ONE OF A KIND: CREATING MEMORABLE ANIMATED CHARACTERS
Ages 16-29
Spring 2022, JHU-MICA Film Centre
In this workshop, student fellows will develop and create original animated characters with the full complexity and vitality of human beings—even if they’re embodied in talking animals, objects, or landscapes! Fellows will consider psychological as well as physical characteristics, mapping backstories of formative experiences, and of evolved family and cultural histories. Their characters will be distinguished by distinct personalities, quirks, strengths and weaknesses; and by complex inner lives that are revealed outwardly through action. Using Adobe Animate, fellows will experiment with body and facial movement, and with lip-syncing, learning techniques for delivering their characters’ unique ways of moving and speaking. Each fellow will create a short animation and a “bible” of story possibilities for their character’s ongoing adventures after the workshop. Fellow work will be shared through a public exhibition and on the program website. Limited to 8 student fellows.
Alfonzer Harvin is a graduate of the Screenwriting and Animation program (SWAN) at Morgan State University. He is Media Specialist and Web Designer at NorthBay Education Inc., and has created animations for Comcast and the Baltimore Parking Authority. He is skilled in all phases of production, and believes that knowledge is all we need to change the world.
Alisha Mona'e Coates graduated from Morgan State University with a B.S in Multi-Platform Media Production. A BYFA participant since 2016, she started her photography career at Edmondson Westside, and hopes to eventually open an art/photography studio.
