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5.5 Explore, Practice and Apply

Overview: Explore, Practice and Apply

Activities found on this page are designed to provide opportunities to explore, practice, and apply concepts presented in chapter 5.

Explore

Explore Activity 1

Select two of the tools listed here. Search and locate a link for each. Explore the features available with both tools. Consider why you may choose to use these tools to create animation for a multimedia project.

  • Blender 3D: For 3D animation.
  • K-3D: Free 3D animation software.
  • OpenToonz: A free animation tool.
  • Pencil2D: For hand-drawn animation.
  • Plastic Animation Paper: Basic animation.

Explore Activity 2

Animated icons can enhance a multimedia presentation. Navigate to the websites listed below this section and explore the icons available in the sites. Now locate 2-3 animated icons. Select and practice downloading these free, animated icons. For these icon collections, you must provide attribution to the source if you want to use them. Try adding the icons to a word document or a slide deck. Then, review the attribution requirements posted with the icons and practice inserting that information into your document/slides.

For more info on free web content and related license requirements, review the Openly Licensed, Public Domain, and Free to use section in Chapter 10.

Explore Activity 3

Explore animation use in advertising. Watch an animated advertisement (commercial or product ad).
Write a brief reflection on how animation was used to convey the product message. Did the animation make the ad more engaging? Why or why not?

Explore Activity 4

Navigate to the website GIPHY and explore the gifs available. Locate the create your own gif feature and explore how the creation tool works.

Practice

Practice Activity 1

Create an Animation Concept. Imagine you’re tasked with explaining a scientific process or historical event using animation.
Write a brief concept for a 2-minute animation. Decide on which type of animation (2D, 3D, stop-motion, etc.) would best suit your topic, and explain why.

Practice Activity 2

Working in small groups of 2-3 select a topic to create a brief slide presentation. Create a short presentation of 3 slides on the topic selected. Add text to your slides. Select and add 1 animated icon and 1 animated gif to add to your presentation. Think about the timing and placement of the animated features. Consider these questions:

  1. Why were these animations selected?
  2. How do these animated features enhance the presentation?
  3. Did the group have any challenges navigating these animations?

Prepare to share you presentation with your peers.

Practice Activity 3

Comparison of Animation Techniques. Choose two types of animation (e.g., 3D vs. Stop Motion) and compare them.
Write a short paragraph for each technique explaining its process, strengths, and typical applications in multimedia projects.

 

 

Apply

Apply Activity 1

Create a Short-Animated Clip. Use a simple animation tool (like Canva or PowToon) to create a short animation explaining a concept or telling a story. Make the animation 30-60 seconds long, focusing on integrating visuals and movement effectively.

Apply Activity 2

  1. Choose a Scenario: Select a scenario or process to illustrate. This could be a historical event, a scientific process, a business workflow, or a creative story.
  2. Outline a Storyboard:
    • Scenes: Break down the scenario into 5-6 key scenes or steps.
    • Content: Write a brief description of what happens in each scene.
    • Visuals:  For each scene identify images, icons, and text
  3. Animations: Identify which animations you would use or develop for the activity
  4. Sequence and Timing:
    • Order: Arrange the animations in a logical sequence to match the flow of the story.
  5. Present and Reflect:
      • Share: Present your animated storyboard to a peer
      • Feedback: Gather feedback on the effectiveness of your animations and narration, and make any necessary improvements.

 

 

Attribution & References

Except where otherwise noted, this page is created by Marie Rutherford, CC BY-NC 4.0

License

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Multimedia Communications Copyright © 2024 by Marie Rutherford is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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