Required Hardware

• Operating system: Windows 7 (SP1+) and Windows 10, 64-bit versions only, Sierra 10.12.6+
• Hardware: CPU 64-bit Intel or AMD multi-core processor with SSE4.2 instruction set
• RAM: 8 GB of RAM (16 GB or more recommended)
• Disk Space: 4 GB of free disk space for install
• Pointing Device: Three-button mouse

Required Software

• 3D Animation: Maya 2020
• Editing: Adobe Premiere or an equivalent (such as DaVinci Resolve 16, iMovie, Hitfilm Express)
• Photo Creation: Adobe Photoshop or an equivalent (such as Krita, Procreate on iPad)
• 490J Only: Unity (version to be determined by instructor)

Summer 2021 (Optional, No Portfolio Submission required)

CSE 456 - Story Design for Computer Animation
Credits: 4
Summer Quarter B Term
Prerequisite: None
Website: http://www.cs.washington.edu/cse456

Introduces the basics of story development and design as they relate to animation production. An analysis of award winning animated shorts and a review of the CG production pipeline will be covered in this class. A large part of the course will focus on the design, development, and production of 2D and 3D animatics, which are essential tools used in the pre-production of animated features and shorts.

CSE 464 - Facial Expressions for Animated Characters
Credits: 1-5
Summer Quarter A Term
Prerequisite: None
Website: http://www.cs.washington.edu/cse464

Students will be introduced to the individual muscles of facial expression, and then shown how to combine those individual muscle movements to create the 6 cardinal facial expressions of joy, anger, sadness, fear, surprise, and disgust. In addition to drawing demonstrations, students will pose the various movements on their own face using a hand mirror, and then render the poses and expressions in digital 3D. All of the facial expression renders will be reviewed in class, allowing students to correct them as necessary.

CSE 490j - Character Design and World Building for Real-Time Cinematics
Credits A-Term: 5
Credits B-Term: 5
Summer Quarter A and B Term
Prerequisite: None
Website: http://www.cs.washington.edu/cse490j

In this 9 week class students will learn to create their own animated character and world for a cinematic in real-time 3d in Unity, with art content creation in Maya. Classes alternate between a character and a world building focus, with assignments that are designed to complement each other in skill progression. Covered are the fundamentals of real-time cinematic production including character creation, world building, look development and animation. Students get hands-on experience working with real world industry tools and production pipelines. No prior experience required and all aspects of cinematic production are covered in the class.

Fall 2021

This course is an introduction to the principles of computer generated animation. It explores the various parts of the animation production pipeline, involving exercises that teach the basics of modeling, shading, texturing, lighting, rigging, and animation using commercially-available 3D packages. These exercises culminate in a final project in which students divide into teams and focus on developing aspects of the film to be produced in Winter Quarter. This is an interdisciplinary course which is open to students from varying backgrounds such as Art, CSE, Drama, and Music. Interested students must submit an application for review before acceptance into the course.

Winter 2022

Apply the knowledge gained from CSE 458 to produce an animated short film. Students will go through an animation industry standard production pipeline that involves modeling, shading, lighting, animating, rendering, and post-production.

Spring 2022

Digital animation courses offered that focus individually on several topics. Examples include character animation, facial expressions, visual effects, pre-production, and post-production. Courses offered previously on these topics can be found under the following course numbers: 490dc, 490ve, 490tf, 490af, 490me, and 490j.

Summer Classes (Optional, No Portfolio Submission required)

CSE 456 - Story Design for Computer Animation
Credits: 4
Summer Quarter A-Term
Prerequisite: None
Website: http://www.cs.washington.edu/cse456

Introduces the basics of story development and design as they relate to animation production. An analysis of award winning animated shorts and a review of the CG production pipeline will be covered in this class. A large part of the course will focus on the design, development, and production of 2D and 3D animatics, which are essential tools used in the pre-production of animated features and shorts. This course is not taught on a regular basis, so please check current academic course listings.

CSE 464a - Mastering Facial Expressions in CG
Credits: 1-5
Summer Quarter A Term
Prerequisite: None
Website: http://www.cs.washington.edu/cse464

This 10-session summer class trains students in the basics of facial expression. During the course students will learn how to create expressions using 3D modeled face rigs.

CSE 490j - Special Topics in CSE(Character Design for Computer Animation)
Credits: 1-5
Summer Quarter B Term
Prerequisite: None
Website: http://www.cs.washington.edu/cse490j

Introduces the basics of character development and design as they relate to animation production. Students design, build, test, rig, and animate their own 3D character. This course is not taught on a regular basis, so please check current academic course listings.

This course is an introduction to the principles of computer generated animation. It explores the various parts of the animation production pipeline, involving exercises that teach the basics of modeling, shading, texturing, lighting, rigging, and animation using commercially-available 3D packages. These exercises culminate in a final project in which students divide into teams and focus on developing aspects of the film to be produced in Winter Quarter. This is an interdisciplinary course which is open to students from varying backgrounds such as Art, CSE, Drama, and Music. Interested students must submit an application for review before acceptance into the course.

Students are given simple 3D character rigs and learn to animate them through motion exercises starting with basic actions like jumps, walks, and sits, followed by acting exercises including lip sync and facial expression. Students will complete weekly tutorials followed with exercises of their own design. The final project in the course will consist of the design and execution for motion related to several "signature" shots for the capstone film and start with the planning drawings and reference video to the completion of the shots including completed renders.

Apply the knowledge gained from CSE 458 to produce an animated short film. Students will go through an animation industry standard production pipeline that involves modeling, shading, lighting, animating, rendering, and post-production.

Syllabus

An interdisciplinary group of students are chosen to enroll in this class. Students can apply from any school or major. The students in the course will create a film to be experienced in AR or VR. Groups of students will collaborate during both the design and execution phase of the project.

This course allows for the experimentation and investigation of stories using production tools that support the technical and aesthetic pipeline for AR/VR film production. AR/VR tools will be used in the development, design, production, and the completed experience of the story. Students will be provided with the equipment needed to work with this technology and be encouraged to experiment during all phases of the pipeline. When the course is completed, student groups will be expected to show a working version of their projects.

Digital animation courses offered that focus individually on several topics. Examples include character animation, facial expressions, visual effects, pre-production, and post-production. Courses offered previously on these topics can be found under the following course numbers: 490dc, 490ve, 490tf, 490af, 490me, and 490j.

Introduces basic foundations of animation research in science and technology. Builds research skills by reading and evaluating papers along with designing and implementing related research projects.