Introduction to Digital Design

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Introduction to Digital Design

A broad introduction to the field of game development and digital animation.

Sequence: Digital Arts and Animation

Grade: Sixth

Hours of Instruction: 60 - 70

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Course Description

Students gain familiarity with the field of digital design as they develop a series of projects including digital 2D games, storyboards, concept art, and animation sequences.

Students explore the field of digital design as they prepare to focus on either Game Design or Digital Animation in grades seven and eight. Students investigate the history of traditional animation, and discover that many of the pre-production techniques that were used prior to the advent digital media are still in use today. Students gain working familiarity with some of these techniques that are used in both game and animation planning, including narrative development and story boarding, by executing a series of flipbook assignments. Students then move on to more advanced pre-production techniques, creating their own concept art, character sheets, prop designs, and digital matte paintings. Students apply these techniques to the creation of their own 2D animatic. Finally, students apply what they’ve learned to the creation of a two-dimensional arcade-style video game using the Click Team Fusion game development engine.

Educational Standards

Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS)

Game Design:

Chapter Subchapter Course Application
126.38.c.1 A Understand the basic game design elements, including conceptual ideas, storyline, visualization, storyboard, game effects, sound elements, game play, game controls, and player tutorial.
126.38.c.1 B Create a design concept document.
126.38.c.1 C Create a storyboard.
126.38.c.6 A Identify basic game components, including the game engine, game play subsystems, data structures, models, and interfaces.
126.38.c.6 F Demonstrate an understanding of game programming essentials, including event-driven programming, communicating with messages, and device management.
126.38.c.6 J Apply basic game screen design and layout, including visual controls, user interfaces, menus, and options.
126.38.c.6 K Use game control design to understand, access, and control input devices, including keyboard, mouse, and joystick.
126.38.c.6 L Demonstrate an understanding of and apply game animation, including the principles of animation and frame-based animation.

Digital Animation:

Chapter Subchapter Course Application
126.42.1 A Evaluate, edit, and create scripts for animations.
126.42.11 B Identify and apply color theories, including harmony rules, tints, shades, gradients, color mixing, new color creation, and the visual impacts of specific color combinations using a digital format.
126.42.11 D Compare and contrast the rules of composition such as the rule of thirds or the golden section/rectangle with respect to harmony and balance.
126.42.11 E Evaluate the fundamental concepts of a digital art and design such as composition, perspective, angles, lighting, repetition, proximity, white space, balance, and contrast.
126.42.11 H Use perspective, including backgrounds, light, shades and shadows, hue and saturation, and scale, to capture a focal point and create depth.
126.42.13 E Demonstrate the appropriate use of digital imaging, video integration, and sound retrieved from an electronic format.
126.42.13 F Import sounds from a variety of sources.
126.42.13 G Create planning designs such as rough sketches, storyboards, and brainstorming materials.
126.42.14 A Distinguish between and use the components of animation software programs such as cast, score, stage, and the animation manipulation interface.
126.42.14 C Create three-dimensional effects by layering images such as foreground, middle distance, and background images.

 

Key Objectives

Students will:
  • Acquire foundational knowledge of visual storytelling.
  • Apply animation principles to the creation of a hand-held flipbook.
  • Develop concept art, and storyboards, and other visual preproduction assets.
  • Integrate storyboard and sounds into the production of a simple 2D animatic.
  • Utilize video editing skills when compiling animatic.
  • Apply planning and design skills to the development of a custom 2D video game.

Materials/Supplies

  • Introduction to Digital Design Classroom Activity Kit

Other Required Resources

  • Computer, one per student
  • Adobe Creative Cloud applications (Photoshop, Premiere Pro, and Animate)
  • ClickTeam Fusion

Compatibility

Apple Windows