ART/CSC/FST 320 - Computer Animation

Homework #6: Complete Revisions from Today’s Notes

Posted by Eric Patterson
/ June 17, 2014 / Leave a comment

Complete new versions of your shots with notes from today’s review session. Complete at least a play-blast and add a new version with your movie file on Shotgun. Also, complete a test render still frame for each shot. Possible bonus: full renders and an additional cycle of iteration on the shot. Due by the start of class on Tuesday. ALSO IMPORTANT: There have been several fixes and notes regarding the Hermes rig, the Andy rig (facial controls and fk/ik switches), the water texture effect, etc. Please read notes on Shotgun carefully. Editors and Sound: Please work to have a timeline with sound and music in progress by tomorrow’s class time.

Posted in Assignments
Homework #5: Shot Versions Animated and Uploaded to Shotgun

Posted by Eric Patterson
/ June 12, 2014 / Leave a comment
- Complete at least one version of each of your assigned shot animations.
- Upload a playblast or rendered movie file (1280×720) to the matching shot # as a new version.
- Talk with and get feedback from the animation director and director.
- Bonus: Complete one or more iterations of updating your shot based on feedback and upload each new version as a new version for that shot on Shotgun.
Posted in Assignments
Dropbox reminder.

Posted by Eric Patterson
/ June 12, 2014 / Leave a comment

The production folder seems to be hovering around 900 MB which is fine for both folders. That leaves over a gigabyte for your coursework submissions. If your Dropbox folder is showing full, be careful to clean and remove anything not needed. This may include other non-course material (at least through this next week) as well as homework assignments 1 through 4 and project 1 that have all been graded. (Everyone should have received a feedback file — if not, please let me know). Keep an eye on everything both in your folders and the production folder just to make sure that they are clean and organized with no wasted space just to keep everyone from overflowing their free usage.

Posted in Announcements
Production Reminders

Posted by Eric Patterson
/ June 12, 2014 / Leave a comment

Things seem to be moving along on the productions. The goal for tomorrow is to have pre-lit, rough-layout finished for all shots with 1280×720 play blasts (with ornaments removed) uploaded to each shot entry on Shotgun. Shot animation assignments will be completed tonight and tomorrow in class, as well.

Posted in Announcements
Final Quiz Reminder

Posted by Eric Patterson
/ June 12, 2014 / Leave a comment

Tomorrow will be our last quiz. It will be mostly practicum related to the production pipeline. Sample selections from a production will be given to complete during class.

Posted in Announcements
Facial Animation

Posted by Eric Patterson
/ June 3, 2014 / Leave a comment
We’ll be talking about some face-animation and lip-sync concepts today.
- Here are slides for today’s discussion.
- Here are some files we may use for example.
- Here’s one website that has a collection of movie quotes in .wav format.
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Summer 2014 Project #3: Character Design, Modeling, and Rigging

Posted by Eric Patterson
/ June 2, 2014 / Leave a comment

See here for details. (For sake of time, the maquette portion may be omitted or completed for bonus). Complete and submit by class time Tuesday, June 10.

Posted in Assignments
Summer 2014 Project #2: Animation Practice!

Posted by Eric Patterson
/ June 2, 2014 / Leave a comment
Three shots:
- Walk cycle animated to indicate an emotion, mood, or performance (happy, sad, sneak, gallop, run, etcetera). See chapter 5 in Character Animation Fundamentals as well as The Animator’s Survival Kit for more information and examples. Work to convey your chosen mood here — avoid just keyframing and calling it something after the fact.
- Performance Piece with Lip-Sync: Choose a favorite line from a film or game or record your own dialogue. Have your character act a performance that somehow connects to the dialogue — be creative! Convey as much emotion through primary animation moving down to secondary, then key-frame lip-sync performance to the dialogue for the final touches along with facial animation to convey the full emotion of the acting.
You may use the Goon in any version, Groggy, or if you choose, another rig — just make sure to test its range of motion and performance and that you can use it before attempting to animate with it. Due Thursday, June 5 by class time.
Posted in Assignments
Shotgun Review Process

Posted by Eric Patterson
/ June 2, 2014 / Leave a comment

This page with a brief overview of submitting media (in our case storyboard shots, animatic shots, turntables of models, test movement of rigged models, layout shots, animated shots, and lit and rendered shots) for review and approval will be a helpful read. Generally when a task is assigned, media should be generated related to your assignment then uploaded to Shotgun for review and approval. Department supervisors and the director should provide feedback each item, particularly any changes that are needed (keep the short time frame in reference, though, but also don’t avoid asking for improvements). New versions may be submitted. When a supervisor and the director approve, check it off as final/completed and move on to the next thing.

Posted in Announcements
Projects 2 and 3

Posted by Eric Patterson
/ May 29, 2014 / Leave a comment
More details will be posted soon, but you should spend some time over the weekend on the following:
- character design (reference/research material and at least front and side image plane drawings)
- start of character model
If you have a model finished by next week, you can rig it as we discuss rigging. The final Project 3 will involve the character design, modeling, rigging, and basic animation. Project 2 will include some animation practice (details to be posted shortly).
Posted in Announcements