Bachelor of Art and Design (3D Animation and Visual Effects)

Transcription

1 Bachelor of Art and Design (3D Animation and Visual Effects) The Bachelor of Art and Design is a three year program that provides a systematic introduction to a body of knowledge in the domain of Art and Design. The course content reflects the work that characterises the 3D Animation and Visual Effects industry today. Students receive a lot of hands-on training and in most cases will learn skills by imitating demonstrations made by their lecturers. Students are surrounded by industry professionals and industry standard equipment and software. The first year initially focuses on teaching students fundamental art and design skills and knowledge. Once students have a good grasp of this, they will learn how to construct 2D and 3D assets using the appropriate industry standard tools. Students receive a good grounding in the relevant tools (such as Photoshop and Maya), but advanced techniques are not taught until later in the course. Another important skill that students will learn in their first year is how to operate a camera to produce good photographic references, which is vital for constructing animations. In the second year students will learn the skills and knowledge that is required to produce an effective narrative production. This includes creating a previs, storyboarding narrative ideas, and how to shoot footage for a production. Additionally, students build on skills that they learnt previously to create more complex animations and rigging. Students are introduced to industry procedures and practices, and gain practical experience of these during the formal production stage. Students learn advanced, indepth techniques for Visual Effects compositing and 3D Animation. The combined knowledge and skills which students have learned throughout the course will be put to use when they work variously on their team production and individual production. Students also create a specialist production, where they work in a subject area of their choice. Completing this project also allows graduates of the Graduate Diploma of Advanced 3D Productions to meet the requirements for gaining the Bachelor of Art and Design. Graduates of this degree will be industry ready, or ready for postgraduate study in the area of 3D Animation and Visual Effects. They will be able to produce, justify and defend decisions made during the execution of 3D and Visual Effects productions and projects. Graduates can also investigate, critique, and judge the worth of emerging technologies and processes that influence 3D and Visual Effects practices. MEDIA DESIGN SCHOOL 9

2 3D1G01: FOUNDATION 3D: MODELLING, ANIMATION AND RIGGING This component teaches students the fundamental knowledge and art/design skills needed for the course. Students also learn basic skills to enable the operation of contemporary 3D packages for the production of simple digital models, rigs and animations. Tutors demonstrate how to use the 3D tools, which students imitate and later progress to create more complex animations. Tutors present fundamental theories and techniques of animation to the students, which they use to identify a variety of art and digital art solutions. Finally, students will formulate a rudimentary skeletal for a simple creature or phenomena. 3D1G02: FOUNDATION 3D: SURFACING, LIGHTING AND VISUAL EFFECTS This component focuses on developing the skills needed to operate a 3D tool. Tutors begin by demonstrating how to design and construct 2D assets (e.g. textures). Students use the design to construct 2D assets following the same procedures, and eventually create their own designs. Once students have gained confidence doing this, they can use the tools to produce simple 3D assets. Tutors demonstrate how to design and construct lighting solutions using appropriate lighting theories. Students experiment with lighting theories to enhance their lighting solutions. Wherever possible, students will create simple visual effects assets or shots. 3D1GO3: TRADITIONAL ART AND DESIGN FOR 3D AND VISUAL EFFECT Students examine art assets and discuss their aesthetic value, design concepts and theories. They then produce art assets meeting more complex briefs using various art and design theories/concepts. Tutors will also present photographic theories and practice. Students photograph a range of objects for the purpose of creating references for a project. Students become increasingly aware of how to operate a camera to produce good photographic reference, particularly in regard to composition, design and colour. Students will attend life-drawing sessions because of its usefulness to 3D productions. Students will also paint objects for project reference materials. Year One 3D1GO4: DIGITAL ART 1 The properties and concepts of digital imagery are examined, and students develop digital art assets that exhibit effective use of design & art theory. Students learn how to construct digital art assets through project-based learning with a 2D software package (e.g. Photoshop). Eventually they will be able to use these processes and procedures in standard and non-standard ways to assist in the creation of digital art assets. Students create rudimentary rationales for each digital art piece, justifying and defending their use of theory and their decision-making. 3D1G05: DIGITAL ART 2 Students continue using contemporary 3D packages to create complex digital art assets. Tutors demonstrate the design and construction of a digital art asset using the 3D tools, highlighting fundamental theories and principles. Students evaluate the tools and their functions, and describe the relationship between the technical tools and their role in creating digital art pieces. Tutors facilitate debates around digital art pieces and their associated briefs. By participating in debates, students gain the knowledge and confidence to defend and justify their own digital art pieces (in terms of artistic, technical, design, theoretical and conceptual elements). 3D1G06: 3D MODELLING Students create more 3D concepts and gain a more advanced understanding of the fundamental theories and principles of composition, colour theory and design theory. Tutors demonstrate more advanced modelling features to enhance the realisation of a creative concept. Tutors begin by demonstrating modelling of simple hard-surface assets that gradually progress to complex organic modelling. Students reproduce the assets from these demonstrations, and use these skills to solve another creative person s vision. This enhances the students existing visual investigation skills and knowledge and develops their problem solving capability. 3D1G07: 3D RENDERING AND COMPOSITING More design concepts are introduced, particularly in regard to lighting theories and practice. Tutors discuss the differences between real world lighting and digital lighting, demonstrating lighting theories and practices with industry standard 3D packages. Once the student is proficient in operating the tools, they experiment with lighting and colour theories to produce assets with well-informed principles. Students progressively learn more complex technical tools for solving surfacing problems and create quality surfacing solutions. In addition, students learn to use a compositing tool for solving common compositing problems, and finally produce a collection of digital renders. 3DG08A: FOUNDATION MINI-PROJECT Using the knowledge and skills that they have built up during the course of study, students create a production. Students are discouraged from creating animation productions at this stage unless they already have sufficient skills from previous experience. Instead, tutors encourage students to build a modelling and surfacing project. Students produce a simple shot using lighting, texturing, and modelling to convey a phenomena for a simple film shot. 3D1G09: DESIGN PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE 1 Tutors present the important principles of design and relate them to the art and design theories from previous components. Historical entertainment pieces that have influenced design and modern entertainment are presented. Several critical and creative thinking frameworks are used to identify key design features and influences. Students identify key design concepts in a collection of examples, and debate and critique solutions which use them. MEDIA DESIGN SCHOOL 10

