentences why you liked their work in specific terms - it can be the characters, the colors, the style, humor of the animation, a specific show or movie they worked on, it's your preference, please explain it to me. 
5. Which examples of their work have you already seen, if you haven't seen any share at least one example of their work that you now wish to watch?  Explain write about what you enjoyed about their work or what you think you will like.
6. URL for websites where you found information for that person.

Make sure you do this for FIVE people.

Animation Careers. Assigned 1/13, due 1/15 - Minor

Animation day 2!! I am looking forward to planning and working on the project with you soon. You will be making a short animation. There will be options, but the most logical will be a stop-motion animation using either drawings, play-doh/clay, or figurines. I will give you time to get things to school, and I will bring a few things to help if you need stuff.

This class was designed to give you a peek at a number of potential classes to take at Bowie next year, we also want to explore what careers might be out there in the animation world. You can move onto Graphic Design and Illustration and then into Animation from this class. This is one of the prerequisites for Animation. I want to spend a little time working in this unit. You will have two classes to complete this next assignment.

In today's assignment you will be exploring Animation Careers. Make a new Google Site page and title it Animation Careers.

Head to one of these website - you may need to go to multiple sites to get al the answers.

https://www.animationcareerreview.com/articles/animator-career-profile

https://www.nfi.edu/career-in-animation/

https://www.collegedekho.com/articles/all-you-need-to-know-about-a-career-in-animation/

https://www.whiteboardanimation.com/blog/how-to-get-hired-at-an-animation-studio-in-ten-steps

Answer the following questions:

1. List 4 specific things an animator does at their job

2. List 3 different computer programs the articles suggests animators use in their job

3. List the 5 industries that animation graduates tend to work in

4. What is the Average, Lowest and Highest salaries for animators?

5. List the top 3 paying industries

6. What is the hiring outlook for people interested in doing animation as a career?

7. What education is suggested/required to get a job in the animation world?

8. List 5 diplomas or certificates you could obtain that are not a college degree, that would help you if you were interested in getting a job in animation

9. List 5 colleges where you could earn a bachelors or masters degree in Animation

10. On a scale of 1-10, how interested in the career of Animation are you?

11. Have you experimented with animation in the past (perhaps in a class at school, or on even on your own)?

    a. If you have done some sort of animation work in the past, what did you do? What programs did you use? What format did your animation take?

    b. If you have not, which of the following appeals to most and WHY? Claymation, creating a how-to using legos, or some sort of step-process to make something or using figures to tell a story?

12. Google short animations, short claymation, stop motion video, time lapse video, or making a step-by-step video and share at LINKS to least two videos that you enjoyed.

Other useful websites (feel free to use these or others of your choice.)

https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/majors/arts-visual-performing-digital-arts

https://www.bls.gov/ooh/arts-and-design/multimedia-artists-and-animators.htm

https://www.allartschools.com/animation/

https://www.collegechoice.net/arts-and-design-programs/

https://work.chron.com/much-money-can-make-animation-9425.html

My favorite time-lapse, tilt-shift, HDR video ever: https://vimeo.com/37157187 

Animation Preview. Assigned 1/8, due 1/13 - Minor

We are ready to start our next unit, the Animation unit. Today we will be previewing what animation is, next class we will look at animation career and the following class we will look at some famous animators. After that we will be doing a project where you will use a camera and computer to create some sort of animation. This might be a stop-motion project of some sort, like claymation, or maybe you will draw a few cells of a cartoon. There will be multiple options.

For today, let's just look at what animation is. Please do a Google search and find the answers to the following questions and answer them on your Google Site on a new subpage in the 3rd 9 weeks folder, called Animation Preview. DO NOT use wikipedia, find other, reputable sites to find these answers!

