One way of communicating your research is to make a short science video animation explaining the complicated bits of your research. This can be used on a youtube channel, intended for a broader audience, or for use in a presentation, website, social media video, or online publication.  

In this workshop, science journalist and animator Bruno van Wayenburg will help you with telling your research story as a video animation. Prepare to fiercely select and condense, but also to think up concrete examples and metaphors to make your research graspable! You will learn how to produce a short clip of animation such as used within this video by Kaveh Lahabi https://youtu.be/dXHvGq1QQl4?t=225, including writing a script, making a storyboard and animating the video using the industry standard Adobe After Effects software. 

Audience

The course is intended for PhD students in the Casimir Research School who are interested in presenting their research to a wider audience.

You will need

• Adobe After Effects, which is part of the Adobe CC Suite. A 1-year license is available for university workers for € 19.75. (https://www.surfspot.nl/meest-gebruikte-software/adobe-creative-cloud-met-services-medewerker.html)
• A tablet/laptop/computer, preferrably with a stylus or touchscreen, with drawing software installed. This can be heavy machinery full like Adobe Illustrator or simple apps such as Tayasui sketches, Procreate, Paper, Autodesk or many others. Make sure you can make basic drawings and export them to your computer as .png files

 Credits: 3 GSC

Course dates: 

• Session 1: Tuesday 23 February, 15:00-17:00 hrs: Introduction to science communication, explanation levels, story structures, key messages, audiences, writing, styles and functions. Scripts, storyboards. Homework: write a script and sketch a storyboard for your animation.
• Session 2: Tuesday 9 March, 15:00-17:00 hrs: Review of the script and storyboard, recording the voiceover, making the illustrations. The review of the storyboard will be done on an individual basis from 15.30-17, the participants will be scheduled within this time slot. Homework: record your voiceover, make your illustrations, install Adobe After Effects
• Session 3: Tuesday 23 March, 13:00-18:00 hrs: Be sure to have installed Adobe After Effects before this session. Basics of animation in After Effects will be explained between 13:00-14:00 hrs. Online help with the animation will be provided on an individual basis from 14:00-18:00 hrs, the participants will be scheduled within this time slot. Homework: make your own animation.
• Session 4: Final presentation Tuesday 13 April, 15:00-17:00 hrs: Presentation and review of the animations.