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PWTM 31/12/2014



This latest edition of the Computer Animation Arts PWTM is best enjoyed while snacking on the dribs and drabs of your bumper tin of Quality Street, washed down with a good glug of Alka-Selzter. By now, you're feeling a bit worse for wear and your Christmas tree is looking sad, so let this little lot vivify your spirits - a bumper-sized selection box of the non-chocolate variety.  No cold cuts here, ladies and gents, just fresh new work from fresh new talent.

Let's start with the end; the end of the last term, that is, which saw our newest recruits complete their debut digital sets; fantastical cityscapes inspired by some unlikely artistic collaborations. 


Charlie Serafini - The City Of Haute - inspired by Jean Paul Gaultier 

Original concept art

Digital set pipeline

Final render


Ella Pinnington - The City Of Obiton - inspired by Alvin Lustig

Original concept art

Digital set pipeline

Final render


Julien Van Wallendael - The City Of New Caylx - inspired by Lucienne Day

Original concept art

Matte painting

Final render


Kayleigh Anderson - The City Of Traraum - inspired by Max Ernst

Original concept art

Final render

Sankavy Balasingam - The City Of Naumo Gabo - inspired by Naum Gabo

Original concept art

Final render

Dan Harrington - The City Of Delauney - inspired by Robert Delauney

Original concept art

Final render


Mailin Berg - The City Of Kandinsky - inspired by Wassily Kandinsky

Original concept art

Final render

Mark Stamp - The City Of Yiquanhuabanliuyu - inspired by Philip Treacy

Star Hall Orthographic


Final render

Ridge Yeboah-Mensah - The City Of Shairoth, inspired by Barbara Hepworth

Final render

Chelsea Butler - The City Of Amplexus, inspired by Richard Deacon

Developmental thumbnails
Final render

Max Ashby - The City Of West Mirosian, inspired by Joan Miro

Original concept art


Production art (key assets)

Production art (key assets)

Production art (key assets)


For our year 2 students, the end of last term concluded a particularly challenging studio project requiring them to collaborate on the production of a one-minute animation.  In many ways, the lessons imparted by this project are not always as obvious as an improved workflow or an engagingly animated cast of characters; a group project imparts its wisdoms through its inevitable inter-personal frustrations, creative compromises and deft negotiations. 

Patient Zero - Josh, Tom & Hannah @ Hidden Studios



Patient Zero - Art Of




Pine Dining - Ant, Ruby & Candice @ Blind Badger Studios (Art Of)

   

 Bon Appetit - Adam, Danny & Sukhi @ Screw Loose Productions (Art Of)




Our year 3 students will have had a rather compromised Christmas and New Year, as they're busing working on the double-whammy of their minor project and dissertation - both due in January! Don't be fooled by the preponderance of grey in the following images; what you're looking at is something pretty thrilling; bespoke 3D models, crafted lovingly and painstakingly from polygons, derived from original production art. The next time I share these assets with you, they'll be rigged, skinned, fully textured and ready to perform...


Albert Alberstine character orthographie 1

Albert Alberstine orthographic 2

Lucille orthographic 1

Lucille orthographic 2


Warrior & Morrigan expression sheet

Warrior expression test



Megan Howett - Shelf Life

Modelling the rubber chicken 1

Modelling the rubber chicken 2

Rubber chicken completed

Rubber chicken UV mapped


Rubber chicken skinning test





The Erl-King - Samantha Niemczyk

The Erl-King hands - Samantha Niemczyk

The Erl-King - Samantha Niemczyk

The Erl-King - Samantha Niemczyk

Rigging the Erl-King's neck & spine - Samantha Niemczyk

Rigging the Erl-King's hands & fingers - Samantha Niemczyk



Modelling the horse - Peta-Gaye Brown

Horse completed - Peta-Gaye Brown

The Horse: UV and Rigging Progression - Peta-Gaye Brown
The horse: body rig completed - Peta-Gaye Brown


'Bob' as orthographic

'Bob' as Maya model

'Bob' as Maya model continued.

'Big' finished Maya model 1

'Big' finished Maya model 2



Franklin character sheet (final Franklin on far right)

Franklin modelled


Koi Carp UV mapped

Koi Carp skinning test




'The Father' modelled

'The Father' - Rigging Test Animation



New Designers is a big part of the continuing success story of Computer Animation Arts, and putting on award-winning exhibitions of graduate animation at the Business Design Centre, Islington, London is no small undertaking.  Quite apart from the designing of the stand - and all the white van action that inevitably follows - it's up to our community to raise funds in support of our annual stints at New Designers. The Computer Animation Arts Tombola Of Dreams is one such way in which we work together to grease the wheels of graduate success - a termly prize draw (with a real tombola!), which sees our students and alumni in with the chance to win some amazing prizes.  Up for grabs this time was original signed artwork by comic book artist, Laurence Campbell, IClone animation software donated by Reallusion, a 12 month subscription to Digital Tutors, 2 weeks work experience at Dovetail Games, and a Cintiq 13HD!  The prize draw took place on Friday December 12th, and raised a whopping £1,180.  Congratulations to all our winners (for CAA Yr 3 Emily Clarkson Christmas came early when she claimed the Cintiq!), huge thanks to all those who donated prizes, and thanks to everyone who bought a ticket.  We can't do the things we do without your support and generosity!

Tombola Of Dreams 2014 Prize Draw, Computer Animation Arts Baseroom, December 14th

Course leader (in Christmas tree hat) assisted by Anita 'Class of 2014' Gill and Yr 3 student, George Hind

Comic book artist Laurence Campbell's signed The Punisher panels raffled off to raise funds for New Designers 2015

Year 3 student, Emily Clarkson (middle) wins the Cintiq 13HD!


On January 15th in Amiens, France, an extraordinary performance of Benjamin Britten's Noye's Fludde will take place at the Cirque Jules Verne.  The performance is a collaboration between Computer Animation Arts, Creative Arts For Theatre & Film, Orchestre de Picardie, and light artist, Tine Bech, plus school children from a number of French and English schools.  We were challenged to devise a series of kinetic props - a pop-up sun, moon, and stars, plus Noah's ark itself, and a very large fold-out rainbow!  CAA graduate Ethan Shilling first simulated the functionality of the various props as computer animations, and then we worked with kite-maker, Karl Longbottom, who is fabricating the props from fabric in his studio in Herefordshire.

Cirque Jules Verne, Amiens, France

Original 'Rainbow' simulation


Kite-maker, Karl Longbottom with our Noye's Fludde fold-out rainbow!

We'll be travelling out to Amiens for rehearsals and for the performance of Noye's Fludde, and CAA grad, filmmaker, photographer and all round good egg, Tom Beg is coming out with us to chronicle the event via his medium format camera.  We'll be sharing our experiences of the production here on the group blog, so keep your eyes peeled for updates on our latest avant-garde, interdisciplinary adventure across the channel.



The Final Word...

“I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes.

Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You're doing things you've never done before, and more importantly, you're Doing Something.

So that's my wish for you, and all of us, and my wish for myself. Make New Mistakes. Make glorious, amazing mistakes. Make mistakes nobody's ever made before. Don't freeze, don't stop, don't worry that it isn't good enough, or it isn't perfect, whatever it is: art, or love, or work or family or life.

Whatever it is you're scared of doing, Do it.
Make your mistakes, next year and forever.”

Neil Gaiman

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