1. What is animation? Give me a dictionary definition.

2. When you think about animation, what is the first thing that comes to your mind?

3. When was animation first created?

4. Who is generally accepted as the "father of the animated cartoon"?

5. There are generally FIVE types of animation, what are they? (HINT: Google those exact words: Five types of animation)

6. What are some skills that today's animators might need to be successful?

7. What is the modern and probably most popular type of animation for feature films? (make sure you include the acronym commonly used today)

8. Find the names of THREE pioneers of animation?

9. Find the names of THREE modern animators?

10. Give me TWO or THREE apps you might use to make an animation?

Next class we will dive into animation careers. You can expect an assignment similar to the ones you did for photography, fashion design and video game design. After that, we will look closer at the pioneers and modern animators, and then we will do an animation project. Each will look very similar to what you have done before in this class.

Welcome Back 2026. Assigned 1/6, due 1/8 - Minor

 Welcome back!!

Today let's get 2026 started with a fun little assignment.

Since it's a new year I think it's appropriate that we look back at the year 2025 and reflect upon the things that happened in that year. 

First - let's make sure your Google Site is ready for the new semester.

Under Pages in the main panel on the right, create a new subpage and title it 2nd semester (you can break this down by 9 weeks if you would prefer, but at least make a new one for the second semester).

Once you have this subfolder made, move it on top of your home page. You can tell what your home page is because it has a little House next to the name.

When you are done with this, your Pages pane should look like this:

I have a 1st semester folder, but you may not, you might have a 1st 9 weeks or even a 1st and 2nd 9 weeks folder. That is fine. You can make a subfolder called 1st semester and put the ones from last semester in it if you want. Your organization system should work for you, but I also want you to make it easier for me to find your work. As a reminder - it is always so much easier for me when you title your subpages the same as the assignment, for example, today's assignment should be called Welcome back to 2026!! The better you name things, the easier it is for me to find it and give it a grade.

Once your Pages pane looks like mine, make sure you use the 3 dots to the right of 2nd Semester to make your subpages. I have it highlighted here so you can see it easier:

If your Pages pane is a mess, and you need help getting it all cleaned up, please let me know so I can help you. I want to stay organized and I want to be able to easily grade your work.

Now, let's move onto today's assignment and look at some photos and think about 2025 a little bit.

Go to the following websites and look at the photos there. On your Google Site post your THREE (3) favorites and tell me why it was your favorite photo of the year. Make sure you write about the photographic techniques you found in the photo. I have included a few websites for you to look at, spend at least 20 minutes looking at these sites. You may have to wait for the images to load AND you may need to search out the images on Google as you probably can't download the image directly. You will also probably have a slideshow to look at - please make sure you are looking at more than the first photo. You should read the stories of those photos you find compelling if there is a link to do so.

https://time.com/7336112/top-100-photos-2025/

https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/year-end-2025-photos-best/

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2025/world/year-in-pictures.html

https://apnews.com/article/associated-press-100-photos-of-2025-ap-photos-that-defined-the-year

https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2025/specials/year-in-pictures/index.html

Second, lets write about some things you found interesting this year. Below I have listed 5 prompts - on your blog please find a photo that goes with each prompt and then write a paragraph (at least two sentences and preferably 3) about each. Why did you chose that as your main choice, what things attracted you to that choice and why was it the best of 2025? To help you a little I have put a link below the prompt that may or may not help you. You are free to find your own sources.

1. What was the best song of 2025?

https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/best-songs-of-2025-1235468614/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billboard_Year-End_Hot_100_singles_of_2025

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/07/arts/music/best-songs-2025.html

2. What was the best movie of 2025?

https://editorial.rottentomatoes.com/guide/best-new-movies/

https://www.imdb.com/list/ls025942625/

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/02/movies/best-movies-2025.html

3. What was the most important news story of the year 2025?

https://abcnews.go.com/US/us-stories-talking-2025/story?id=127596974

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/top-news-headlines-of-2025-month-by-month/

https://www.history.com/articles/2025-events

4. Who was the most important person of 2025 in your opinion?

https://time.com/collections/100-most-influential-people-2025/?filters=leaders

5. What was the biggest sports OR entertainment story OR sports/entertainment person of 2025 (you should Google what is appropriate for your choice), I leave this one to you to find a photo for.

Finally, I want to know more about your holiday break.

.
1. Tell me what is the one thing that happened on your holiday break that you will remember? 

2. What are your resolutions (things you want to do this year, your major goals) for the 2026 year?

3. What are you looking forward to in 2026?