WEEK 4: Game Dev 2 DESN2017 Assignment 2: Leap due in 2 weeks

You have a couple of weeks left on your leap animation. If you have any trouble please let me know - I'm happy to help!

There are many great examples of traveling cycles in games. These are clips from Tomb Raider featuring some running and jumping with different types of landings including rolling break falls.

WEEK 4: Asset Dev 2 DESN1086 Milestone 1: Character Concept Due Today!

Your Character Concept drawings are due today during class on BlackBoard.
Please be sure you follow all the instructions carefully and double-check your naming conventions, file sizes and types. Also be sure you hand in all the parts of your assignment.

Your next assignment is....

CHARACTER WALK CYCLE (runs are ok too!)

DUE DATE: WEEK 7, Feb 20th (in-class) – 20 Marks
*ZERO marks for late submissions

Develop a walk cycle (side-scrolling) for the character you designed in Assignment 1.
The animation should be consistent with your character in terms of the overall design, game type, platform etc. Similar considerations that were approached in the initial character design assignment.

Use thumbnails and rough sketches to explore your ideas. Establish your key poses first (minimum 6 frames). Any additional in-between frames are more to support the main action found in your key poses.

SUBMIT ALL OF THE FOLLOWING:

A) Thumbnail sketches – minimum 6 key poses
B) Line-test animation – preliminary animation
C) Final animation – polished B&W or Colour

REQUIREMENTS:
Filename:

FILE NAMING:
1086_A2_YOUR-NAME_walkthumbs.jpg
1086_A2_YOUR-NAME_walklinetest.mov or .gif
1086_A2_YOUR-NAME_walkfinal.mov or .gif

Ex - 1086_A2_BEIBER-JUSTIN_thumbs.jpg (last name first, please!)

Format:
Traditional (ie pencil, ink, markers, paints etc)
Digital 2D art (Adobe Photoshop, Corel Painter, Flash, Illustrator etc.)
Filetypes: movie clip ( mov) or animated GIF
Please compress all images and videos to keep them small using the following guidelines:

Videos:
Quicktimes, 560 pixels by 316 pixels, H.264 codec, max 10MB. You can use a variety of tools such as Handbrake, Adobe Media Encoder, Quicktime Pro and more to format your videos. I use the 11-second club guidelines for all submissions:
http://www.11secondclub.com/helpful_hints/encoding

Images:
JPGs between 500-1200 pixels along longest edge, 72-300 dpi/ppi, max 5MB. You can use a variety of tools such as Photoshop, Gimp, and online programs to compress files.

Examples - 

Please use good reference - preferably your own - but also go straight to the source for good analysis: Richard Williams has the clearest explanations:

Marking rubric for all animation assignments:

WEEK 4: Game Dev 4 DESN3012 Second Milestone due in 2 weeks

2 weeks to go..

I hope you're all digging into the planning stages for your next project. I suggest you draw at least basic thumbnails before diving into the 3D world. Remember the little Wall-E clip I showed you - before they started posing they drew thumbnails of their ideas and worked out potential poses in rough before taking it to the next level. You should aim to get your blocking done for this week and bring in all your rough animation by next week.

If you're doing an alternate to animation - such as particles, dynamics, etc. please make a real plan before even turning on the computer. I want a strong concept and not just a tech demo. You can do a lot with a little creativity. I'm happy to work with you to make your piece look great. We'll get you working with a mentor who's been through the process before. Keep an eye on the new advancements in real-time dynamics - there have been a lot of tech papers and demos released recently you'll want to know about, such as here:
http://physxinfo.com/news/

Be Friends with Failure - we all need this reminder now and then

Dear everybody: 

Despite a lifetime of conquering challenge after challenge and reaching many of my goals, I finally had to face something that was holding me back: Fear of Failure.  It only dawned on me a couple of years ago that there is no possibility to succeed without failure. Failure is a prerequisite for success. Gymnasts train with pits of foam under the bars because they fall over and over again.  Learning the tricks means falling down a lot.

But as artists we like the tricks but not many of us like the falling part. It's annoying and it's embarrassing to fail again and again. But that's just your ego talking. It's not actually painful unless you attribute meaning to it that just isn't there. 

