Introduction to Animated Storytelling

Course Description

This 1-day course will teach students how to use the Unity Editor to create animations to tell a narrative. Students will harness Unity for cinematic sequences such as trailers, cut-scenes, short films, and more! By the end of this workshop, students will understand how to get started with Unity for animated storytelling.

Who Should Attend

Anyone with an interest in learning to use Unity for animated storytelling or animation

Prerequisites

• Practical working knowledge of computers and basic Mac OS X or Windows skills

Course Outline

Note: The curricula below consists of activities typically covered in a class at this skill level. The instructor may, at his/her discretion, adjust the lesson plan to meet the needs of the class.

Lesson 1: Unity Editor Basics and Project Setup

• Identify the different Editor windows and their purposes
• Use common hotkeys and shortcuts in the Scene view
• Configure a Unity Project for animation

Lesson 2: Layout and Scene-Building

• Learn tips for blocking and setting up early staging of action in 3D environments
• Identify the default lighting settings and begin experimenting with different effects
• Identify the default camera settings and learn basic placements
• Learn basics of sequencing

Lesson 3: Lighting

• Use Unity’s Post-Processing Stack to maximize artistic storytelling
• Modify default lighting to achieve different effects

Lesson 4: Camera and Shot-Building

• Use Cinemachine to create various camera effects
• Learn to use Timeline sequence your visuals and audio together in sync

Lesson 5: Final Frame

• Use the Unity Recorder to save and view your final product
• Identify the various export formats to suit your needs