Professor: Jennifer Steinkamp
office hours 12:00-1:00  Wednesdays in the DMA lab by appointment

Description:   This course is an introduction to theories of animation: timing, spatial design, and conceptual practice. Images taken from photographic or cinema space will be combined with the 3D virtual space, the goal, consider the collision of these two representational media.

Course Project: Design a storyboard for a 3D project. You may consider creating an animation, or 3D interactive piece.
The storyboard is due Wednesday week 2. Try visiting a museum for inspiration.

Previous Student Examples: http://users.design.ucla.edu/~jennifer

Grading: Grading is determined by the completion of assignments and the final animation project; 80% of the final grade is based on the course project. Attendance and participation are mandatory, and of course effect the grade.

Recommended Text:
Mastering Maya Complete,  Perry Harovas John L. Kundert-Gibbs, Sybex, Incorporated
The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation, Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston, Hyperion,
Cartoon Animation, Preston Blair, Walter Foster Publisher
Stop Staring: Facial Modeling and Animation Done Right, Jason Osipa
Maya Character Animation, 2nd edition, check for the most current, Jae-jin Choi


Week 1
Monday 1/5     System Overview  Maya Shortcuts     Blob Tutorial animating deformations Subjective Point of View Animating the Camera, Path Animation

Wednesday 1/7          Trims     Advanced Modeling
assignment: Choose a tool in Maya and demonstrate to the class how it can work. Please make a web page with directions. Due Monday 1/12

Week 2
Monday 1/12         
Rendering to the local disk, Texture, Surface Qualities  Class demonstrations

Wednesday 1/14   Review course project proposals


Week 3
Monday 1/19          Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

Wednesday 1/21 The Physics of Motion, Bouncing Ball, Follow Through,
 Hierarchical Animation (Forward Kinematics)
In class: Bouncing ball tutorial and truck tutorial


Week 4
Monday 1/26            Inverse Kinematics and Skin
In class: Walk and Polygon tutorial.

Wednesday 1/28       Mathematical Expressions, MEL scripts, Constraints


Week 5          
Monday 2/2       Arduino

Wednesday 2/4      Lighting Rendering Glass and Motion Blur Depth of Field


Week 6
Monday 2/9       Paint,   Dynamics and Particles

Wednesday 2/11  


Week 7
Monday 2/16      President's Day  

Wednesday 2/18   Present work in progress your grades depend on this presentation and your attendance


Week 8            
Monday 2/23         Advanced Deformations

Wednesday 2/25  


Week 9
Monday 3/2        

Wednesday 3/4   


Week 10
Monday 3/9

Wednesday 3/11


Week 11
Wednesday 3/18     Final Presentation 10 AM