This short online course focuses on the development of stop motion animation skills, and their use in commercial product photography shoots.

It will be of interest to commercial photographers, social media managers, independent business owners, designers, product designers, those with experience in the fields of animation/film/advertising, etc.

Participants should have an interest in, or experience with, visual design.

The course will broaden your skills to pursue careers as a stop motion animator, digital content creator, social media manager, commercial photographer/videographer, production designer.

During the course, you will:

• Learn animation principles as they apply to stop motion animation. Objects will appear to move independently, resulting in dynamic content suitable for digital marketing campaigns.
• Execute a number of limited animation exercises demonstrating their understanding of stop motion animation principles.
• Complete a final assignment, showcasing a product of your choice. The skills developed in this Workshop will be strictly animation-focused.

Course Requirements:

Participants should have:

• Access to a DSLR camera and a suitable laptop or desktop computer. The DSLR camera will be used with Dragonframe (provided) – compatible cameras are listed here: Camera Support – Dragonframe
• An AC/DC adapter for your DSLR (strongly recommended), to avoid touching the camera body during the shoot.
• A USB connection cable for your camera, a tripod, and a work space where you can set up your shoot.

You will also need to bring your product prototype, and suitable materials to serve as a backdrop/set.

You should be comfortable with using your DSLR camera, and learning digital softwares. Some experience with Adobe After Effects is useful but not essential. No previous experience with Dragonframe is required.

Summative assessment:

Week 1. 3 short test clips, each demonstrating a focus on an aspect or principle of stop motion animation.

Week 2. A final piece of animation, showcasing a product. The final footage should be “ready for release” – this means that there should be some attention given to the set and lighting, and the animation should be of a professional standard.

The course will run online over 2 weekends (Saturday and Sunday):

• Weekend 1: 16th + 17^th July 2022 (10am – 5pm)
• Weekend 2: 23rd + 24^th July 2022 (10am – 5pm)

Submission deadline: 29^th July at 12noon.

Leaving Certificate Examination (Level 5 Award) or equivalent.

Applicants without this qualification may also be considered based on their prior experience and learning through IADT’s RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning) process.

The course is offered free of charge; funded by IADT and the Creative Futures Academy, under the Higher Education Authority’s Human Capital Initiative.

Please complete our IADT Application Form – Certificate Professional Skills

Application deadline: Friday, 10th June 2022 at 12noon.

Note: As part of your application, you will be asked to submit a proposed ‘product’ of focus for the course (e.g., a PDF with a written description with images if applicable) – this could be a product you have developed/released as a business owner or product designer. It could also be an imagined or proposed product (e.g., you might propose showcasing a new brand of jam, and would need to bring a suitable jar to animate).

Please email any queries to Elena Somoza, IADT Creative Futures Academy Co-ordinator, at cfa@iadt.ie