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 | Mon 2013.01.21 | NO CLASS | |||
| Wed 2013.01.23 | All | Review work done over break, Discuss Semester Goals | |||
| Fri 2013.01.25 | Alishea + Olivia + Dan | Intro Art Direction | |||
| Week 2 | Mon 2013.01.28 | Open Lab | |||
| Wed 2013.01.30 | Megan Gritzfeld, telltale games | Art Direction + Critique | Initial Color Script | ||
| Fri 2013.02.01 | Dan | Color: Intro to Color + Critique | 3DSFP: Chapter 4 | ||
| Week 3 | Mon 2013.02.04 | Open Lab | |||
| Wed 2013.02.06 | Fran Kalal, Pixar | Simulation: Cloth + Hair | |||
| Fri 2013.02.08 | Jeremy | Color: Color Spaces + Critique | Revised Color Script | ||
| Week 4 | Mon 2013.02.11 | Open Lab | |||
| Wed 2013.02.13 | Peter | Compositing 1: Intro + Nuke Demo | 3DSFP: Chapter 20 | ||
| Fri 2013.02.15 | Critique | Cloth & Hair | |||
| Week 5 | Mon 2013.02.18 | NO CLASS | |||
| Wed 2013.02.20 | Critique | ||||
| Fri 2013.02.22 | Critique | Renders & Compossiting | |||
| Week 6 | Mon 2013.02.25 | Greg Niemeyer, UCB | Shading 1: Texture Maps | 3DSFP: Chapter 13 | |
| Wed 2013.02.27 | Paul Kanyuk, Pixar | Shading 2: Procedural Shading + Guest Critique | |||
| Fri 2013.03.01 | Dan Armendariz, UCB | Lighting 1 + Guest Critique | 3DSFP: Chapter 18 | Textured Models | |
| Week 7 | Mon 2013.03.04 | Open Lab | |||
| Wed 2013.03.06 | David Jackson, EA | Critique | |||
| Fri 2013.03.08 | Critique | Improved Shading | |||
| Week 8 | Mon 2013.03.11 | Open Lab | |||
| Wed 2013.03.13 | Brendan Bolles, fnordware | Compositing 2 + Guest Critique | 3DSFP: Chapter 21 | ||
| Fri 2013.03.15 | Critique | Lighting 1 | |||
| Week 9 | Mon 2013.03.18 | Open Lab | |||
| Wed 2013.03.20 | David Wallace, NextBus, formerly of ILM | Lighting 2: Practical Lighting Tips and Lessons Learned + Guest Critique (slides & examples) | |||
| Fri 2013.03.22 | Critique | Lighting 2 | |||
| Week SP | Mon 2013.03.25 | NO CLASS: SPRING BREAK | |||
| Wed 2013.03.27 | NO CLASS: SPRING BREAK | ||||
| Fri 2013.03.29 | NO CLASS: SPRING BREAK | ||||
| Week 10 | Mon 2013.04.01 | Open Lab | |||
| Wed 2013.04.03 | Matt Wong, Pixar | Effects | 3DSFP: Chapter19 | ||
| Fri 2013.04.05 | Critique | Lighting 3 | |||
| Week 11 | Mon 2013.04.08 | Open Lab | |||
| Wed 2013.04.10 | Laura Grieve, Dreamworks | Guest Critique | |||
| Fri 2013.04.12 | Critique | Effects 1 | |||
| Week 12 | Mon 2013.04.15 | Open Lab | |||
| Wed 2013.04.17 | Dan | Foley + Guest Critique | |||
| Fri 2013.04.19 | Critique | Effects 2 | |||
| Week 13 | Mon 2013.04.22 | Critique | |||
| Wed 2013.04.24 | Vince De Quattro, 32TEN Studios | Critique | |||
| Fri 2013.04.26 | Critique | Foley | |||
| Week 14 | Mon 2013.04.29 | Critique | |||
| Wed 2013.05.01 | Profs Brian Barsky and Carlo Sequin | Critique | |||
| Fri 2013.05.03 | Critique | Polish | |||
| Week 15 | Mon 2013.05.06 2-4pm |
Critique (RRR Week) | |||
| Wed 2013.05.08 | Critique (RRR Week) | ||||
| Fri 2013.05.10 | Critique (RRR Week) | ||||
| "FINAL" |
Tue 2013.05.14 11:30-2:30pm |
Screening and Wrap Party and HKN forms in 306 Soda | |||
| Visits | 2013.05.23 | Leave Berkeley at 11:30am (Google Maps says trip takes 48m) EA (12:45 - 2pm), (EA directions to 250 Shoreline Dr, Redwood City) Dreamworks (2 - 4pm) tours at 1400 - A Seaport Blvd, Redwood City K1 Speed ($26 arrive-and-drive vs $50 party (4:30pm-) at 160 Beacon St, South San Francisco CA |
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| Visits | 2013.05.24 | ILM (10am - 12:30pm) (ILM directions to One Letterman Drive, San Francisco), Telltale Games (1pm-3:45pm) tours at 4000 Civic Center Drive, San Rafael |
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 - 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: F 1-2, 777 Soda
Jeremy Huddleston Sequoia
- OH: F 1-2, 3XX Soda
Peter Tsoi
- OH: M 2-4, Open Lab