Summary of the course
This course is an introduction to the history and development of the field of animation. We will explore this subject from various perspectives: by chronology, from its prehistory before the invention of film to the present day; by form, including method and medium; by culture, comparing the US to Japan, Russia, Europe and others; by subject; and by personality, concentrating on the figures who have shaped the art form and continue to influence it through their example. Students are expected to bring an enthusiastic interest in the medium, and to devote serious effort to reading about, viewing, researching and discussing animation and the artists who have created it.
During our examination of the artwork, we will pay special attention to the attitudes and influences of race, gender, technology, culture, and the correlation between art and industry.
Textbooks and printed resources
REQUIRED TEXTBOOK:
Animation Art: From Pencil to Pixel, the World of Cartoon, Anime and CGI by Jerry Beck. Collins Design, 2004. ISBN 0-06-073713-1
Highly recommended:
A Short Guide to Writing About Film
by Timothy Corrigan, Longman,2003.
Prerequisites
N/A
Grading
Grading
40% Participation (attendance & reaction papers)
20% Four quizzes
20% Research paper
20% Final exam
A = 100-93, A- = 92-90, B+ = 89-88, B = 87-83, B- = 82-80, C+ = 79-78, C = 77-73, C- = 72-70, D+ = 69-68, D = 67-63, D- = 62-60, F = 59-0.
A indicates excellence, B indicates good work, C indicates satisfactory work, D work is unsatisfactory in some respect, F is substantially unsatisfactory work.
Course Objectives
To instill an appreciation of the technical and artistic contributions of animators throughout history.
To build the students critical vocabulary, and to encourage reflective criticism (both oral and written) of works of animation.
To gain an understanding of the economic, social and technological contexts that have shaped animations development around the world.
To learn to trace and recognize historical influences on later styles and forms.
To discover lesser-known work from under-represented genres and cultures, and the value of their diversity.
To explore the varied potential of animation as an entertaining, expressive and meaningful art form.
Liberal Studies Arts and Literature Domain
Description
ANI 206 is included in the Liberal Studies program as a course with credit in the Arts and Literature Domain. Courses in the Arts and Literature Domain ask students to extend their knowledge and experience of the arts by developing their critical and reflective abilities. In these courses, students interpret and analyze particular creative works, investigate the relations of form and meaning, and through critical and/or creative activity to come to experience art with greater openness, insight, and enjoyment. These courses focus on works of literature, art, theatre, or music as such, though the process of analysis may also include social and cultural issues. Students who take course in this domain choose three courses from such choices as literature, the visual arts, media arts, music, and theater. No more than two courses can be chosen from one department or program.
Attendance
Student absences are not expected to exceed more than 10% (2 absences) of the number of the classes scheduled for the semester. A third absence will result in the lowering of your final grade one full letter. Any student missing 4 classes will be given a grade of F for the semester.
Tardiness
Tardiness is defined as not in the classroom when attendance is called or departing before the class has been formally dismissed by the instructor. Tardiness that exceeds thirty minutes will be counted as an absence. TWO late arrivals or early departures, or a combination of both, are counted as one absence. If you arrive late for class, it is your responsibility to make sure that you have been marked tardy rather than absent.
The largest impact of absences will be on your quiz performance. All films shown and discussed in class are fair game for quiz questions, as is any other subject that we discuss, whether in the reading or not.
Cell phones
Use of cell phones in the class is prohibited. Please turn it off before entering class. Repeated failure to turn off your phone will result in a lowered grade.
Class work includes:
Screenings:
We will be watching many examples of animation, complete when possible, but often just selected parts due to our time constraints. There is a good chance that some of the things we watch in class you will not be able to find on your own, and everything shown in class is liable to be material for a quiz question, so it would be a wise idea to take notes as we view and discuss work.
Reading assignments NOTE:REQUIRED BEFORE EACH CLASS
This class will require 40+ pages of reading per week.
All reading assignments will be listed on our Course Online site: https://col.cdm.depaul.edu and have reading questions assigned with them. These reading questions are also required and can be used as study guides. We will use the reading questions and answers for our class discussions each class. Come prepared to answer.
