Syllabus

Pratt Institute

DDA-310-01 – 3D Computer Animation

Fall 2014 4W8 | Mondays and Wednesdays, 2-4:20pm

Instructor:  Mike Bourbeau | Contact:  mb@mikebourbeau.com

Syllabus

Description:

In this course students will develop a firm understanding of the principles of animation through the lens of a contemporary 3D production pipeline, i.e., learn 3D animation!  Additionally students will explore animation as an art form by examining both contemporary and historical time-based visual media.  Weekly assignments, slide lectures, class discussions, and critiques will aim to challenge students both technically and conceptually.

Objectives:

As the semester progresses, students will begin to cultivate a personal vision, evidenced in their work’s ability to visually communicate a story, character, and emotion.  Students will also be expected to develop an understanding of the principles of animation, scene building, pacing, mise-en-cine, cinematography within a digital environment, and delivery of a finished product

Grading:

·         Professionalism (Attendance + Participation): 20%

o   Participation: I’d like this class to be conversational, and not strictly lecture based, as communication is a HUGE part of 3D productions and art in general.  The uninhibited exchange of ideas and perspectives allows for rapid gains in terms of individual growth and development as artists.  Critiques will only improve your work, so I ask that everyone please take and give critiques in a civil manner, and please do not hesitate to express your opinions! 

o   Attendance: Students are required to attend class and be on time. 3 absences will yield a failing grade.  Coming late to class 5 TIMES will result in a drop in letter grade, e.g., an A would become an A-.  Arriving any time past 2pm is considered late.

·         Assignments: 30%

o    Deadlines are extremely important.  The most asked question in 3D production is “How long will it take?” Learning how to plan and manage your time accordingly is a very valuable skill in and of itself.  With that said, NO LATE work will be accepted and you will receive a ZERO.  A zero CANNOT be improved upon.  However, partially completed assignments will receive partial credit.  Any partial grades can be improved upon by completing the assignment before the end of the semester- but please try to finish all assignments on time.

·         Midterm: 20%

o   Quiz on the 12 principles of animation and assignment crit

·         Final: 30%

o   10 Second animation

Suggested Texts:

The Animator’s Survival Kit by Richard Williams

Outline:

Week 1: Aug 25 + 27

Mon:

·         Introductions and syllabus overview. 

·         Pre-production, production, and post production.

o   TIP! Planning your approach: Always take the long shortcuts when you can!

·         Maya interface overview

Wed:

·         Maya interface overview cont.

·         Bouncing ball demonstration

Week 2: Sept 1 + 3

Mon:

·         NO CLASS

Wed:

·         Makeup class TBD

Week 3: Sept 8 + 10

Mon:

·         Introduction to the 12 Basic Principles of Animation

o   1-Squash and stretch

o   2-Anticipation

o   3-Staging

o   4-Straight ahead action and pose to pose

o   5-Follow through and overlapping action

o   6-Slow in and slow out

o   7-Arcs

o   8-Secondary action

o   9-Timing

o   10-Exaggeration

o   11-Solid drawing

o   12-Appeal

·         3D Animation workflow and smart practices

o    TIP! Start with big ideas then move onto smaller details

·         Animation styles: suspension of disbelief spectrum

·         Arcs, weight, line of action

·         Animation with a motion path

Wed:

·         Intro to rigging:basic terms and concepts

o   Joints, constraints, controls, IK vs FK, and skinning

·         Animation: Legs

o   Simple walk cycle with the legs only

·         Assignment (Due Mon): explore the rig, study the reference walk cycle, and attempt to finish the walk cycle started in class.

Week 4: Sept 15 + 17

Mon:

·         Animation crits

·         Leg Cycle part 2

Wed:

·         Advanced Skeleton Intro

·         Assignment (Due Mon): explore your rigs.  Make sure to have a master save file in case it breaks!  Never work within your master files!

Week 5: Sept 22 + 24

Mon:

·         Rig troubleshooting and adjustments

·         Advanced Skeleton: face rig system

Wed:

·         Rig troubleshooting
·         Additional rig features

·         Assignment (Due Mon): Finish rigs

Week 6: Sept 29 + Oct 1

Mon:

·         Final rig crits, troubleshoots, and adjustments

·         Poses, staging and exaggeration

Wed:

·         Intro to After Effects

·         Creating animator friendly video references

·         Studying motion

o   Muybridge and Animator Survival Kit

·         Assignment (Due Mon): 1) Record and set up a basic walk cycle reference video. 2) explore the rig and all the animation options

Week 7: Oct 6 + 8

Mon:

·         Crit references

·         Pose to pose vs straight ahead animation, interpolation, introduction to MEL scripting

o   Quick select set scripts

Wed:

·         Anticipation, slow in/out, and quick in/out, timing, secondary action, follow through

·         The full walk cycle

o   Create key poses, in-betweens, then polish

·         Assignment (Due Wed): Improve and polish your walk cycles

Week 8: Oct 13 + 15

Mon:

·         NO CLASS

Wed:

·         Midterm Quiz on the 12 Basic Principles of Animation

·         Walk cycle crits

·         Run cycle

·         Assignment (Due Mon): Animate a run cycle

Make up class this week?

Week 9: Oct 20 + 22

Mon:

·         Run cycle crit

·         Moving your character through space: Games vs film

Wed:

·         Jumping

·         Assignment (Due Mon): Animate a jump

Week 10: Oct 27 + 29

Mon:

·         Jump crit

Wed:

·         The heavy push

·         Assignment (Due Mon): Animate a heavy push

Week 11: Nov 3 +5

Mon:

·         Push crit

Wed:
·         Pick up and put down
·         Assignment (Due Mon): Animate a pick up and put down

Week 12: Nov 10 + 12

Mon:

·         Pick up and put down crit

Wed:

·     Storytelling basics: Structure, controlling idea/log line, and character.

·         Storyboarding, visual storytelling, and camera basics

·         Assignment (Due Mon): Come up with 10 log lines from your favorite stories (movies, books, plays, games, etc.)

   

Week 13: Nov 17 + 19

Mon:

·         Log line crit

·         Cinematography

·         Principles of editing

·         Intro to premiere

Wed:

·         Intro to lighting and rendering for animation

o   Animating lights and textures

·         Intro to lighting and rendering cont.

o   Lighting a moving character

·         Assignment (Due Wed): Light and render any previous animation that you've completed. Use premiere to edit the rendered scene plus previous playblasts into a reel.

-Thanksgiving break-

Week 14: Dec 1 + 3

Mon:

·         Reel crits

Wed:

·         Lighting and rendering techniques

·         Assignment (Due Mon): Continue blocking in previs animation

Week 15: Dec 8 + 10

Mon:

-Previs crit

-Assignment (Due Mon): Have your previs shot timing and character block ins locked down

-In class trouble shooting

Wed:

Week 16: Dec 15 + 17

Mon:

·         Final Crits: Reel

o    10 Second animation, lighting and rendering assignment, all assignments

Wed:

·         Final Crits: Reel

o    10 Second animation, lighting and rendering assignment, all assignments