Real-time
Animated
Storytelling
Course Syllabus
In this official Unity introductory course, students will learn Real-time Animated Storytelling, allowing them to
build their own 3D animations using cutting-edge technology. They will learn how to create animated
Scenes, employing techniques used in movie making. They will learn pre-visualization skills, as well as
Scene creation, set design, how to animate characters, virtual cinematography, how to incorporate lighting
and special effects, how to add audio and titles, rendering, and more — all without needing to write a single
line of code.
The skills they will learn align with technical objectives and best practices employed by proficient Unity
developers. They will progress from beginners to capable Unity developers with a foundational
understanding of 3D modeling, how to build an environment, animation, and cinematography. By the end of
the course, students will be ready to apply their new skills as artists and storytellers, leveraging one of the
most powerful new technologies to bring their ideas to life. With practice, they’ll develop the confidence and
ability to create their own animated stories.
Objectives
Students will develop the confidence and ability that, with practice, will allow
Unity Skills
them to create designed sets and animated sequences in Unity.
As students work through the lessons, the project examples will guide their
Project
learning, helping them gain proficiency in managing a project from start to
Management
finish.
Students will learn how to create and model an environment with simple
geometry. They will gain experience in designing a Scene, including
Set Design and
placement of background and foreground sets and they’ll learn how to
Modeling
develop buildings, props, and Materials that have various properties,
including color.
Students will learn how to establish and control Virtual Cameras in a Scene
with a wide range of cinematographic settings and applications. They will
Cinema Graphics
also learn how to make Virtual Camera adjustments that are equivalent to
real-world camera properties.
Students will learn how to animate characters, cameras, special effects, and
Animation
more to produce dynamic, high-quality rendered videos.
Requirements
Students don’t need any prior knowledge of programming or Unity
Knowledge & Skills development. A background in animation, graphics, or film may be helpful,
but is not required.
Hardware & Students are required to have a computer capable of running Unity.
Software
Whether students are taking the course with an instructor or independently,
Duration
the full course will take 35 to 50 hours.
Course Structure
Unit Subject Summary Assessments Milestones
Getting Started with Unity Unit 1 will cover getting set Opening the Unity
up with Unity. Students will Hub
learn how to download and
install the Unity Hub and Signing in with a
the Unity Editor. They will Unity ID
1
create a Unity ID and then
Installing the Unity
launch a new project using
Editor
Unity’s Universal Render
Pipeline (URP). Creating a new URP
project
Pre-visualization Unit 2 will cover Unit 2 Quiz Setting up the Layout
pre-visualization, including
Unit 2 Creating and
modeling a city based on a
Creative arranging primitive
reference sketch. They will objects
Challenge
learn how to configure the
2 look of the Editor, work Using ProBuilder
with primitives and
Creating and altering
ProBuilder shapes, create Materials
Materials, and adjust the
Directional Light. Adjusting the
Directional Light
Environment, Modeling, and Unit 3 will cover developing Unit 3 Quiz Assembling an
Set Dressing a more visually complex environment
Scene. Students will learn Unit 3
Creative Creating props with
how to build an ProBuilder
Challenge
environment with modeled
3
props, set up lighting, and Adding basic lighting
work with emissive to a set
Materials. Adjusting emissive
Materials
Animation Unit 4 will cover the basics Unit 4 Quiz Creating a Timeline
of creating animations in
Unity using the Timeline. Unit 4 Adding a Keyframed
Students will learn how to Creative Animation
animate props as well as Challenge
Configuring a
Generic and Humanoid
Generic Rig and
characters.
adding Animation
Clips
4
Configuring a
Humanoid Rig and
adding Animation
Clips
Creating dailies
Cinematography Unit 5 will cover composing Unit 5 Quiz Framing shots with
camera shots using the Main Camera
Cinemachine. Students will Unit 5
learn how to sequence, Creative Working with
edit, and blend shots in the Challenge Cinemachine Virtual
5 Cameras
Timeline, as well as
animate multiple cameras.
Developing
multi-camera shots
Lighting and Post-Processing Unit 6 will cover lighting Unit 6 Quiz Creating custom
and post-processing. lighting
Students will learn how to Unit 6
enhance visual fidelity Creative Adjusting and
through the use of lighting, Challenge fine-tuning multiple
shadows, and light sources
post-processing effects,
Applying
6 such as adjusting color and
post-processing
depth of field.
effects to the Scene
Applying effects to
individual camera
shots
Effects, Audio, Titles, and Unit 7 will cover visual Unit 7 Quiz Creating visual
Final Render special effects, audio, effects
titles, and rendering a final Unit 7
master. Students will learn Creative Working with audio
how to create effects using Challenge
Creating titles
the Particle System and
7 VFX Graph. They will also
Final render
learn how to work with
audio and sound effects,
create titles, and render a
high-resolution video.
