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General Information

Course ID (CB01A and CB01B)
F/TV D068A
Course Title (CB02)
Sound for Animation
Course Credit Status
Credit - Degree Applicable
Effective Term
Fall 2021
Course Description
An intermediate level animation course introducing techniques for creating animation synced to music, voice, and sound effects. Through practical exercises and projects, students will learn and apply techniques for animation planning, staging, and lip sync, as well as basic principles for designing, recording, and mixing their own soundtracks.
Faculty Requirements
Course Family
Not Applicable

Course Justification

This course is CSU transferable. It is required for the AA Degree in Film/Television: Animation, and is part of the CTE program in Animation. This is the only course covering intermediate animation topics like lip sync, body sync, and syncing animation to music.

Foothill Equivalency

Does the course have a Foothill equivalent?
No
Foothill Course ID

Course Philosophy

Formerly Statement

Course Development Options

Basic Skill Status (CB08)
Course is not a basic skills course.
Grade Options
  • Letter Grade
  • Pass/No Pass
Repeat Limit
0

Transferability & Gen. Ed. Options

Transferability
Transferable to CSU only

Units and Hours

Summary

Minimum Credit Units
3.0
Maximum Credit Units
3.0

Weekly Student Hours

TypeIn ClassOut of Class
Lecture Hours2.55.0
Laboratory Hours1.50.0

Course Student Hours

Course Duration (Weeks)
12.0
Hours per unit divisor
36.0
Course In-Class (Contact) Hours
Lecture
30.0
Laboratory
18.0
Total
48.0
Course Out-of-Class Hours
Lecture
60.0
Laboratory
0.0
NA
0.0
Total
60.0

Prerequisite(s)

F/TV D067A

Corequisite(s)

Advisory(ies)

F/TV D020.

Limitation(s) on Enrollment

Entrance Skill(s)

General Course Statement(s)

Methods of Instruction

Lecture and visual aids

Collaborative projects

Homework and extended projects

Discussion and problem solving performed in class

Quiz and examination review performed in class

Frame-by-frame analysis of professional work

In-class exploration of Internet sites

Critique of student production work

Field trips

Guest speakers

Assignments

  1. Design and animate a sequence synced to music.
  2. Design and produce background, Foley, and dialog tracks.
  3. Animate a character acting with lip sync to a short voice track.

Methods of Evaluation

  1. Project demonstrating student's ability to analyze a music track, map the timing of beats to frames, and use the map to plan and execute an animation synced to the music.
  2. Project evaluating student's ability to apply sound design, sound recording, and sound mixing techniques, through the creation of a layered soundtrack with ambience, dialog, music and sound effects.
  3. Midterm quiz evaluating student's comprehension of concepts, terminology, and techniques.
  4. Final project demonstrating student's ability to analyze a recorded vocal performance, and animate a character acting with lip sync to it.

Essential Student Materials/Essential College Facilities

Essential Student Materials: 
  • None.
Essential College Facilities:
  • Classroom with A/V equipment and digital projection; sound studio with facilities for recording high-quality voice and effects tracks; computer lab with 30 workstations equipped with high-end graphics cards, editing software, and animation software; 30 digital drawing input devices; facilities for capturing and testing hand-drawn animation on paper

Examples of Primary Texts and References

AuthorTitlePublisherDate/EditionISBN
Williams, Richard. "The Animator's Survival Kit". Faber & Faber. 4th Edition. 2012
Beauchamp, Robin. "Designing Sound for Animation". Focal Press. 2nd Edition. 2013.

Examples of Supporting Texts and References

AuthorTitlePublisher
Wright, Steve. "Compositing Visual Effects." MA: Focal Press Elsevier, 2008
Davis, Richard. "Complete Guide to Film Scoring". Berklee, 2000.
Karlin, Fred and Wright, Raymond. "On the Track". 2nd Edition. Routledge, 2004.
Lustig, Milton. "Music Editing for Motion Pictures". New York: Hastings House, 1980.
Nisbett, Alex. "Sound Studio: Audio Techniques for Radio, Television, Film and Recording". 7th edition. Focal Press, 2003.
Sonnenschein, David. "Sound Design: The Expressive Power of Music, Voice and Sound Effects in Cinema". Michael Wiese Productions, 2001.
Coyle, Rebecca. "Drawn to Sound: Animation Music & Sonicity (Genre, Music and Sound)". Equinox Publishing, 2010.
Goldberg, Eric. "Character Animation Crash Course!" Silman-James Press, 2008.
Webster, Chris. "Animation the Mechanics of Motion." MA: Focal Press, 2008.
Woodhall, Woody. "Audio Production and Post-Production". Jones & Bartlett, 2011.

Learning Outcomes and Objectives

Course Objectives

  • Identify, examine, and evaluate the uses of sound for animation.
  • Identify and apply techniques necessary to create animation synced to a music track.
  • Identify and apply techniques necessary to create an animated character performing to a voice track.
  • Apply sound design, sound recording, and sound mixing techniques in the creation of soundtracks.
  • Apply digital editing techniques to create videos of animation with synced sound.

CSLOs

  • Design and edit soundtracks for animated films, containing effects ambiences and atmospheric musical scores.

  • Synchronize voice tracks to animated characters and edit music cues to animated sequences.

Outline

  1. Identify, examine, and evaluate the uses of sound for animation.
    1. Define space
    2. Create environment
    3. Emphasize action
    4. Set pace
    5. Symbolize meaning
    6. Evoke mood and feeling
    7. Ambience, dialog, and Foley
  2. Identify and apply techniques necessary to create animation synced to a music track.
    1. Timing and spacing of visual beats
    2. Analysis of music track
    3. Bar sheets.
  3. Identify and apply techniques necessary to create an animated character performing to a voice track.
    1. Analyze voice acting.
    2. Timing with exposure sheet.
    3. Accents.
    4. Thumbnails.
    5. Pose to pose blocking.
    6. Full-body acting
    7. Mouth Poses
    8. Staging dialog
  4. Apply sound design, sound recording, and sound mixing techniques in the creation of soundtracks.
    1. Use of sound recording and re-recording equipment.
    2. Design and perform Foley and ADR
    3. Editing and processing audio
    4. Digital audio formats
    5. Pre-recorded SFX libraries
    6. Pre-mixing dialog, music, and sound effects
  5. Apply digital editing techniques to create videos of animation with synced sound.
    1. Digital video formats
    2. Syncing sound and picture

Lab Topics

  1. Foley and voice recording
  2. Voice track analysis and exposure sheet
  3. Music track analysis and bar sheet
  4. Acting and performance
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