M.A. in Rigging & Character FX

Program Overview

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M.A. in Rigging & Character FX

Description

This master specializes the student in the technical and artistic processes of development and construction of 3D characters.

Career Opportunities

• Rigger
• Character TD
• Hair Simulator
• Grooming Artist
• Character Animator
• CFX Artist
• Fabric or muscle simulator
• Tailoring Artist

Paths to Entry

Student Entry Profile:

• Students with general 3D training who wish to deepen their knowledge of 3D character development in any of the three main areas of the program.
• Designers, illustrators, or animators who want to change paths to 3D characters creation.
• Graduates in Fine Arts, Audiovisual Communication, Computer Science or with post-secondary vocational training related to the subjects of the master’s degree who want to specialize in 3D character development.
• 3D modelers looking to expand their knowledge in the fields of simulation and rigging.

Where Our Alumni Work

This master’s degree is 100% employable. Our students are working at MPC, Double Negative, ILM, Sony Imagework, Skydance Animation, Weta Digital and Animal Logic, among other companies.

Partner Companies

Study Plan

• Location: U-tad
• Hours: Thursdays from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., Fridays from 4:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. CET.
• ECTS: October-June (600 hours)
• Language: Spanish
• Modality: In campus or online
• Centre Attached to: Camilo José Cela University

Course 1

• COURSE NAME
  • LOOK DEVELOPMENT
    • Digital sculpture
    • Body modeling for rigging and animation
    • Facial modelling for rigging and animation
    • Lighting
    • Shading
  • RIGGING
    • Introduction to Rigging. Basic Concepts. Philosophy. Tools
    • Body Rigging I. Basic Rigging Structures
    • Body Rigging II. Advanced Structures
    • Scripting for Rigging
    • Deformation I. Skin systems. Conceptualization. Technology
    • Deformation II. Drive Morphers. Corrective Systems
    • Human and Animal Anatomy. Body Mechanics
    • Rigging Facial: Fundamentals, Structure and Design of Facial Systems
    • Dark Rig
    • Dynamic Rigging
    • Muscles
  • CHARACTER FX
    • Fabric Modeling. Fabric Rigging
    • Fabric Pattern Making. Marvelous Designer
    • Hair Systems. Grooming and Shading
    • Fabric Simulation. Techniques and Processes. Blendshapes. Collisions
    • Hair Simulation. Techniques and Processes. Dynamics. Collisions
    • Simulations and Tools in Houdini
    • Xgen Finaling and Flat Work
  • MASTER’S THESIS

Faculty

• David Míguez Blanco
  • Director of the Master’s in Rigging and CFX. Animation Degree teacher
  • Rigging Supervisor at Skydance Animation Madrid
• Jaime Bescansa Gascón
  • Fabric Modelling and Rigging, Fabric Pattern Making, Fabric Simulation and Hair Simulation teacher
  • Char FX Lead, 3D Tailor Marvelous Designer
• Silvia Montes de la Rosa
  • Grooming teacher
  • Lead Character FX Artist at Skydance Animation Madrid
• Noela Leis Sestayo
  • Lighting teacher
  • Senior Lighting Artist at Able & Baker Studios
• Antonio Méndez Lora
  • Rigging Facial teacher
  • Lead Rigger at Able & Baker Studios

Students' Projects and Awards

Talent Awards

Awards are the best recognition of high-level effort and a job well done, whether as a team or individually.

In recent years, our students have won more than 70 awards in all disciplines.

