Undergraduate - UnitATS2759 - Animation cultures

This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2013 only. For students planning to study the unit, please refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your course or area of study.

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12 points, SCA Band 1, 0.250 EFTSL

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Level	Undergraduate
Faculty	Faculty of Arts
Organisational Unit	Communications and Media Studies
Offered	Not offered in 2013
Coordinator(s)	Dr Dan Black

Notes

Previously coded COM2200

Synopsis

This unit examines animation from both a practical and critical perspective. Students will undertake practical instruction in basic animation skills as well as investigating animation as industry, transnational cultural commodity, fan text and technology. Students will become familiar with a variety of critical and theoretical perspectives on the form as well as undertaking a four-week practical component, in which students will be given a practical introduction to animation techniques.Please note that this unit has the same value as two standard 6-point units, and the contact hours and expectations of student involvement reflect this.

Outcomes

By the conclusion of the units students will be able to:

Discuss animation as a complex and broad ranging phenomenon that is not restricted to traditional animation forms such as the comic book and the cartoon, but is also a feature of, for example, advertising, virtual reality, live action film and television, and MTV
Demonstrate an understanding of the historical development of animation and be able to account for the development of this 'genre' by reference to social, cultural, political, technological, economic and industrial factors
Demonstrate an understanding of the cultural specificities that inform the production, distribution and consumption of different forms of animation
Identify the key issues that impact upon animation's creative and technological processes
Apply current theoretical perspectives to explain the relationship between forms of animation and communications and media architectures
Apply current critical theory to the analysis of the popular cultural appeal of animation texts
Ability to analyse and explain transnational flows of animated media texts
Demonstrate advanced skills in research, writing and critical analysis
Demonstrate a basic competence in animation production skills.

Assessment

Major essay (2500 words): 30%
Seminar presentation and summary: 10%
Creative production exercise: 40%
Learning journal: (1000 words): 10%
Laboratory assessment: 10%