3 Year Two 3D2G02: VIDEO PRODUCTIONS Students learn the skills that are required to shoot footage. Tutors demonstrate how to operate a video camera, and teach students how to capture simple reference footage that communicates a visual narrative or emotional context. Students use their existing knowledge of the principles of visual narratives to convey emotion and organize the story. Tutors teach students important editing techniques and how to use editing tools. Students also learn the theories and properties of sound, and will critique these theories. They produce simple sounds and edit their own reference footage to produce a short-film. 3D2G01: PRE- PRODUCTION The theories and concepts needed for creating storyboards are introduced. Tutors then introduce story structures and other concepts to facilitate the construction of an effective narrative. They demonstrate with examples of storyboards for simple stories. Students produce stories to create individualized storyboards for a production. Tutors also demonstrate the construction of a previs (the previsualisation of a project), from a simple storyboard using Maya. Students learn to create a simple previs from a predefined storyboard, and once they have mastered this, will create one from their own storyboard. 3D2G03: 3D ANIMATION Students build on animation skills learned earlier in the foundational and digital art components. Further principles and theories of animation are taught using reference footage. Tutors facilitate critiques of the footage from different perspectives, identifying its strengths and weaknesses. Students learn to use industry standard tools to animate objects using the principles and theories of animation. Once students become more comfortable navigating these tools they begin to animate simple animations from a collection of reference footage. 3D2G04: SCRIPTING AND DYNAMICS Tutors present a collection of improvements and timesaving strategies for production pipelines using scripting technologies. Students replicate these improvements. They think critically to develop, test and revise scripting solutions to solve progressively complex problems. Tutors demonstrate the use of a contemporary tool to create simulations of real world phenomena. Students use the tool to craft visual effects assets that convey a visual narrative. They organise their existing rendering and compositing skills to create a collection of digital renders, and each render is enhanced with progressively complex real-world simulations of phenomena using dynamics tools and techniques. 3D2G05: DESIGN PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICE 2 Tutors present a collection of historical films that illustrate the history and development of cinematography. Tutors facilitate critiques and analysis of these films using a critical and creative thinking approach. As students engage in the critiques, they develop comprehensive scholarly and investigatory skills. This knowledge will help students to create a collection of design documents, which will be used at a later stage. When students present their design concepts, they will also justify and defend the design decisions. 3D2G06: INDUSTRY PROCEDURES AND PRACTICE 1 Students present proposals to plan and manage an individual production according to project management guidelines. They present their idea to the class, developing presentation skills and enhancing communication skills in the process. Tutors provide guidance and feedback on the proposal, and introduce students to the standard pitching processes used in the industry. Students then practice pitching concepts to the class for further critique, debate and feedback. 3D2AT02: RIGGING Tutors teach students an in-depth level of technical expertise in rigging, and students investigate the use of complex rigging elements further. Once the student is proficient in operating the tools, they experiment with applicable theories to enhance their awareness and knowledge. They also produce assets informed by those theories. Tutors demonstrate a collection of rigs for various animation purposes, including facial rigs, character rigs, and other standard and non-standard rigs. Students use these concepts, and draw on knowledge gained in modelling and animation components, to produce their own collection of animations. 3D2AT01: MINI-PROJECT Students create a production which draws on the collection of knowledge and skills that have been accumulated during the course. Enhanced tool knowledge means that the student is able to experiment with the development of assets with more contemporary art and design theories. However, tutors encourage students to undertake manageable projects in the time frame provided. Students test and revise their ideas, concepts and solutions, polishing them to create aesthetically pleasing art assets that are worthy of exhibition. Tutors act as mentors throughout the process, but ultimately students are responsible for solving their own artistic and technical problems. 3D2V01: MOTION DESIGN ANIMATION This component furthers students' understanding of animation by experimenting with motion design and 2D animations. They learn to manipulate 2D images using different tools, including CGI integration. Tutors demonstrate the best industry practices to enhance student capability and awareness of production and post-production pipelines. Students evaluate various pipeline strategies to improve efficiency of production and enhance the aesthetic quality of assets. Students are assigned motion design problems to evaluate and develop production strategies and solutions. Tutors provide advice and mentoring for the students' visual investigation and production strategies. MEDIA DESIGN SCHOOL 11