Students' Feedback

• Getting the Master’s in Rigging and CFX marked a moment of before-and-after in my professional career. They taught us tools, methods tricks, and how the pipeline works. We were constantly supported by top industry professionals with a lot of experience. I have learned so much. Entering the world of work was much easier thanks to our education, the way in which we learned within a recreation of the pipeline, and the fact that our course work was very similar to what is required in the industry. The program laid a very solid foundation for us to truly understand what we were doing and exemplified good communication between different departments. They even taught us how to nail a job interview! Thanks to this master's degree, I have been able to break into the world of work and really dedicate myself to a profession I love!
  • Andrea del Val Rodriguez CFX Junior Artist
• Pursuing the Master’s in Rigging and Character FX gave me the opportunity to learn about very specific aspects of the 3D pipeline. It’s typically very difficult to find this kind of specialized information focused on studio work. By taking it online, I was able to learn from experienced, active industry professionals in an accessible way. This modality granted me the flexibility to work while taking classes. Personally, the Master's program helped me structure and substantially improve my workflow. I was also introduced to totally new information that helped me to find new ways to solve problems. This has helped me in tackling higher level projects, and ultimately break into the visual effects industry.
  • Enrique Nife Morales Online Master’s student. Mexico
• Studying the Master’s in Rigging and Character FX helped me a lot in my professional life in several ways. The teachers have a lot of experience in the industry. This helps them in answering complex questions and giving you good advice to solve problems or while creating your portfolio. They taught me how to use some very specific tools on our projects. The exercises in each module are very helpful in experimenting with different techniques and finding a work rhythm that suits you. In my experience, master's degree was extremely beneficial in the creation of my first professional student portfolio. It was because of this portfolio and my TFM project that I got my job as a CFX artist at MPC Montreal. With the help of my teachers and classmates, I was able to achieve the highest quality in each of my characters. At MPC, I applied a lot of techniques and tricks that I learned in the Master’s program. This gave me a lot of confidence when working on shoots where the supervisors had super high expectations. I highly recommend it.
  • Gabriela Quintanilla Online Master’s student. Mexico

Program Outline

Outline:

• Course 1
• Digital sculpture
• Body modeling for rigging and animation
• Facial modelling for rigging and animation
• Lighting
• Shading
• Introduction to Rigging.
Basic Concepts. Philosophy. Tools
• Body Rigging I.
Basic Rigging Structures
• Body Rigging II.
Advanced Structures
• Scripting for Rigging
• Deformation I.
Skin systems. Conceptualization. Technology
• Deformation II.
Drive Morphers. Corrective Systems
• Human and Animal Anatomy.
Body Mechanics
• Rigging Facial: Fundamentals, Structure and Design of Facial Systems
• Dark Rig
• Dynamic Rigging
• Muscles
• Fabric Modeling.
Fabric Rigging
• Fabric Pattern Making.
Marvelous Designer
• Hair Systems.
Grooming and Shading
• Fabric Simulation.
Techniques and Processes. Blendshapes. Collisions
• Hair Simulation.
Techniques and Processes. Dynamics. Collisions
• Simulations and Tools in Houdini
• Xgen Finaling and Flat Work
• MASTER'S THESIS

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Teaching:

• Teaching Methods:
The program is taught in-campus or online.
• Faculty:
• David Míguez Blanco, Director of the Master’s in Rigging and CFX.
Animation Degree teacher; Rigging Supervisor at Skydance Animation Madrid
• Jaime Bescansa Gascón, Fabric Modelling and Rigging, Fabric Pattern Making, Fabric Simulation and Hair Simulation teacher; Char FX Lead, 3D Tailor Marvelous Designer
• Silvia Montes de la Rosa, Grooming teacher; Lead Character FX Artist at Skydance Animation Madrid
• Noela Leis Sestayo, Lighting teacher; Senior Lighting Artist at Able & Baker Studios
• Antonio Méndez Lora, Rigging Facial teacher; Lead Rigger at Able & Baker Studios
• Unique Approaches:
The program is designed to approach the disciplines of modeling, shading, rigging and character FX from different perspectives and working methods. This is to best provide our students with the necessary tools to create characters for film, television and advertising audiovisual projects. Our students receive a holistic understanding of the entire process of character creation and development.

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Careers:

• Rigger
• Character TDH
• Hair Simulator
• Grooming Artist
• Character Animator
• CFX Artist
• Fabric or muscle simulator
• Tailoring Artist