Engaging communities through animation: an action research study

exploring creative visual practice

Dr Nigel MedhurstCourse Leader, BSc Computer

AnimationLondon Metropolitan University

The study• Looks at the way in which real world client briefs can

be integrated into coursework and the learning benefits that can result

• Considers the benefits, issues and difficulties experienced by students, staff and clients when working within the academic requirements of a module on a university degree

– Timescales– Commercial imperatives v academic rigour v creative

abilities of students

Context of study

• Supporting creative digital media practice

• Collaborative animation design practices can inform, encourage and support visual ideas

• Ability to be creative is informed & mediated by student motivation, interaction and engagement with artefacts

Centrality of animation design practice

• By adopting animation design practices students were more willing to...

– Share knowledge– Share meaning and understanding visually– Collaborate and negotiate with others over the forms

these visual representation take

• Joint animation project space provides students with environment in which to explore their responses and practices to a given brief

The course• Undertaken by students on the BSc Computer

Animation degree course at London Metropolitan University

• Provides students with the opportunity to build a career in computer animation

– Designed after consultation with UK animation studios, post production and special effects studios

– Aims to give graduating students the skills, knowledge and understanding needed to gain employment in animation practice (2D, 3D and stop motion)

The module

• Character Animation and Realism– Teaches students how to research, design and animate

believable empathetic characters

– Students need to consider how a character talks, moves, and show how emotion and status can be expressed though gesture and voice

• Character biography• Character description• Analysis of dialogue, speech patterns and timing (via interview or

conversation between two or more characters)

Framing the study• Development of communities of practice and multiliteracies

– Wenger (1998)– Kress and van Leeuwen (1996)

• Changing and challenging existing autonomous practice– Move to ideological approach created from within the community

(Street, 1995)

• Placing multiliteracies at the heart of collaborative, transformative design process– Explore responses and practices of the student community and move

from client brief > design process > their (animated) responses to the brief

Semiotic resources offer a different starting point for thinking about semiotic systems and the role of sign maker in the process of meaning making.

In this approach, signs are a product of the social process of sign making in which a person (sign maker) brings together a semiotic resource (a signifier) with a meaning (the signified) that they want to express.

In other words, people express meanings through their selection from the semiotic resources that are available to them in a particular moment.

(Jewitt 2006, 17-18)

‘literacies are always active constructions’…whether the author is interpreting existing texts or producing new ones.

(Lemke 2000, 250)

excellent learners will be autonomous and self-directed - designers of their own learning experiences, in collaboration with others as well as by themselves.’

(Kalantzis et al 2003, 17)

Reflections on existing literature

‘figured worlds are invoked, animated, contested and enacted through artefacts, activities and identities in practice’. (Gee, 2004)

• Collaborative animation projects could be considered multi-layered lifeworlds– Communities (of practice) where visual designers

are engaged in common (multiliterate) practices centred on a specific domain of knowledge

The case study• Family Group Conferences– Decision making meetings run by the Services for

Children & Families Department at Camden Council, London to help families find their own solutions to problems

– Focus on improving understanding of the concerns and ensuring everyone feels they have been listened to, particular the child or young person

• Council’s plan– To distribute the animation as a DVD and make it

available on the website

Sample initial dialogue tracks provided by Camden Council

•Two Brothers•Sam

People watching – observational studies

Examples of visual influences

‘Sam’ character biography• Sam is a 12 year old from London who

lives in a tower block with some of his family. He was involved with the Family group conference project and is the subject of his interview.

• Sam became involved with the FGC project because he was on the child protection plan, and has had some difficult experiences growing up. The effect of Sam's history is apparent in the way he has a growing sense confidence and optimism after his FGC meeting, and the lingering unhappiness and lack of confidence in some of his movements and gestures gives an image of his personality and general feelings before the FGC meeting.

• Sam's home is plain with some signs of neglect, through untidiness and the bare surroundings.

