OATdb Archive

2012 - 2013

Art BFA (Computer Animation)

Goal
Believable Motion Using The Principles Of Animation
Computer animation students will demonstrate the ability to create believable motion that demonstrate an understanding of the Principles of Animation in 2D and 3D animated movies.

Objective
Computer Animation Students Will Understand And Apply The Principles Of Animation
Students in the Computer Animation program will demonstrate their ability to apply the Principles of Animation to create believable animated movies using a variety of techniques including 2D and 3D animations.

Indicator
Students Will Upload Projects To An Online Video Posting Service
Students will be required to upload animated videos from ARTS 2343 (Animation Concepts and Techniques) ARTS 2344 (2D Computer Animation) and ARTS 3343 (Intro to 3D Computer Animation) to a video hosting site such as YouTube or Vimeo. A rubric that includes the ability to use Squash and Stretch, Timing and Motion, Anticipation, Staging, Follow Through and Overlapping Action and Secondary Action will be used with possible scores of 0-100. Two faculty members will evaluate students who have completed ARTS 3343 and include work from 2344 and 2343 in their assessment. 

Criterion
Students Will Score 80% Or Higher
Computer Animation students will score at least 80% in each area of the evaluation. We have revamped our program extensively to meet current industry trends.  Last year our weakest ares were application of animation principles, squash and stretch, and anticipation, which we are working to improve this year.

Finding
Weakness In Describing The Anticipation Of An Action
80-100% of the students scored 80 above in all of the areas except anticipation. 80% of the students scored below 80 on creating an anticipation of an animated action.


Action
Emphasize Anticipation
Faculty will examine the curriculum of ARTS 2343 "Principles of Animation" and emphasize lectures and assignments that incorporate the idea of anticpating movement.


Goal
Effective Soundtracks And Audio Components In Animation
Students will be able to create audio soundtracks for animation and to effectively synchronize animated visual elements with sounds.

Objective
Soundtracks And Sound Effects
Students in the Computer Animation program will demonstrate the ability to create audio soundtracks for animated movies that include sounds that are synchronized with movement.

Indicator
Animation And Sound Project
Computer Animation students enrolled in ARTS 2344 will complete a project that requires them to 1) Create a soundtrack for an animated movie, and 2) Create animated movement that is synchronized with the sound. The soundtrack will include music, voices, and sound effects. A rubric will measure the effectiveness of the soundtrack and the student's ability to synchronize the animated images with the sound. The work will be evaluated using a scale of 0-100 points by two faculty members from the Computer Animation program.


Criterion
80% Or Higher
Computer Animation students will score 80% or higher on the evaluations. We have made comprehensive changes to our program to meet current industry trends.  We will be taking a baseline this year with the new standards. An area of weakness last year that we are working to improve this year is student ability to synchronize sound with animated images.

Finding
Sound Needs Continued Emphasis In Curriculum
60% scored 80 or above on Synchonizing Images with Sound.
40% scored 80 above on the Effectiveness of the Soundtrack.
All of the scores except one were 70 or above. 


Action
Continue To Emphasize Sound And Develop Curriculum
Faculty will continue to emphasize sound as an important component of animated filmmaking. Projects that incorporate sound with animation will be examined and emphasized.



Update to previous cycle's plan for continuous improvement

In order to achieve continuous improvement in this area, faculty in the Computer Animation continued to administer lectures, exercises, and projects in ARTS 2344 that focused on sound editing, sound/movement synchronization, and soundtrack choice. The faculty met at the end of the year to evaluate these results. Students in this course were also required to upload projects to their own personal Vimeo pages to aide in this faculty review. Upon review, the faculty found that there was some improvement, however, it was agreed that more attention to this objective is needed.


Plan for continuous improvement The faculty in the Computer Animation Program will continue to administer lectures and coursework in ARTS 2344 that focus on proficiencies in sound editing, sound/movement synchronization, and soundtrack choice. To increase improvements in this objective, faculty will also place more emphasis on sound in all of the courses within our program. The faculty will continue to evaluate student progress in this area on an annual basis. This will take place during the Department of Arts BFA reviews, the annual Computer Animation Festival, as well as annual program faculty meetings.