Animation Production
Arts Col 753, 5 credits
MW 3:00-4:48		  

Professor Alan Price
aprice@accad.osu.edu
office hours: MW 10:00-12:30 by appointment

Course Description:
Advanced studies in the production of three-dimensional computer animation. A studio course in which students execute a single collaborateive animation project, including modeling animation lighitng, rendering and composting of computer-generated imagery. Production duties will be divided among class members and will contribute to the creation of the collaborative animation.
Prerequisites: Graduate Student Standing and Evidence of advanced Alias|Wavefront Maya® experience.

Course Objectives and/or Student Learning Outcomes:
Students will gain experience working in a collaborative production environment. This process will provide opportunity to discover new interests within the full range of the production pipeline for an animated work. In addition, students will be able to apply his or her own area of expertise to the project, with the objective of advancing skill level in the area and to meet new creative challenges. A completed animation will be produced by the team within the 10-week quarter. Scheduling, organization, and meeting deadlines will be a critical part of the process.

Course Methodology:
The course will consist of collaborative discussion and critique, workshop-style presentations and work-in-progress reviews, with time given to individual and group work during class hours. Students are expected to seek and apply their own unique creative voice in designing solutions for the tasks presented.

Students are expected to be participating and working in each and every class. Students must demonstrate satisfactory achievement of course objectives through fulfillment of course projects and by contributing to class discussions and critiques. Course projects will require students to use a wide variety of software and equipment at ACCAD to produce scripts, objects, images, and/or web pages. Collaboration between students in the course and other faculty, staff and students at ACCAD is encouraged.

All assignments in the course are expected to be the students’ individual work and any external assistance or resources that are used must be documented and presented with completed projects. Direct use of tutorial or other example materials in whole or in part will not be accepted without prior written approval of the instructor.

Grading Policy:
All students are required to be on time and in attendance for each and every class. Two absences will lower a final grade by 1/2 a letter, three absences will lower a final grade by one letter and four absences will result in failure of the course.

Adherence to deadlines is expected. It is the individual student's responsibility to keep track of deadlines and to present the work to the class and instructor on the specified dates. Revision is part of the process in preparing work for the final due date, not after. Make use of production time in class to receive feedback on work in progress from the instructor and classmates. Work presented late will be marked down one grade letter for each class meeting missed.

Students choosing to use "at home" hardware and software must have their current working files on the system and available for review at the beginning of each and every class. Problems with home systems and/or incompatibility will not be an acceptable excuse for missed goals. Technical problems will happen frequently during the semester and students will have trouble accessing the computer lab during "prime time" hours. Students must make their own arrangements for overcoming these difficulties and submitting their work on time. Unless there is a complete system failure in a computer-related course, technical difficulties are never an acceptable excuse for not meeting a deadline. Students should plan their time and work so as to anticipate the technical hurdles that are a part of this profession.


Evaluation:
Each student will be graded based upon participation in the team project and the quality and timely completion of assigned tasks. Additional evaluation will be based upon web logs maintained by each student and written self-evaluations as a requirement of the course. A mid-term grade will be provided as an indication of progress in the course. The final course grade will be the only letter grade to follow. Students are welcome to inquire about their current status in the course at any time.
Team participation: 30%
Completion of tasks, creative and quality: 35%
Individual web log: 20%
Self-evaluations: 15%


Statement of Academic Misconduct: In accordance with Faculty Rule 3335-5-487, all instances of alleged academic misconduct will be reported to the department chairperson and the Committee on Academic Misconduct (The University’s rules on academic misconduct can be found at http://oaa.osu.edu/coam/home.html). Academic misconduct is grounds for failing the course and may be grounds for further sanctions. Academic misconduct includes, but is not limited to, giving or receiving information during an exam and submitting plagiarized work for academic requirements. The University provides guidelines for research on the web at http://gateway.lib.ohio-state.edu/tutor/.

Students with Special Needs/Disabilities: If you need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability, you should contact us to arrange an appointment as soon as possible. At the appointment, we can discuss the course format, anticipate your needs, and explore potential accommodations. We rely on the Office of Disability Services for assistance in verifying the need for accommodations and developing accommodations strategies. If you have not previously contacted the Office of Disability Services, we encourage you to do so by calling 292-3307.