• Sam has a black cat which he is close with, he reacts with affection and care towards the cat, and it is clear that the cat is important to him beyond being the family pet, suggesting that at times in the past it has been one of the few things that have brought Sam happiness.

• Family has not always been a support structure for Sam, shown in the monotone way that he lists the family members present at his meeting, though the after effects of the meeting have brought his family closer and this is heard in the tone of contentedness and optimism when Sam speaks about the outcome of the meeting.

• Sam is, at heart, a young boy optimistic at the promise of a better future offered by his experience with the FGC project.

Development of visuals for ‘Sam’

‘Sam’ character description• Sam is a blonde haired 12 year old

involved with the Family Group Conference meetings.

• Sam is fairly short, being below average height for his age. His hair is medium length and un-brushed, giving his hair a slightly scruffy look.

• Sam's clothes are simple, cheap and a little outdated. He wears an old running jacket, and cotton track trousers. His shoes are similar to old Nike air trainers. Overall Sam's clothing suggests someone who wears what they have available, and is unable to afford more recent or extravagant clothing.

• Sam's clothes are in muted/plain colours to give him an image of being quite normal if a little quiet and reserved.

• Sam has a small round nose and large hopeful, yet slightly sad blue eyes.

• Sam stands with a slightly hunched posture, giving him a smaller profile and suggesting a slightly introverted nature.

• Sam has the overall look of someone who has been through a rough patch, but has the feeling of optimism for the future, and developing confidence in himself.

• Sam is open and honest when he speaks, and does so with an air of understanding and intelligence that he does not seem fully aware of.

• Sam's gestures while speaking tend to reflect his thoughts and emotions directly, with little thought given to concealing them.

Final animation(click here)

Feedback from client…“We are truly pleased with how well it has been put together, how fantastic every character looks and how the young people’s stories come across. We have received comments that include how professional it looks, how colourful it is, how ‘viewable’ it is.”

“This is a superb result. We all expect that our target audience will want to engage with the DVD and then choose to explore the option of having a Family Group Conference.”

“The level of design and understanding of the characters was very good. The majority of the students totally understood the nature of the brief and produced highly appropriate work. They also took on my comments in a very professional way.”

From students…

"It was a great pleasure to even be involved in this project. I remember sitting by my desk holding the DVD on the day of the launch, and thinking how amazing it is that my animation is published.”

“It was a great opportunity to test the students' learning when involved in a real work. Definitely, a rare case in which students can feel truly involved in a real project for a real client, before completion of the degree course.”

From users…

• “Why wasn't this [DVD] around years ago when I needed it?”

Charlie, 19 years old

• “For Charlie to sit through [the DVD], reflect on it and make a comment, it says everything.”

Lawrence, Senior Practitioner - has worked with Charlie for 4.5 years

“All the students were really talented. I was very impressed with their commitment to the project and

couldn't be more pleased with the results.”

“All the students were really talented. I was very impressed with their commitment to the project and couldn't be more pleased with the results.”

London International Documentary Festival 2012

EDWIN MILANJACK

PUSHPO

SUZANNEMAX

References• Gee J. (2004) Situated Language and Learning: A critique of

traditional schooling. London: Routledge.

• Jewitt C. (2006) Technology, Literacy and Learning – A multimodal approach. London: Routledge.

• Kalantzis M., Cope B. and Harvey A. (2003) Assessing Multiliteracies and the New Basics. Assessment in Education, 10 (1) 15-26.

• Kress G. and van Leeuwen T. (1996) Reading Images: A Grammar of Visual Design. London: Routledge.

(cont)• Lemke J. (2000) Multimedia Literacy Demands of Scientific

Curriculum, Linguistics and Education 10(3): 247 – 271

• Street B. (1995) Social Literacies: Critical Approaches to Literacy in Development, Ethnography and Education. Longman: London.

• Vygotsky L.S. (1962) Thought and language. Cambridge: MIT Press.

• Wenger E. (1998) Communities of practice: learning, meaning and identity. CUP: Cambridge.

Any questions?