Week 1: Introduction

• Syllabus
• Intro to Digital Art and Animation
• Lecture: Art * Film * Animation - various works
• SCREEN: Goodbye Uncanny Valley, by Alan Warburton
• Digital Art & Animation Playlist on UF's Linkedin Learning - HERE

• WATCH PARTY - DUE Tuesday
• Post at least one example of a cool/good/exciting 3D artwork to Canvas page.
• Include a paragraph with your analysis of the work and why you think it is worthy as an artwork.
• Be prepared to discuss your choice in class on Thursday.

• Jones, Caitlin. 1996. "The Function of the Studio (when the studio is a laptop).” Artlies, Issue 67.
• Watch: Maya 2022 Essential Training - Parts Intro-3

Week 2: Poly Modeling

• Discuss reading.
• WATCH the WATCH PARTY
• SCREEN: Norman McLaren: Creative Process
• Develop/Discuss projects
• DEMO: Maya Polygonal Modeling Intro

• BEGIN: Project 1 [Simple Form (is that possible?)]

• Alt, Casey. 2002. “The Materialities of Maya: Making Sense of Object-Orientation.” Configurations 10 (3): 387–422.
• Watch: Maya 2022 Essential Training - Parts 4-6 (especially pt. 5)

Week 3: Poly Modeling

• Discuss Reading
• SCREEN: Computer Animation Rules, by Harun Farocki
• SCREEN: Parallel I-IV, by Harun Farocki
• DEMO: Maya Polygonal Modeling
• Work on Project 1 [Simple Form (is that possible?)]
• STUDIO: Bring the object you'll model to class and model it.

• FINALIZE: Project 1 [Simple Form (is that possible?)]
• WATCH: Turntable beauty and wire-frame render via Maya and V-Ray

Week 4: Poly Sculpting

• CRITIQUE: Project 1 [Simple Form (is that possible?) - Thursday]
• Intro to CG/3D Sculpting

• BEGIN: Project 2 [Form and Meaning]
• Decide what sculpting tool you prefer (Mudbox, ZBrush), install and watch tutorials. (Thursday)
• Watch Chaosgroup VRay tutorials on UF LinkedIn Learning.

• McKim, Joel. 2017. “Speculative Animation: Digital Projections of Urban Past and Future.” Animation 12 (3): 287–305.
• Watch: Learning VRay for Maya
• Watch (choice): Mudbox 2016 Essential Training
• Watch (choice): ZBrush 2020 Essential Training

Week 5: Sculpting and Texturing

• Discuss Reading
• Introduction to Texturing.
• UV layout in Maya
• Intro to VRay Materials and lighting

• Integrate texture and lighting as you develop Project 2.

• Watch: UV Mapping Polygonal Objects
• Watch: Introduction to Lights in VRay Next
• Watch (choice): Substance Painter 2019 Essential Training
• Introduction to Mari - Getting Started with Texturing [flipped normals]

Week 6: Texturing and Lighting

• More VRay Materials and Rendering
• Texture workflow between Maya and Paint Program (Substance, Mari).
• Create a scene that exhibits: bitmap texture, metallic car paint, transparency, reflectivity, bump map, displacement map

• FINALIZE: Project 2 [Form and Meaning]

Week 7: Form and Meaning

• CRITIQUE Project 2 [Form and Meaning] Tuesday

• BEGIN - FINAL PROJECT [What is Real?] Thursday
• 1. Research and document (ie, post online) your project ideas.
• 2. Photograph proposed shooting locations and mock up potential shots.
• 3. Prepare to present your project proposal.

Week 8: Lighting

• SCREEN: The Virtual is Real, Cécile B. Evans Interview
• Finish UV/Texture/Shading workflow exercise with LIGHTING and RENDERING [Thursday]
• Lighting and lighting/rendering techiques

• WORK on What is Real?

Week 9: Concept and Design Development

• CRIT: Project Proposal
• 1. Begin assembly of CG elements/scene for your shot
• 2. Finalize your site photo plate.
• 3. You must pre-plan EVERY element of your shot, in advance.
• 4. Select spherical panorama for HDRI lighting (in lieu of shooting it).

• WORK on What is Real?

• Maya Render Setup (UFL Linkedin Learning)
• Wood, Aylish. 2006. “Re-Animating Space.” Animation 1 (2): 133–52.

Week 10: SPRING BREAK - No class

• SPRING NO BREAK
• That means it's time to get some work done!

• WORK on What is Real?
• Advance your project with this dedicated free time!

Week 11: Image-based Lighting

• Discuss Reading
• SCREEN: Animation, Mask (2011), by Jordan Wolfson
• Animation, Mask Review in Frieze
• High Dynamic Range Imaging
• Maya + VRay Shadow Matte, HDRI, and Compositing

• WORK, WORK, WORK, on What is Real?

• Charnley, Alex. 2017. “Digital Unreason: Jordan Wolfson’s ‘Evil Jew.’” Animation 12 (3): 318–33.
• Roberta Smith, NY Times Review of Wolfson's Animation, Mask.
• Direct link to NY Times review (behind paywall).

Week 12: Compositing

• Discuss Readings
• Studio: Continue CG Work.

• WORK on What is Real?

• Väliaho, Pasi. 2017. “Animation and the Powers of Plasticity.” Animation 12 (3): 259–71.

Week 13: Refine and Tune

• Discuss Reading
• Studio: Continue CG Work.

• WORK, WORK, WORK on What is Real?

Week 14: Compositing - Rendering - Final Production

• Put it all together and fix what is broken (trust me, it will be broken)
• WORK, WORK, WORK on What is Real?
• COTA AI and Interactions with Society Symposium (Thursday)
• REGISTER HERE for next weeks COTA AI mini-symposium

• Finish What is Real?

Week 15: Button in up!

• This is it...be done!
• WORK - FINISH
• COTA AI and Interactions with Society Symposium (Thursday 11PM - 3PM)

• Put it all together and be happy.

Week 16: LAST DAY OF CLASS

Exam Week: Final Exams - final review 10:00AM - 12:00PM.