Classroom presentation for NC Media Studies students on Comics, Cartoons and Animation

1. comics, cartoons and animation

2. lesson objectives

3. one
Identify the codes and
conventions of comics,
cartoons and animations.

4. two
Understand how comics,
cartoons and animations
attract target audiences.

5. three
Identify types of animation
and their effects on
audiences.

6. character types

7. vladimir propp (1928)
Suggested that in any story
there are only a limited
number of character types.

8. hero
The central protagonist of
the narrative who drives it
forward and has some kind of
quest or mission.

9. heroine or princess
Acts as a reward for the
hero for succeeding the quest.

10. villain
Seeks to stop the hero from
succeeding in the quest, while
presenting a genuine threat.

11. donor or mentor
Gives the hero important
information or equipment to
help him or her in the quest.

12. helper
Accompanies the hero on the
quest, and can even help the
hero to succeed, but cannot
themselves complete the quest.

13. Some characters can fulfil
two or more functions. For
example, the heroine can also
be the helper.

14. comics techniques

15. text boxes
Small boxes of text which give
details that would be hard
to show in pictures alone.

17. frame links
Text placed between the frames
to help reader understand
events which may have
happened after the last frame
and before the next.

19. speech bubbles
Words of speech placed in a
bubble pointing towards the
mouth of the character.

21. thought bubbles
Like speech bubbles, but
words are placed in cloud-shaped
bubbles to show what
character is thinking.

23. sound words
comics give the impression of
sounds by using inventive
onomapthopeic words like
‘pow’ and ‘zapp!!’.

25. emotion words
Like sound words, comics
also use words to show
exactly how a character is
feeling.

27. facial expressions
Simple alterations to a
character’s face to show
emotion.

29. movement lines
Comic frames give the
impression of movement by
adding small lines around
edges of characters.

31. animation techniques

32. line drawing
This technique was used by
the first animators.

33. They drew a figure, framed
in a background, many
times, each time making
tiny adjustments.

34. They filmed each picture for
just a frame or two. When
the film was shown at
normal speed the figure
appeared to move.

36. model animation
A scale model of a character
is moved and filmed in very
small stages.

37. This technique uses
software that allows the
camera to film single
frames to crate the effect of
start-stop motion.

39. computer-generated
imagery (CGI)
Uses computer graphics to
generate special effects.