4 Year Two 3D2V02: MOTION DESIGN PRODUCTION TECHNIQUES Students learn to optimise their pipelines and strategies, using various tools and techniques, to enhance motion design production. Tutors demonstrate a collection of techniques and tools for testing, diagnosing, and evaluating production workflow. Students enhance their evaluation skills by determining efficient and effective solutions or strategies that fit their purpose. With practice, students learn to create increasingly sophisticated technical solutions. On successful completion of this component, students are able to test, determine, and evaluate a collection of strategies to overcome production 'bottlenecks' using applicable tools and techniques. 3D2V03: VISUAL EFFECTS 2D COMPOSITING Students determine and test compositing techniques to manipulate 2D image sequences into one seamless shot. Firstly, students investigate the historical issues associated with optical compositing, which enhances their professional knowledge of the topic and is a source of inspiration for their own projects. Tutors explain theories and concepts of cinematography for tracking 2D. Students experiment with various tools and techniques to solve common rig-removal and plate clean-up problems. They also address problems of colour-space manipulation and camera stabilisation. Students shoot footage and then produce a collection of roto-masks for augmentation of key objects into a scene. 3D2V04: VISUAL EFFECTS 3D COMPOSITING Students investigate the historical issues associated with lighting and colour grading to inform, enhance, and inspire compositing strategies and solutions. Tutors introduce the theories, tools and techniques associated with CGI integration. Students match real environmental effects through the use of compositing techniques, and are expected to draw on a wide variety of physical theories and concepts to assist them. They will seamlessly integrate 2D and 3D assets into photographic live-action plates by matching the camera movement used while shooting the scene, to ensure the visual narrative is retained. 3D2T01: ADVANCED 3D STUDIES CREDITS: 30 Students begin this component with a high level of knowledge and skills in 3D. Tutors demonstrate how to use advanced compositing techniques with a contemporary compositing package. Students repeat the various compositing techniques to complete complex shots. They learn how to employ these tools to diagnose and solve problems. Students are also taught how to use advanced lighting solutions and tools to enhance a shot. Once students have sufficient skills in operating these tools, they experiment with them to produce assets that realise a visual narrative. 3D2A01: ADVANCED CHARACTER ANIMATION CREDITS: 30 Students begin this component with significant fundamental skills and knowledge in animation. Tutors build on their knowledge by providing more complex animation techniques to convey emotion and body language. Students practice these techniques, including lip-synching and facial animation techniques. These animation techniques are used to produce progressively complex visual narratives. Students develop, test, and revise their skills to improve their animations and visual narratives. Tutors facilitate debate and critique of individual animations in terms of the entertainment value to viewers. MEDIA DESIGN SCHOOL 12

