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 Spring semesters.
The course is held in 606 Soda Hall, MW 1-3
Weeks | Date | Instructor | Lecture Topic | Readings Due | Assignment Due |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Week 1 | Mon 2011.01.17 | NO CLASS | |||
Wed 2011.01.19 | All | Review work done over break, Discuss Semester Goals | |||
Week 2 | Mon 2011.01.24 | Dan | Art Direction + Critique | Color Pallette Ideas | |
Wed 2011.01.26 | Dan + Jeremy | Color: Physics and Science of Color (colorspaces slides: pdf) | 3DSFP: Chapter 4 | ||
Week 3 | Mon 2011.01.31 | Critique | Colored Frames | ||
Wed 2011.02.02 | Dan | Effects 1 | 3DSFP: Chapter19 | ||
Week 4 | Mon 2011.02.07 | Critique | Effects | ||
Wed 2011.02.09 | Matt Wong (Pixar) | Effects 2 + Guest Critique (repo) | |||
Week 5 | Mon 2011.02.14 | Critique | More Effects | ||
Wed 2011.02.16 | Jeremy | RenderMan & Compositing 1 (repo) | 3DSFP: Chapter 20 | ||
Week 6 | Mon 2011.02.21 | NO CLASS | |||
Wed 2011.02.23 | Critique | 3DSFP: pp370-377 | |||
Week 7 | Mon 2011.02.28 | Critique | Composited Effects | ||
Wed 2011.03.02 | Greg Niemeyer (Art) | Shading 1: Texture Maps | 3DSFP: Chapter 13 | ||
Week 8 | Mon 2011.03.07 | Critique | Textured Models | ||
Wed 2011.03.09 | Dan Gallagher (DWA) | Lighting 1 | 3DSFP: Chapter 18 | ||
Week 9 | Mon 2011.03.14 | Critique | Improved Shaders | ||
Wed 2011.03.16 | Paul Kanyuk (Pixar) | Shading 2: Procedural Shading + Guest Critique | |||
Week SP | Mon 2011.03.21 | NO CLASS: SPRING BREAK | |||
Wed 2011.03.23 | NO CLASS: SPRING BREAK | ||||
Week 10 | Mon 2011.03.28 | Critique | Lighting 1 | ||
Wed 2011.03.30 | Tarek Elaydi (MPC) | Compositing 2 + Guest Critique | 3DSFP: Chapter 21 | ||
Week 11 | Mon 2011.04.04 | Critique | Lighting 2 | ||
Wed 2011.04.06 | David Wallace (ILM) | Lighting 2: Practical Lighting Tips and Lessons Learned + Guest Critique (slides & examples) | |||
Week 12 | Mon 2011.04.11 | Critique | Lighting 3 | ||
Wed 2011.04.13 | Critique | ||||
Week 13 | Mon 2011.04.18 | Will Files (Skywalker Sound) | Foley + Guest Critique | ||
Wed 2011.04.20 | Adam Chin (DWA) | Lighting 3 + Guest Critique | |||
Week 14 | Mon 2011.04.25 | Critique | Polish | ||
Wed 2011.04.27 | Critique | ||||
Week 15 | Mon 2011.05.02 1100-1300 |
Critique (RRR Week) | |||
Wed 2011.05.04 | Critique (RRR Week) | ||||
Fri 2011.05.06 | Critique (RRR Week) | ||||
"FINAL" |
Tue 2011.05.10 |
Screening and Wrap Party | |||
Visits | Tue 2011.05.17 0900-1145 |
Leave Berkeley at 0730 | Lucasfilm Visit | ||
Wed 2011.05.18 0930-1400 |
Leave Berkeley at 0800 | DWA Visit | |||
Wed 2011.05.18 1500-1800 |
Phasespace Visit |
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:
Required - First Semester: Inspired 3D Short Film Production | |
Required - Second Semester: Advanced Renderman | |
Required - Second Semester: Digital Lighting & Rendering | |
Useful - First Semester: MEL Scripting for Maya Animators | |
Useful - First Semester: Complete Maya Programming | |
Useful - Second Semester: The Renderman Companion |