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 2010, 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 2011, 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 Spirng semesters.
The course is held in 606 Soda Hall, MW 2-4
| Weeks | Date | Instructor | Lecture Topic | Readings Due | Assignment Due |
| Week 1 | Mon 2010.08.30 | Course Overview (Slides: ppt, pdf, 6pdf) | |||
| Wed 2010.09.01 | Dan | Storytelling | Designing A Pixar Film The Art of Storytelling |
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| Week 2 | Mon 2010.09.06 | NO CLASS | |||
| Wed 2010.09.08 | Critique | I3DSFP: Chapters 1-2 | Story Pitches (Initial 46 [1] [2]) | ||
| Week 3 | Mon 2010.09.13 | Dan | Storyboarding & Camera 1 | I3DSFP: Chapter 5: Storyboard I3DSFP: pp 236-243: Camera |
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| Wed 2010.09.15 | Critique | Storyboard (Surviving 23) | |||
| Week 4 | Mon 2010.09.20 | Critique | Pair Storyboard (Remaining 12) | ||
| Wed 2010.09.22 | Jeremy | Timing, Animatics, and Blocking | I3DSFP: Chapter 10 | ||
| Week 5 | Mon 2010.09.27 | Critique | Animatic (Finalists) | ||
| Wed 2010.09.29 | Ketrina Yim (PhaseSpace) |
Character Design (Slides: pdf) + Guest Critique | I3DSFP: Chapters 3-4 | ||
| Week 6 | Mon 2010.10.04 | Critique | Character Sheets and Blocking | ||
| Wed 2010.10.06 | Dan | Camera 2: Cinematic Techniques and Procedural Cameras (Slides: pdf) | I3DSFP: Chapter 11 | ||
| Week 7 | Mon 2010.10.11 | Critique | Revised Character Sheets and Animatic | ||
| Wed 2010.10.13 | Evan & Jeremy | Infrastructure (Unison, etc) | I3DSFP: Chapter 7 | ||
| Week 8 | Mon 2010.10.18 | Critique | Initial Model Turntables | ||
| Wed 2010.10.20 | Dan | Procedural Modeling (Slides: pptx, pdf) | I3DSFP: Chapter 12 | ||
| Thu 2010.10.21 | Gary Wu, ILM | Modeling, 7pm 606 Soda + Guest Critique | |||
| Week 9 | Mon 2010.10.25 | Critique | Updated Models | ||
| Wed 2010.10.27 | Sandy Kao, DWA | Rigging + Guest Critique | I3DSFP: Chapter 14 | ||
| Week 10 | Mon 2010.11.01 | Robert Armstrong, DWA | Set Dressing + Guest Critique | Rigged Models | |
| Wed 2010.11.03 | Jeremy | Data-driven Maya (demo) (src) + Critique | --- | ||
| Week 11 | Mon 2010.11.08 | Critique | Layout Reel: Dressed Sets with Camera Paths | ||
| Wed 2010.11.10 | Jason Schleifer, DWA | Animation 1: Fundamentals of Animation + Guest Critique | I3DSFP: Chapter 16 | ||
| Week 12 | Mon 2010.11.15 | Critique | Low Frequency Animation | ||
| Wed 2010.11.17 | Dan | Animation 2: Walk Cycles and Autonomous Motion | --- | ||
| Week 13 | Mon 2010.11.22 | Critique | Primary Hero Animation 1 | ||
| Wed 2010.11.24 | (No Jeremy) | Critique | Primary Hero Animation 2 | ||
| Week 14 | Mon 2010.11.29 | (No Jeremy) | Critique | Secondary Hero Animation | |
| Wed 2010.12.01 | Critique | Background Animation | |||
| Week 15 | Mon 2010.12.06 | Critique (RRR Week) | Polish | ||
| Wed 2010.12.08 | Critique (RRR Week) | Polish | |||
| "FINAL" |
Thu 2010.12.16 |
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.
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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: Friday 3-4pm in lab. Office: Soda Hall 777
Jeremy Huddleston
- OH: Monday 12-1pm in Soda Hall 535