CLASS 6: Modeling and Animation II: Character design with Guest Instructor, Rachel Kahn

After patiently drawing the flour sack for a few weeks, I know a few of you would like to be able to use your own characters.  Today we'll talk about finding a style and look at some examples of simple designs that work well for animation. And we have a guest!

Please welcome Rachel Kahn who will be sharing her expertise on character design --

Rachel Kahn is a freelance concept artist and illustrator. She has a BFA from York University and has been continuing her studies at Max the Mutt Animation School in between projects. Rachel has been working as a designer and artist in independent mobile games, and will also have illustrations appearing in literary and comic anthologies in the upcoming year.

Rachel's professional website is www.portablecity.net

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Also in this class we'll review some of the Flour Sack Jump assignments and start the next assignment:



Assignment 3: Flash Anijam!
Assigned: June 6th
5% Key Posing Due: June 13th in class
10% Finished Animation Due:  June 19th end of day
Group critique: June 20th, in class
Re-submission allowed up until June 27th

This is a group project by the entire class using ye olde tradition of an 'animation jam' or 'anijam'.

Using the layout & prop provided, animate your character or the flour sack catching and throwing the prop. Follow the design and stage direction exactly as the layout indicates so that all the scenes will cut together seamlessly.

The way your character interacts with the prop should be the focus of the scene. The animation should indicate that it's heavy and very dangerous. You may include a brief beat before the prop enters and after it leaves.

Please do not destroy the prop in your scene - it should be passed, intact to the next scene. They'll be edited together to make one continuous scene.

You may add a simple BG in your scene but keep it low-contrast.

You may design your own simple character for this piece but be sure it fits the scene and that it's simple enough to draw many times.

Create a 640 x 480 QT with H.264 compression.

Please upload to our group folders/albums called "Flour Sack" on DropBox before the start of class. Please do NOT place your files inside a folder. Watch your naming conventions.
File formats:
tdonovan_anijam_001.fla
tdonovan_anijam_001.mov

The layout for this scene will be on DropBox in the folder "flash animjam"