3D Animation (NTL.09) A.C.S.

Program Overview

This comprehensive program provides a thorough foundation in 3D animation, covering digital sculpting, traditional drawing, character design, modelling, rigging, animation, lighting, and special effects. Students develop skills in industry-standard software and create a professional demo reel, preparing them for careers in various fields of 3D animation, including film, television, video games, and augmented reality.

Program Outline

Outline:

• Sculpture for Animation
Focus on digital sculpting tools and techniques. Students create a character, pose it in 3D, texture it, and achieve proper proportions.
• Traditional Drawing
Introduction to digital drawing using Photoshop. Focus on 2D illustration and painting using layers, masks, brushes, etc. Acquiring a basic understanding of human anatomy, lighting and shadow, perspective, composition, color theory, and harmony.
• Character Design and Storyboarding
Covers character design & storyboarding. Enables students to produce a character and its environment.
• Low Polygon Modelling and Animation
Introduction to 3D modelling using Maya. Understanding the balance between quality and performance. Acquiring a strong understanding of polygon modelling using various standards and extended primitives, modifiers, splines, compound objects, etc. Model a fully functional vehicle with respect to the original blueprints, dimensions, and proportions.
• Image Manipulation With Photoshop
Learn how to unwrap a 3D model using Maya’s various tools. Acquire, correct, adjust, and manipulate images using Photoshop for textures. Understand the interdependence between different software.
• Character Skinning, Textures & Materials
Learn the basics of object animation and the difference between key frame and semi-automated animation. Create different types of animation using a blend of various tools and techniques. Introduction to lighting (standard and photometric lights) and rendering (Scanline vs Arnold).
• 3D Character Modelling
Introduces the concepts needed to model organic shapes and characters using the polygon modelling with loops technique. Create characters that can be animated for various types of actions. Model a head (head shape, eyes, ears, and nose), hands and arms, feet and legs, and finally the torso to attach all of the pieces.
• Modelling, Character Rigging
Introduces the concepts of character rigging and its role in the creation of motion libraries. Rigging is the process of adding a bone structure to the modelled mesh. Complete a ready-to-animate model using morph targets, weighting, and skinning tools. Get introduced to the Biped, the motion mixer, and other tools.
• Character Skinning, Textures & Materials Mapping
Introduce students to assigning material attributes to models and environments. Demonstrate how materials can be manipulated to save render time and decrease the size of a 3D file. Lights and textures are important in the creation of things like bullet holes, blast marks, lightning, fires, and explosions. Create custom textures from existing photos and from scratch for use in future productions. Included are techniques for creating seamless tiles, environment maps, and character skins as well as special maps used for creating bumps, displacements, reflections, and transparency on selected parts of a 3D model.
• Character Animation
Building on the basics of mechanical animations learned in an earlier module, students will begin working on a more complicated process: character animation. Returning to the roots of 2D animation based on the 12 principles of animation, students will begin to learn how to create realistic actions and cycles such as walk, run, kick, jump, throw, pull, push, and more.
• Advanced Character Animation
Move from the body to the character’s head and face. Learn visemes for proper lip synching. Learn the secrets of bringing animations to life with personality and character. Add squash and stretch, secondary motion, overlap, moving holds, exaggeration of movement, and anticipation to the animation repertoire. Examine the subtleties of facial animation to express emotion and personality.
• Architectural and Environmental Modelling
Introduce advanced architectural modelling based on original architectural blueprints. Working from macro to micro, students will begin with the environment such as the streets, moving to the buildings, rooms, furniture, and finally props. The objective is to create realistic detailed constructions with respect to real-world scale, materials, lighting, and rendering.
• Lighting & Special Effects
Learn to create special effects using several types of particle systems, forces, space warps, deflectors, etc. Simulate water, fire, explosions, smoke, and many other effects used in video games, cinema, or television industries. Reproduce a special effect by simulating a volcano, tornado, or tsunami. Introduce video editing using Adobe Premiere and After Effects for the final produced video.
• Advanced Lighting & Special Effects
Continue developing skills in special effects. Create a fully animated scene with various particle systems, advanced lighting techniques (GI, Caustics), and advanced rendering using Arnold. Choose the project, tools, and production process to reach a life-like simulation, render it, and edit it using a compositing or editing tool like After Effects or Premiere.
• Game Culture & Industries
Work on a team project making a video game level. Learn about the video game industry vs VFX for TV and cinema, types of games and studios, the role of each individual within a team, cost vs quality vs deadlines, etc.
• Demo Reel I
Review previous work, revising and improving initial efforts, with the goal to create a 15-to-30-second demo reel. Focus on helping each student decide about their career orientation in the various fields of 3D. Brainstorm, try, test, experiment, and improve some particular skills with regards to the final output. Put together the pre-production pieces for a successful demo reel (Character design, storyboarding, milestone, production forecast, etc.)
• Demo Reel II
Keep working on the demo reel under the supervision of the educator. Develop a 15-to-30-second demo reel. Consider render time and respect regular one-on-one production meetings with the teacher. Present work to the class, college staff, and industry guests. First step toward an external internship.
• Internship Part 1
Improve the demo reel for eight weeks. Increase contact hours per week to 35 and evening lab hours may be necessary. Show leadership in properly organizing work developed over the duration of the program. Present work to the class, staff, and industry contacts at the end of Internship Part 1.
• Internship Part 2
Use skills and knowledge acquired in the program to do an eight-week work internship in a company. Perfect modelling, animation, texturing, lighting, or special effects skills. Provide a good demo reel. Company will select the talent they need. Find internships in film or television studios, companies creating 3D products, parts, and room views, etc. Reinforce competencies acquired through the program. Learn new skills and work methods, learn time management, build a professional and positive attitude, learn to work independently as well as in a team, and build rapport with colleagues and customers. Document work and submit it to the college for evaluation.

Careers:

• 3D animator
• 3D concept artist
• 3D modeller
• 3D texturer
• Augmented reality designer
• Compositor
• Film production artist
• Game production artist
• Lighter
• Multimedia illustrator
• Motion graphics artist
• Visual effects artist