Computer Animation Arts

If, like me, you're watching events unfold in America with a sense of creeping horror, but you're not quite able to find a precise enough expression for it, watch The Hangman from Les Goldman and Paul Julian.   It's here you'll find it - the name for the dread you're feeling at the very idea of a 'Muslim Ban' and all that it augurs.  Cometh the hangman...  Be afraid.  Be very afraid.

Just wanted to say thanks for your patience regarding your minor project feedback... It can't have escaped your attention that things have been super-busy of late.  We'll get your proformas out to you as soon as humanly possible, but be aware all marks need to be moderated prior to the release of the agreed percentages.  This isn't a process to be rushed, so be assured we're also going to give sufficient time and attention to your work and its assessment.  Official University policy gives us four weeks from the hand-in date to get assessment back to students, but we should be quicker than that! Thanks again for your understanding.  Watch this space!

Kath has asked that you familiarise yourself with John Berger's Ways Of Seeing - and likewise view episodes of the accompanying television series (after link below).  You can find a downloadable PDF version on myUCA/Contextual Studies/Term 2. http://www.ubu.com/film/berger_seeing.html

The Sky Blue programme from UCA's Creative Enterprise Dept. are hosting a number of workshops in February and March for students wishing to learning more about going freelance.  Take a look at the timetable above and add the dates to your respective diaries - and spread the word.   You need to email Stephen Davies at sdavies14@uca.ac.uk to book your place.

Filharmonia Śląska, Katowice, Poland On Friday, January 27th, CAA's celebrated visualisation of Darius Milhaud's ballet, La création du monde was screened in Katowice, Poland, with live accompaniment by the musicians of the  Filharmonia Śląska .   Milosz Kula   was their conductor, and in the grand surroundings of their concert hall, our sixteen minutes-or-so cascade of shape, colour and form illuminated the fascinated faces of a full house.  This is the sixth screening for our animation, which began life as a multi-participant speed paint challenge, in which the students, alumni and staff of Computer Animation Arts were invited to visualise Milhaud's jazz-inspired ballet as a series of abstract digital paintings . CAA alumni Tom Beg and Jordan Buckner then worked with the resulting paintings, translating them into moving image. In common with previous screenings, the experience of watching the animation accompanied by the full bombast and beauty of a live orch

Before today's performance, I just had time to get out and about in Katowice - magic winter light, sculpture, snow and a UFO!

Just got time before getting some shut-eye to share a few images from Katowice, Poland - where it's forever Christmas apparently!  They've even got a giant festive Death Star!  Short version: we flew out this morning, got everything sorted for the performance tomorrow and we're good to go!

Wednesday 8th February is your 'From Script To Screen' Online Greenlight Review 2 (OGR) Your OGR is to be presented as a single Scribd presentation on your blog, beginning with your name, date, and project title. Save your documents as PDFs before uploading to Scribd, as this should mitigate against formating glitches. Your OGR presentations should be uploaded to your blogs by 9pm on Wednesday 8th February. Written feedback will follow as a comment on your OGR post and will take between 2 - 3 days. From Script To Screen OGR 2: What do you need to present? Final script (as written using Adobe Story ). Completed storyboards (with illustrated camera moves etc. in accordance with storyboarding conventions.   I want to see a variety of shots  and no stick men please!). Your definitive 'Production Design' influence map (the art direction underpinning your story world). Developmental thumbnails & concept art for Character(s) / Environment(s) / Prop

Reading text from white paper can cause visual stress for a substantial number of students.    After some research, we have found that many students find reading and processing information easier if it is presented on a pale coloured background instead of white. We have therefore allocated a printer in the library that now prints onto light grey paper - the paper is also recycled, so that's another plus point :)   We would love to get any feedback from you! There is a comments box on the Gateway desk, or feel free to leave your comments here... The printer is located around the corner in the library, opposite the DVDs.   Please let us know if it is making a difference for you!

It's that time again - or it will soon be!  You've already been contacted by Ipsos Mori via email in regards to the National Student Survey, inviting you to participate.  A briefing will follow here on the group blog next week so you don't have to swing into action just yet.  Watch this space for more details.

A reminder of the required content for your 'Proof Of Concept' presentations on Monday 30th January and Monday 6th February.  Don't treat this as a tick box exercise or last minute dash - remember the goal of this unit: it's about you and your ability to write an 8000 word dissertation with confidence!

Due to personal circumstances I won't be in the University on Wednesday 25th January. This is a change to an original date of Thursday 26th January.  Therefore Maya classes and the film screening on Thursday 26th January (for year 2) will go ahead as normal (please disregard the timetable on this day). Thanks. Alan.

Friday 27th January is your Dissertation Hand-in.  More usually, this auspicious moment in a third year's life would find me posted outside the Campus Registry office in readiness to welcome you and clap you on your backs in congratulation.  Past years have also seen me dashing after latecomers and dragging them into the office before the deadline expires!   This year, I'm away in Poland, so won't be there to ensure you've all hand-in in okay and everything is fine and dandy.  For this reason, I'm offering up these reminders in terms of your submission so no one does the wrong thing, or self-sabotages, or simply underestimates the seriousness of the deadline. Hand-in DISSERTATION FRIDAY 27th JANUARY 2017 4pm – 5pm to the Campus Registry, Ground floor Campus Registry will not accept your submission at 1 minute past 5pm.  They're not allowed and they will not do it, and it doesn't matter how much you plead or cry.  There will be nothing that

Heaven help us all... #TrumpFacts - The Trumpilation from Cub Studio on Vimeo .

Ship of Fools from Josh Shaffner on Vimeo .

So, you've been challenged to come up with a two-part premise for next week's Critical Perspectives session, as we seek to develop some killer enquiries for your proposed dissertations. Easier said than done, you might say - so much to think about, so much choice. Where to start!? You'll recall I gave you a number of starter-categories to get you thinking, the idea being you identify ideas within these categories that align with stuff you're already interested in, or which you suspect might associate with stuff you're already interested in.  You might have seen this ideation exercise appear on one of your classmate's blogs earlier today: I'm sharing it here because it's really useful and a completely practical example of how you might go about breaking the seal on this 'thinking task' - a list of words under the various categories given above that slowly begin to reveal preoccupations or emphases or natural affinities.  I'm