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 of 2008 the 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 of 2009 the 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 Sprng semesters.
| Weeks | Date | Instructor | Lecture Topic | Readings Due | Assignment Due |
| Week 1 | Tue 2008.08.26 | --- | No Class | ||
| Thu 2008.08.28 | All | Course Overview (Slides: ppt, pdf, 6pdf, 6pdfbw) | |||
| Week 2 | Tue 2008.09.02 | Randy Nelson | Storytelling | Designing A Pixar Film The Art of Storytelling |
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| Thu 2008.09.04 | --- | Critique | Story Pitches | ||
| Week 3 | Tue 2008.09.09 | Brian | Storyboarding & Camera 1 | I3DSFP: Chapter 5: Storyboard I3DSFP: pp 236-243: Camera |
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| Thu 2008.09.11 | --- | Critique | Storyboard (download) | ||
| Week 4 | Tue 2008.09.16 | --- | Critique | ||
| Thu 2008.09.18 | Dan | Story Reels and 2D Animatics | I3DSFP: Chapter 10 | ||
| Week 5 | Tue 2008.09.23 | --- | Critique | Story Reel (Final 10) | |
| Thu 2008.09.25 | Brian + Paul Aichele | Character Design | I3DSFP: Chapters 3-4 | ||
| Week 6 | Tue 2008.09.30 | --- | Critique | Character Sheets | |
| Thu 2008.10.02 | Paul Aichele | Clay Modeling | I3DSFP: Chapter 7 | ||
| Week 7 | Tue 2008.10.07 | --- | Critique | Clay Hero Models |
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| Thu 2008.10.09 | Paul Aichele | Computer Modeling | I3DSFP: Chapter 12 | ||
| Week 8 | Tue 2008.10.14 | --- | Critique | Unrigged Models and Sets | |
| Thu 2008.10.16 | --- | Skeleton & Rigging (skipped) | I3DSFP: Chapter 14 | ||
| Week 9 | Tue 2008.10.21 | --- | Critique | Updated Models and Sets | |
| Thu 2008.10.23 | Dan | Procedural Modeling & Set Dressing | --- | ||
| Week 10 | Tue 2008.10.28 | --- | Critique | Rigged Models | |
| Thu 2008.10.30 | Dan | Camera 2: Cinematic Techniques and Procedural Cameras | --- | ||
| Week 11 | Tue 2008.11.04 | --- | Critique | Dressed Sets with Camera Paths |
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| Thu 2008.11.06 | Tim Milliron | Animation 1: Primary Hero Animation & Inverse Kinematics | I3DSFP: Chapter 16 | ||
| Week 12 | Tue 2008.11.11 | --- | NO CLASS | ||
| Thu 2008.11.13 | David Munier | Sets: Set Dressing | --- | Animatic / Revised camera | |
| Week 13 | Tue 2008.11.18 | --- | Critique | Low Frequency Animation |
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| Thu 2008.11.20 | Dan | Animation 2 : Walk Cycles and Autonomous Motion | --- | ||
| Week 14 | Tue 2008.11.25 | --- | Critique | Detailed Hero Animation 1 |
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| Thu 2008.11.27 | --- | NO CLASS | --- | ||
| Week 15 | Tue 2008.12.02 | Jeremy | Data-driven Maya (demo) (src)+ Crit | Detailed Hero Animation 2 | |
| Thu 2008.12.04 | --- | Critique | Background Animation | ||
| Week 16 | Tue 2008.12.09 | Randy Nelson | Critique | ||
| "FINAL" |
Sat 2008.12.20 1230-330P |
Critique / Party / Screening |
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Required - First Semester: Inspired 3D Short Film Production |
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Required - Second Semester: Advanced Renderman |
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Required - Second Semester: Digital Lighting & Rendering |
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Useful - First Semester: MEL Scripting for Maya Animators |
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Useful - First Semester: Complete Maya Programming |
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Useful - Second Semester: The Renderman Companion |
Dan Garcia
- OH: Th 3-4, Soda Hall 777
Brian Barsky
- OH: Fri 2-4, Soda Hall 785
Jeremy Huddleston
- OH: W 3-4, Soda Hall 535
Garry Wu
- OH: MW 12-2, Soda Hall 349
Jenny Franco
- OH: F 12-1, Soda Hall 349