Moving Image

Prerequisites: All OF THE FOLLOWING: ARTDES 265: Intro to Video: Digital Cinematography & Editing.

Description: The ability to communicate an idea or tell a story through a sequence of images has fascinated humans since prehistoric times. The Lascaux cave paintings show horses in sequential stages suggesting movement and a fascination with animal locomotion. Eighth-century Japanese scroll paintings narrate stories of wandering monks using a series of unified images that unfurled on a long horizontal sheet of paper. Following the advent of photography in the 19^th century, artists explored the illusion of movement through sequencing images with inventions such as the zoetrope and the phenakistoscope, leading to the invention of film animation in the early 20^th century. Today, artists inspired by the powerful expressive qualities of moving images have been reviving and examining hand-wrought techniques in new digital incarnations. This course examines how movement and animation are created through the use of sequential images, drawing and software tools. Instruction in hand-drawn animation, stop-motion, digital motion graphics, and video compositing will be covered. Students will develop film-making skills from concept to a finished work through group projects, classroom workshops and an individual final project.

Frequency: This course is typically offered in the winter term of even-numbered years, though scheduling may vary according to future term circumstances.