Course Number: ARTS 4060
Course Name: Animation 1
Meeting Time and Room: MTh 12-2 p.m. VAST Lab
Instructor: Mr. Woodstrup
Semester: Fall 2008

Course Synopsis:
Animation I is a 3-dimensional introduction to animation as an art form. Students will complete traditional 3-dimensional assignments that are designed to encourage spontaneous creativity during planned keyframing, explore animation concepts, and learn animation terminology. In conjunction, students will learn the tools to create and animate in Maya. These varying size assignments will build upon the traditional assignment ideas and begin to examine intermediate animation questions. The final project in Maya will be a student-designed animation.

Supplies

Required:
• Notebook – Maya and computerized 3D space is very complex and can be confusing. You will want to write small notes for your own reference in the event I’m not around to help.
• Data storage – And lots of it. Whichever means of saving your files is most trustworthy and effective for you. You are responsible for your data, no excuses.

Suggested:
• Williams, Richard. The Animator’s Survival Kit. Faber and Faber, London and New York. 2001.
• A Calendar to help plan your process.
• Learning Maya 2008: Foundation.

Participation:
• You will be required to speak and present your work.
• Part of each assignment grade will be based on your participation during critique.
• You will also be required to speak about your colleagues’ work.
• A simple like, dislike, or opinion must be followed with substantiating reasons.
• Please give positive feedback. Our class has a mix of disciplines, and not everyone is accustomed or prepared for a full critique forum.
• Allow everyone a chance to speak.
• Use common sense and play nice: don’t interrupt; do wait for your turn, etc.

Ideas:
• Ideas that cause any physical or emotional harm to the student or anyone else will not be accepted.
• All other ideas will be accepted for conversation.
• A student may excuse themselves for a short duration if there is a conflict of religious beliefs with the content presented.

Grading

Assignments:
• Assignments are due at the beginning of class.
• Twenty-five percent of an assignment’s total points will be deducted per day late. Days are calculated by the time an assignment is due. After four days, an assignment will be graded with a zero.
• Voluntary extra assignments for an increase in a final grade will not be entertained or accepted.
• Redoing an assignment for a potentially higher score is acceptable only if the assignment was originally turned in on time and if the re-completed assignment is submitted within four days of the assignment’s original deadline. The final assignment of the semester will not be available for redoing.

Attendance:
• Attendance is mandatory and taken at the beginning of class. Tardiness will be calculated when either of the following happens first: the end of opening announcements or ten minutes.
• Only disputes brought to the instructor’s attention within one week of the infraction will be considered and discussed. All other disputes will not be considered.
• Attendance and tardy final grade modifications as follows:

Each three tardies equal one absence.
Each three absences equal reduction of total points by one letter grade.
Work in Class days are not “free” days.

• Attendance to Final Critique during exam week is mandatory. Failure to appear will result in the reduction of total points by one letter grade.

Overall:
• Grades will be based on an appropriate level for continuation into an industry related profession.
• Any appeal for grades must be brought to the instructor during office hours or at a scheduled time convenient to both parties. Keep in mind that an appeal has the potential to raise or lower your grade.
• Incompletes will only be granted for the death of family member during the semester, note from doctor or documentation of hospitalization representing a significant period of time.
• Only if given the final grade of “I”, will additional work after the conclusion of a semester will be accepted for a change of grade.
• There is no rounding of the thousands place.

ASSIGNMENTS

Project 1 Poly Model
Project 2 Moving Scene
Project 3 Storyboard
Final Project

TUTORIALS

Modeling
Tutorial 1 Extrude-a-Crab
Tutorial 2 Spaceship
Tutorial 3 Deformers
Tutorial 4 Fruitbowl
Tutorial 5 Smoothie

Animation
Tutorial 6 Ball Bounce Part One
Tutorial 6 Ball Bounce Part Two
Tutorial 7 Helicopter (you will need source files)
Tutorial 8 Set Driven Drill

Shading/Lights
Tutorial 9 Overview of lights and shading materials
Tutorial 10 Home Sweet Home
What Happened to Tutorial 11???? - it's coming!
Tutorial 12 Three Point Lighting

Character Animation
Tutorial 13 MayaMan
What Happened to Tutorial 14???? - it's coming!

Dynamics
Tutorial 15 Noah's Chain