2 ANIMATION V - ROCK OF AGES PROJECT The student will need: The DVD or VHS Walking With Cavemen The following is a Study Guide that will take the student through the steps necessary to completely storyboard a four to five minute animated film. The Study Guide assumes the student already is somewhat masterful at drawing. The student should have done Animation I-IV, first. Each student will need an animator s desk of some sort, many pencils, and animation paper, as well as scratch paper. There are many research materials required, both books and films. Access to the Internet would be useful. The student is to do each step thoroughly, and in sequence. The student should complete a lesson per day. The course should take approximately 120-200 hours of study, depending entirely on the student. There are 69 lessons. There are no tests. There are 20 long lessons, ranging from 2-15 hours each. All essays are to be kept by the student in their workbooks. A student may (and should) continue into the next lesson if he or she completes a lesson early. A student may (and should) continue into the next lesson if he or she completes a lesson early. if a lesson takes longer, it can stretch over two or more days. This is education, not a race. NOTE: THE SCRIPT IS FOUND AFTER THE COURSE, IN THIS DOCUMENT. NOTE ON READING AND VOCABULARY When asked to read, please try not to coach very much, or do the student s reading for him. IF HE STRUGGLES WITH A WORD, help simply, but also write that word on a list of words for the reading program! NOTE ON DOING THIS COURSE WITH A GROUP Every step in this course can be done by an individual and by a group. NOTE ON KEEPING RECORDS When asked to write down an answer, please have the student write down at the top of his answer the name of the course (Ambitions & Plans), the lesson and exercise number. NOTE ON CRITIQUE Please do NOT critique the student's work in any way. Please allow the student to do their own work without helpful suggestions, hints, and critique. We're interested in what the student thinks and creates.
3 NOTE ON LINKS Many links are provided on this course. They may not still be live when you do the course. You may need to finds new links to look at some of the materials. NOTE ON WORD COUNT FOR ESSAYS - The suggested amount of words for essays are just that - suggestions. The student may write as short or long an essay as needed to express his ideas and understandings. NOTE: THE SCRIPT ROCK OF AGES FOLLOWS THE COURSE IN THIS DOCUMENT.
4 PART A- THE SCRIPT AND THE CAMERA LESSON # 1: Get a full copy of the script. (Found at the end of this document.) 3-Hole punch your copy. Insert your copy in a hard 3-Hole punch notebook, of about 1 ½ to 2, if this isn t already done. 3. UNDERSTAND THE WORD: FADE IN - To take the screen from black, or darkness to light, and a picture. CLOSE-UP - To show something from very close, or near by. CAMERA LENS - The piece of shaped glass at the front of a camera. SUPER - To lay something on top of something else, in a way that allows you to see BOTH things. This is short for Superimpose. Look this word up in a good dictionary. CREDITS - A list of who did what. This, in a film, includes the writer, the director, actors, camera people, etc. (Put an animated film on DVD on, at the start. Locate the credits.) SHOT - A picture taken by a camera. FULL SHOT A shot of ALL of something. A full shot of a person would be a shot of the entire person. LONG SHOT - A shot taken from far away. P.O.V. - Point Of View. A shot taken as if from the eyes of a certain character.) TRACKING SHOT - A shot where the camera follows something as it moves.) ZOOM - A shot where the picture moves closer to something, smoothly. CUT - A quick jump from one picture to another.
5 TWO SHOT - A shot of two things or people. PAN - The camera is moved to one side, smoothly, either right or left, or up or down. FOLLOW SHOT - Same as a Tracking Shot. MONTAGE - A series of shots strung together, often rapidly, to create a single effect. (Using stick figures, quickly draw in five squares, five drawings that could be shown in sequence, to demonstrate two people happily riding a bicycle together.) INT. - An interior, or indoors shot. EXT. - An exterior or outdoor shot. WAIST UP SHOT - A shot of a person from his or her waist, to their head. LESSON # 2: Get a video camera. Turn it on. Use it for 15 minutes. Get comfortable with looking into the lens, aiming it at things, and shooting them. Find the Zoom, which is usually a toggle switch that makes the picture move closer or farther from things. Make sure you play with that at least for five minutes. Take a video camera. With each of the words defined below, create the designated effect. FADE IN (To slowly take the screen from black, or darkness, to light, and a picture.) CLOSE-UP (To show something from very close, or near by. SHOT (A picture taken by a camera.) FULL SHOT (A shot of ALL of something. A Full Shot of a person would be a Shot of the entire person.)
