Digital drawn animation with Animate CC

What is the course about?

This hands-on taster will guide you through the basics of creating drawn animation sequences using Animate CC software. Get to grips with using the drawing tools, creating keyframes and using onion skinning in Animate CC , as well as the key techniques in creating traditional drawn animation.

This is a live online course. You will need:
- Internet connection. The classes work best with Chrome.
- A computer with microphone and camera.
- Earphones/headphones/speakers.
We will contact you with joining instructions before your course starts.

What will we cover?

- An introduction to the drawing tools in Animate CC
- Using layers, keyframes and onion skinning to create animated sequences
- Symbols and tweens
- Easing, Anticipation and other key animation principles
- Adding sounds and Lip-sync
- Exporting sequences as QuickTime movies.

What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...

- Know your way around the Animate interface
- Understand good Animation workflow
- Know different strategies for animating elements in the software
- Sync Animation to sound
- Use the Camera effectively
- Export your work as images, movies and Gifs.

What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?

This is a fast-paced beginners’ course. Experience of other Adobe software is very beneficial but not essential. Good basic computer literacy, such as opening and saving files and copying and pasting is required.

You should be able to follow simple written and verbal instructions, demonstrations, hand-outs and health and safety information, and will be invited to take part in group discussion. You should be able to use numbers and be able to do simple measurements and calculations.

How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?

Learners will be expected to join and participate in activities posted on the shared Google Classroom. Full details of this will be provided on enrolment and a reminder email sent out 3 days before the course starts.

You will be taught using Zoom for the live sessions with your tutor using a range of techniques including workshops, short lectures, demonstrations, tutorials, group and individual assistance, online hand-outs and assignments. You will receive an email before your session starts with details of the live session link.

We use Google Classroom E-learning platform as a key component of the course. All notes, resources and assignments are stored in the Google Classroom, and interaction with fellow students via the class stream and peer feedback is actively encouraged. You will be sent an email with the necessary information and will need to login into your Google classroom before the course starts, please sign in before the class begins so we can get straight on with the lessons!

Homework might be set to inspire your work, but is not compulsory.

Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?

You will need a PC or Mac computer or laptop, a working webcam and ideally a fully updated google Chrome browser. Please also have the latest stable release of the software downloaded and running on your computer. Chromebooks and tablets are not suitable for this course as they can’t run the software.
Using headphones will block out all room noise in sessions and make it easier to follow your tutor.
You will require a good broadband connection as mobile data 3G/4G or a mobile dongle is unlikely to provide sufficient Bandwidth for live sessions.

Drawing in Animate is best done with a Graphics tablet, this is not essential but is strongly recommended. This article can help you choose the right one for you: https://www.gabbitt.co.uk/blog/tablets-for-artists-2022

Specific information on recommended equipment will be provided on the course.

When I've finished, what course can I do next?

City Lit offer a range of courses in 2D and 3D Digital and Stop-Motion Animation, Adobe After Effects, Blender, Character animation, Drawing, Editing, Sound, Illustration, Cartooning, Storyboarding, Sculpture and Adobe Photoshop to enhance your animation practice. Please check the Citylit Website using the search relevant search terms such as ‘Animation’, ‘Adobe’, ‘Blender’, ‘3D’.
Alternatively feel free to contact the department on visual.arts@citylit.ac.uk to discuss options with our friendly subject specialists.