Animation Industry Panel: Monday October 4! 10am at Morgan Auditorium

New school year!

Hello everybody!!!

The new school year started!

We need to set a time for our Animation Club meetings.

Take the poll!!

and keep your eyes open for updates on CTN and other club related FUNZIES!!

Norman Modification Workshop Notes - Part 4...

Norman Mod Workshop Tutorial
Part 4

Tips and Ticks originally taught to the AAU Animation Club by Joshua Slice in a live demonstration on campus, is now in a SUPER EASY written tutorial by Vaughan Weigert. Enjoy!

Here are the remaining notes for you to follow along with the Norman Modification workshop. Tips and Notes on What to do and How to do it... No pictures for these, but the notes should help you as you work. Happy modding!

EARS: Hide the Original Norman Ears...

Kit bash! Get the "ART" Model out of the resources folder (or another model with higher poly mesh/ better modeled parts) and steel his nose, teeth, etc.

Tip: You can cut off art's head and use his whole body mesh as a wrap.

-Take Art's head. delete all faces but ear geo.
(Save to folder and archive body parts. Diff versions of an ear, etc.)

-File export Art geo selection --> (MayaBinary file)
-import to scene. Unlock geo and center to pivot.
-place ear.
-delete hist. / freeze transformations
-hit insert key, hold "x" to snap pivot point to center axis (zero). Then duplicate the geo and scale it -1 to opposite/even side.

--Ears and nose parent to top controller.

-make sure channels unlocked or geo will shoot out!

HAIR
- Is more difficult / time consuming. Do it on your own or steel someone's haircut, like Andy, etc. ...
To create a Buzzcut--> dup head geo, delete faces that won't be hair.
-Select hair faces and extrude faces. Then shape.
-parent hair to "last" Norman Controller / ctrl "F".


EYEBROWS:
Done the same as the hair --> dup head geo
-symmetry ---> "Move Tool" channel box -->Turn "Reflection" on, while you pull fwd top vertices.
-extrude to give some depth.
-unlock channels.
-center to axis(zero)

-Then wrap Eyebrow geo to face (in this instance)

BODY PROPORTIONS: general shoulder/ torso, etc. size/scale...

Scale the head via head ctrl: Select the control, scale it using the Scale tool.

TIP: Neck + Head - scale xyz at same time. Don't try to squash it.

Use controllers to scale/ stretch...

TIP: preserve shoulder balls round shape and where they are (position) --> for wrapping evenly around that ball and it's pivot point.

Scaling arms/legs --> use stretch, not squash, in channel box.

TIP: to get legs/arms to stretch farther in one direction, set a key on the control when the stretch (scale) is at it's max. Then go into Graph editor and move the key point farther down or up in GE.

TIP: You may have to clean up extreme short legs with blendshapes, later, but that's alright. You aren't breaking the rig.

TIP: make the neck thicker/ more normal size.
-tweak neck size: depth of bottom verts to avoid neck stick out when you rotate Head back.

Do a lot of testing. Try different things.

FEET: up to you, can wrap them, or make huge feet... experiment. Feet "look" not as important, relatively.

SHOULDERS:
Select verts of top/ shoulders on Norman, Duplicate and scale/ move down --> slope you like. It's a blendshape so it will affect the original.
Do the same with chest, belly.

Go back to Norman Orig. and scale CONTROLS of chest, belly for size.

Keep going back and forth between Orig. Norman CTRLS and DUP Norman Blends/verts, until "character look" feels right to you.

WRAPS

ARMS:
You must unlock dup norman arms --> so you can scale "-1" and put both arms on one side for modifying w/ lattice.
-click/drag select both "lower arm" geos, create lattice.
-Make sure to turn off "reflection" and/or "soft select" if you notice your lattice not deforming geo as expected.
-scale lower arm shapes to your preference.
TIP: rotate in "world" for symmetry.

UPPER ARM/ SHOULDER BALLS: geo is centered to shoulder ball and MUST stay perfectly centered to rotate correctly.

