This version of the course guide is provisional until the period for editing the new course guides ends.

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Basic Animation

Code: 104743 ECTS Credits: 6
2025/2026
Degree Type Year
Interactive Communication OB 2

Contact

Name:
Alba Torrents Gonzalez
Email:
alba.torrents@uab.cat

Teaching groups languages

You can view this information at the end of this document.


Prerequisites

The student must have an acceptable command of the English language, enabling them to understand documents written in this language.


Objectives and Contextualisation

To know:

  • The technological evolution of animation creation techniques.

  • The theoretical principles of audiovisual animation.

  • The complexity of the production process of an animation piece.

  • The importance of the different phases that take place before the actual animation begins.

  • The practical applications and expressive possibilities of animation.

  • How to conceive and produce an audiovisual piece using various animation techniques.


Competences

  • Act with ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights and duties, diversity and democratic values.
  • Act within one's own area of knowledge, evaluating sex/gender-based inequalities.
  • Associate mathematical and physical processes and theories, and their application to the world of databases, with the creation of interfaces and with augmented virtual reality.
  • Devise, create, activate and integrate virtual and augmented-reality spaces, characters and objects.
  • Introduce changes in the methods and processes of the field of knowledge to provide innovative responses to the needs and demands of society.
  • Manage time efficiently and plan for short-, medium- and long-term tasks.
  • Search for, select and rank any type of source and document that is useful for creating messages, academic papers, presentations, etc.
  • Students must be capable of applying their knowledge to their work or vocation in a professional way and they should have building arguments and problem resolution skills within their area of study.
  • Students must have and understand knowledge of an area of study built on the basis of general secondary education, and while it relies on some advanced textbooks it also includes some aspects coming from the forefront of its field of study.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Analyse a situation and identify its points for improvement.
  2. Analyse the sex-/gender-based inequalities and gender bias in one's own area of knowledge.
  3. Animate characters in 2D and 3D, beginning with manual methods and eventually using the most sophisticated software in existence.
  4. Apply the concepts of physics and mathematics to create and animate credible characters.
  5. Communicate using language that is not sexist or discriminatory.
  6. Consider how gender stereotypes and roles impinge on the exercise of the profession.
  7. Cross-check information to establish its veracity, using evaluation criteria.
  8. Distinguish the salient features in all types of documents within the subject.
  9. Find what is substantial and relevant in documents of all types on the fundamental principles of animation.
  10. Identify situations in which a change or improvement is needed.
  11. Plan and conduct academic studies on animation for the virtual world.
  12. Propose new methods or well-founded alternative solutions.
  13. Propose new ways to measure the success or failure of the implementation of innovative proposals or ideas.
  14. Propose projects and actions that are in accordance with the principles of ethical responsibility and respect for fundamental rights and obligations, diversity and democratic values.
  15. Propose projects and actions that incorporate the gender perspective.
  16. Show expertise in shot composition and character creation, and in the techniques of facial animation.
  17. Students can apply the knowledge to their own work or vocation in a professional manner and have the powers generally demonstrated by preparing and defending arguments and solving problems within their area of study.
  18. Submit course assignments on time, showing the individual and/or group planning involved.
  19. Weigh up the risks and opportunities of both one's own and other people's proposals for improvement.

Content

Block 1: A Brief History of Animation: Is That What We’re Told?

  • Introduction to the history of animation: an archaeological and genealogical perspective.
  • Historical narratives and cultural realities.
  • Artifacts that changed animation: the multiplane camera.
  • Home practice: animation archaeology.
  • Evolution of techniques and their global impact: rotoscoping, stop motion, 3D animation, and motion capture.
  • Concept and application of “plasmaticity.”
  • The impact of transmedia narratives and Media Mix in the world of animation: an overview.

Block 2: Materiality and Technology in Animation

  • Materials and technology in animation.
  • Analysis of the production process in animation.
  • Full and limited animation.
  • Intermediate materials: what are they?
  • The Watanabe Archive and preservation at Niigata University.
  • The cel bank as an immaterial archive.
  • Curation and exhibition of anime archives.
  • Case study: ACASiN and the Peel-Apart TV anime installation.

Block 3: Formal and Technical Aspects of Animation

  • Impact of performativity and repetition on the identity of animation.
  • Concepts of the 12 principles of animation from a technical perspective and their application in professional software.
  • Formal elements: line, shape, color, and movement.
  • Principles of visual design in animation.
  • Introduction to professional software for digital animation, including an initial approach to 3D environments.

Block 4: Introduction to Stop Motion Production

  • Technical advice for stop motion production.
  • Technical process, video features, backgrounds, and environments.
  • Characters, image capture and adaptation, framing, and postproduction.
  • Application of digital animation principles and their relationship to current 3D processes.

