QUICK COURSE OVERVIEW
FACIAL ANIMATION & PERFORMANCE
KIND EYES
Week 1
Concept & idea
Animator - Charles Icay
COURSE: FACIAL ANIMATION & PERFORMANCE
After Week 1 students will:
- Have locked down 1 idea for your shot.
- Confirm how long the shot will be, and how it looks in camera.
- Have confirmed which rig you are going to use. Please test your rig to avoid delays in the event the rig is not working
- Have decided on which reference (s) you will import into Maya for key poses
- Have drawn 5 keyposes that define your character in this shot
Course timeline
Concept & Idea - (Week 1)
41%
Layout: Creature & camera basic animation - (Week 2)
9%
Blocking: Static Keyposes - (Week 5)
5%
Spline: Clean up - (Week 11)
0%
Spline: Polish - (Week 14)
0%
Final Details - (Week 15)
0%
Week 2
Laying out of your entire shot
Animator - Charles Icay
COURSE: FACIAL ANIMATION & PERFORMANCE
After Week 2 students will:
- Have set up a Maya directory in your folder.
- Learned a correct naming convention for your Maya files. *Reminder to only save Maya scene files in iterations.
- Have your Golden key-poses.
- Have timing of key-poses in camera.
- Have your correct eyeline poses .
- Have detailed camera animation
- Working relationship of Character within the camera.
Course timeline
Concept & Idea - (Week 1)
73%
Layout: Creature & camera basic animation - (Week 2)
63%
Blocking: Static Keyposes - (Week 5)
34%
Spline: Clean up - (Week 11)
0%
Spline: Polish - (Week 14)
0%
Final Details - (Week 15)
0%
Week 5
Correct body mechanics - Animating outside the camera
Animator -Charles Icay
COURSE: FACIAL ANIMATION & PERFORMANCE
After Week 5 students will:
- Have deconstructed and created a correct hard hit for impact
- Ensure all your hits and impacts are heavy and believable.
- Have used an arc tracking tool to add believable weight on your character's centre of gravity and movements.
- Have added more in-between poses .
- Have used the Ghosting tool to help refine your breakdown of keyposes.
- You will have a firm grasp on how to use spacing and timing to create heavy hits.
Course timeline
Concept & Idea - (Week 1)
93%
Layout: Creature & camera basic animation - (Week 2)
87%
Blocking: Static Keyposes - (Week 5)
86%
Spline: Clean up - (Week 11)
0%
Spline: Polish - (Week 14)
0%
Final Details - (Week 15)
0%
Week 11
Polish your action lines, add weight into your contact points and track all your arcs.
Animator - Charles Icay
COURSE: FACIAL ANIMATION & PERFORMANCE
After Week 11 students will:
- Have polished your action lines for effective storytelling.
- Have refined your contact points and foot steps to add weight to your transitions.
- Have added in more 2D FX cards from the provided 2D library which will help you see your idea and to make it visually appealing.
- Have polished your body, chest and head overlap for weight and for realism.
- Have added more props to your environment in the foreground and background to show foreshortening and depth in the camera.
- Know how to Polish facial animation .
- Have refined your spacing, timing and arcs to add weight to your transitions.
Course timeline
Concept & Idea - (Week 1)
100%
Layout: Creature & camera basic animation - (Week 2)
100%
Blocking: Static Keyposes - (Week 5)
100%
Spline: Clean up - (Week 11)
67%
Spline: Polish - (Week 14)
0%
Final Details - (Week 15)
0%
Week 14
Continued animation polish. The fine details.
Animator - Charles Icay
COURSE: FACIAL ANIMAION & PERFORMANCE
After Week 14 students will:
- Have a learned how to export an alembic cache for other departments that require your animation.
- Learn how to refine your polishing skills and apply it to make your work look more professional.
Course timeline
Concept & Idea - (Week 1)
100%
Layout: Creature & camera basic animation - (Week 2)
100%
Blocking: Static Keyposes - (Week 5)
100%
Spline: Clean up - (Week 11)
100%
Spline: Polish - (Week 14)
100%
Final Details - (Week 15)
0%
Week 15
Final animation adjustments and preparing your shot for FX & Lighting.
Animator - Charles Icay
COURSE: FACIAL ANIMATION & PERFORMANCE
After Week 15 students will:
- You will have polished your animation shot.
- You will know how to patiently go over your own shot frame-by-frame for refined polishing.
Course timeline
Concept & Idea - (Week 1)
100%
Layout: Creature & camera basic animation - (Week 2)
100%
Blocking: Static Keyposes - (Week 5)
100%
Spline: Clean up - (Week 11)
100%
Spline: Polish - (Week 14)
100%
Final Details - (Week 15)
73%
Week 15
FX, Fur & Grooming
Animator - Charles Icay/ FX, Fur & Grooming - Sankarakumar Ravisankar
COURSE: FACIAL ANIMATION & PERFORMANCE
After Week 15 and working with FX TD's, students will:
- You will have gained invaluable simulated studio experience with with a professional FX artist..
- You will know howcommunicate with other departments outside of animation.
Course timeline
Concept & Idea - (Week 1)
100%
Layout: Creature & camera basic animation - (Week 2)
100%
Blocking: Static Keyposes - (Week 5)
100%
Spline: Clean up - (Week 11)
100%
Spline: Polish - (Week 14)
100%
Final Details - (Week 15)
100%
Week 22
Lighting & Compositing
Animator - Charles Icay/Lighting & Compositing - Sankarakumar Ravisankar
COURSE: FACIAL ANIMATION & PERFORMANCE
After Week 22 students will:
- You will have a shot with professional lighting and compositing that resembles any big budget Hollywood movie or high-end game cinematic on your demo reel to find work as a professional animator
Course timeline
Concept & Idea - (Week 1)
100%
Layout: Creature & camera basic animation - (Week 2)
100%
Blocking: Static Keyposes - (Week 5)
100%
Spline: Clean up - (Week 11)
100%
Spline: Polish - (Week 14)
100%
Final Details - (Week 15)
100%
Week 23
Video edit: Behind-the-scenes
Animator - Charles Icay /Video Edit - Eddie Chew
COURSE: FACIAL ANIMATION & PERFORMANCE
After Week 23 students will:
- Have received a stylish and personalized video edit.
- Have a video edit to be shared on all of Griffin Animation Academy social media platform.
Course timeline
Concept & Idea - (Week 1)
100%
Layout: Creature & camera basic animation - (Week 2)
100%
Blocking: Static Keyposes - (Week 5)
100%
Spline: Clean up - (Week 11)
100%
Spline: Polish - (Week 14)
100%
Final Details - (Week 15)
100%