Math Practical Problems for Animators Calculating Material Costs Copyright © Texas Education Agency, All rights reserved.

How does an animator know how much materials to buy? This exercise includes calculating volumes, costs per unit, ratios and comparing prices to get the best deal. Why is figuring out the cost per unit before you start a project important? Copyright © Texas Education Agency, All rights reserved.

Read the Scenario Your teacher will give you a handout with the scenario on it. This scenario is something everyone in media needs to figure out for every job. Once you have figured out project requirements, you can figure out your volumes, costs per unit, ratios and compare your prices. Copyright © Texas Education Agency, All rights reserved.

A Pro Works With Data A pro doesn’t guess – they research, ask around, and gather real data. Jessica (in the scenario) needs to find out the size of the models she is making and then figure out the most cost effective mold material to buy. She can refer to manuals or search on the Internet for more information. Once she does figure out the size, the information is good for the next project, but she must still make sure the data and prices are current. Copyright © Texas Education Agency, All rights reserved.

What are the Project Specs? Jessica is creating a mold for her stop-animation puppet. She needs five copies. She has a budget of $12 per copy. What are the unit of measurements she will be working in? (Inches, centimeters, fluid ounces, etc.) Copyright © Texas Education Agency, All rights reserved.

Problem 1: The Size of the Mold Box Measure the head. What unit of measurement will she use? What is the easiest to use? Does it matter which unit she uses? Add extra on all sides. Why? How much? How does she decide how much? Use professional units (mm, cm, pixels) Formula for the box is Length x Width x Height = Volume of Box Copyright © Texas Education Agency, All rights reserved.

Problem 2: How Much Material to Buy? How many cubic inches does she need to buy? How do you convert cubic centimeters (if that is what you used to make the box) to inches? Always round up to the nearest full measurement. Why? Should she factor in waste or mistakes? Copyright © Texas Education Agency, All rights reserved.

Problem 3: Which Material to Buy Which is the more cost effective choice? How do you convert cubic inches to fluid ounces? Cubic inch equals U.S. fluid ounces Once you figure the total amount, always round up to the nearest full measurement. Why? Should she factor in waste or mistakes? Copyright © Texas Education Agency, All rights reserved.

Problem 3: Which Material to Buy When you have the choice of two sizes of material to buy, you need to figure out the cost per unit to see which is the best buy. The lowest cost per unit is not always with the larger package! You have to figure out which is cheaper EVERY time for EVERY project. Copyright © Texas Education Agency, All rights reserved.

Problem 4: Cost per Head The total cost of making the mold will be divided by the number of reproductions you are getting out of the mold. Jessica needs five heads, so the cost of the mold material in one reproduction will be multiplied by 5. Will that be possible with her $12 per head budget? Should she allow for mistakes? How many mistakes is it reasonable to assume she’ll make? How can she find that out before she buys the product? Copyright © Texas Education Agency, All rights reserved.

Final Thoughts Cost effectiveness is not always found in the raw numbers. Sometimes it’s better to buy the more expensive option because it simply works better. Cheaper can also mean more mistakes and more waste, which ends up costing money. Use standard industry sizes when starting a new job. Why is this important? An old carpenter’s saying is measure twice and cut once. Why is this applicable to animation? Why is precision important? Copyright © Texas Education Agency, All rights reserved.