STANDARDS

Lexile: 980L

Core Art Standards:

VA2: Organize and develop artistic ideas and work.

VA7: Perceive and analyze artistic work.

VA11: Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural, and historical context to deepen understanding.

CCSS Anchor Standards:

R1: Make inferences and cite textual evidence.

R4: Interpret words and phrases.

W2: Write informative/explanatory texts.

Objective: Students will have an understanding of how an animated film is developed, from concept to finished movie.

Essential Question: How do artists work?

Enduring Understanding:

Artists and designers experiment with forms, structures, materials, concepts, media, and artmaking approaches.

Vocabulary: balance, facial expressions, highlights, mood, narrative, palette, perspective, scale, score, shadows, shot

Materials: computer or interactive whiteboard, “Graphic Organizer: Animation” skills sheets from Lesson Plan 1

Lesson: Luca Comes to Life

Use with pages 6-9.

Begin by having students read the introduction and “Starting the Story” sections of the article. Ask: What inspired Luca? (Answers will vary but should touch on the director’s personal experiences as a child in Italy.)
Have students take turns reading sections of “Luca Comes to Life” aloud. After each section, invite students to look at the accompanying image(s). Ask: What techniques did animators use to make Luca? (Animators started with inspiration for the story; created storyboards; made rough sketches for the characters; designed models for the setting; organized the shots; and added finishing touches.)
Students should record notes in their “Graphic Organizer: Animation” skills sheets.

How do sketches of facial expressions help animators create a character? (Sketches help animators create facial expressions based on a character’s feelings and motivations. They also help finalize his or her appearance.)
How do the images related to the movie’s location add to your understanding of the animation process? (Answers will vary but should refer to the location’s importance in the story and the steps animators take to develop the setting.)
How do the characters, setting, and other details work together? (Animators aim to create a unified style throughout the film. Each design choice is made to ensure that the characters and setting support the narrative.)

Create a shot list for a scene in a new movie. How will you organize it? Will it be a close-up, a side shot, a wide angle, or a combination? Explain how the perspective will change the viewers’ experience of the scene.
Choose a real-life setting as inspiration for an animated film. Create a colorful sketch of the setting. You might even try building a model of the setting.