Experimental Characters

This course examines avant-garde approaches to character animation, emphasizing experimental forms, unconventional movement, and nonlinear storytelling. Through weekly lectures and discussions, we will broaden our understanding of characters by drawing on concepts rooted in a wide range of disciplines, including literature, psychology, and design. Screenings will showcase animated films that challenge traditions and push the boundaries of what a character can be. Assignments will encourage students to rigorously investigate their own characters' movement conventions and experiment with the ways physicality, rhythm, timing, and environment can be used to convey complex emotional truths.