You want to create same joint/shape of lower arm in upper arm/shoulder socket, so do this manually, pull/ drag the verts into this basic shape.
Looks like...O<===>o<====>o
-like the arms shapes. Then duplicate the geo. Remove it from Norman Orig. outliner heirarchy and put in WRAPS group.
-Combine arm geo. You will have gap where elbow should be.
-Use APPEND tool to select edges in gap and fill in.
-will have to add (3) edge loops where arm/elbow deforms.
-Delete history on arm geo.
-Make sure pivot point is at zero. Duplicate it and scale -1 = opposite arm.
-Arm will be wrapped to Orig. Norman geo. and will deform with orig mesh -for any modification you make after that via the DUP blendshape.

CLOTHES/ sleeves:
You can duplicate shoulder ball, but can't move it.
-hit "F" in outliner to locate new DUP. Remove it from orig. Norman Group and put into WRAP group.
- if arm/ shoulder groups are "facing" opposite directions:
sel one grp (or the other) and "reverse normals"
-shoulder area won't be deformed into upper arm, so triangles in geo = OK when creating a t-shirt sleeve out of this DUP shoulder ball.

*note: keep WRAP / BLENDSHAPE / ORIG CN seperate groups

Look at WRAP OPTIONS BOX options... try different combinations. Very Trial and error procedure to see what works best.

-delete hist on wrap
-wrap Upper Arm to Orig upper arm --> then with WRAP slected, select ORIG Norman lower Arm geo and > wrap> "add influence".
-wrap Sleeve to upper arm piece.
don't parent sleve to shoulder ctrl. doesn't work.

*JOINTS: don't "Add influence" to balls/ joints. They're fine the way they are.

HANDS:
-Rotate to check for lower arm sticking out funny...
--want to do same to arm/wrist geo as with Neck check--> pull verts in/out on Arm BLENDSHAPE geo, so they don't stick out of palm.
-->wrap on Norman Orig will be affected by the DUP (blenshape) Norman.
-Rotate hand down to check.
-SCALE hand size by scaling PALM control. (scale of ".6" usually a good size)

CHEST:
Duplicate chest from ORIG Norman geo for a WRAP.
(so WRAP has shared hierarchy = no wierdness, points will overlap)

-Extrude bottom of WRAP geo in side view, to pull out a t-shirt / shaped to body form.
- take sculpt geo tool and smooth it. REshape.

-go to Sculpt Geo brush channel box --> "Reflection" for symmetry.

-delete bottom faces (just bottom) to create hole.

--"relax" button in Sculpt Geometry tool, will move everything but ends/ bottom. (More control)
--"smooth" button (less Control)

-On chest wrap geo, may need to add/ insert loops or split edge to make a "COLLAR" bone shape on chest. Do again to create/ extrude a t-shirt collar up and out.
Spend time shaping it.

MORE ADVANCED - You can add geo/ loops, for "under arm" area on chest wrap. for better cloth deformation --> ie) creating a suit/ sleeves. Create a cylinder, fit to upper arm size, and proceed...

When satisfied:
-Delete hist. on wrap geo.
-remove wrap from old hierarchy and drag into Wrap grp.
-WRAP the "chest wrap geo" to Top 3 underlying (torso) geo. TRIAL AND ERROR! See if you need to wrap it to top three AND hips... maybe you need to for your work, maybe you don't. Depends how much hips move.


PANTS:
LEGS:
First, unlock Dup norman legs --> so you can scale -1 and put both legs on one side for modifying w/ lattice.

*Need to POSE norman first, with legs out in "jumping Jack" pose, to create pants that will deform better.
-Dup ORIG hips geo. Delete one half. pull verts out of middle toward leg on deleted hip geo side-->extrude edge, rotate /angle down and shape into pant leg.

Done with pant leg= ready to duplicate for other pant leg side and merge.

FIRST: *Zero out vertice that will need to merge at center, that are out of line/ center (zero axis):
scale them down. Then hold x to snap, use move tool to toggle verts' position and put back in place.

- Dup leg, scale -1 to flip, combine geo and merge pants geo. at center verts.
-Delete history
-Select wrap pants geo and "WRAP" to ORIG norman upper legs. Then select wrap pants geo and select ORIG norman lower legs and wrap-> "Add Influence".
-Do not wrap pants to ankle joints.

