# Teaching Flipbook Animation with Shimmy

###### tags: `sketchdance`

## One-day session

1. Preparation: iPad loaded with Shimmy page, program created in Moat, paper and pencils for sketching/ideas/storyboard.

2. Set expectations: What are we going to be able to create? Show some examples (briefly).

3. What is a storyboard? How can you use it to plan an animation? Handout?

4. The 12 principles of animation (with examples or handout). https://the12principles.tumblr.com/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve_basic_principles_of_animation

5. Introduce Shimmy, show how to draw, change colour, and use other tools.

6. Try it out: make a bouncing ball.

7. Try it out: make a face smile and blink.

8. Advanced: Pick two things you can draw. Show one changing into the other. Can you make an apple change into a house?

9. Wrap-up: save using Moat and write down the URL to download their final animation as a GIF.

## Continuing Sessions:

### Session 1

* Introduction to Shimmy
* What is Shimmy?
* Who creates and maintains Shimmy?
* What is animation?
* What is Shimmy good for?
* What is Shimmy not good for?
* Making a face smile
* Some quick examples
* Step by step:
* Draw the face without the mouth
* Copy that frame about 20 times
* Switch to the first frame
* Draw an unsmiling mouth
* Go to the next frame
* Using the previous frame as a references (onionskinning)
* Draw the next mouth ever so slightly smiling
* Keep doing this for each frame in turn
* Try to use at least 10 frames
* If you use less than 20, you can delete the extras
* If you need more than 20, duplicate the last frame before drawing a mouth on it
* Introducing the tools
* Pen
* Copy frame
* Move tool
* Save / Save as Gif
* Brief overview of all other tools
* Homework
* Pick two things you can draw. Using at least 20 frames, change the first thing into the second thing.

### Session 2

* Links
* Previous episode
* Shimmy
* Feedback page
* Principles of Animation: Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve_basic_principles_of_animation
* Illusion of Life: Library https://yourlibrary.bibliocommons.com/item/show/1264677101
* Principles of Animation: Animated https://the12principles.tumblr.com/

* Shorter Introduction to Shimmy
* What is Shimmy?
* Who creates and maintains Shimmy
* Link to Episode 1
* Link to Shimmy
* How to get in touch (correction to last week)
* Revisit homework from previous week
* Don't have to do this real-time, but show an example or two of transforming one thing into another.
* Example animation: Make a bouncing ball (repeat of last week)
* Introduction to 12 Principles of Animation
* Link page about it
* Link to videos about it
* Using principle of Squash & Stretch
* Example: use squash and stretch for the bouncing ball
* Using principle of Timing
* Example: use timing for the bouncing ball
* Combining the two examples
* Using color
* Why there is no Fill tool
* Exercise: draw with a single line (keep mouse button pressed)
* Exercise: choose a palette (or make one) and using only that palette, colour in the drawing from previous exercise (you can also vary the width of the pen)
* Homework
* Draw someone walking. Use at least 20 frames. It doesn't have to be a person, it can be a stick figure, a duck, a robot, whatever you feel comfortable drawing. But pay attention to the movement of the whole body as it walks. Can you apply the principles of Squash and Stretch? How about Timing?

### Session 3

* Greeting, short introduction of what shimmy is, who I am
* Walk through of my walking animation
* [x] Make this animation!
* [x] Get my Surface back so I can draw with a stylus

* [ ] Using Copy, Move, Rotate, and Scale tools
* [ ] Save time making animations
* [ ] Capture movement by moving the background
* [ ] No homework this time: keep playing with Shimmy and let us know what you think!