FAO CGAA Year 1: Environment 2011/12 - Submission Checklist & Crit Requirements 20/01/2012

A Unit 3 checklist of what you need to complete and submit for Friday's Final Crit 20/01/2012

You are asked to produce a tableau vivant-style scene that combines a digitally modelled set with a matte painting.  Your scene should demonstrate clearly your understanding of the various ways in which environments may derive and communicate their identity through their mise-en-scène.  Aspect ratio for final scene should be 16:9 (HD 1920 X 1080).

Image by Andriana Laskari

Component 2/Research & Development = written assignment + blog + Maya tutorials (40%)

1,500 word written assignment investigating ‘the uncanny’ in relation to specific images, artworks, artefacts, films or games.

You are asked to produce a comprehensive blog archiving and annotating your creative development during the duration of the unit.

Your blog must include: 

1) Your final scene.

2) Your final matte painting.

3) Your 16:9 concept art for final scene.

4) 50 supporting thumbnails (minimum).

5) All preparatory studies for concept art & matte painting.

6) Your influence maps.

7) Your creative partnership archived.

8) Your final textures and development.

9) Reviews of the ‘Cinema of the Strange’ Film programme.  Please note – in addition to and support of your own critique, your reviews must include a minimum of 3 quotations from 3 different published reviews + poster art + supporting stills.  Please note - Harvard Method must now be used for all quotations and all illustrations to be referenced correctly. Reviews are to include bibliography and illustration list.

10) Your digital set pipeline

            Pre-Viz, Wireframe Model, Untextured Model, UV Maps, Texture Maps,

            Textured Model, Lighting Tests, Rendering Passes (Beauty, Ambient

            Occlusion, and Effects).

11) Supporting research for both your creative project and written assignment.

12) Life Drawing.

13) Your Maya Class Tutorials (specified in your technical classes).

14) Your submission disc artwork.

What follows are instructions for your crit presentations and reminders of what you need to present and submit.  Please use your network of creative partners to ensure that everyone has seen this information and understood it.  Any queries, please leave a comment and I'll clarify where necessary.

Okay - you will present on crit day from a blog-embedded Scribd document that should, in terms of structure, follow the order of slides as given below.

1. Title page, giving your name, unit title and date of presentation.
2. Your definitive influence map.
3. Your definitive thumbnail.
4. Your final concept art painting.
5. Your final scene.
6. Your digital set pipeline (one image per slide).
7. Your matte painting.
8. Your final scene (again).

We expect a high level of professionalism from CGAA students, so please give the preparation of your crit presentation the requisite care and attention.  Your presentations should be branded, spell-checked and polished. Think creatively about your slideshow, but don't clog your content with unnecessary typography etc.  Your presentation should serve your content sympathetically.  Keep it simple - and only include what you've been asked to include.

While you will present at the crit from your blog, you must also submit a submission disc to me, which must include:

1. Final Scene.
2. Matte Painting.
3. Final Concept Art painting.
4. Written Assignment.
5. PDF archive of blog.  For instructions on how to export your blog as pdf. go here.

You must also submit a paper-copy of your written assignment with a signed plagiarism form (including your Turnitin ID number*).  Your paper-copy should be bound, with numbered pages.  Please do not leave the printing of your assignment until the last minute! 

Remember - your brief clearly asks you to consider your 'submission disc artwork' - and a printing template is available on myUCA/Environment/Unit Materials.  Your submission disc artwork might derive from a striking thumbnail or digital painting and you should certainly be considering this aspect of your submission now.  What I do not want come crit-day is a bunch of unmarked submission discs or discs pock-marked with scribbled stickers, or worse still, work submitted on USBs. Please don't glue paper artwork to your discs as these kill my computer!  You need to take pride in every aspect of your creative submissions and the details docount.  In terms of branding, you should consider building a visual relationship between the submission disc and the crit presentation itself, so that everything pertaining to your project is clearly 'yours'.

Important: please note, your Environment crit starts at 10am sharp - at which point the doors will close.  Latecomers will be disallowed entry after the crit has started, but are expected to join the crit at a convenient interval.  The grades of latecomers will be capped at the minimum pass  mark - irrespective of content.** Latecomers will join the 'back of the queue' in terms of crit presentations and will present their work at the end of the day in order of their arrival.  Students who have been in attendance since 10am or before will be given the opportunity to leave the crit at this time.

If circumstances beyond your control*** prevent you from attending on time, you must contact Jackie Andrew before 10am, and your situation will be reviewed.   Doors will open at 9am.  Students should seek to arrive in advance of the start time to ensure they are prepared. Your project management and professionalism counts.  Please prepare for your crit as you would for an interview or pitch.  For some 'Rough Guide' style advice re. the stuff of engaging crit presentations, please go here.

Please note: non-attendance at final crit = non-submission.

And finally....

* For information on using Turnitin go here (you'll find the Turnitin upload at myUCA/Space/Unit Assessment)

** Obviously, if the work doesn't satisfy the minium requirements as stipulated by the brief, the work would be failed.

***But not issues in regard to last-minute technical problems (including printing of essays and writing of discs etc.) that reflect poor project management. No student should be printing/writing discs/rendering etc. on the morning of crit day.  Thursday is your deadline, not Friday.