This year-long course is targeted at students with backgrounds in art, film, or computer science who intend to work in the visual effects, animation, and entertainment industries. It will build upon students' knowlege from related courses to guide them through the digital animation production process in an environment similar to industry production houses. We will survey many advanced topics and allow students to focus on a subset they find interesting while collaborating with their team to develop a 30-second animation piece. The course will be enhanced with industry guest lectures.
In the fall, topics will include story and character development, manual and procedural modeling, advanced character rigging, set design, manual and procedural camera animation, and manual, procedural, AI-driven, and data-driven animation.
In the spring, topics will include visual art design, sound and foley design, visual effects, shading, lighting, rendering, optimization, and advanced image composition.
In order to take this course, you need to have taken atleast two courses from the following list:
If you sign up for this course, you are committing to taking it in both the Fall and Spirng semesters.
The course is held in 606 Soda Hall, WF 2-4.
Reserved lab time in 200 SDH is on Monday from 2-4, but this time may be used for guest lecturers depending on their availability.
| Weeks | Date | Instructor | Lecture Topic | Readings Due | Assignment Due |
| Week 1 | Wed 2012.08.22 | NO CLASS | |||
| Fri 2012.08.24 | Dan & Jeremy | Course Overview | Syllabus | ||
| Week 2 | Mon 2012.08.26 | Dan | Storytelling | Story Spine Using the Story Spine Designing A Pixar Film The Art of Storytelling The 22 rules of storytelling, according to Pixar |
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| Wed 2012.08.29 | Dan | Storytelling 2 And Storyboards | I3DSFP: Chapter 5: Storyboard |
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| Fri 2012.08.31 | Critique | I3DSFP: Chapters 1-2 | Story Pitches (Initial 44) | ||
| Week 3 | Mon 2012.09.03 | NO CLASS: HOLIDAY | |||
| Wed 2012.09.05 | Critique | Storyboard (Surviving 24) | |||
| Fri 2012.09.07 | Critique | Polished Storyboard (Remaining 13) | |||
| Week 4 | Mon 2012.09.10 | Dan | Storyboarding, Camera, Timing, Animatics, and Blocking | I3DSFP: pp 236-243: Camera |
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| Wed 2012.09.12 | Ketrina Yim, PhaseSpace | Character Design + Guest Critique | I3DSFP: Chapters 3-4 | Animatic (Final 6) | |
| Fri 2012.09.14 | Critique | Polished Animatic (Final 6) | |||
| Week 5 | Mon 2012.09.17 | Open Lab | |||
| Wed 2012.09.19 | Jeremy | Infrastructure (guide) + Crit | I3DSFP: Chapter 7 | Polished Animatic (Final 4) | |
| Fri 2012.09.21 | Story Artist Rad Sechrist DWA Site Visit! |
Critique | Polished Animatic (Final 4) | ||
| Week 6 | Mon 2012.09.24 | Open Lab | |||
| Wed 2012.09.26 | Megan Gritzfeld, telltale games | Modeling + Guest Critique | I3DSFP: Chapter 12 | ||
| Fri 2012.09.28 | Critique | Character Sheets, and Animatic Polish | |||
| Week 7 | Mon 2012.10.01 | Open Lab | |||
| Wed 2012.10.03 | Dan | Procedural Modeling (slides) | |||
| Fri 2012.10.05 | Critique | Blocking, Initial Model Turntables | |||
| Week 8 | Mon 2012.10.08 | Open Lab | |||
| Wed 2012.10.10 | Critique | I3DSFP: Chapter 14 | |||
| Thu 2012.10.11 | Gary Wu, ILM (7-9pm) | Rigging, Critique | |||
| Fri 2012.10.12 | Critique | Updated Models | |||
| Week 9 | Mon 2012.10.15 | Open Lab | |||
| Wed 2012.10.17 | Mike Ross, DWA | Set Dressing | |||
| Fri 2012.10.19 | Critique | Rigged Models | |||
| Week 10 | Mon 2012.10.22 | Open Lab | |||
| Wed 2012.10.24 | Rex Grignon, DWA | Animation 1: Fundamentals of Animation | I3DSFP: Chapter 16 | ||
| Fri 2012.10.26 | Critique | Layout Reel: Dressed Sets with Camera Paths | |||
| Week 11 | Mon 2012.10.29 | Open Lab | |||
| Wed 2012.10.31 | Dan | Animation 2: Walk Cycles and Autonomous Motion | |||
| Fri 2012.11.02 | PhaseSpace Motion Capture Site Visit | Critique | Low Frequency Animation | ||
| Week 12 | Mon 2012.11.05 | Open Lab | |||
| Wed 2012.11.07 | Tarek Elaydi, Animal Logic | Critique | |||
| Fri 2012.11.09 | Critique | Primary Hero Animation 1 | |||
| Week 13 | Mon 2012.11.12 | NO CLASS: HOLIDAY | |||
| Wed 2012.11.14 | Critique | ||||
| Fri 2012.11.16 | Team Meetings (No Instructors) | Primary Hero Animation 2 | |||
| Week 14 | Mon 2012.11.19 | Open Lab | |||
| Wed 2012.11.21 | Critique | ||||
| Fri 2012.11.23 | NO CLASS: HOLIDAY | Secondary Hero Animation | |||
| Week 15 | Mon 2012.11.26 | Open Lab | |||
| Wed 2012.11.28 | Critique | ||||
| Fri 2012.11.30 | Critique | Background Animation | |||
| Week 16 | Mon 2012.12.03 | Open Lab (RRR Week) | |||
| Wed 2012.12.05 | Critique (RRR Week) | Polish | |||
| Fri 2012.12.07 | Critique (RRR Week) | Polish | |||
| "FINAL" |
Thu 2012.12.13 |
Critique / Party / Screening in 306 Soda |
The final grade will be based upon weekly homework assignments, participation in critiques, and confidential peer evaluation (each contributing to 1/3 of the grade). In addition, the final group deliverable can bump everyone in the group up or down a +/- level. Feedback (including current grades) will be provided mid-semester.
Homework grades are based on work done by the individual that week. Most assignments are group based and presented in class, so the homework submission will just be a text document describing your individual contributions with supporting links. Homework grades are based on a 10 point system with a penalty for being late as follows:
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Required: Inspired 3D Short Film Production |
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Useful: MEL Scripting for Maya Animators |
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Useful: Complete Maya Programming |
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Required: Advanced Renderman |
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Required: Digital Lighting & Rendering |
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Useful: The Renderman Companion |
Dan Garcia
- OH: F 1-2, 777 Soda
Jeremy Huddleston Sequoia
- OH: F 1-2, 3XX Soda
Peter Tsoi
- OH: M 2-4, Open Lab