syllabus
Instructor: Marcin Ramocki
mramocki@njcu.edu
Please remember that masks must be worn for all in class learning during Fall 2020.
This course is HyFlex and a hybrid. Classes will meet in person or synchronously online.
All classes will be broadcast live via zoom, but in-person participation in workshops is highly recommended.
Computer Animation for Film and Video
The purpose of this class is to familiarize you with basic concepts of computer media and, in particular, the visual language of digital 3-D modeling/animation via Maya. You will be exposed both to software and concepts behind the 3-D digital artwork. This course will introduce polygon modeling, basic character rigging, keyframe animation, lighting and rendering techniques. It is an introductory class.
Materials:
External drive of your choice to store/backup images
Absence policy:
One absence allowed without further explanation. Second one equals to one grade drop unless accompanied by doctor’s explanation. Third equals to another grade drop unless accompanied by doctor’s explanation. Beyond that you fail the course. Same rules apply to HyFlex participation.
Grading:
Class exercises: 50% final project: 40% class critiques/ participation: 10%
Course Syllabus:
The course material is divided into 7 thematic blocks, each ending with an exercise. These blocks can take one or 2 weeks depending on how fast the group can progress. But this is the set of skills you will learn, leading you to the final project.
Block 1: Introduction, overview of the class. Syllabus and class blog.
Basics Maya Workshop Part1: Tools and navigation. Basic geometries: polygons and nurbs. Simple transformations of polygons, changing attributes of objects. Materials, colors and textures. Nurb revolves, planars and lofting. Vector level manipulation of polygons.
Exercise 1: modeling a table with multiple simple objects.
Block 2: Basics Maya Workshop Part2: Complex polygons formation. Box modeling using extrude function. Working with vertices, faces and edges of polygons.
Exercise 2: modeling a human hand.
Block 3: Body parts modeling workshop. Learning to work independently using modeling tutorials. Personalized instruction.
Exercise 3: modeling a human leg and torso.
Block 4: Focused production period. Assembling the whole body.
Exercise 4: modeling a human head and attaching parts of the body.
Block 5: Basics Maya Workshop Part 3: Joints, kinetics, skin. Rigging methods, simplified.
Exercise 5: creating a simple human rig.
Block 6: Basics Maya Workshop Part 4: Keyframe animation in Maya. Making the character move.
Exercise 6: 10 second animation.
Block 7: Basics Maya Workshop Part 5: Lights, textures and basic rendering
Exercise 6: lighting your set.
Final assignment: 60 seconds long character based animation, fully rendered
Last weeks of the class will be entirely devoted to this final project production.
Final critique on week 15th.