DETAILS:
Trial and Error!

TRY MAKING THESE DETAILS:

LIPS: like legs, open mouth (jaw ctrl) first, dup head geo, delete all but lips geo. Delete hist on lips Wrap geo, and add as wrap to head...

FURROWED BROW detail: create while Orig norman brows/face is posed --> dup face geo, pull out in front of face a bit, sculpt furrows, delete all but "Furrowed Brow" geo. Delete hist. Apply as wrap to Orig Norman Face geo.

Local Events: Nina Paley @ Cartoon Art Museum

Sita Sings The Blues: A Benefit Screening Hosted by Nina Paley
Cartoon Art Museum/Electronic Frontier Foundation Event at the Delancey Street Foundation Screening Room: Tuesday, July 20, 2010, 7pm-10pm
Tickets: $25 in advance, $30 at the door

Join the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and the Cartoon Art Museum for a special evening with Nina Paley for a screening of her animated feature film Sita Sings the Blues, described by creator Nina Paley as “the greatest breakup story ever told.” Paley animated and produced the film single-handedly over the course of five years on a home computer, and take filmgoers behind the scenes of this award-winning film. This benefit screening will take place at the Delancey Street Foundation Screening Room, 600 The Embarcadero, San Francisco, from 7pm to 9pm on Tuesday, July 20. Advance tickets may be purchased online for $25 at http://action.eff.org/ninapaley, or for $30 at the door the night of the screening.

And for those of you on a tight budget, a free reception for Nina Paley at the Cartoon Art Museum on Thursday, July 29, from 7-9pm.

Local Events

LOCAL EVENTS

34th SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL LGBT FILM FESTIVAL, JUNE 17-27, TO SHOW FIVE ANIMATED SHORTS PLUS “DOTTIE’S MAGIC POCKETS”

Dottie’s Magic Pockets by Tammie Stoner is a 50-minute TV show on DVD for kids 4 – 6. Stoner says, “I created Dottie’s Magic Pockets to reflect a diverse family. I wanted to put my heart around positive gay and lesbian images. There isn’t anything else like this out there.” The show features actors, hand puppets and animated segments. The shorts are The Girl Bunnies, Hockey by Françoise Doherty, Mouse's Birthday by Barry Morse, Red Revenge by Eunha Choi, Cat's Cradle by Ray Rea and Queer Pet Adventures Episode #1 by Veronique Courtois.



Friday June 18, A TRIBUTE TO THE TOURNEE OF ANIMATION AND PRESCOTT WRIGHT, THE EARLY SHOWS at the Exploratorium, 7:30 pm, free

For many years The Tournee of Animation was the major and often the only way to see wonderful independent animated shorts from around the world. Tonight we will look at original 16mm archival prints from the first three programs distributed (1968-1970) by Prescott Wright (1936 – 2007).

The highlights to be screened include work by Richard Williams, experimental computer animation by John and Michael Whitney, gems from the Zagreb Studio, Yoji Kuri from Japan, and work from the US, UK and other nations. A wide variety of content, styles and animation techniques will be included.

When Prescott died his library of Tournee prints went to the Pacific Film Archives with a duplicate set going to ASIFA. They recently gave us sets of the first three shows. After our screening the prints will go to ASIFA-LA for preservation. Due to colors fading and some of the shorts being dated we are only showing highlights. Don’t miss what may be your only chance to see these legendary films projected in 16mm, the way they were meant to be seen.

Guest Speaker, Jeep Naarkom, This Friday 8:30pm in room 140B at the 180 Building.

This Friday we have Jeep Naarkom, current AAU student and previously an animator at Electronic Arts, coming to tell us a bit about himself and about animation for games.

The lecture will start at 8:30pm. Room 140B.

We're all excited for this Friday's lecture and as usual, expect this to be a well attended event. Show up early & on time to be sure you get a seat or a good standing space.

Guest Speaker, Josh Cooley, This Friday 8:30pm in room 140B at the 180 Building.

Our guest speaker for the week will be Josh Cooley! He is a storyboard artist over at Pixar and will be talking a little bit about himself and his work. As always, it will be packed so come early for good seats! Same place, same time.

