Professor Intro

Course Overview

Student Intros

Reading #1 (Due 1/19):
Introduction to Maya 2011,
Chapter Two (pages 31-68).

Project #1 Solar System
(Due 1/21):
Model and animate a solar system in Maya.

Intro to Maya Interface:
Scene, Timeline

Intro to Animating in Maya:
Setting Keys, Graph Editor, Animation Curves (adjusting keys)

Project #1 Due Today

Lecture - Slides
What is Animation?
Four Step Animation Workflow
Squash and Stretch
Use all your Degrees of Freedom!
FEEL the forces at work

Lecture Videos:
ball [learning to] bounce
Squash and stretch:
spheres / human body

Reading #2 (Due 1/24):
Introduction to Maya 2011,
Chapter Eight (pages 373-415).

Reading #3 (Due 1/24):
Animator's Survival Kit,
(pages 11-20 and 35-67).

Project #2 Bouncing Ball
(Due 1/26):
Animate a bouncing ball.

Class Discussion on Readings

Example of early animation:
Video - How a Mosquito Operates (1912, Winsor McCay)

Celebration of movement:
Video - Steamboat Willie
(1928, Walt Disney)

Straight-Ahead example:
Video - My Dog Tulip
(2009, Paul Fierlinger)

Pose-to-Pose example:
Video - Scrat from Ice Age films
(2002, Blue Sky)

Workday / Lab / Ask for feedback

What is a critique?

Class Critiques of Project #2

Reading #4 (Due 1/28):
Introduction to Maya 2011,
Chapter One (pages 1-30).

Reading #5 (Due 1/28):
Animator's Survival Kit,
(pages 273-296).

Class Discussion on Readings

Very basic anticipation example:
Using stop-motion

Sophisticated anticipation example:
De Blob trailer

Double-Take example:
Bear 2D, drawn

2D anticipation examples:
Lots of 'em

Lecture - Slides
Project Advice
Anticipation
Staging Action

Project #3 Anticipation and Contrasting Motion
(Due 2/2):
Animate a bowling ball and water balloon falling off a table. Each must show anticipation at some point.

Deformers in Maya

Workday / Lab / Ask for feedback

Class Critiques of Project #3

Assign Project #4

Class Critiques of Project #3

Reading #6 (Due 2/7):
Animator's Survival Kit,
(pages 217-255).

Class Discussion on Reading

Introduction of Floursack Rig
Flexibility of Rig

Workday / Lab / Ask for feedback

Project #4 Emotional Object:
Phase One (Due 2/11):
Animate a floursack very obviously changing from one emotional state to another.

Reading #7 (Due 2/11):
Animator's Survival Kit,
(pages 315-326).

Class Discussion on Reading

Group Critique of Project #4: Phase One

Project #4 Emotional Object:
Phase Two (Due 2/14):
Iterate on the animation based on the in-class critiques and feedback.

Class Critiques of Project #4: Phase Two

Class Critiques of Project #4: Phase Two

Reading #8 (Due 2/21):
Animator's Survival Kit,
(pages 256-272).

Project #5 Fighting Gravity
Phase One (Due 2/25):
Animate a character lifting up or pushing a very heavy object.

Class Discussion on Reading

Lecture - Conveying Weight

Project #5 Fighting Gravity
Phase Two (Due 3/2):
Iterate on the animation based on in-class critiques and feedback.

Workday / Lab / Ask for Feedback

Class Critiques of Project #5
Phase Two

Class Critiques of Project #5
Phase Two

Reading #10 (Due 2/25):
Introduction to Maya 2011,
Chapter Nine (pages 417-466).

Reading #11 (Due 2/25):
Animator's Survival Kit,
(pages 102-175).

Project #6 Walk Cycle Loop:
Phase One (Due 3/9):
Animate a human walk cycle that conveys a very readable emotion.

Project #6 Walk Cycle Loop:
Phase Two (Due 3/16):
Iterate on the Walk Cycle based on the in-class critiques.

Workday / Lab / Ask for Feedback

Class Critiques of Project #6 Phase Two

Class Critiques of Project #6 Phase Two

Class Discussion on Reading

Workday / Lab / Ask for Feedback

Class Critiques of Project #6

Class Critiques of Project #6

Project #7 Freestyle Project Pitch and Plan (Due 4/6):
Create a Pitch and Plan for your final freestyle project and prepare to present it to the class.

Workday / Lab / Ask for Feedback

Class Critiques of Project #7

Class Critiques of Project #7

Reading #12 (Due 4/11)
Animator's Survival Kit,
(pages 333-339).

Project #8 Freestyle Project: Phase One (Due 4/15):
Create a final project using the skills you have developed in this class to produce a compelling final animation.

Class Discussion on Reading

Project Planning

Workday / Lab / Ask for Feedback

Class Discussion on Reading

Project Planning

Workday / Lab / Ask for Feedback

Class Critiques of Project #8 Phase One

Project #8 Freestyle Project:
Phase Two (Due 4/22):
Using the feedback from phase one of the project, improve and iterate upon your final project.

Workday / Lab / Ask for Feedback

Workday / Lab / Ask for Feedback

Project #8 Freestyle Project:
Phase Three (Due 4/25):
Using the feedback from phase two of the project, improve and iterate upon your final project.

Class Critiques of Project #8 Phase Two

Class Critiques of Project #8 Phase Three

Class Critiques of Project #8 Phase Three

Class Critiques of Project #8 Phase Three