Schedule of Classes and Assignments Spring 2006

We'll try to stick to this schedule but there's always the possibility that something might change. Stay tuned to the announcements on the main class page for updates.

Syllabus

Week of Monday Wednesday Friday
January 16
Week 1 		no class -- MLK Introduction and Syllabus
Animations from classes in previous years
Animations:
  • Oral Fixations
  • Walking
  • The Dog Who Was A Cat Inside - Passion Pictures
  • Liquid Selves, Karl Sims
Break
Maya Demonstrations
  • desktop and modeling
  • polygonal modeling
  • keyframing and lighting

Assignment 1 out

----
January 23
Week 2 		Storyboard clips from Monsters
Animations:
  • Bingo
  • This is not the end of the world, Super Furry Animals
Wrap up lighting demo
Reading:
  • pages 2-55 in Inspired 3D Short Film Production
Field trip for Mocap Lab Demo
Field trip to Linux Cluster
Sampler of ideas for technical projects
Animations:
  • Bunny - Blue Sky
  • Birthday Boy
Maya Demonstrations
  • setting up menus under linux (Jim M.)
  • simple objects from scratch
  • mapping (Yan)
  • rigging/blendshapes (Carrie)

Storyboard due as a powerpoint file (firstnamelastname.ppt)(Sunday noon)

January 30
Week 3 		Pitch storyboards (5 minutes/each)
Pitch storyboards (5 minutes/each)
Vote for ~20 storyboards
Form two person teams to refine storyboards (via email)

Assignment 1 due (Sunday noon)

February 6
Week 4 		Critique Assignment 1 (graded)
  • Group 1: 1:30
  • Group 2: 2:45
Work time otherwise
Readings:

Assignment 2 out

Maya Demonstrations
  • shaders and MentalRay (Leo)
  • track editor (Michael K.)
  • layering (Michael K.)
Animations:
  • Solder Man (Issue 145)
  • Technical Animation of Smoke Characters
  • Natures is Ancient (Issue 144)
Work time
----
February 13
Week 5 		Animations
  • Tim Tom
  • Gas Planet

Maya Demos
  • fur (Lauren)
Work time

Revised storyboards due Tuesday at noon
Pitch revised storyboards
Voting for storyboards
Composers in class
---
February 20
Week 6 		Maya Demonstrations
  • MEL (Max)
  • C++ programming demo (Jim M.)
  • dynamic simulation (Jim M.)
Animations:
  • Birds
Form teams
First group meetings
Start webpages for animations
Readings:
  • Chapter 12 Model in Inspired 3D Short Film Production
  • Chapter 19 Visual Effects in Inspired 3D Short Film Production
Work time

Assignment 2 due Tuesday at noon
Assignment 3 out

Critique Assignment 2 (graded)
  • Group 1: 1:30
  • Group 2: 2:45
Work time otherwise
----
February 27
Week 7 		Maya Demonstrations
  • fluids (Flynn)
Animations:
  • The Chubbs, Chubbs
  • Awkward (CAF 2005)
Demo of setting up AFS space (Jim)
Readings:
  • Chapters 10 and 11 in Inspired 3D Short Film Production
Work time
Maya Demonstrations
  • cloth (Bum)
  • hair (Jessica)
Discussion of animatics
  • Grinning Evil Death + Animatic
  • Antz Animations:
    • The Making of Ryan
    Work time

Assignment 3 due (midnight Sunday)

March 6
Week 8 		Critique assignment 3 (graded)
Whole class
Critique complete storyboards (separate)
  • Climb 1:30
  • Free 2:15
  • Hungry 3:00
  • Moerke 3:40
Work time otherwise 		----
March 13
spring break
midterm grades due 		spring break ----
March 20
Week 9 		Animations:
  • Helium
  • Eve Solal
  • Cathedral
  • The Chubbs, Chubbs
  • Awkward (CAF 2005)
  • Ryan
Work time

Animations:
  • Helium
  • Eve Solal
  • Cathedral
  • The Fall
  • Louis
Work time
Reading:
  • Chapter 16 Animation in Inspired 3D Short Film Production
Animatic due (Sunday noon)
Editing workshop (optional)
See Art School Calendar for times
March 27
Week 10 		Animations:
  • Chainsmoker (2003 ET)
Group critiques of animatics (whole class) (graded)
Work time otherwise
Animations:
  • The Street
  • East End Zombies
Reading:
  • Chapter 18 Lighting and Rendering in Inspired 3D Short Film Production
Work time 		Editing workshop (optional)
See Art School Calendar for times
April 3
Week 11 		Animations:
  • La Derniere Minute
Work time

Models, preliminary animation, and sample rendering/lighting examples due (Tuesday noon)
Critique Models, preliminary animation, and sample rendering/lighting examples (separate) (graded)
  • Free 1:30
  • Hungry 2:15
  • Moerke 3:00
  • Climb 3:40
Editing workshop (optional)
See Art School Calendar for times
April 10
Week 12 		Animations:
  • Heebok Lee from CMU School of Design on his SIGGRAPH 2006 Electronic Theater piece: Tread Softly
Work time 		Group critiques (separate)
  • Hungry 1:30
  • Moerke 2:15
  • Climb 3:00
  • Free 3:40
Work time otherwise 		Editing workshop (optional)
See Art School Calendar for times
April 17
Week 13 		Animation:
  • Balance
  • Bounding
  • Sprout
  • A Flatpack Project
  • Gjenta
Work time 		Critique (whole class) (graded)
Editing workshop (optional)
See Art School Calendar for times
April 24
Week 14 		Animations:
  • Beat Dedication
  • Cootie Gets Scared
  • Grinning Evil Death
  • Roadhead
  • Snack and Drink
Work time 		Group critiques (separate)
  • Moerke 1:30
  • Climb 2:15
  • Free 3:00
  • Hungry 3:40
Work time otherwise 		----
May 1
Week 15 		Animations:
  • Wild Oysters (Charlie Bowers)
  • Frank
  • PGi 13
  • Pipe Dream (Issue 138)
Work time 		Group critiques (separate) (ungraded)
  • Climb 1:30
  • Free 2:15
  • Hungry 3:00
  • Moerke 3:40
Work time otherwise 		----
Final exam slot May 16

Final Presentations during final exam slot (graded)
May 16 9:30-11:30 CFA 303

End of Semester ----