KNB216 Visual Storytelling: Cinematic Pre-Visualisation

Unit Outline: Semester 1 2024, Kelvin Grove, Internal

Overview

Following exposure to animation's capabilities through critical thinking and practice, the unit builds on methodologies, skills and knowledge acquired in KNB136. The language of cinema is further explored and deployed for productions demonstrating critical practice. This unit deploys cinematic grammar, such as close-ups, composition, continuity, cutting and camera angles, to arrive at an understanding of the transition from literary (text) to visual language. You will be expected to demonstrate your appreciation and comprehension of screen language through rich illustrations that lead to vibrant storyboards and engaging animatics that culminate in enriched storytelling.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:

1. Learn how to develop and design visual narrative structures and compositions.
2. Demonstrate your design skills through anatomical studies and methods of drawing the human form with overall appeal.
3. Develop an understanding of the visual language and conventions employed in storytelling through storyboarding and animatics.
4. Develop critical/reflective frameworks for the contextualisation of personal design, style and expression with audience appeal.

Content

Learning Approaches

The course work builds on the development and presentation of ideas through the use of a range of traditional and contemporary processes for concurrent media production. It will involve lectures on the theories and implementation of practices that facilitate storytelling and visual communication. Directed tutorials will include demonstrations of past and present innovative practice.

You will apply the resulting knowledge to your creative outcomes such as animation, game production, motion media practice and information design. You will apply previously acquired and developed illustration techniques and methodologies for better cinematic visualisation. You will engage in critique for the production of your creative outcomes.

Feedback on Learning and Assessment

Formative and summative feedback in this unit is provided to you in the following ways:

• a range of formative exercises will be discussed in class and you will receive verbal feedback on your progress in this unit during tutorials discussions throughout the semester
•  criteria sheet grading
•  generic comments back to the cohort via QUT Learning Management System.

Assessment

Overview

For this unit you will demonstrate the ability to tell, and design for a short story.

Faculty Assessment Information
To access complete Creative Industries Faculty Assessment Information please refer to the Canvas site for this unit.

Unit Grading Scheme

7- point scale

Assessment Tasks

Assessment: Storyboards and Animatics

Based on a given storyline or narrative, you will storyboard a short sequence for animation, game development or live-action production. You will be expected to assemble it into a rough animatic with sound. The entire development process, from thumbnails to roughs, has to be documented on your blog with brief reflections on the evolving vision and overall result.

This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.

Assessment: Production Development

Working in a team you will be collectively responsible for the production and pre-visualisation of a short sequence with its accompanying designs. You will produce a refined storyboard and developed animatic that clearly illustrates the narrative arcs of a few scenes. You will demonstrate the comprehension of cinematic conventions and visual language for animation, game development or live-action production.

This is an assignment for the purposes of an extension.

Academic Integrity

Students are expected to engage in learning and assessment at QUT with honesty, transparency and fairness. Maintaining academic integrity means upholding these principles and demonstrating valuable professional capabilities based on ethical foundations.

Failure to maintain academic integrity can take many forms. It includes cheating in examinations, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, and submitting an assessment item completed by another person (e.g. contract cheating). It can also include providing your assessment to another entity, such as to a person or website.

You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.

Further details of QUT’s approach to academic integrity are outlined in the Academic integrity policy and the Student Code of Conduct. Breaching QUT’s Academic integrity policy is regarded as student misconduct and can lead to the imposition of penalties ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.

Requirements to Study

Costs

The unit requires a digital stylus for Cintiq tablets, animation software subscription and traditional art materials. Alternative arrangements may be available for students experiencing financial hardship. Refer to the unit Canvas site for more information.

Please be sure to buy styluses that are compatible with the Cintiqs located in our labs. Also ensure that versions of software you run privately are compatible with the university's.

Resources

Resource Materials

Recommended text(s)

Bancroft, T. 2006, Creating characters with personality, Watson-Guptill, New York.

Barber, Barrington (2004) The complete book of drawing: essential skills for every artist. London: Arcturus.

Fischer, L. 2015, Art direction and production design, I.B. Tauris, London.

Glebas, F. 2009; 2012; 2008, Directing the story: professional storytelling and storyboarding techniques for live action and animation, Elsevier/Focal Press, Amsterdam; Boston.

Halligan, F. 2013, Production design, Focal Press, Burlington, MA.

Han, R.P. & Gnomon Workshop (Firm) 2008, Character design for production: concept techniques with Peter Han, Gnomon Workshop, Hollywood, Calif.

Katz, S.D.1. 1991, Film directing shot by shot: visualizing from concept to screen, Michael Wiese Productions in conjunction with Focal Press, Studio City, CA.

Mascelli, J.V. 1965, The five c’s of cinematography: motion picture filming techniques simplified, Cine/Grafic Publications, Hollywood.

Mattesi, Mike (2006) Force: Life Drawing for Animators [electronic source]. Burlington: Elsevier.

Mattesi, Mike (2008) Force: Character Design from Life Drawing [electronic resource]. Burlington: Elsevier.

Micklewright, Keith (2005) Drawing: mastering the language of visual expression. London: Laurence King Publishing.

Paez, S. & Jew, A. 2013; 2012, Professional storyboarding: rules of thumb, Focal Press, New York.

Rousseau, D.H. & Phillips, B.R. 2013, Storyboarding essentials: how to translate your story to the screen for film, TV, and other media, First edn, Watson-Guptill Publishers, New York.

Selby, Andrew (01/01/2013). “Storyboarding” in Animation (1-78067-097-4, 978-1-78067-097-3). http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/qut/detail.action?docID=1876152

Shorter, G. 2012, Designing for screen: production design and art direction explained, Crowood, Ramsbury.

St. Aubyn, Jacklyn (2006) Drawing Basics. Belmont, CA: Thomson/Wadsworth.

Risk Assessment Statement

All students and staff are required to complete the Tier 1 CIF General Health and Safety Induction for access to campus buildings and facilities. This must be completed online.

There are no out of the ordinary risks for this unit.

Course Learning Outcomes

KK34 Bachelor of Fine Arts

1. Identify and demonstrate knowledge of the techniques and concepts underpinning your field of creative practice.
   Relates to: ULO1, ULO3
2. Demonstrate technical proficiency in at least one area of your field of creative practice.
   Relates to: ULO2
3. Formulate and apply an independent perspective through reflection and by acting on the informed critique of others.
   Relates to: ULO4