Welcome to Spring 2016! =D (Course Syllabus)

COURSE# DM410: Advanced 3-D Computer Animation

Location: Mac Lab 3

Instructor: Michael Shaw

Time: Monday and Wednesday, 1:00 PM - 3:30 PM

Contact: mshaw@mca.edu

Office Hours: 1.5 Hours After Classes, Monday and Wednesday, 6:30 to 8:00.

Course Description:

Welcome to DM 410!  This course explores the finer workings of producing 3-D computer-animated content and the processes we have at our disposal for achieving this!  The course takes advantage of ALL the tools we have at our disposal to take creative approaches at creating characters, environments, animated movies, effects, and everything in between!  The computers are outfitted with the latest software, giving you more than everything needed to make the work of your choosing!  While in this class, every student will be given the chance later in the semester to pick a focus for a “final 3-D portfolio,” where the student will be given the opportunity to produce content within a centralized medium and theme.

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Methods of Study – The Flow of Class is as follows:

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Class Readings / Video Demonstrations:

Due to the nature of our content, each week, students will be given video demonstrations and reference material to cover new material discussed in class. This will serve as preparation for the next class’s content as well as permanent resources for you!

In-class discussion and lessons:

Often we will reflect on the material in class via group discussion. This is an opportunity to field questions and prepare us for content creation.  Often we will consider strategies, methods, and established concepts, then innovate our own.

Interactive Demonstrations:

For our class: Demonstrations will often be given with an interactive twist. You will be asked to demonstrate a skill, which we will then add on to, piece by piece.  This will be done to help you learn, implement, and master new techniques for art making within this class!

In addition to this: You can download a copy of Maya 2015 and Mudbox from the Autodesk website for free. They will be compatible with the computers in Mac Lab 3, so you will be able to do work from home computers/laptops, granted you have the proper software updates! The goal of all class work and lessons will be to give you the tools necessary to develop into a better artist, character modeler, designer, and animator!

Projects:

Projects will be divided into two types:

In-Class projects will be shorter assignments tied to demonstrations. These are projects that will help you understand and implement new concepts.  Often they will be due at the end of class, or by the end of the following class.

Large-scale projects will be the longer assignments that work towards the portfolio you will turn in at the end of the semester.  These projects include short animations, models, environments, and animation tests that we will produce throughout the semester. Each project will be executed in stages including the following: Investigation; Brainstorming; Creation; Reflection; Revision.  

Reflection time will be given for the day after a project is turned in. We will take a day to review all assignments, and come back to class with our findings in an open discussion, or review during class! This process gives you the tools to leave what (for many of you) is your final animation class with the ability to direct yourself into new avenues of animation exploration!

Class time will be divided between instruction and implementation, both often occurring at once.  You will be notified of any scheduled studio days for projects. On those days, I will be in class and serve as a guide to help with problems, critique assignments, and answer questions!

Fields of Study Include:

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1. Character Modeling and Character Sculpting: Modeling via. Vertices and Polygons vs. Sculpting via subdivision modeling programs.
2. Character Rigging: Using auto-rigging software for 3D character creation. (We actually have a software granted to us by a third party to help alleviate this process! i.e. save time!) Knowing what to do when you want to create your own rigs
3. MUDBOX: Texturing and Organic Modeling!
4. Character Animation: The meat of this class:  How to apply your 2-D animation skills in a 3D environment, and make believably moving and acting 3-D characters!
5. Blocking in Character Action:
6. Working sound and audio into 3-D animation:
7. Optimization: Making an animated 3-D production in a Reasonable Time
8. Innovation: Studying art periods of the past and present to invent new visual styles!
9. 3-D FX, and more!

• Students will demonstrate the capability to organize and present concepts verbally.

• Students will demonstrate the capability to organize and present concepts audibly. 

• Students will produce evidence of an understanding of the methods of audio production.

• Students will be able to coherently communicate the content their audio productions.

• Students will demonstrate the time management skills necessary to complete the entire sound creation process.

• Students will demonstrate the capability to effectively publish their audio production via the web, and integrate it into their current body of work.

• Students will demonstrate the ability to write an artist statement.

• Students will demonstrate the ability to document their work.

• Students will demonstrate basic computer/software literacy applicable to their field.

• Students will demonstrate the ability to give a public presentation about their work.

• Students will demonstrate the ability to research to stay current in their field.

• Students will demonstrate basic knowledge of communication etiquette in their field.

• Students will demonstrate the ability to work collaboratively.

• Immediately submit an online tech request to report any problems with a lab computer or printer. 

• Main MCA computing info site = mca.edu/labs -- go here for answers to frequently asked questions and online tutorials for MCA specific technologies.

• No Food or Drinks in Lab.

• Keep the Lab Clean. Dispose of all trash -- Paper scraps, old media etc.

• Leave your workstation in an orderly fashion. All materials left on the desktop will be deleted. Organize files within the documents folder on your account. Delete your trash from your desktop and trash bin. 

• Back up work to an external source. Remember files are only safe if they exist in 3 separate locations. MCA servers are not to be considered secure and used only for temporary storage.  

• Log Out of your workstation prior to your departure. Upon your departure, the chair should be pushed in. Your monitor, keyboard and mouse should be placed in their proper positions.