Course reserves can be found at http://eres.lib.depaul.edu/(password ani206)
Each weeks assigned reading with relate to the upcoming lecture, and will give you background or critical discussion on the work we will watch. All students are expected to have read the scheduled texts, and to be prepared to participate in our class discussions of the readings and the work screened. If a reading is particularly important or particularly challenging, I may give you reading comprehension questions which need to be handed in to me at the beginning of the following class. Class discussions and reading comprehension questions are considered to be part of your participation grade.
Reaction paper
Every two weeks, a one-page reaction paper will be due. This paper should be approximately 400 words and should discuss an animation we watched in class. Normally you will write on a film of your choice, although I may assign a specific animation for your discussion at certain times.
Research paper
The course also requires a five-page research paper on any animation topic covered in class. You may discuss at least two animators who are not listed in the syllabus and whose work relates to your topic. You will need to watch at least one film by each animator you discuss. Your paper needs at least three research sources other than the Beck class text, at least two should be non-internet. The papers topic needs to be submitted to me by the end of the quarter. There are several useful books on animation history on reserve for this course at the DePaul Loop Library, listed below.
Quizzes
There are four quizzes scheduled for the quarter that will cover information from the lectures, readings and screenings of the previous two weeks.
Final Exam
The final exam will cover broader topics from the course.
Always check the COL (https://col.cdm.depaul.edu)for updates
Week 1
The evolution of animation in France and the United States
Reading Assignment Jerry Beck 6-15, 22-23, 26-29, 68-69
And Course reserves: Paul Wells 10-20, Russet and Starr 33-34, 40-43, 49-56
Week 2
European Experimentation
Reading assignment: Jerry Beck 16-19, 24-25, 30-31, 38-39, 60-63
US studio system
Readings to be announced
Week 3
Walt Disney and the Quest for perfection
Week 4
Warner Bros. Golden Era of Cartoons
Banned cartoons & WW2 propaganda films
Week 5
Behind the iron curtain
McLaren and the NFB
Week 6
The stylistic legacy of the UPA
The birth of TV animation
Week 7
Films for adults part 1 and 2
Week 8
Is it animation? Is it art?
The revivial of stop motion
Week 9
The return of the feature
Anime
Week 10
TV grows up, Early CGI
Animation and VFX, future of animation?
School policies:
Online Instructor Evaluation
Evaluations are a way for students to provide valuable feedback regarding their instructor and the course. Detailed feedback will enable the instructor to continuously tailor teaching methods and course content to meet the learning goals of the course and the academic needs of the students. They are a requirement of the course and are key to continue to provide you with the highest quality of teaching. The evaluations are anonymous; the instructor and administration do not track who entered what responses. A program is used to check if the student completed the evaluations, but the evaluation is completely separate from the student’s identity. Since 100% participation is our goal, students are sent periodic reminders over two weeks. Students do not receive reminders once they complete the evaluation. Students complete the evaluation online at https://mycti.cti.depaul.edu/mycti
Email
Email is the primary means of communication between faculty and
students enrolled in this course outside of class time. Students should
be sure their email listed under "demographic information" at
http://campusconnect.depaul.edu is correct.
Academic Integrity Policy
This course will be subject to the academic integrity policy
passed by faculty. More information can be found at http://academicintegrity.depaul.edu/
Plagiarism
The university and school policy on plagiarism can be summarized as follows: Students in this course should be aware of the strong sanctions that can be imposed against someone guilty of plagiarism. If proven, a charge of plagiarism could result in an automatic F in the course and possible expulsion. The strongest of sanctions will be imposed on anyone who submits as his/her own work any assignment which has been prepared by someone else. If you have any questions or doubts about what plagiarism entails or how to properly acknowledge source materials be sure to consult the instructor.
Incomplete
An incomplete grade is given only for an exceptional reason such as a death in
the family, a serious illness, etc. Any such reason must be documented. Any incomplete
request must be made at least two weeks before the final, and approved by the Dean of the
College of Computing and Digital Media. Any consequences
resulting from a poor grade for the course will not be considered as valid reasons for
such a request.
Resources for Students with Disabilities
Students who feel they may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact the instructor privately to discuss their specific needs. All discussions will remain confidential. To ensure that you receive the most appropriate accommodation based on your needs, contact the instructor as early as possible in the quarter (preferably within the first week of class), and make sure that you have contacted either: - PLuS Program (for LD, AD/HD) at 773-325-4239 in SAC 220
- The Office for Students with Disabilities (for all other disabilities) at 773-325-7290 Student Center 307
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