Create a Flipbook! Intro to Hand-Drawn Animation

Completed by 12 learners

Ages 7-10

Live Group Class

In this three-week online film production course, students will learn the fundamentals of animation by creating their own flip book! #OSFF

Stephen Czaja

Average rating:

4.8

Number of reviews:

(21 reviews)

Live video meetings

1x per week, 3 weeks

2-9 learners per class

55 min

About Learning Overview Teacher Reviews

What's included

3 live meetings

2 hrs 45 mins in-class hours

Class Experience

Flipbooks are an incredibly fun way to see the magic of animation and the illusion of motion in the palm of your hands. They're also a great first project for beginner animators. 

In this three-week project-based course students will learn the fundamentals of hand-drawn animation and create their very own flipbook!

Class Schedule:
Week 1: Intro to Animation + Project Brainstorming
Week 2: Flipbook Production
Week 3: Finishing Touches + Show and Tell

Our first session will cover the animation techniques that go into making a flipbook and we'll start collaboratively brainstorming ideas for the students' projects. In the second class students will start working on their flipbooks. In the last session, students will show off their work and receive live feedback to help put the finishing touches on their animations.

No experience with animation is necessary, but students with prior experience are also encouraged to enroll. Students with prior experience creating flipbooks will be challenged to elevate the quality of their work and make this flipbook their best one yet. All students will find the feedback they receive helpful in further developing their skills.

Discussion and collaboration will be encouraged throughout the course. The environment will always be relaxed and fun as we create some amazing animations!

Learning Goals

Students will gain from the class a comprehension of animation fundamentals, which includes timing, spacing, squash and stretch, composition, and anticipation. They will have a better understanding of how animated shows and films are produced. They will make their own flipbook and receive the confidence necessary to create more animation projects in the future.

Other Details

Supply List

Students will need at least 50 sheets of paper to complete their flipbook. A pack of 100 index cards is recommended ($3 on Amazon). Index cards are ideal because they are smaller and thicker than regular paper, so they are easier to flip. Some students may want to use more than 100 index cards for their projects. 

A pencil, a black ink pen, and either color pencils or markers are also required.

A ruler and at least one large binder clip are recommended.

If you'd like to go "all in" on making flipbooks, you can purchase a "flipbook kit" on Amazon for about $25, which will come with specialty flipbook paper and a lightpad to help with tracing. This isn't required for the class, however.

External Resources

Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.

Meet the teacher

Stephen Czaja

Joined July, 2020

4.8

21reviews

Profile

Teacher expertise and credentials

I love animation! I'm a public school, elementary and middle school film teacher and I teach about 450 students from third grade to eighth grade each year. I've taught flipbook animation to hundreds of students and have had great success teaching this topic online.