Course Description

This course presents the fundamental concepts, issues and techniques of three-dimensional computer animation as they apply to art. Both technical and aesthetic issues are addressed. Students learn to design, prepare for, and create expressive and convincing motion by creating several short animations. Originality as well as intellectual and emotional substance are expected in the students' work and are studied by analyzing professional examples. The Maya software package is used for instruction and assignments.

Entry Requirements

Students must take the Intro to Modeling and Rendering course concurrently or prior to this course.
This is an introductory course. As such, students are not expected to be familiar with any of the concepts or techniques presented. Students are, however, expected to be familiar with general computer usage and file management. It is highly recommendet that students take storyboarding prior, or concurrent, with this class.

Goals of the Course

The goal of this course is to develop a thorough understanding of the principles of animation and to enable students to translate theoretical knowledge into successful 3D animations with a fine-art orientation. Focusing on the quality of motion and the substance of concept in their own animations, students also learn how to evaluate and critique other animations.

Course Requirements

There will be three assignments. All of these assignments will be evaluated based both on originality, intellectual and/or emotional substance, and technical proficiency. Assignments must be handed in on the due date:


Assignment #1: Bouncing Ball

This assignment introduces the basics of the Maya animation module, the basic concepts of 3D animation, and the use of sound. The principles of animation are introduced as animation conventions; students are encouraged to experiment with these conventions, especially with squash and stretch. Note that your object does not have to be a ball as long as it is a simple object, preferably a primitive. We'll start by selecting a piece of music to which you will animate. Check here for beats, or here.

Assignment #2: Animating a Character

In this assignment, the principles of character animation are covered. Two animation techniques, forward and inverse kinematics (FK & IK), are introduced. Students are supplied with a simple IK skeleton and parent primitives to it.

Students will animate a human figure going from a seated position to a standing position. Pay special attention to weight. Once the figure is standing, make it do something – walk, scratch its head, jump, etc. Students are encouraged to experiment with conventional approaches to character animation.

Animations are rendered and put to mini-DV tape.

Assignment #3: Open Assignment

Open assignment. Students are encouraged to further explore any of the conceptual or technical topics already covered, to take an interdisciplinary approach to animation by incorporating photography or video, or to experiment with the output, format, or presentation of an animation. Students should set a clear goal, which must be presented for approval.


Discussions, Critiques & Readings
Students are expected to participate during class discussions and critiques and to come prepared to discuss assigned readings. Students are expected to answer questions based on assigned readings.


Each students is expected to come to class prepared and to conduct him/herself as a professional. Students are further expected to be considerate and helpful to fellow classmates and to actively participate during class critiques.

WEEKLY SCHEDULE

	Week 1	Course overview and introduction of assignments Assignment 1: Bouncing Ball Maya's animation module, setting keyframes Importing sound Setting up a project, importing sounds, setting key frames.
	Week 2	Changing the background color Playblasts Using the Graph Editor to edit key frames Using Ghost and Create Motion Trail functions Squash & stretch
	Week 3	Conventions in animation: the 12 principles of animation Using the Dope Sheet Using the Graph Editor to edit animation curves: Spline, Clamped, Linear, Flat, Step, Plateau tangents Break, Unify, Free and Lock tangent weights
	Week 4	Bouncing Ball animation due: critique. Hierarchies: Grouping vs. parenting Animating using multiple pivot points The Connection Editor
	Week 5	Assignment 2: Character Animation Skeleton overview: Joint chains and IK Handles SC vs. RP Solvers Setting prefered angle Sticky, Snap Enable
	Week 6	Building skeletons Animating using FK vs IK
	Week 7	Spline IK Handle Tool Pole Vectors & Constraints Parenting geometry
	Week 8	Rendering frames Using Maya's Hardware Renderer Rendering and outputting frames to tape Optimize Scene Size
	Week 9	Character animation due: critique Create Animated Snapshot Animated Sweep Using Motion Path functions: Set Motion Path Key Attach to Motion Path Flow Path Object
	Week 10	Assignment 3: Open Assignment Hypergraph: Input and Output Connections Construction History as it pertains to the animation process Animating the camera: One, two, and three node cameras Camera tools and controls: Zoom vs Dolly, Focal Length Btw, here is the classic example of a Dolly-Zoom move.
	Week 11	Using Deformers: Lattices, Clusters, Wire Tool, Wrinkle Tool
	Week 12	Using Deformers continued: Sculpt Deformer, Blendshape Using non-linear deformers
	Week 13	Animating lights and textures Set Driven Key Baking Channels
	Week 14	Overview of several advanced animation techniques. Dynamics, writing simple Expressions...
	Week 15	Finals: All materials due - final critique A note on conferences and festivals. Planning a demo reel.

Methods of Assessment

Attendance represents 10% of the final grade.
It is Pratt policy that three unexcused absences constitute failure. Please note that two late arrivals that exceed 15 minutes count as one absence.

Each assignment will be graded according to its:
quality of motion %40
technical competency %20
treatment of lighting & surface, overall look %20
creativity & content %20

It is the responsibility of each student to ensure his/her work is completed and handed in on time. There is a one-letter-grade per week deduction for work turned in late.

Students are expected to regularly back up their work. Work missing due to technical difficulty, disk error or similar can not be graded. No exceptions.

At mid-term, students will be advised of their grades in writing.

No incompletes will be given, except for documented medical or family emergencies.

Readings/Bibliography

There is one required textbook:

Animation: Genre and Authorship, by Paul Wells, London: Wallflower Press, 2002. ISBN: 1 903364 20 5.

Reading will be assigned regularly.

The Department's Resource Room carries a number of other technical reference books and DVDs on 3D graphics in general, and on Maya in particular. Any of these books can be checked out of the Resource Room by a student taking this course.

Maya Documentation

You will be expected to use the Maya documentation frequently, independently and intelligently. This documentation includes extensive Help files as well as Tutorials. Both are available on our workstations.

Recommended Reading:
Film Directing Shot by Shot: Visualizing from Concept to Screen, by Steven D. Katz

Supplementals

Final output medium is mini-DV; thus, each student is required to purchase two mini-DV tapes.

Further required are:

One harbound sketchbook.

Materials to sketch and draw.

One binder 81/2 x 11.

The purchase of a stopwatch for timing of motion is advised.

Student Guidelines

The following is a list of technical topics organized by topic. See the weekly schedule for the order
in which they will be presented during the course.

Deformers, Non-linear Deformers

Editing animation curves: Graph Editor

Animating cameras, lights, textures

Software Rendering

Outputting/Recording Frames

Animated Snapshot
Animated Sweep

Attach to Motion Path
Set Motion Path Key
Flow Path Object

Baking Channels

Connection Editor
Set Driven Key
Expressions

Skeletons, IK Handles, Spline IK Handles
Pole Vectors, Constraints
Hardware Rendering

Dynamics (basic overview)

Plagiarism Policy

Digital Copyright and Intellectual Property Protection
When you copy work that was actually created by another person, without giving credit to the original author, you are implying that you yourself did the work. This is called plagiarism. It is dishonest and is not acceptable at Pratt Institute.

It is the policy of DDA and Pratt to emphasize respect for the creative works of others. Infringement takes place when -- without permission -- a substantial part of a work is copied, made available to others, or adapted into a new form. Images, text, logos, software, sounds, film/video clips, email, postings to newsgroups, and other works distributed electronically are protected by copyright, just as they are in traditional media. Appropriate use of the internet and digital storage media implies responsibilities and is encouraged. Protection technologies such as watermarking and encryption are supported and must be respected. DDA does not condone copyright infringement and disciplinary action will be taken if this policy is violated.