Final Project: Create Your The final challenge is an Final Project Representative of
Own Real-time Animation open-ended project submission elements taught
assigned at the end of the throughout the
course. It challenges course
students to demonstrate
their knowledge of the
8 course content through the
creation of a personal
project.
Grading and Rubrics
Overview
● 35% Unit Progression (7 units @ 5% each)
● 20% Creative Challenges (5 Creative Challenges @ 4% each)
● 12% Quizzes (6 quizzes @ 2% each)
● 33% Real-time Animation Challenge (1 personal project @ 33%)
* Note that these weight values are suggestions only.
Unit Progression
35% Unit Progression (7 units @ 5% each)
Weight
Students will sequentially follow each Unit’s lessons, producing the same
Description
results as the instructor, but with their own creative choices when instructed.
Purpose Students need to complete all of the lessons to complete the course.
4 = Excellent 3 = Good 2 = Fair 1 = Unsatisfactory
The unit’s projects The unit’s projects Projects have some The unit’s projects don’t
function without any function with minimal functionality and there perform as expected, or
error and operate as error and operate mostly may be errors that are incomplete. There
expected. as expected. require attention. are errors that require
attention.
Project Assets and Project Assets and Project Assets and
Hierarchy elements are Hierarchy elements are Hierarchy elements are Project Assets and
well-organized with a mostly structured and mostly organized, Hierarchy elements are
clean and structured well-organized. though some could be r are not
disorganized o
quality. better structured. easily accessible.
Creative Challenges
20% Creative Challenges (5 Creative Challenges @ 4% each)
Weight
The Creative Challenges are assigned to students at the end of each unit.
Description They incorporate the unit’s lessons by assigning an achievable goal with
simple open-ended and clear objectives.
When working on Creative Challenges, students will have the opportunity to
solidify their learning. They are given a fun and achievable challenge
Purpose consistent with the progression of each Unit, which is a great way to practice
with the knowledge and techniques presented. They are able to develop their
environments and animations using their own aesthetic and creative choices.
4 = Excellent 3 = Good 2 = Fair 1 = Unsatisfactory
The Creative Challenge The Creative Challenge The Creative Challenge The Creative Challenge
Projects definitively Projects mostly Projects demonstrate Projects demonstrate
demonstrate mastery of demonstrate knowledge some evidence of little to no evidence of
the content presented in and proficiency of the learning, while some of learning, or is
each Unit. content presented in the skills exhibited may incomplete.
each Unit. still be emerging.
Assigned goals of the Assigned goals of the
challenge are clearly Assigned goals of the Assigned goals of the challenge are not met.
met, their features are challenge are mostly challenge are partially
distinct, and there exists met, and their features met.
evidence of additional are evident.
proficiency and
creativity.
Quizzes
12% Quizzes (6 quizzes @ 2% each)
Weight
Each quiz features several multiple-choice questions covering essential
Description
concepts presented throughout the lessons.
Each quiz offers an opportunity to assess students’ learning and measure
Purpose
their knowledge of the course topics.
4 = Excellent 3 = Good 2 = Fair 1 = Unsatisfactory
Perfect score Most of the questions Few questions are No questions are
are answered correctly. answered correctly. answered correctly.
Final Project: Create Your Own Real-time Animation
33% Real-time Animation Challenge (1 personal project @ 33%)
Weight
The Real-time Animation Challenge is an open-ended project assigned to
Description students at the end of the course. It challenges them to demonstrate their
grasp of the course content by creating a personal project.
The Real-time Animation Challenge is an opportunity for students to
Purpose demonstrate their learning via an open-ended project. It provides a fun,
creative outlet where they can show off their new Unity skills.
4 = Excellent 3 = Good 2 = Fair 1 = Unsatisfactory
The Real-time The Real-time The Real-time The Real-time
Animation Challenge Animation Challenge Animation Challenge Animation Challenge
Project demonstrates Project mostly Project demonstrates Project demonstrates
mastery of the course demonstrates some evidence of little to no evidence of
content. knowledge and learning, while some of learning, or is
proficiency of the course the skills exhibited may incomplete.
The overall goals of the content. still be emerging.
challenge are clearly The overall goals of the
met and there’s The overall goals of the The overall goals of the challenge were not met.
evidence of additional challenge are mostly challenge are partially
proficiency and met. met.
creativity.