Project #6: Signature Shot

Grading:

• 60% Final product including your contribution
• 30% Weekly group presentations/meeting deadlines
• 10% Weekly written email critique

Sub deadlines:

• Week 1 - Feb 14 to Feb 21
• Week 2 - Feb 21 to Feb 28
• Week 3 - Feb 28 to Mar 7
• Week 4 - Mar 7 to Mar 13

The goal of this project is for the class to work together to create from beginning to end and complete a "signature shot" from your film. The signature shot will serve as the "look and feel" as well as conceptual and inspirational vision for the film. The process will allow the production teams to start to work through the technical and aesthetic challenges and testing period before moving into full production mode and the rigorous pace in the Spring Capstone.

You will be assigned to and working in one of 5 groups: Modeling, Shading, Lighting, Effects, and Animation.

It is CRITICAL that deadlines be met so please memorize these dates now and manage your time wisely. Each person's work depends completely on other folks meeting their deadlines. Their success is dependent on yours and the whole class is only as successful as the weakest link. So, don’t be that weak link and please be sure to complete your tasks and manage your time appropriately. Plan to work when a staff person is around so that you can ask for help if you need it. The staff understands the pressure you are under to get the work done and they will make every effort to assist you. Write the staff alias if you need support for clarifications on assignments or tasks. Write cardkey@cs for access issues or support@cs for software or hardware failures.

There will be weekly presentations, during which time you will be graded, as well as a weekly written critique analysis that each student will need to send to the staff alias. We will read these to determine how everyone is doing. Without a complete report, there’s very little way that we can all stay in the loop. In the email critique you will need to explain what work you (as an individual) did for the week, and voice any comments or concerns about your group or its progress. Please use the Critique Analysis format you’ve been using all year and be sure to include the collaborative issues or concerns you might have.

All of you will have two weeks to work on issues related specifically to the area you’ve been assigned to with regard to this specific shot. At the end of two weeks, you will collect the best work from the other groups and complete to the best of your ability, with the input of the staff and instructors, the signature shot. The shot must be rendered before it is submitted for final review. You will have iterations ready for review before the final work is submitted. The animatic for your shot will be provided by students in the cse499 seminar. The final review will be on March 13th at 10:30 AM.

Modeling Team:

You are responsible for modeling the characters and the set. The boy and the portion of the set visible in the shot must be completely finished. You also need to provide at least two animal models to pass along to the animation team.

Deadlines:

• Week 1 - Boy, bow, and arrow models complete
• Week 2 - Shot portion of set complete, at least two animals modeled
• Week 3 - Continue modeling the rest of the set

Shading Team:

You will be working with the Lighting and Effects team to come up with at least two different options/looks for textures that work well with the painterly look.

Deadlines:

• Week 1 - Color palette options. Initial shading tests.
• Week 2 - Two shaded versions for the signature shot (including set, boy, animals)
• Week 3 - Refine the chosen approach. Continue shading the rest of set.

Lighting Team:

You will be working with the Shading and Effects team to come up with at least two different options for lighting that work well with the painterly look.

Deadlines:

• Week 1 - Initial lighting tests.
• Week 2 - Two lighted versions of the signature shot.
• Week 3 - Refine the chosen approach.

Effects Team:

You will be working with the Lighting and Shading teams to present a painterly effect on the signature shot. You will also be responsible for final renders and composites.

Deadlines:

• Week 1 - Initial tests.
• Week 2 - Rendered versions of signature shot with different lighting and shading options.
• Week 3 - Refine chosen approach.

Animation Team:

You are responsible for animating all characters (boy, animals) and any animation needed for set items (bow, arrow, etc).

Deadlines:

• Week 1 - Planning sheets, video reference of at least two different acting approaches
• Week 1.5 - Blocking for boy/bow/arrow for both versions
• Week 2 - Refined motion for boy/bow/arrow
• Week 3 - Polish motion for chosen acting approach.

Rig and animate animals for the shot. Add any additional motion to set items.