The Slovak Impact

Next Wed April 28th: "The Allure of Hayao Miyazaki" at The Cartoon Art Museum

The Allure of Hayao Miyazaki
Slide lecture with authors Frederik L. Schodt and Beth Cary
Cartoon Art Museum Event: Wednesday, April 28, 2010 7pm - 9pm
$5 suggested donation

AT THE CARTOON ART MUSEUM

If you have been thrilled by the images and touched by the heartwarming stories of Hayao Miyazaki’s animations, you may count yourself among the vast numbers of fans of this revered filmmaker. One of the greatest animators of all time, his legions of fans include the viewing audience as well as those working in the field of manga and anime, both in Japan and around the world. He is also a prolific writer and speaker whose volume of writings has been translated into English as Starting Point: 1979-1996, published by Viz Media. In an illustrated talk, Beth Cary and Frederik Schodt, the translators of this work, will explore the reasons for the appeal of Miyazaki and his films, in both Japan and the United States.
The suggested donation for this event is $5.

Frederik L. Schodt’s writings on manga, and his translations of them, have helped trigger the current popularity of Japanese comics in the English-speaking world. In 2009, the Japanese Government presented him with the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette for his work in helping to promote Japan’s popular culture in the United States. He has written widely on Japanese history, popular culture, and technology.

Beth Cary has interpreted for many Japanese artists, including Hayao Miyazaki, at their presentations in the Bay Area. As a translator she has translated Japanese fiction and nonfiction works into English. The topics of these books range from the social sciences to literary reflections. Recently she has translated several award-winning mystery stories for the Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine.

Books will be available for purchase at the event.

CO-SPONSORED BY The Japan Society of Northern California

Founded in 1905, the Japan Society of Northern California is the West Coast’s leading forum on Japan and US-Japan relations. Its mission is to strengthen cooperation and understanding between the peoples of the United States and Japan by providing programs that help to expand knowledge, increase personal interaction and facilitate discussion of important issues.

-Posted by ASIFA

Guest Speaker, Kent Brown, THIS Friday! 8:30pm in room 140B at the 180 Building.

This Friday Kent Brown will be giving a lecture on preparing a good demo reel package complete with awesome resume and cover letter. This is a process often overlooked by students which can make or break your chances on getting that dream job you've always wanted. Kent has worked in HR and knows the do's and dont's to applying for a job.

Same Place, Same Time (8:30 in room 140B at the 180 building)

ASIFA SF EVENT: April 1st GUMBY TRIBUTE at THE BALBOA

Thurs. April 1, COME OUT AND CELEBRATE APRIL FOOLS DAY WITH A GUMBY TRIBUTE AT THE BALBOA featuring The Emmy award winning feature Gumby Dharma by Tim Hittle, Robina Marchesi and Karla Gunning-Harris plus see shorts and some of the artists in-person talking about working with Art Clokey (Gumby’s creator) who died in January, 2010. Check the Balboa’s website and local movie listings for details in late March.

Gumby Dharma explores why a man would spend his 85 years on earth playing with lumps of colored clay. His world famous characters, Gumby and Pokey, and Davy and Goliath, echo the spiritual path of their creator. Art's journey takes us from the orphanage to inspiring adopted father, from the Seminary to the Hollywood movie business, and from traditional Episcopalian church values to Buddhism and Indian guru Sai Baba. It is a fascinating life and career in it's own right but also in how it gently influenced his characters and story lines for over 40 years. Clokey’s work is one of the few animation characters that have survived the test of time to become a true American Icon. Interviews with contemporary leaders in animation, including Director Henry Selick (Coraline, Nightmare Before Christmas, James and the Giant Peach) and special effects legend Ray Harryhausen (Jason and the Argonauts, Adventures of Sinbad), place Clokey’s work in perspective with the history of animation and explore stop motion’s future in a computer graphics world. THIS IS ALSO A DVD RELEASE PARTY OF “GUMBY DHARMA” Details at www.gumbydharma.com

Don’t forget April 1 is the annual St. Stupid’s Day Parade at noon.