See how a Course Works: Intro to Online Learning
Description
If you've ever wanted to learn Flash animation, Gatlin International is the answer. We make learning fun, convenient and affordable with our 100% online, instructor-led Flash animation course.
Deep down, every designer has a secret desire to be an animator and Flash animaiton software makes it easier than ever.
In this class, you'll learn Flash animation from the ground up. You'll learn how to create stunning animations using basic tweening, frame-by-frame techniques, as well as some advanced techniques to give your animations a highly professional look and feel.
In this 6-lesson course, you'll learn how to create compelling characters, prepare them for animation, add expression and motion, and storyboard and animate a short animated sequence, complete with an audio soundtrack.
If you've mastered the basics and want to take your skills to the next level by learning Flash animation, this is the course for you! While the primary focus of this class is on character animation, you'll also learn techniques that can be applied to any Flash design project.
Learn Flash animation the convenient, affordable way with Gatlin International's Flash animation class. Enroll today!
Outline
LESSON 1 Character Design Did you know why Yogi Bear wears a tie? Or why Scooby Doo wears a collar? Lesson One focuses on the art of drawing simple but compelling characters and preparing them for animation. You'll start with an animator's introduction to the many applications and best practices for Flash animation on the Web today. Then you'll explore how Brush, Pen, Shape, and Onion Skin tools, together with symbols, can be used to draw effective characters. Students with digital drawing tablets will learn to use them in conjunction with Flash. Then you'll learn how to clean up your sketches and manage your artwork using timeline and library features. Your first exercise will be to create a Flash character that's primed for animation.
LESSON 2 Character Animation To add life to your characters, you must give them expression. Lesson Two looks at some classic approaches to giving animated characters expression and emotion. The mechanics of eye movements, blinking, talking, and making gestures are explored, together with efficient ways to achieve those effects, such as nested frames. Throughout, the emphasis is on creating a convincing animation by hinging body parts, smooth motion tweening, and easing in and out. In the exercise, you'll make your Flash character come to life with a variety of expressions.
LESSON 3 Characters in Motion Flash provides multiple options for moving your animated character around the stage. Lesson Three explores the critical issue of how and when to tween, and when to animate frame-by-frame. Case studies explore various approaches to the "walk cycle" of a character, breaking down the independent motion of different body parts for a convincing effect. You'll look at how to create the illusion of motion in 3D perspective, and edit frame-by-frame motion using the Onion Skin feature. In the exercise, you'll make your Flash character walk around and appear to move in 3D space.
LESSON 4 Motion Effects In animation, there's always more to motion than meets the eye. Animators use various classic motion effects as a short-hand for acceleration, collision, turning corners, and more. Lesson Four explores how these techniques can be created in Flash, by using motion blurs, selective animation, and speed lines. A case study looks at the challenge of squashing and stretching, a phenomenon long familiar to Roadrunner fans. The exercise will be a series of motion studies that challenge you to apply these techniques.
LESSON 5 Sounds and Storyboards At this point in the course, you're ready to plan and sketch a short animated scene. How does a pro animator prepare a sequence? Lesson Five discusses approaches to writing a story, sketching and animating a storyboard in Flash, and planning your "camera" shots and techniques. You'll also review how a classic Bugs Bunny cartoon approaches storytelling and how to incorporate sound in your movie. In the exercise, you'll create your own animated storyboard based on a soundtrack chock full of fun sound effects.
LESSON 6 Animated Sequences Now you're ready to finalize and launch your 30-second animation in Flash. Pixar, look out! Lesson Six explores turning your animated storyboard into a fully-featured animation. You'll look at different ways of using your animation skills to make your character interact with other characters or objects. Finally, you'll examine some additional Flash character animations for inspiration and a professional perspective. In the final project you'll complete your short animation and publish it for all the world to see.
Additional Info
- Languages
- English
- Course Length
- 60.00 hours
- Duration of Access
Enrolled students have access to the class for six months. During this period, questions or assignments may be submitted at any time to the instructor. Each course lesson requires an average of 10 hours of study time.
- Instructor
Chris Georgenes has been using Flash since version 3, when Flash was primarily considered an animation tool. His background is art, and he is self-taught as an animator. Chris spent six years as Director of Creative Development for Soup2nuts (a division of Scholastic, www.soup2nuts.tv) and art-directed many animated TV shows including Home Movies (Cartoon Network).
Chris is currently a full-time freelance artist, animator and all-around designer for the Web, digital media, and television. His clients include Pileated Pictures, Lucas Arts, Universal Records, Plot Developers, AOL and more. He also maintains www.mudbubble.com as his online portfolio and www.keyframer.com, an online Flash tutorial resource.- Prerequisites/Audience
Courses are designed for adult learners interested in building skills and portfolio for a design career. To take the course, students simply require a computer (PC or Mac), an Internet connection (56 Kbps modem or faster), and any required software. For courses with software requirements, computers must meet software manufacturers' system requirements.
- Requirements/Materials Included
To take this course you'll need Adobe Flash CS4 or CS5, a digital drawing tablet (such as a Wacom tablet) recommended but not required, and basic experience in the software package needed for this course.
- Certification
3 CEU's
Sessions College is accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council (DETC). Certificate programs are accredited by the Middle States Commission on Secondary Schools.
