Delivery
Test Animation 1 video (2.6Mb .wmv)
Test Animation 2 video (2.8Mb .wmv)
These animation tests were used to test: camera and software use; use of film rig and lighting; size of movements for animation; and editing of images for animation.
During the first four weeks of term 1, Chris outlined the project to teachers from other departments to gain their support. The Religious Education and English departments offered to adapt some of their lessons to suit, while the Music HOD agreed to allow a small number of students to work in his department during some Technology periods. Religious Education, English and Music teachers of the classes involved agreed to make themselves available as advisors to small groups of students.
Chris is also a fan of group learning. At the beginning of the unit, he had students think about their interests and skills and critically assess their own abilities. He used this information, along with the student's own preferences and some diagnostic assessment of their prior learning in Technology, to create groups of students. Then he introduced the project by having students watch and discuss films with robotics as a theme, as well as films and 'special features' dealing with stop motion animation, storyboarding, planning and so on. Films included: I Robot, the original 1933 King Kong, and the Wallace and Gromit films. Chris also screened Jurassic Park – a landmark in the history of animation for special effects, as it was the first time that CGI (digital) effects were used in a full-length film to represent real, living creatures.
Chris presented the class with the project brief. He did this verbally rather than presenting the class with a written statement. This, he believes, encourages students to discuss the brief and engage with it rather than feel it is being imposed on them.
A paraphrased version of the brief that emerged from the class discussion runs as follows:
- You are to work in groups in the making of a short stop-motion animated film that communicates the values of St Patrick's College.
- The film is to be based on a biblical parable, and you are to use the context or theme of robotics to create a modern version of the parable that communicates the original meaning.
- Year 12 and 13 students will design and make the puppet characters and vehicles to your specifications.
- You must work effectively as a group to complete the aspect of the project you are responsible for. This will require effective conferencing and communication skills.
The class identified key stakeholders and key factors. These were transferred to a class Gantt chart, providing students with an overall view to help them understand where they are at any point of the project, as well as being able to see how their group's work affects each of the other groups.
Based on this planning, groups were assigned different parts of the project: script, storyboard, backdrops, props, music, animation, film/lighting. Using student and teacher-initiated research criteria, the boys used the internet to research their area. Each group presented their findings to the class in PowerPoint presentations that were evaluated by peers and later refined.
To increase the effectiveness of the group approach, Chris ensures groups communicate between themselves freely, as opposed to having each group operate in isolation. The initial experiments and trials and errors that every group endured were shared through regular rounds of presentations. Groups used these initial experiments to identify the skills and knowledge they had to acquire. The Gantt chart was updated as their body of knowledge grew and tasks were refined and redefined.
The script group developed a synopsis for the film based on a range of parables Chris provided. "I selected a range of parables that would translate relatively easily to film. The reason for this was simply practical necessity – there was not the planning time available for this to be done with other staff. Teachers are excessively busy people – increasingly so year-by-year as administrative tasks increase. This is the biggest barrier to inter-departmental, or even intra-departmental collaborative planning (though we are relatively good at that in the St Pat's Technology department)."
Storyboard images: click to enlarge
The script and storyboard groups developed the characters and briefed the Year 12 Graphics and Technology students, who prepared the puppets and designed the vehicles used in the film.
Guided by the teacher, the Year 10 students identified experts who could help them with the project and developed a range of interview questions. A key factor Chris had identified early in the project was the ability [or lack of ability] of students to communicate effectively in a variety of contexts –within small groups, whole class conferencing, interacting with clients, stakeholders and outside experts (teachers of other curriculla).
"Despite many reminders, and even setting up potential meeting times, I did not force students to meet with the expert teachers. Many of the students were reluctant to meet with the teachers. I am not certain why – laziness may have been a factor, or perhaps they found it an uncomfortable situation. I had to manage that aspect of the project by providing it in a more formal way. Most of the expert input happened when I ran a couple of lessons and invited the relevant teachers to join the class to watch the film in partially completed form and give some feedback to the students."
The project was also shown to a group of Year 8 students on two occasions to gauge their reaction as to the clarity of the storytelling, etc.
Filming began early in the third term, and then progressed relatively quickly. The preparation took a lot longer than originally planned, but that is the nature of such a project, and it was this aspect that provided much of the learning. The interactions and interdependence of groups contributing to the success of the project was both a challenge and a highlight of the project.
"It requires a great deal of organisation and perseverance on the part of the teacher in order to keep everyone motivated and productive."
A digital video camera on a tripod was used to take still photos – around 90 per lesson during the production phase. (Chris suggests that a digital still camera would be equally effective, and that a bracket clamped to a desk would work in place of a tripod.) Lighting was provided by way of a couple of lamps – a spotlight-style lamp and an adjustable desk-style lamp. Large sheets of white card were used for 'fill' lighting. Small 12-volt lamps with a transformer were used in one of the films to provide model 'street lamp' lighting.
This movie of the storyboard with script was used to test the clarity of storytelling, and the timings and sequencing of camera shots and angles to guide the shooting of the final footage.
Chris did the editing, using Windows Movie Maker . Chris says this software is not ideal, as editing has to be completed in small sections, saved as video clips and assembled later. The programme frequently freezes/crashes and has to be shut down and restarted, so frequent saving and plenty of patience and late evenings are required.
The project was intended to take place in terms 1 and 2, with the presentation of outcomes in term 3. However, it took longer than expected and extended into term 3 with presentation of outcomes in term 4. The unit of work planned for term 4 focussing on programming simple robots was flexible enough to accommodate the change. Research into robotics, and a PowerPoint presentation of this research, in was done by groups who had 'down time' from the film making during the first three terms. This was an effective way to keep everyone working on relevant aspects of the whole year's programme.
Selected students described the project at the Wellington Beacon Practice Cluster presentation at Parliament in October 2006 and at two afternoon presentations of class-work to Year 7 and Year 8 students from local schools.
During the implementation of the unit, Chris developed some unconventional and useful methods to plan and manage lessons in a complex project of this nature, including something he calls the 'Visual lesson plan'.
"I used this planner for many lessons during the most intense phase of the project, to manage and communicate the many varied activities taking place. This is a plan drawing of the two linked rooms I was using, as well as the attached storeroom and my office. Included in the drawing were each of the identified workstations, named for each of the groups. This was photocopied to A3 size, and put up on the classroom walls for students to refer to as they entered the room. I also photocopied this at A4 size for my own use. For each lesson, I would date this lesson plan and write next to each workstation the resources, equipment, specific activities and teaching points for each group for that lesson. I carried this with me for the lesson, using it as a guide as I moved from group to group. Each group was provided with an information sheet on what they were to be doing in this lesson – either one given to all groups or one specifically targeted for a particular group. This corresponded to the visual lesson plan, of course. Groups became good at being responsible for their work-station and the setting up and storage of their work."
