3D Animation

Students will learn the basics of 2D Animation using Digicel Flipbook.  Various animation techniques will be utilized to create a series of animated shorts, including pose-to-pose character animation, morphing, write-on and loop-able cycles.  Students will be introduced to the foundation of animation and study the principles utilized to maximize their character animations. 

Students will continue beyond the basics of 3D Modeling and begin to use intermediate & advanced modeling techniques using Autodesk Maya, the industry standard software for 3D Visualization.  These include character-based modeling using and combining NURBS & Subdivision modeling.  Both organic & inorganic characters, vehicles, props and environments will be modeled and prepped for animation.

Students will emerge in character-based 3D Animation using Autodesk Maya, the industry standard software for 3D Visualization.  Students pre-created modeled will be used along with various animation techniques to develop & create fully animated 3D Characters for an animated short.  Students will maximize their technical skillset to animate character & incorporate timing, spacing, weighting, and balance.

Students will conceptualize an idea for an animated short to be created at a later date and screened at a series of film festivals.  This course will explore the process of story development, including creative writing, brainstorming for animation, character development & design, storyboarding, and conceptualization.

Students will learn the basics of using Adobe After Effects to create 2D Animation using Adobe Photoshop & incorporating layered characters.  Students will also learn the capacities of the software and can import assets such as digitized painting/drawings/illustrations, video footage, previously created graphics, and others.

Students will focus on character based 2D Animation using Digicel Flipbook, the industry standard software for Pencil Tests & used for Animatics.  Students pre-designed characters will be used along with various animation techniques to develop & create fully animated 2D Characters for an animated short.  Students will maximize their technical skillset to animate character & incorporate timing, spacing, weighting, and balance.

Students will continue beyond the basics of 3D Modeling and begin to use intermediate & advanced modeling techniques using Autodesk Maya, the industry standard software for 3D Visualization.  Students will create everything from backdrops for 3D scenes, Levels for video games, and 3D Visualization of 3D Conceptualized spaces.  These include environment-based modeling using and combining NURBS & Subdivision modeling.  Both interior & exterior scenes will be explored and will include props/characters, which will be modeling and prepped for future animation.

Students will develop their character-based 3D Animation beyond an introductory level.  Using Auto Desk Maya, the industry standard software for 3D Visualization.  Students will create characters and use pre-created models, with fully rigged skeleton-based animation.  Students will use Inverse Kinematics to create complex motion & movement along w/various animation techniques to develop & create fully animated 3D Characters for an animated short.  Students will maximize their technical skillset to animate character & incorporate timing, spacing, weighting, and balance.

Students will explore the process of story & creating compelling stories for the purposes of creating animations.  Creative writing, character development, & conceptual arts for environments will be studied. Students will develop stories from concept to completed storyboards with the intention of using the stories for their animations.

Students will explore the process of editing & manipulating their projects for the purposes of improving their animations.  Using the Adobe Suite and utilizing After Effects & Premiere, students will take their animated shorts and develop them into completed, presentable projects thru a variety of editing techniques.  This includes both video & audio editing, creating titles, credits, and special effects for their projects.

Students will utilize Adobe After effects for Production and Post-production as related to Animation/Animatics.  Projects will include using Photoshop to design animation-ready characters & import them into After Effects.  Students will learn to rig the character within & create keyframes to allow for character animation.  Students will also learn to move & rotate props and objects to apply motion within After Effects. 

Students will build on their previous experience modeling out scenes for the 3D arts using Autodesk Maya, the industry standard software for 3D Visualization.  Students will develop fully articulated scenes incorporating buildings, vehicles, props & characters.  Students will have an opportunity to compete locally and at a state level showcasing their creative & technical skills in 3D Animation & Visualization.

Students will develop their character-based 3D Animation beyond an introductory level.  Using Auto Desk Maya, the industry standard software for 3D Visualization.  Students will create characters and use pre-created models, with complex geometric characters made up of hundreds of independent node-based animations.  Students will use parenting/grouping to create complex motion & movement along w/various animation techniques to develop & create fully animated 3D Characters for an animated short.  Students will maximize their technical skillset to animate character & incorporate timing, spacing, weighting, and balance.

Students will take their written stories to life and create a completed animated short to be presented to their peers at our local film festivals.  Using their pre-created storyboards, students will develop a complex story that can be fully animated & edited to showcase a student’s technical and creative skillset. Students will create production schedules, write freelanced contracts, and develop an understanding of the logistics of creating and making 3D Animated projects.

Students will take their animated portfolio of work that will encompass their acquired skill set of all our class projects and will develop a series of portfolio works.  This includes creating a short showreel, a short highly edited showcase of a student’s skill set.  An involved Progression Reel showcasing a series of developments, including character evolution, story creation, modeling thru textures, lighting, rendering, as well as character animation progression from sketched character to fully rigged 3D animation.

Students will use Autodesk Maya Dynamics menu set to explore built-in technical tools such as emitters, particle effects, create effects, & fields/solvers.  Students will create projects that will showcase an introductory knowledge and use of Autodesk’s FX & Rendering tools and commands. 

Students in this course will engage in an exploration of options available to artists after high school, matching industry requirements with pathways, including, college admissions and cost associated with it. Students will complete portfolios, engage in mock interviewing and develop resume related material. Students will also research related trends in the creative arts sector, types of jobs available and professional organizations affiliated with different sectors. Traits that are valuable for artists to possess will explored and students will learn about advocacy and networking in the professional arts world.

This course explores the role and importance of an artist manager, what they do, and how they impact the career of the artist and their brand. The course begins with the basics: why an artist needs a manager, the keys to finding the right partner, and a typical management contract. From there, students will cover the details of planning an artist’s career, money management and what to do when things go wrong.

Introduction to Arts Entrepreneurship is a survey of a business strategies, including money management, investing, insurance, taxes and all the other details behind a successful career in the arts. This course also emphasizes the importance of entrepreneurial thinking, engages students with the fundamentals of the arts “business”, and explores ways to influence and shape the industry’s future. The course will explore the inner workings of the arts industry, using creative problem-solving exercises, discussion questions, collaborative projects, case studies, and hands-on activities. Students will have firsthand experience with guest experts in the fields of promotion, management, and artist representatives, and thus begin creating their own networks and a path to their future activities in the arts.

This class offers a comprehensive study of media options available for the promotion of artists, products, and services. It includes a brief discussion of marketing plans, followed by a detailed look at both old and new media. Concepts such as integrated marketing communication are melded with creative tools for branding. Students will analyze an existing promotion plan, as well as create one of their own for a new product. Particular attention is given to the use of the internet for communication and the location and retrieval of business-related data.