ANIMATION FACTORY

ANIMATOR COURSE (Noob)

We run each course for beginners (Noobs) as soon as we have a team of 10 students. So let us know that you are interested in attending. We will call you as soon as your team is assembled...
There are two versions of the beginners course:
Version 1: Runs over 11 weeks. 2 hours of lectures every monday - 9 to11, or 12 to 2, or 3 to 5.
Version 2: Animation Boot Camp! Intense 1 week. 9 to 5pm. Monday to friday.

COURSE OUTCOME

Your target will be to create a fully animated 30 second cartoon of yourself that you can post on all your emails as a signature. You can also add it to your Portfolio and Show Reel. The cartoon sketch should cast yourself as the protagonist (or antagonist!) in your animation story and should include at least the following: Full body and face modeling, texturing, walk animation, titles and credits, audio and sound effects, music background, speaking, etc.

COMPUTER, SOFTWARE AND TRAINING TUTORIALS
An animation computer, all software needed for modeling, rendering, animating, texturing, graphics design, audio, editing etc. is included in the course and is included in the fee. You may keep the computer as well as the software. (i.e. you receive a complete animation studio)
A complete set of video tutorials to revise the entire course is also included.

COURSE OUTLINE

Introduction 12m 5s

Welcome 1m 16s

Using the exercise files 58s

Using the full capabilities 4m 16s

Getting and installing the software 3m 8s

Mouse and keyboard differences on the Mac 2m 27s

1. The Interface 1h 6m

Software oddities 7m 38s

Introducing the User Interface, Console, and Render windows 3m 8s

Configuring the desktop for an efficient workflow 6m 27s

Using the mouse and tablet on a PC or a Mac 5m 7s

Acquiring keyboard skills 7m 38s

Window panes and types 7m 53s

Exploring the default scene 5m 53s

Setting themes, UI colors, and user preferences 4m 0s

Understanding how to safeguard your data with autosave and backups 6m 52s

Appending and linking assets 7m 27s

Using the open-source movies and assets 4m 18s

2. Modeling 2h 7m

Working with objects in 3D space 6m 24s

Navigating 3D views 4m 23s

Understanding Blender modes 1m 51s

Understanding meshes 2m 8s

Editing a mesh 3m 28s

Using the Mirror modifier 2m 55s

Working with Vertex groups 2m 35s

Using Bézier curves 3m 52s

Working with text objects 5m 23s

Using reference images 3m 38s

Modeling boots by extruding circles and joining meshes 8m 59s

Applying the Mirror modifier to duplicate the boot and rotate 1m 58s

Modeling a helmet with NURBS and the Boolean modifier 7m 14s

Modeling a belt and pants by making a compound object from multiple primitive objects 3m 51s

