CSE 456 - Story for Digital Animation

                         Assignment #6 – Your Final Assignment

  1. Due Date: Friday July 20th at 5pm for both physical and digital copies of your course work.
  2. Turn in: Physical and Digital copies
  3. Physical: *All on 2 DVD's and submitted to the CSE dept office in my mailbox or under my office door -- 628 Allen Bldg
  4. Digital: Email addresses to send this work to:
  5. cse456-staff@cs.washington.edu

 

  1. For your last assignment of the quarter, you will produce the best possible animatic that would really knock everyone’s socks off if it were to be produced as a 3D animated short using the Cinematic Sandbox.
  2. Use the limitations imposed on you in Assignment #5 A and B
  3. Visualize your story and work to tighten the steps and connect the armature, visualize the characters, setting and actions. Bring the characters alive using acting techniques suggested to you in class. Iterate all of the aspects of your thumbnails and animatic reel as best you can.
  4. Add voiceover on one copy of the reel and leave the other one without a voiceover. Add foley (optional) and audio to both of the copies. Plan to meet your deadlines but leave time for improvement.
  5. Remember to communicate and coordinate your schedules with your story group and to work with your colleagues and your friends to get as much constructive feedback as you can.
  6. You will complete the final thumbnails and also have the option of creating some storyboards for your in class review. Add audio early on. Edit your work and have it reviewed before moving too far ahead.
  7. Anyone can practice your voiceover and anyone can do the voiceover.  One will need to be recorded and added onto the last version of the reel before you turn it in.
  8. The final package for your reel including all of your work will need to be sent to the staff email address by Friday July 20thth 2012 at 5 pm and your physical notebook with accompanying DVD’s need to be left in my mailbox in the Allen Center or, if it fits, under my office door which is room 628 in Allen by the same time ( 5 pm) Plan to provide 2 copies of the reel on a DVD for BOTH the voiceover and non-voiceover versions for your notebook turn in.
  9. Please provide visual support that includes character drawings as it helps to bring us into your story world.  Use the sample provided as reference.

Again, here are your story limitations:

  1. Limited to three characters.
  2. Can be produced and understood in less than 4 minutes and preferably 3 ½.
  3. Story takes place in one setting and that setting is indoors.
  4. Define your characters by assigning three adjectives to describe them.
  5. Define a specific time and place for your story.
  6. Provide a visual representation of the story that supports your seven steps in a way that best dramatizes your story.
  7. Remember for your pitches to show excitement for the story. Fall in love with the story.
  8. Remember why it is important that this story be told and present that to the audience.
  9. Do whatever you need to in order to bring the audience into the story experience.
  10. Be the characters. Act it out 
  11. Use your checklist to help you evaluate and improve your story and support material for it.
  12. Practice ahead of time.  Practice more than you think you need to.
  13. Work with the colleagues in your class to help improve your story.
  14. Design a story best told using 3D animation and use the strengths of animation as part of your story.
  15. Be Creative

 

Also, while developing your work please answer the following questions about your stories:

  1. 1. Is your story as clear and succinct as you can make it?
  2. 2. Do you have a visual style in mind for your story and if so, can you describe it or provide visual reference?
  3. 3. Why should this story be told? Why would anyone care?
  4. 4. Have you captured the visual transitions in your story? Have you captured and illustrated all of the major story beats using faux animation or other compositional elements?
  5. 5. Why must this story be told BEST as an animated film? Why would it not communicate as well using live action?
  6. Remember to use your final list as reference when competing your Production Notebook/Story Bible.

 

Questions to address for your story:

  1. 1. Is your story as clear and succinct as you can make it?
  2. 2. Do you have a visual style in mind for your story and if so, can you describe it or provide visual reference?
  3. 3. Why should this story be told? Why would anyone care?
  4. 4. Have you captured the visual transitions in your story? Have you captured and illustrated the story beats?

 

Here’s your Checklist for Final Turn-In CSE456

  1. Student Name
  2. Table of contents
  3. Copies of all previous assignments (1-5)
  4. Individual critique analysis feedback form for all Assignments
  5. Title
  6. Final Armature
  7. Final 7 steps
  8. Final Sequence and Shot list
  9. Final Beat sheet
  10. Final Character adjective description
  11. Final Character model design sheets
  12. Final Family Tree
  13. Final Visual Reference Reel
  14. Date time and place
  15. Final Site Plan
  16. Names of characters and description of their back story
  17. Any Storyboards in Color
  18. All Lab Exercises
  19. Personal Hell excersise
  20. Final Thumbnails
  21. *2 copies of the Animatic  -- one with voiceover and one without

 

Note: Make sure that the files you turn in run properly.
Again, be sure to test ALL of your files before submitting them as we will not make      efforts to find you if they don’t run.