maya Computer Animation
Course Overview (Click BROCHURE for more information on the software)Students will create and evaluate short Maya Animation projects. Everyone will be required to submit work for evaluation at the set dates tba. During the development of these Animation projects students will use Maya for modeling as well as a keen understanding of storytelling to create innovative 3D animations. Students will also be expected to create a series of scenes that explore all of the techniques and approaches to 3D modeling, lighting, camera work and animation. Everyone will be encouraged to create solutions that are “outside the box” and will force both the innovator and the audience to see in a new way.
Class Content
• Intro to MAYA interface :orthographic and perspective views, menu sets, hotbox
• Select, move, rotate and scale- QWER
• Create and view objects nurbs and polygon shapes, #1-5
• Faces and selection trouble shooting
• Time slider and key frames
• Materials and attributes
• Rendering
3 Scenes
Scene1 environment made by students, character provided by teacher
• Outdoors (dome and plane)
• 5 objects
• 2 organic
• 3 man made
• 1 transitional structure
• Textures: solid color, source image, manipulate presets
• Character movement to transitional structure
Scene 2 environment made by student, character provided by teacher and camera movement introduced
• Inside structure 4 walls with door and window
• 4 Advanced modeled objects; mirror, chamfer, bevel, extrude, revolve, loft
• 2 cameras and 3 movements
• Character must interact with one object
Scene 3 environment made by student, student made character to interact with provided character and camera movement.
• Student may use premade parts for this environment
• Rigging and controls
• Painted weights
• Deformers
• Graph editor
• Possible dynamics
• UV texture mapping
• Camera movements as needed
Grades
There are standards of quality in student projects, Evidence of thought, care and effort in the work must be apparent. All of these elements will be discussed with students individually as well as in class critiques. Students will receive grades for work in progress as well as finished works. Grades will be given based on set scoring guidelines. Artistic integrity is a crucial part of the exploration of visual communication in film. Students are expected to create original innovative scenes.
Critiques
Critique is a key part of the evaluation and assessment of student Animations. Students will be expected to participate both by showing finished works and actively offering feedback to others. The students will learn and use technical vocabulary to help describe the strengths and weaknesses of any scene being presented. Everyone will also contribute guidance for one another towards a successful final product. I will only Interject when I feel something has not been addressed or I have a possible solution to a problem.
Course Schedule
The class sustains an investigation in the development of short Animations throughout the semester, early in the semester we being with Modeling and texturing and all of the basic animation skills. In the end the works are created with advanced modeling and animation skills. The student will achieve a high level on Maya experience.
There are standards of quality in student projects, Evidence of thought, care and effort in the work must be apparent. All of these elements will be discussed with students individually as well as in class critiques. Students will receive grades for work in progress as well as finished works. Grades will be given based on set scoring guidelines. Artistic integrity is a crucial part of the exploration of visual communication in film. Students are expected to create original innovative scenes.
Critiques
Critique is a key part of the evaluation and assessment of student Animations. Students will be expected to participate both by showing finished works and actively offering feedback to others. The students will learn and use technical vocabulary to help describe the strengths and weaknesses of any scene being presented. Everyone will also contribute guidance for one another towards a successful final product. I will only Interject when I feel something has not been addressed or I have a possible solution to a problem.
Course Schedule
The class sustains an investigation in the development of short Animations throughout the semester, early in the semester we being with Modeling and texturing and all of the basic animation skills. In the end the works are created with advanced modeling and animation skills. The student will achieve a high level on Maya experience.