Modeling legs by using edge loops and the Knife tool 6m 9s

Modeling a chest and arms using edge loops 5m 30s

Stitching the shoulders and neck 5m 13s

Modeling hands with the Proportional Editing tool 9m 4s

Linking vertices to create knuckle joints 4m 7s

Reinforcing modeling basics to create the face, eyes, nose, and ears 13m 6s

Appending and linking assets 3m 54s

Sculpting basics 3m 3s

Using the Subsurf modifier to smooth 2m 34s

Parenting 2m 7s

Working with groups 2m 1s

Understanding the endless possibilities for editing mesh with modifiers 2m 37s

Duplicating objects using the Array modifier 1m 54s

Modeling a set 7m 52s

3. Lighting 39m 41s

Lighting your scenes and objects 4m 25s

Omni lamp 4m 50s

Area lamp 2m 57s

Spot lamp 4m 9s

Sun, Sky, and Atmosphere lamps 4m 51s

Hemisphere lamp 2m 3s

Ambient and Radiosity lighting 7m 34s

Lighting with three-point and other multipoint lighting rigs 5m 30s

Understanding shadows 3m 22s

4. Shading 1h 21m

Realism overview 2m 56s

Creating a world in less than seven days 6m 36s

Applying ambient occlusion 3m 47s

Working with basic materials 3m 24s

Working with node materials 4m 27s

Applying Pipeline options 2m 51s

Painting vertices 3m 13s

Using shaders 7m 59s

Using mirrors 4m 41s

Working with transparency 4m 28s

Using halos 2m 40s

Simulating with Subsurface Scattering (SSS) 4m 26s

Applying textures 9m 34s

Mapping image textures to an object to create a decal 4m 19s

UV unwrapping 4m 54s

Applying multiple materials to a single object 3m 31s

Painting in 3D 4m 14s

Using bump maps 3m 14s

5. Animation 1h 25m

Understanding animation 4m 14s

Keyframing objects 6m 15s

Keyframing materials 3m 14s

Creating Shape keys 2m 28s

Creating Facial Shape key animation using reference video 2m 12s

Animating by combining Shape keys 2m 53s

Working with lattices 3m 37s

Using hooks 1m 30s

Working with Vertex groups 2m 33s

Creating armature objects 3m 44s

Mirroring armatures for bilateral creatures 3m 43s

Attaching mesh to the armature by way of skinning 5m 7s

Posing a character 4m 43s

Using inverse kinematics 4m 29s

Creating a walk cycle with inverse kinematics 6m 34s

Completing the walk cycle 3m 49s

Limiting range of motion and degrees of freedom 3m 47s

Managing actions using the Action Editor 3m 52s

Blending actions together using the Non-Linear Animation Editor 4m 34s

Tracking 3m 2s

Following a path 2m 21s

Mimicking an existing animation 3m 47s

Using the grease pencil 2m 56s

6. Simulation 50m 43s

Understanding particle systems 2m 20s

Working with game engine physics 3m 52s

Spewing particles 7m 25s

Guiding particles 3m 43s

Creating reactions and collisions with particle systems 3m 15s

Creating hair and fur 4m 25s

Grooming hair and fur 3m 26s

Jiggling and squishing soft bodies 3m 43s

Simulating cloth 6m 10s

Simulating fluids 5m 47s

Using boids to simulate swarms, schools, and flocks 6m 37s

7. Rendering 21m 29s

Using Render controls 6m 18s

Radiosity 3m 31s

Stamping text on video 2m 32s

Setting up test renders 4m 43s

Rendering image sequences 4m 25s

8. Compositing 1h 5m

Viewing node thumbnail images on certain Macs 1m 31s

Overview and integration 2m 12s

Render passes and layers 4m 27s

Using Input nodes 6m 22s

Using Output nodes 3m 54s

Working with Color nodes 4m 29s

Color mixing and layering 3m 27s

Using Distort nodes individually and in combination 7m 15s

Using Vector nodes 6m 46s

Creating effects with Filter nodes 8m 49s

Using Converter nodes 6m 7s

Chroma keying with Matte nodes 6m 15s

Understanding node groups and reuse 4m 17s

9. Sequencing 38m 43s

The Video Sequence Editor (VSE) 11m 47s

Integrating audio 3m 31s

Using VSE Greenscreen and other plug-ins 5m 40s

Integrating the Compositor with the VSE 7m 50s

Layering and splicing video 6m 18s

Speeding up and slowing down sequences 3m 37s

Conclusion 5m 26s

Putting it all together: 5m 12s

Honors, awards, badge, certification

Goodbye

COURSE FEES AND TIMES

R5000 with own laptop computer. You will receive all the software.

R6000 with supplied Animation Computer and Software-to keep.

2 hours of lectures every monday for 11 weeks. 9am to 11am, or 12noon to 2 pm, or 3pm to 5pm,
or 1 week Boot Camp.
Dates to be confirmed.

Pages

Friday, 18 January 2013

Episode4: How the LEECH stole Xmas

Saturday, 20 October 2012

Comic Colour... Episode 2 - Ju Ju: Nowhere to hide

Thursday, 18 October 2012