6 LONG SHOT (A shot taken from far away.) P.O.V. (Point Of View. A shot taken as if from the eyes of a certain character.) TRACKING SHOT (A shot where the camera follows something as it moves.) ZOOM (A shot where the picture moves closer to something, smoothly.) CUT (A quick jump from one picture to another.) PAN (The camera is moved to one side, smoothly, either right or left, or up or down.) TWO SHOT (A shot of two things or people.) FOLLOW SHOT (Same as a Tracking Shot) INT. (An interior, or indoors shot.) EXT. (An exterior or outdoor shot.) WAIST UP SHOT (A shot of a person from his or her waist, to their head.) LESSON # 3: 1. READ: the script Rock of Ages, making certain you fully understand every word! (The script is fund at the end of this document.)
7 PART B THE MESSAGE OF THE SCRIPT LESSON # 4: 1. UNDERSTAND THE WORD: Message The one idea the author wants the audience to understand and agree with. Protagonist A character in a story who agrees with, or represents, the message of the story. Antagonist A character in a story who disagrees with, or represents the opposite of the message of the story. Neutral A character in a story who has no opinion of the message of the story. After reading the script, decide WHAT IS THE MESSAGE OF THE SCRIPT. The message is the single idea the author wants to communicate to the audience, and have them understand it and agree. It should be able to be stated in a single sentence. Write it down in big letters at the top of the first page of your script. Then write it alone on a piece of paper and post the message on the peg boards you will be working on later. 3. EXERCISE: Consider the main character, the cave man. Is he a protagonist (in agreement with the message, or representing the message), an antagonist (in disagreement with the message), or is he neutral (having no feelings about the message?) Write down what you believe is his designation, under the message on page one of your script. 4. EXERCISE: Do YOU agree with the message? Decide yes or no. (If no, you would usually not do the piece.)
8 PART C - CHARACTER DESIGN - FACE LESSON # 5: Read the script again, looking only at the main character, the caveman. What is he like? Start with his APPEARANCE. On a sheet of paper, make a list of everything you find in the script having to do with his appearance. Include his changing clothing. Read the script again. Make a list of CHARACTER TRAITS for the caveman. Is he intelligent or stupid? Is he emotional? Is he active, or lazy? Brutal or gentle? DESCRIBE HIM IN WRITING, in about 10-15 Sentences. Keep this description in your workbook. LESSON # 6: Look at cartoons, and toy representations of AT LEAST Ten famous animated characters. Look at their faces. Decide what makes their faces interesting, funny, and expressive. What about their eyes? Hair? Shape? Chin? Cheeks? Eyebrows? Foreheads? Make a written list of the qualities that make animated faces Work. Place the list in your workbook. 2. RESEARCH: Locate at least ten drawings of cavemen, done by other artists. Go to the library, as needed. Make Xerox copies of these. Post them on a peg board in your work space. MAKE CERTAIN YOU HAVE AT LEAST THREE VERSIONS OF FACES OF CAVEMEN! LESSON # 7: (This is a long lesson, 2 hours.) 1. RESEARCH: Watch the documentary WALKING WITH CAVEMEN. Study how the cavemen move.
9 LESSON # 8: You ll now design our caveman. Start with just his face. Sketch three possible outlines for his face. Pay special attention to his forehead and chin. Each face is to be drawn as a FRONTAL VIEW (as if he s looking directly at us), and as a SIDE VIEW (As if we see only the side of his face.) Do not add features, yet. Just draw an outline. Post your drawings on a peg board. (There should three.) LESSON # 9: Look at all three drawings you ve made. Which outline best fits the appearance and character traits? Which outline can you most easily draw over and over? Which outline will give you the most interesting character? LOOK AGAIN AT THE LIST IN YOUR WORKBOOK OF QUALITIES THAT MAKE ANIMATED FACES INTERESTING. Select ONE outline to work from. Take the others off the pegboard, place them in a folder marked CAVEMAN FACES. Put these in the file cabinet for future reference. 2. EXERCISE Make 50 machine copies of your selected face outline. Post your master on the pegboard again. 3. EXERCISE: Take a copy. Now, create hair for your caveman. Use as many copies as needed to create hair that is expressive, and fits his character. Post the best hair you ve come up with.