DEPARTMENTAL OUTCOMES:

PROFESSIONAL OUTCOMES:

-------Assignments and Requirements ------

You are required to attend class everyday, on time.  We will start class @ 1 every day, unless otherwise noted.  As with the Student Handbook, students who misses 6 days of class will fail the course.  This will be strictly enforced. Prior to this event, any student that must miss a day needs to notify me ahead of time, long before the start of class.  Anyone who wonders into class at least 30 minutes after class begins will be considered absent for the rest of the day. 4 absences results in a loss of one letter grade. Three tardies equate to one absence. If you miss, you must catch up on assignments via consulting other students first, and myself via email. I reserve the right to notify students ahead of time for any day that MUST NOT BE MISSED due to course content be it finals, assessments, midterms, or other coursework.

----Turning in Assignments -----

Each Assignment will be due on a scheduled date, given at the beginning of the assignment.  Often, this will be the day before the class, to give students time to listen to, and review other students’ work.  Part of your grade will be your review of the creations of your peers. We will remain objective throughout, even when we are delving into content that goes beyond our personal taste.  When it comes to late assignments, assignments will drop a letter grade each day they are late. After 3 days, I will not accept your assignment.

Supplies:

11)   Sketchbook and Notebook for taking notes. You will want to keep track of your notes and illustrations. I expect you to make comments and constantly critique your own work, in addition to others!

32)   External Hard Drive: Can purchase online and use with other classes. If you already have it, great! If not, it’s an investment that can last you long beyond your undergraduate career.  The Computers primarily use USB 3.0 connections. The hard drives listed below are examples, compatible with mac and PC, but require formatting to go cross-platform. THIS IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT NOW THAT STUDENTS NO LONGER HAVE PERSONAL ACCOUNTS!

3)   Optional Memphis Public Library Card for accessing (lynda.com,) a wonderful video resource for 3D tutorials and further practice!

GRADING:

Each assignment will be awarded a grade based on the following rubric. Plus(+) and minus(-) will denote more or less intricate mastery of objectives.  Students will be allowed to turn in higher-quality versions of their projects midterm for a higher grade.

Group assignments will be graded on individual achievement, and group achievement.  Both grades count 50% of any group assignment.

A - Excellent.  Assignment objectives are completed above and beyond the course requirements to great effort and great success.  Technical and conceptual skills are on display in a masterfully coherent manner with clean craftsmanship.

B - Proficient. The assignment completed demonstrates most mastery of the skills presented, and objectives are completed beyond course goals. Much effort, and a clear and concise direction shines through the final result. There are still a few issues that can be pushed further.

C - Competent.  The assignment completed demonstrates relative mastery of the skills presented, and objectives are completed to average sufficiency.  Assignments are successful, and craftsmanship and technical skills are on display -- All are completed at an average level.

D - Deficient.  The assignments completed are missing demonstrations of the skills presented, and/or required objectives have yet to be completed. There are conceptual and technical flaws and hurdles that have not been overcome.

F - Failure.  The majority of the project is either not completed, and/or objectives for assignment are not met.

Final Grades will be based on a comprehensive average of all of your projects, as well as midterm and final milestones for blog upkeep.

*Your blog upkeep factors into your grades for each major assignment handled out of class.*

Assignments are due at 1PM on their scheduled dates. Loss of data, files, or other associated items needed for any assignment or project will require that you recreate your work, with no exceptions. You are solely responsible for the security of your files. Your files are not 100% secure on the server or computer. You should have multiple copies on multiple sources at all times. No files are safe unless backed up to 3 locations. (Example: Personal hard drive or flash drive, school network, personal computer, or web service.  Note: you can store work on dropbox. We will discuss cloud storage.)

Copyright

You must receive copyright permission for all non-public domain media used in your film projects. Public domain material can be found at http://www.publicdomain.org/ and http://www.creativecommons.org/. Visit American University's Center for Social Media Website for detailed information regarding the difference between rights infringement and fair use.

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

Students with a special learning need are encouraged to let their instructor know at the beginning of the course. Reasonable accommodations (such as extended time for exams, readers, scribes, and interpreters) are provided on an individual basis as determined by documented need. It is the student’s responsibility to provide authorized documentation to Student Affairs or Achievement Center Support Staff as early in the semester as possible.

Course Content and Title IX Reporting

Students should be aware that information disclosed to faculty (whether through assignments or as a personal disclosure) that indicate experiencing sexual harassment, abuse, or violence while a student at Memphis College of Art, requires that your instructor as a “mandatory reporter” disclose this information to Student Affairs staff to ensure students’ safety and welfare are addressed. Student Affairs staff will contact you, and/or those involved, to make you aware of accommodations, remedies, and resources available at Memphis College of Art.

COPYRIGHT:

You must receive copyright permission for all non-public domain media used in projects. (Music, film footage, etc.)  Public domain material can be found at http://www.publicdomain.org/ and http://www.creativecommons.org.  Visit American University's Center for Social Media Website for detailed information regarding the difference between rights infringement and fair use. We will discuss fair-use policies during class.

EPA MANDATE:

Memphis College of Art students and faculty are required to follow the      standards detailed in the "EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) Materials Handling Protocols - September 2007"

Below is a current overview of topics covered over the course of the semester. (Subject to change due to unforseen circumstances, inclement weather, instructor choices, etc.)