Animation & Motion Design

Storyboard & Animatic

Required. The storyboard and animatic is the genuine prerequisite for all subsequent production work — it specifies timing, camera movement, and narrative sequence before a frame is animated. Proof requires a completed storyboard (minimum 12 panels) and a timed animatic (audio or silent, minimum 30 seconds). Qualified animation director or motion designer review required. Genuine prerequisite for all production steps on this path.

Character & Environment Design

Elective. Character and environment design sheets — model sheets specifying the character in front, side, and three-quarter views with defined proportions, and environment concept art with colour palette and lighting notes. All design decisions must be defensible against the storyboard brief from seq 10. Qualified animator or concept artist review required.

Animation Production Sequence

Elective. Completed animated sequence — minimum 30 seconds of finished animation in any medium (2D, 3D, stop-motion). Blender and DaVinci Resolve are free tools accepted as proof. The final output must be a screenable file with consistent frame rate, clean timing, and at least one documented revision informed by critique feedback. Qualified animation professional review required.

Motion Graphics Package

Elective. Motion graphics package for a real brief — minimum 3 animated assets (lower thirds, title card, transition, or infographic animation) responding to a specified communication brief. After Effects, DaVinci Resolve Fusion (free), and Blender Video Sequence Editor are all accepted tools. Qualified motion designer review required.

Animation Portfolio Review

Elective. Capstone portfolio screening: at least 2 completed animation or motion design projects screened and reviewed in a live session by a qualified animation professional or industry panel. Critique documents: production decisions defended, animation principles challenged, revisions committed to. Integrating capstone for the path.

Free, open-source 3D animation suite — modelling, rigging, animation, rendering, and compositing in one application. Used in professional feature film and game production. Use for character rigging, 3D animation production, and the motion graphics package step as a zero-cost After Effects alternative.

Free professional-grade editing and compositing tool from Blackmagic Design. The free Fusion page provides node-based motion graphics and visual effects capabilities equivalent to After Effects for most undergraduate animation proof requirements. Use for the animation production and motion graphics package steps.

Free reference covering Disney's 12 principles of animation (squash and stretch, anticipation, staging, follow through, slow in/slow out, arcs, secondary action, timing, exaggeration, solid drawing, appeal). Use as the animation quality framework when evaluating your own work before critique and as the technical vocabulary for critique discussions.

Free animation industry publication covering studio and independent production breakdowns, director interviews, and technique analysis. Use to understand what professional animation at different production scales looks like, and to build context for defending your own production decisions in critique sessions.