10 LESSON # 10: Take a copy. Create eyes for your caveman. Use as many copies as needed to create eyes that are Expressive, and fit the character. Post the best eyes they feel they ve come up with. Include eyelashes. Take a copy. Create eyebrows for your caveman. Use as many copies as needed to create eyebrows that are Expressive, and fit the character. Each twin should post The best eyebrows they feel they ve come up with. LESSON # 11: Take a copy. Create a forehead for your caveman. Use as many copies as needed to create a forehead that are expressive, and fit the character. Post the best forehead you come up with. 2. EXERCISE Take a copy. Create a nose for your caveman. Use as many copies as needed to create a nose that is expressive, and fits the character. Post the best nose they feel they ve come up with. LESSON # 12: Take a copy. Create a mouth for your caveman. Use as many copies as needed to create a mouth that is expressive, and fits the character. Post the best mouth you come up with. Take a copy. Create a chin for your caveman. Use as many copies as needed to create a chin that is expressive, and fits the character. Post the best chin you come up with.
11 LESSON # 13: You have now each posted many possible elements for your caveman s face. Study each other s work. Look at your own work. Now, using THE BEST OF EACH FEATURE IN YOUR OPINION, create on the copy a COMPOSITE FACE, or a complete face. It should have hair, a forehead, eyes, eyelashes, eyebrows, a nose, a mouth, chins, FACIAL HAIR, and ANY OTHER FEATURE YOU THINK MAKES THE CHARACTER INTERESTING AND EXPRESSIVE, AND RIGHT FOR THIS FILM. Post your finished products.
12 PART C THE CAVEMAN S BODY LESSON # 14: Look over your character traits look again. Look at cartoons, and toy representations of at least ten famous animated characters. Look at their bodies. Decide what makes their bodies interesting, funny, and expressive. What about their legs? Arms? Torsos? Necks? Feet? Hands? Fingers? Make a written list of the qualities that make animated bodies work. Place the list in your workbook. 3. RESEARCH: Look again at ten drawings of cavemen, done by other artists. Study the bodies. Look at hands, feet, legs, torsos, necks. LESSON # 15: 1. RESEARCH: Watch parts of the documentary WALKING WITH CAVEMEN. Study how the animators made the cavemen move again. Design your caveman s body. Sketch three possible outlines for his body. Pay special attention to his arms and legs. Each body is to be drawn as a FRONTAL VIEW (as if he s looking directly at us), and as a SIDE VIEW (As if we see only the side of his face.) Do not add features, yet. Just draw an outline. Post your drawings on a peg board. (There should be three.) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=524gafzwnjq (Sound off, start at about 39 minutes.)
13 LESSON # 16: 1. EXERCISE; Look at all three drawings you ve made. Which outline best fits the appearance and character traits? Which outline can you most easily draw over and over? Which outline will give you the most interesting character? Look again at the list in your workbook of qualities that make animated faces interesting. Select one outline to work from. Take the others off the pegboard, place them in a folder marked CAVEMAN BODY. Put these in the file cabinet for future reference. Make 10 machine copies of your selected body outline. Post Your master copy on the pegboard again. LESSON # 17: Now, create hands for your caveman. Create hands that are expressive, and fit his character. Post the best hands you come up with. Create feet for your caveman, that are expressive, and fit the character. Post the best one. Include toenails. LESSON # 18: Create arms for your caveman, that are expressive, and fit the character. Post the best arms you come up with. (Remember, his fingernails would be bitten and dirty.) Create legs for your caveman, that are expressive, and fit the character. Post the best legs.
14 LESSON # 19: Create a torso for your caveman, that is expressive, and fits the character. Post the best torso. Include the neck. Dress him in animal skins. (Look at WALKING WITH CAVEMEN) to see again what this looks like. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=524gafzwnjq (Sound off, start at about 39 minutes.) You have now posted many possible elements for your caveman s body. Look at your work. Using the best of each feature in your opinion, create over a machine copy a COMPOSITE BODY, a complete body made of the best parts. It should have hair, muscles, wrinkles, and any other feature you think makes the character interesting and expressive, and right for this film. Post your finished products. LESSON # 20: Now, you must create a series of composite drawings of the Caveman, using his face and body. Create a FULL FRONTAL SHOT of the caveman, dressed in animal skins. Create several shots, one for each of the following attitudes: Scared Angry Insanely Happy At Rest Post your best example of each of these Attitudes. (An ATTITUDE, for our purposes, is a physical position of a body which communicates an emotion or thought.)
15 LESSON # 21: Draw a FULL SIDE SHOT of the caveman in each of the same attitudes: Scared Angry Insanely Happy At Rest Post your final drawings of the caveman, one for each attitude, front and side. Take down ALL other drawings, and place them in the CAVEMAN S BODY File.