How many of us have had a crappy day at work with a looming deadline and thought something like, 

I will never figure this out

Now imagine the person sitting next to you saying that to you:

"You will never figure this out."

What would you call that type of person? A jerk? At the very least --a real a**hole and not someone you would trust to work with artists at a studio. That person would need a smack upside the head and a desk far away from humans.  If that voice is your own inner monologue, you need to silence it, now. 

2012 was my year to follow this motto: EMBRACE FAILURE. I came to grips with the idea that there's always progress being made even when it doesn't show up on the screen....yet. That was my other discovery. Adding 'yet' to defeatist statements gives them power and intent. ("I don't understand rigging..yet". See?)

In the gym we work 'to failure' meaning you lift a weight heavy enough that after a few reps you can't lift any more. Failure makes your muscles stronger. Progress takes months but it is guaranteed if you never give up.

At your desk it's the same thing - your brain responds to each new challenge by building new neural pathways. Every new task works out your brain and makes you a bit smarter, even though it takes a while to see it. Learning unfamiliar things feels like failure sometimes but really, painful as the process is, it's growth all the same.

On the long road to success, failure is not only an option, it is a requirement. Make peace with it. 

Here - this cartoon says it best:

http://doodlealley.com/2012/10/10/be-friends-with-failure/

WEEK 3: Game Dev 2 DESN2017 Assignment 1: Run Cycle Due !

After you hand in your assignments it's time to get started on the next one: Jumps.

This is the ideal assignment to use live action reference. Remember that once an object has left the ground it will move at a pretty constant forward speed, however its upward trajectory will slow-in and slow out of the high point. As you run out of the kinetic energy that allowed you to leave the ground, you will slow to the top of a nice smooth arc and gravity will start pulling you back down again - 

Bam -- parabola!

Always think about the 'Why' - why is your character jumping? It helps make the action believable. 

Eadweard Muybridge's classic photo of the long-jumper has many clues we can use to bring life to our animation.

There's a ton of great information on jumps in Richard Williams' The Animator's Survival Kit from 212-216 and on anticipation from 273-284. Buy this book! It takes several readings to get it to sink in.

Assignment 2: Leap over an Object

Value: 20%

DUE DATE: WEEK 6 Feb 14th @ BEGINNING OF CLASS on BLACKBOARD
* Late submissions will receive ZERO marks.

BRIEF:

Animated the character leaping over an object (it can be invisible). It should be consistent with the personality and emotion of the previous animation (run cycle). Secondary animations a broad range of movements and timing are encouraged to add life to the character. Ideally the jump should link smoothly to and from the run.

SUBMIT THE FOLLOWING:

A) Thumbnails of key poses – minimum 6 key poses
B) Video file of 3D leap animation

REQUIREMENTS:

Filename:
DESN2017_A2_YOURNAME_thumbnails (.jpg file) 

DESN2017_A2_YOURNAME_leap.mov (.mov file)

EX -

DESN2017_A2_BIEBERJUSTIN_thumbnails.jpg (last name first, please!)

DUE DATE:

SUBMIT TO BLACKBOARD WEEK 6 (February 14th)  IN CLASS
Please compress all images and videos to keep them small using the following guidelines:

Videos:

Quicktimes, 560 pixels by 316 pixels, H.264 codec, max 10MB. You can use a variety of tools such as Handbrake, Adobe Media Encoder, Quicktime Pro and more to format your videos. I use the 11-second club guidelines for all submissions:

http://www.11secondclub.com/helpful_hints/encoding

Images:

JPGs between 500-1200 pixels along longest edge, 72-300 dpi/ppi, max 5MB. You can use a variety of tools such as Photoshop, Gimp, and online programs to compress files.

WEEK 3: Asset Dev 2 DESN1086 Milestone 1: Character Concept Due Next Week

How are your character designs going?

I know this is a stretch for some of you but it's a good skill to develop.

If you're looking for reference this place has a huge collection:

http://www.pinterest.com/characterdesigh/

Don't let this happen, though.

(sorry I can't find the artist's name! I love this cartoon so much.)

