Writing and Directing for Animation
Overview
This unit will introduce students to methods of screen writing and directing for animation. Through the development and pitching of an original concept, students will gain insights into how the roles of writer, director and story-artist contribute to the development of scenarios, narratives and characters that convey believability.
Requisites
Rules
Pre-requisite
DAN10004 2D Production Techniques for Animation
OR
ANI10002 2D Production Techniques for Animation
Equivalent
DAN20006 - Writing for Animation V1 (Discontinued) and DAN20006 - Writing and Directing for Animation V2 (Discontinued) and HDANM211 - Writing for Animation (Discontinued)
01-June-2025
Learning outcomes
Students who successfully complete this unit will be able to:
- Identify and discuss narrative structures and concepts during the development of an animation production
- Describe the roles and key responsibilities of the writer, director and story-artist in the development of an animation production
- Prepare a screenplay for an animated production that exhibits an identifiable genre
- Construct scenarios, narratives and believable characters using written and visual methods of communication
- Analyse, evaluate and communicate creative ideas and narratives through written and visual script development
Teaching methods
Hawthorn
| Type | Hours per week | Number of weeks | Total (number of hours) |
|---|---|---|---|
| On-campus Lecture | 1.00 | 12 weeks | 12 |
| On-campus Class | 2.00 | 12 weeks | 24 |
| Specified Activities Various | 5.00 | 12 weeks | 60 |
| Unspecified Activities Various | 4.50 | 12 weeks | 54 |
| TOTAL | 150 |
Assessment
| Type | Task | Weighting | ULO's |
|---|---|---|---|
| Assignment | Individual | 40% | 1,2,3,4,5 |
| Assignment | Individual | 40% | 1,2,4,5 |
| Portfolio | Individual | 20% | 1,2,4,5 |
Content
- Key storytelling roles, responsibilities and activities
- Collaborative idea development and storytelling
- Classic, minimalist and anti-structure narratives
- Narrative arcs, story splines and elements
- Scriptwriting and industry standard formatting
- Character exploration and development
- Comic relief and gags
- Identity, audience and perception
- Storyboards, storyreels, staging and cinematography
- Pitching ideas, giving and receiving constructive feedback
- Graduate Attribute – Communication Skills: Communicating using different media
- Graduate Attribute – Digital Literacies: Information literacy
- Graduate Attribute – Digital Literacies: Technical literacy
Study resources
Reading materials
A list of reading materials and/or required textbooks will be available in the Unit Outline on Canvas.