Block 5: Animation Techniques and Types of Animation

  • Traditional Animation vs. Transdigital Animation. Example: Cut Out.
  • Digital Animation: definition and characteristics.
  • Stop Motion: advantages and challenges.
  • Rotoscoping: applications in visual narratives and hybrid effects.
  • 3D Animation and Motion Capture.
  • Debate: Artificial Intelligence and animation—a complex relationship.
  • Introduction to digital animation software (OpenToonz, Da Vinci Resolve) and initiation to Blender for creating simple 3D scenes.

Block 6: Pre-production, Production, and Post-production

  • Introduction to pre-production.
  • Concept development: idea, storyline, and guidelines.
  • Storyboard: different models and their application depending on the type of animation.
  • Animatic and Leica Reel.
  • Character and environment creation.
  • Design and planning of sets and animation: scenography and animation layouts.
  • Viewing and analysis of practical examples created with Blender.
  • Practical Blender initiation sessions (I & II):
  • Basic interface and core concepts of the software.
  • Elementary modeling and object manipulation.
  • Basic 3D animation.
  • Export and integration of simple scenes in animation projects.
  • Production and direction of 2D and 3D animation.
  • Assistance in 2D animation: clean-up, coloring, and texturization.
  • Compositing andintegration of visual elements.
  • Introduction to post-production.
  • Editing and montage: use of Da Vinci Resolve and Adobe After Effects.
  • Sound: music, voice-over recording, effects, and final mix.
  • Final copy: preparation for distribution.

Specific note on Blender
This course includes specific sessions and practical activities focused on learning Blender, aiming for all students to acquire minimum and practical knowledge of its basic operation, which is essential for coordination with the Advanced Animation course and to ensure coherence in the degree program’s learning pathway.


Activities and Methodology

Title Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Type: Directed      
Laboratory internships 33 1.32 3, 4, 7, 8, 16, 11, 18, 9
seminaries 0 0
Theoretical sessions 19.5 0.78 7, 8, 11, 9
Type: Supervised      
Tutorials 7.5 0.3 7, 8, 11, 18, 9
Type: Autonomous      
Creation of an animation piece of at least one minute. 60 2.4 3, 4, 7, 8, 16, 11, 18, 9
Preparation of presentation 11 0.44 4, 7, 8, 11, 18
Viewing of recommended material 11 0.44 7, 8, 9

The course combines theoretical sessions with practical activities, which complement each other to help achieve the learning objectives. The schedule for each session will be published from the first day of class on the Virtual Campus, where students will also find a detailed description of exercises, practical assignments, and assessment activities, as well as any other information necessary to ensure proper course progression.
Throughout the course, special emphasis will be placed on the creation of an animation piece of at least one minute in length, which must be developed in pairs or small groups, depending on the number of enrolled students. This final project will allow students to apply both the theoretical and practical knowledge acquired in an integrated way.
The development of the project will be supervised through mandatory tutorials, during which students must present the required materials and progress status as requested by the teaching staff. The main goal of these tutorials is to accompany students throughout the production process, resolve potential difficulties, and provide specific guidance to ensure a successful final result.

Use of Artificial Intelligence and Plagiarism Prevention

The use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools and large language models (LLMs), such as ChatGPT or similar, is permitted in this course, provided that it is clearly indicated which parts of the assignment or activity have been carried out with their support and the tool used is properly cited.

At the beginning of the course, students will be provided with a detailed rubric specifying in which activities and how AI can be used, as well as the corresponding citation and transparency guidelines.

Any use of AI that does not comply with these guidelines, or a lack of proper citation, may be considered a breach of academic integrity and, in the most serious cases, plagiarism.

Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.


Assessment

Continous Assessment Activities

Title Weighting Hours ECTS Learning Outcomes
Active participation in class 10% 0 0 4, 5, 7, 8, 11, 15
Entrega del proyecto final 35% 2 0.08 1, 3, 4, 7, 16, 11, 18, 12, 17, 9
Partial deliveries (works) 30% 4 0.16 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 16, 10, 11, 18, 14, 15, 17, 9, 6
Presentation of a short film or animation scene based on the elements learned in class 25% 2 0.08 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 16, 11, 19, 18, 12, 13, 14, 15, 9, 6

  1. The assessment of the course will be based on the submission of various audiovisual pieces that cover different stages of the production process and make use of different techniques.

  2. Throughout the course, there will be ten partial submissions of practical assignments (animations and other materials related to the production process, such as storyboards, animatics, concept art, etc.). Some of these submissions will also need to be delivered at the end of the course, depending on whether they are essential components of the final project.

  3. The final project, which will consist of a one-and-a-half-minute animated short film, will combine the knowledge acquired both in and outside the classroom, and will incorporate elements from the partial assignments completed during the course.

