Final Project Parameters:

Hi Everyone,

Sorry I couldn't make it today. I will update this blog post with more information as soon as I can. Review the three blog posts: Final Project Parameters, List of Job Titles, Notes on the Collaborative Art Process. Start getting everyone's contact information as well! The start of this project officially will be Monday.  It will go quickly!  You can use some time this weekend to brainstorm ideas to bring to the table for Monday!
~Shaw
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FINAL PROJECT - we will watch your film on the last official day of class, April 30th!
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Using the skills you have gained during the semester, learn the amazing art of collaborative film making by producing a group film together!  The film you produce is YOUR CHOICE.  However, the runtime must be at least 6 seconds x the number of students working together. (Each student animates at least 6 seconds.)  If all of the students are working together I will be expecting a film of at least 48 seconds by semester's end!

While I have provided a lot of information to help you get started, we can summarize this final project in three steps:
1. Come up with a cool idea.
2. Agree on said idea.
3. Enjoy making mistakes, ask lots of questions, and try out some new techniques!
4. Work together to make this idea a reality!


This is a chance to multiply the amount of experience you have gained this semester! Typically, when working together in groups, you gain experience by your successes and failures as well as the successes and failures of your group mates! And since overcoming challenges is part of the process of film making, this is the ultimate opportunity to try something new and creative!

Realistically, the most intensive part of this project will be the animation production. As a word of advice, come up with an idea that can be drawn by everyone in class, and an idea you can realistically make and complete within the time limit. Part of your grade will be project management!

Here is an outline of the process you should follow when producing this film!

Preproduction:  
Brainstorm ideas!  Leave no stone unturned in the beginning, then take the best of your ideas and decide on a final idea. This can be a single idea mentioned by someone, or the sum of a lot of good ideas mentioned by many.

Storyboarding:
Storyboard this film! Come up with a few different ideas of how this film could be executed. Having a couple storyboard drafts can allow you to take the best of both worlds and refine it! Come together to make an animatic. Once the animatic is agreed upon, build six second scenes in Storyboard Pro. Divide up the animation, and guide each other in producing quality art! Use premiere to make a composite of your final animation!

Animation Production: 
After making the animatic, and separating the work into scenes, choose scenes you want to work on and begin animating your film! Periodically, show other students what you're currently working on. Provide helpful advice!  To keep you motivated, I will place some "making of" animation videos on the server to show you what is possible when people work together!  To help you with the journey of collaborative animation, I have a blog post called "Notes on the Collaborative Art Process" every student should read!

Audio Production:
Audio Production will be required for this project! We will go back into the sound studio to record and process sound for your movie! Everyone will learn how to use Garage Band and Logic Pro!  For now, plan what sound effects you would like to have. We will record, edit, and piece together our audio as a team!

Visual Effects:
If there are any special effects (like glows, camera shakes, etc...) we will plan for them and schedule a time before the semester is over to implement them. I will guide you and help you create whatever look or feel you need!


ADDITIONAL NOTES:

Dividing up work:  During animation production, each student will produce 6 seconds of your animated film. During development, Storyboard ideas should be developed in groups of 2-4.  Designs should be agreed upon by the class, and a design document should be built to keep objects and characters on model as much as possible.

During a collaborative project, there is a term called "Lead (pronounced leed)." Each person comes to the project with a specialty. It is okay and advised to pick a part of the film to specialize in.  Everyone has a strength they can bring to the table, as well as a weakness to develop.  Be open to playing towards your strengths, and using this project as a chance to work on your weaknesses!

Example: "Person A is a great environment artist, but wants to get better at character design. Person B is the opposite. Person C has an amazing sense of color theory. Maybe Person B serves as the lead character designer that helps nail down a final look for the film that everyone can draw and replicate.  Person A serves as the lead environment artist making compelling stages for the action to take place. Person C serves as the color stylist, making sure light, shadow, and color design works wonderfully. During the project, they ask questions and provide samples of the other jobs to learn a bit about making better art.  Person A contributes clothing ideas to the characters. Person B contributes prop and object ideas to stick in the environment. Person C offers a little of both, and gives ideas about lighting and shadows."

As stated before, read the following post, Notes on the Collaborative Process before you get started!
Review the "List of Animation Studio Positions to see where you fit in the process!"


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This should be enough to get started.  I will provide grading paramaters and additional help when I return. There will be some inspirational "making of" videos added to the references folder on the server. The first two should be a video about the making of Netflix's Little Witch Academia, and a tech and technique video on the making of Ankama Studios' Wakfu. These are to help you see different methods of animation production. I will add more in time.  Good luck, my students! =D