Computer Animation Arts

As anyone who teaches will tell you, the process of equipping young people with the skills and attitude by which to accomplish great things and realise their potential is no Hollywood-style montage of quick-cut, quick-fix gratification.  It's an uglier business than that, involving pushing, prodding, coaxing and no small amount of arse-kicking!  It is a battle of wills between past behaviours and future potential, between demons and destinies (which is already sounding a bit too Hollywood for a process that is often indescribably prolonged and frustrating). The rewards, however, can be huge - and this edition of the PWTM, which showcases the end results at the close of the academic year, is always a favourite of mine - not least because it reminds me of why we bother and why we need to go on bothering. First up, a small sample of completed films devised by first year students in response to their Fantastic Voyage brief, challenging them to pre-produce, produce and post...

Just a reminder to send me your scripts as .doc files.  Many of them needed a polish or a tonal tweak, and they should all go via Dr Klappa before you commit to voice-over artists.  The importance of getting your narrations etc. sooner rather than later cannot be over-estimated. Your narrations will give you your timings for screen action and likewise your overall duration.  In this sense, the narrations will give you the truest impression of what you need to be doing next!  I'm working from home tomorrow, so I'll have some time to consider your scripts.  Get them written - and emailed today!

Your group allocation for the Fantastic Voyage pitches are as follows: Monday @ 10am / Group A Jen, Mike B, Ruth, Polly, Paris, Alex P, Joe, Douy, Karolina, Mishka, Graeme, Rhia,  Tuesday @ 10am / Group B Sam A, Laura, Jess, Alexis, Maddi, David, Greta, Ellie, Jack, Anabel, Anastasija, Mike K, Zoe Can you please make sure everyone as seen this please.  Many thanks. I'm really looking forward to it! IMPORTANT: Do not be late! Be in the baseroom by 9.50am at the latest! Group B students are welcome to attend the Group A pitches - and visa versa.

Wednesday, 15th March is your Fantastic Voyage Online Greenlight Review  Your OGR is to be presented as a single Scribd presentation on your blog, beginning with your name, date, and project title. Your OGR presentations should be uploaded to your blogs on Wednesday, 15th March. Written feedback will follow as a 'comment' on your OGR post. Fantastic Voyage OGR Part 1: What do you need to present? Your chosen bioscientific scenario.  Your chosen audience & supporting market research. Your visual concept influence maps Thumbnails/developmental drawings etc.  In addition, your OGR should evidence that you are up-to-date with your ongoing CG Artist's Toolkit project work (life-drawing/Maya tutorials/Nat's animation exercises etc). Historically, students who use their OGR to manage their weekly tasks in this way manage their workloads more successfully. Use your social network to ensure everyone has seen this post - much apprecia...

Go here for Dr Peter Klappa's Cell-Cycle slides.

Your 'Fantastic Voyage' project brief is available now @ myUCA / Storytelling & Commission. Make no mistake, ladies and gentlemen, this is it - the big one. The Fantastic Voyage commission project is your opportunity to pull out all the stops and accomplish something extraordinary - your first cg animation. Wow. This project is a culmination of all you've learned since week one of term one and you need to think creatively, ambitiously and you need to be determined from the very outset to make the best work of which you're capable.  You are not simply being asked to satisfy a year one project brief. You are being challenged to make others take your creative potential seriously, to put your money where your mouth is - to shine. This is about you and them - the audience. You need to get them on side. You need to make them love your vision. You need to win the prize, seal the deal, steal the show. This isn't about grades or what your tutor might ...