WEEK 3: Game Project Dev 4 DESN3012 First Milestone Due Today

Your first assignment is due today at the start of class. We'll have a one-on-one critique to discuss the outcome and make a plan for your next milestone.

Remember that your project must be approved by me before proceeding. Please dig right into the planning process as soon as you can.

Here's the level of what's coming out of animation programs of just 8 months:
http://www.animationmentor.com/animation-program/animation-body-mechanics-advanced/

Spend some time looking at demo reels from around the world on Vimeo. You need to reach that target and that requires focus. Let animation be your focus & forget about all else for this class and dig into the details. Plan, test, and build your scene in layers and along the way seek feedback - it's what your tuition pays for :)

Milestone 2:  ex 5-10 second piece of animation

Value: 20%
DUE DATE: WEEK 6  Feb 13th @ BEGINNING OF CLASS

* Late submissions will receive ZERO marks.
Playbasts are fine. No rendering required.

FILE NAMING:

3012_ m2_lastnamefirstinitial_001.mov (mp4, m4v, etc)
ex: 3012_m2_donovant.mov

Please read the post about file formats here.

WEEK 2: Game Dev 2 DESN2017 Assignment 1: Run Cycle Due Next Week!

Great news! Animation Mentor has granted George Brown students permission to use the Stewart Rig provided you:
1) Properly accredit the Stewart rig in their work, as defined in the terms of use.
2) Do not re-post or share the Stewart rig -- in other words, each student must download the rig directly from the Animation Mentor site.

Here's the link!
http://www.animationmentor.com/free-maya-rig/

Continuing with run cycles - here's a good place to read up on runs:
Richard Williams' "Animator's Survival Kit" pgs 176 - 200

Please do NOT use bad reference from the Internet such as AngryAnimator or Anime. Even the helpful Preston Blair is confusing to students - don't copy his drawings, they are too stylized for a normal run. Only source information from battle-tested, quality animators with high-end experience. 90% of the information online on animation is not usable at this level.

Digital Tutors has a great tutorial on runs but I will caution you it veers into territory you do not want to focus on for this cycle such as character sets, scripting for mirroring poses, and editing rotation order. You can learn these if you want but I want you to focus on just animating great poses with great timing using great reference.

http://www.digitaltutors.com/lesson/25052-Introduction-and-project-overview

This is one of the nicest game reels around - and for good reason, it belongs to Jonathan Cooper, Ubisoft Montreal's Animation Director on Assassin’s Creed III. Some killer realistic runs here:

Jonathan Cooper Demo Reel 2013 from Jonathan Cooper on Vimeo.

WEEK 2: Asset Dev 2 DESN1086 Milestone 1: Character Concept Due Week 4

You still have a couple of weeks to complete your first milestone: Character Concept.
If I were you I would aim to have completed my bio and thumbnails by this week to give me another 2 weeks to complete the revised thumbs, and rough in the sketch for the final.

Bear in mind that you will be animating this character so be ready to simplify the detail.

Here are some great resources we looked at in class and a link to a general beginning course in Digital Tutors.

Happy sketching!

http://www.digitaltutors.com/tutorial/1052-Beginners-Guide-to-Concept-Sketching

WEEK 2: Game Project Dev 4 DESN3012 First Milestone Due Next Week!

Milestone 1 is due in class next week. Late projects will not be marked.
Please verify all naming conventions and formats so you don't lose marks for simple errors.

Progression from Horton Hears A Who -
from reference to blocking to animation to final

By today you should have finished all your rough animation so you can spend the last week adding details like facial animation, fingers and overlapping action.

Please check in with me so I can tell you where to focus your energy to get the best results for this assignment.

Please remember your project must be approved in order to receive a grade.

This is an excellent example of a scene progression from Blue Sky's Jeff Gabor:

Here's an idea for an upcoming project - a contest for aspiring animators - short animation ID's wanted for "Catsuka" is a bi-monthly French animation show. "...best new idents will be selected - 5 and 10 seconds maximum, 1920x1080 HD resolution, on white background" - check out details and examples. Some really great short actions: http://www.catsuka.com/nolife/habillage/

Here's one example but there are a ton more on their site:

Catsuka on Nolife TV channel - Ident by Merwan Chabane from Catsuka on Vimeo.