5 Year Three 3D3T01: ADVANCED 3D TECHNICAL STUDIES Students improve on their skills in operating tools for modelling and surfacing, and expand their knowledge of compositing, lighting, and colour theories. Students gain highly specialised skills in both surfacing and modelling, which is useful for their individual and team projects. Tutors demonstrate emergent tools and paradigms in the area of modelling and surfacing, and tools where modelling and surfacing are combined. Students build on their existing surfacing skills to solve their own surfacing problems or refine their surfacing solutions. All assets are produced based on art/ design theories, and students are expected to justify their decisions. 3D3A01: ADVANCED CREATURE ANIMATION Students begin with many of the skills in advanced animation and rigging which are needed to animate creatures. This component enhances student knowledge and skills in animation with further practice while building capability, knowledge and skills in creature animation. Students start by animating simple hard-surface creatures, and progress to more complex creatures (e.g. polymorphic creatures). Repetition is important to develop animation skills. Students repeat several animation tasks to solidify their understanding of animation concepts and animation production. Students enhance their theoretical understandings, producing more effective animations. 3D3G01: TEAM PRODUCTION 1 CREDITS: 40 Students work collaboratively on a 3D visual effects production that is theoretically grounded, aesthetically pleasing, and technically sound. They will create a previs and a storyboard from a narrative. Tutors facilitate the filming of the live action production using their expertise and the expertise of other consultants. This gives students insight into the requirements of a live-shot, and the requirements of various film roles while working with producers, directors, actors, and other stakeholders. Students play the role of artist, digital artist, modeller, compositor, surfacing specialist, etc. By working collaboratively, students get important experience improving their soft skills. 3D3G02: TEAM PRODUCTION 2 CREDITS: 45 Students continue to produce highly polished assets for the creation of an exhibition-worthy project. They must justify the design/artistic decisions that they make during production in a written rationale. Students are responsible for their work and solving their own technical problems. But tutors may be consulted for more complex problems. Following the testing process an edit is produced for public exhibition and submitted to relevant awards and festivals. Once the production is complete, students again collaborate to produce a makingof documentary of their production; this documentary will also be submitted for public exhibitions. 3D3G03: ADVANCED INDIVIDUAL PRODUCTION By this stage, students have a wide range of specialist and general knowledge skills. In this component, students will create a specialist individual production in their area of specialisation and interest. Students can select any area of technical and/or theoretical specialisation to produce an individual production. They document all significant findings during this individual production and justify all artistic and design decisions. 3D3G04: INDUSTRY PROCEDURES AND PRACTICE 2 Tutors provide planning and management methods for the effective undertaking of a project within the context of the Project Management Body of Knowledge (PMBOK). Students use the PMBOK to construct a plan for individual and team projects. Students document investigatory methods adopted during production, and improve their plans through critiques and feedback from peers and tutors. At the end of this component, students produce a comprehensive post-mortem of findings which details areas of strengths and weaknesses, areas for improvement and reuse. Students' commercial awareness is enhanced by learning how to improve project workflow and management. 3D3V01: ADVANCED VISUAL EFFECTS COMPOSITING Students and staff collaborate to investigate an emerging or contemporary technology for compositing. Currently, staff and students are considering the investigation of stereoscopic compositing. Students will use a critical and creative thinking approach to evaluate theories and approaches to stereoscopic compositing. Students may investigate the stereoscopic conversion of non-stereo footage, increasing knowledge and skills in compositing as well as associated art and design theories. Students create, test and revise solutions to stereoscopic conversions, enhancing their skills and knowledge in producing aesthetically pleasing assets. 3D3S01: SPECIALIST PRODUCTION This component allows graduates of the Graduate Diploma of Advanced 3D Productions to meet the requirements for gaining the Bachelor of Art and Design. Students create a specialist individual production in their area of choice. They may select any area of technical and/or theoretical specialisation (e.g. stereographic investigation). Students document all significant findings during this individual project and justify all artistic and design decisions for their production. The level of expertise that they develop will be sufficient to enter the industry or postgraduate study. MEDIA DESIGN SCHOOL 13

6 CONTACT P: F: E: LOCATION DETAILS Media Design School Media Design Centre 92 Albert St Auckland New Zealand MEDIA DESIGN SCHOOL 14