Overview

This unit will introduce students to methods of screen writing and directing for animation. Through the development and pitching of an original concept, students will gain insights into how the roles of writer, director and story-artist contribute to the development of scenarios, narratives and characters that convey believability.

Requisites

Prerequisites
ANI10002 2D Production Techniques for Animation

Rules

Pre-requisite
DAN10004 2D Production Techniques for Animation
OR
ANI10002 2D Production Techniques for Animation

Equivalent
DAN20006 - Writing for Animation V1 (Discontinued) and  DAN20006 - Writing and Directing for Animation V2 (Discontinued) and HDANM211 - Writing for Animation (Discontinued) 

Teaching Periods
Location
Start and end dates
Last self-enrolment date
Census date
Last withdraw without fail date
Results released date
Semester 1
Location
Hawthorn
Start and end dates
26-February-2024
26-May-2024
Last self-enrolment date
10-March-2024
Census date
31-March-2024
Last withdraw without fail date
12-April-2024
Results released date
02-July-2024

Learning outcomes

Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:

  • Identify and discuss narrative structures and concepts during the development of an animation production
  • Describe the roles and key responsibilities of the writer, director and story-artist in the development of an animation production
  • Prepare a screenplay for an animated production that exhibits an identifiable genre
  • Construct scenarios, narratives and believable characters using written and visual methods of communication
  • Analyse, evaluate and communicate creative ideas and narratives through written and visual script development

Teaching methods

Hawthorn

Type Hours per week Number of weeks Total (number of hours)
On-campus
Lecture
1.00 12 weeks 12
On-campus
Class
2.00 12 weeks 24
Specified Activities
Various
5.00 12 weeks 60
Unspecified Activities
Various
4.50 12 weeks 54
TOTAL150

Assessment

Type Task Weighting ULO's
AssignmentIndividual 40% 1,2,3,4,5 
AssignmentIndividual 40% 1,2,4,5 
PortfolioIndividual 20% 1,2,4,5 

Content

  • Key storytelling roles, responsibilities and activities
  • Collaborative idea development and storytelling
  • Classic, minimalist and anti-structure narratives
  • Narrative arcs, story splines and elements
  • Scriptwriting and industry standard formatting
  • Character exploration and development
  • Comic relief and gags
  • Identity, audience and perception
  • Storyboards, storyreels, staging and cinematography
  • Pitching ideas, giving and receiving constructive feedback
  • Graduate Attribute – Communication Skills: Communicating using different media
  • Graduate Attribute – Digital Literacies: Information literacy
  • Graduate Attribute – Digital Literacies: Technical literacy

Study resources

Reading materials

A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.