  4. The final presentations, which will consist of analyses of animated short films or scenes, must demonstrate the students’ understanding of the theoretical content covered in class and will account for 25% of the final grade.

  5. 10% of the final grade will be based on attendance and active participation in class sessions.

Reassessment

Depending on the results obtained in the exercises/practical assignments and the group project, a new assignment may be required to reassess any unmet criteria. This reassessment will take place on the dates established in the academic calendar.

If a student engages in any form of misconduct that may lead to a significant alteration of the grade in an assessment activity, that activity will receive a grade of 0, regardless of any disciplinary action that may be initiated. If multiple irregularities occur in the assessment activities of the same course, the final grade for the course will be 0.

This course does not include the option for single assessment.

Use of Artificial Intelligence and Plagiarism Prevention

The use of generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools and large language models (LLMs), such as ChatGPT or similar, is permitted in this course, provided that it is clearly indicated which parts of the assignment or activity have been carried out with their support and the tool used is properly cited.

At the beginning of the course, students will be provided with a detailed rubric specifying in which activities and how AI can be used, as well as the corresponding citation and transparency guidelines.

Any use of AI that does not comply with these guidelines, or a lack of proper citation, may be considered a breach of academic integrity and, in the most serious cases, plagiarism.


Bibliography

Alsina, Pau, Rodríguez, Ana, & Hofman, Vanina Y. (2018). Lʼesdevenir de lʼarqueologia dels mitjans: camins, sabers i metodologies. A Arqueologia dels mitjans [node en línia]. Artnodes, 21, 1-10. UOC.

Çalik, Selen. (2020). (Re) (Re)Playing Anime: Building a Medium-specific Approach to Gamelike Narratives. Mecadèmia, 12(2), 45-61.

Eisenstein, Sergei. (2017/1986). A Disney. Londres: Seagull Books

Alzines Salamanca, Adrián. (2017). Animando lo imposible. Los orígenes de la animación stop-motion. Barcelona: Diabolo Edicions.

Hiroki, Azuma (2007).Gemuteki riarizumu no tanjô: Dôbutsuka suru postomodan 2. Tòquio: Kodansha.

Lamarre, Tomàs. (2009). The Anime Machine: A Media Theory of Animation. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.

Lamarre, Tomàs. (2018). The Anime Ecology: A Genealogy of Television, Animation, and Game Media. Premsa de la Universitat de Minnesota.

Lorenzo Hernández, Maria. (2021). La imagen animada. Una historia imprescindible. Barcelona: Diabolo Edicions.

Senyor, Pere; Sibley, Brian. (1998). Cracking Animation: The Aardman Book of 3-D Animation. Londres: Thames & Hudson.

MacLean, Fraser. (2011). Setting the Scene: The Art & Development of Animation Layout. San Francisco: Chronicle Books.

Minori, Ishida. (2024). Voice acting for anime. A Berndt, Jaqueline (ed.) The Cambridge Companion to Manga and Anime. Londres. Cambridge University Press.

Montero Plata, Laura (2012). El mundo invisible de Hayao Miyazaki. Palmell de Mallorca: Editorial Dolmen.

Montero Plata, Laura (2018). Biblioteca de Studio Ghibli: Princesa Mononoke. Palmell de Mallorca: Editorial Dolmen.

Montero Plata, Laura, & Pruvost-Delaspre, M. (2022). Shaping the Anime Industry: Second Generation Pioneers and the Emergence of the Studio System. A D. Desser (Ed.), A A Companion to Japanese Cinema (pàgs. 215-246). Wiley-Blackwell.

Otsuka, Eji i Steinberg, Mark. (2010). World and variation: a reproduction and and consumption in narrative. Mecademia, 5(1), 99-116.

Parikka, Jussi. (2012). Què és l'arqueologia dels mitjans? Cambridge: Polity Press.

Santiago Iglesias, José, & Baena, Ana. (Eds.). (2023). Neon Genesis Evangelion des de una perspectiva de medios. Barcelona: Satori Editorial.

Steinberg, Mark. (2012). Anime's Media Mix: Franchising Toys and Characters in Japan. Premsa de la Universitat de Minnesota.

Suan, Stevie (2021). Anime's Identity: Performativity and Form beyond Japan: University of Minnesota Press.


Software

-  Da Vinci Resolve

 -  Blender.

 -  Open Toonz


Groups and Languages

Please note that this information is provisional until 30 November 2025. You can check it through this link. To consult the language you will need to enter the CODE of the subject.

Name Group Language Semester Turn
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 61 Catalan second semester afternoon
(PLAB) Practical laboratories 62 Catalan second semester afternoon
(TE) Theory 6 Catalan second semester afternoon