Palazzi Arts Col 753 Winter 2005 M/W/F 1:30-3:30 Syllabus Course Calendar Student Work Resources

A Master Class with Dreamworks Animation SKG Arts Col 753 Winter 2005 M/W/F 1:30 – 3:30 1224 Kinnear Road Credit Hours: 5 cr. Maria Palazzi palazzi.1@osu.edu 292-2406 Office Hours: M 9:30 – 11:30 Course Description: This studio course is an advanced hands-on approach to learning and practicing the production phases of the Dreamworks Animation SKG (which includes PDI/Dreamworks) pipeline. Students will have the opportunity to study with artists and scientists over a 10 week quarter. Students will participate in studies in such process areas as story development, modeling, rigging, lighting, animation, and specialFX . Prerequisites: It is required that students have some course work in Maya or other 3D software, preferably the Arts Col 750 series. Course Objectives: Students will create a short CG piece that demonstrates an understanding of the presented methodologies based on materials prepared and presented by the Dreamwork’s artists and scientists. Students will demonstrate an understanding of the creative process by both critical and quantitative measurements in the following areas: 1. Ability to identify, evaluate and critique the areas and stages of the process for creating an animated feature film. 2. Ability to execute studio exercises that correspond to the production pipeline at Dreamworks 3. Develop new vocabulary of terms related to computer graphics and the production pipeline 4. Demonstrate ability to offer informed technical and aesthetic criticisms of the work 5. Documentation of the course experience and process, via the web, as well as one expanded section on a new technique or process that is developed as a web tutorial. Course Methodology: Activities are organized within a combination hands-on studio, lecture, demonstration, discussion framework that is intended to provide students with a hands-on experience in the creative process at Dreamworks. Students are required to attend an out-of-class screening of SharkTale on Wednesday, January 5, 2005 at 7:00 pm at the Wexner Film/Video Theatre, which will provide context for topics introduced in class. Students are expected to be participating and working in each and every class. Students are encouraged to collaborate in solving some of the difficult technical and conceptual problems that are part of each project. Students choosing to use "offsite" hardware and software must have their current working files on the ACCAD system and available for review at the beginning of each and every class. Problems with "offsite" systems and/or incompatibility will not be an acceptable excuse for missed assignments. Students will document all work. Digital work will be documented with rendered images and/or animation. All research, process and final results will be documented on individual web pages by each student. For critique and documentation purposes, final work will be posted on the course site. NOTE: Work will be listed with each student’s name. Any student wishing not to have their name posted on the course site should inform me. This will have no effect on grading or course participation. Assignments: Project 1 – Modeling 1. Turntable of model in wireframe 2. Turntable of model in raster with lighting 3. Top, Front, Side and Perspective views in wireframe 4. Top, Front, Side and Perspective views in raster with lighting 5. Documentation of process and model reference files (images and text) Project 2 – Surfacing 1. Turntable of surfaced model in raster with lighting (movie) 2. Top, Front, Side and Perspective views in raster with lighting (images) 3. Documentation of process and texture files (images and text) Project 3 – Rigging 1. Stretch Test of model with rig in wireframe (movie) 2. Stretch Test of model with rig in raster with lighting (movie) 3. Documentation of process (images and text) Project 4 – Animation 1. Rendered animation (movie) 2. Documentation of process (images and text) Project 5 – EFX 1. Rendered animation (movie) 2. Documentation of process and EFX references (images and text) Project 6 – Lighting 1. Rendered animation (movie) 2. Labeled lighting layout in Top, Front, Side and perspective (images) 3. Documentation of process and lighting references (images and text) Website – contains all materials as listed above, organized in a cohesive fashion Web Tutorial – one in-depth tutorial on an advanced technique from the course becomes an online tutorial, to include text, diagrams, images, movies Course Calendar See course calendar for due dates Grading Policy: Students must demonstrate satisfactory achievement of course objectives through fulfillment of course studio assignments and by contributing to class discussions. Course evaluation: 60% Projects 1-6 Assignments 15% Website 25% Web Tutorial NOTE: Final individual websites will be burned to CD-ROM by each student with all course materials and turned in as part of the final project, during finals week. Required Text: The Art of 3-D Computer Animation and Effects, Third Edition by Isaac Victor Kerlow The text is available through the Wexner Center Bookstore. Copies will also be placed on reserve at the Fine Art Library. Accommodations for Students with Disabilities: It is the intent of the University and these instructors to provide access to support services and programs that enable students with disabilities to succeed in this course. Students with disabilities are responsible for making their needs known to the instructor and seeking available assistance in a timely manner. Students will be referred to the Office for Disability Services (ODS), located in Pomerene Hall, for further assistance (614-292-3307 or visit 150 Pomerene Hall). Academic Dishonesty Any and all suspected cases of academic dishonesty will be dealt with according to university procedures.  See your student handbook for further information on academic dishonesty and the accompanying procedures and penalties.