3D - ANIMATION- SYLLABUS
1. Timing & Spacing
We start the animation section by going through all principles of animation and timing and spacing is the most fundamental principle that a student is required to understand in order to animate properly and avoid floaty animation.
2. Squash & Stretch
Squash and stretch is another principle of animation. In reality all things visibly squash and stretch except any solid object but in animation we must exaggerate this principle, as it becomes more entertaining and interesting for the audience.
At Indian VFX School, we make sure to make our students understand how to use all principles effectively.
3. Arcs
In this lesson, students will learn that in nature everything moves in arcs and not in straight lines.
Anything robotic and mechanic would move in straight lines but when we need to show organic movements, we must make sure to keep the movements in an arc.
This will help them to make more realistic and lively animations.
4. Exaggeration
Students will learn everything about exaggeration in animation. Why and how it is used and how not to over-exaggerate the animations.
5. Slow in & Slow out
In this lesson, students will understand clearly what slow in and slow out is.
In reality nothing starts and stops instantly unless it is robotic. Therefore, we must follow this principle at all times while animating.
6. Keys, Extremes & Breakdowns
Students will be taught the clear difference between keys, extremes and breakdown poses.
This allows students to understand what kind of poses are required while animating any shot.
7. Working With Curves, Understanding The Graph Editor
In this lesson we will focus on how using curves we can easily manipulate the motion of animations.
We will understand how to animate different kinds of motions with the help of curves, instead of adding extra keyframes every time.
We will also understand the different kinds of tangent modes we have in maya and how we use them to help in animation.
8. Adding And Changing Weight In Animation
In order to create believable animations, an animator must understand the effect of weight, how different weighted characters and objects behave against gravity.
In this lesson we will continue with the ball animation and create several other versions of the ball animation including different weights and materials.
9. Using Both Keyframes And Curves In Animation
In this lesson, the students will understand how keyframes and curves are used in animation and where we should be using them, also how to use them together properly, in order to avoid jerky animations.
10. Basic Ball Animation - Using The Principles Learnt
In a cyclic ball bounce animation, we must be clear about the weight and material of the wall, as ball's material directly influences the way it bounces.
In this lesson, we learn how to manage the timing and spacing, arcs, exaggeration and squash and stretch of the ball.
This is a very good exercise to practice the principles on a base level.
11. Characterizing Inanimate Objects - Ball
Students will learn how to add life and character to inanimate objects, with this exercise, it becomes easier for students to understand and portray emotions correctly on any character.
Students will also learn how to build a small story and how to animate camera.
12. Follow Through And Overlapping Actions
Being aware of this animation principle makes our animation more believable.
At IVS we have set up good exercises in such a way that a student will definitely be able to understand how these actions work and how to use them effectively.
13. Basic Squirrel Animation - Using All Principles
In this lesson we will use a basic squirrel rig and build up our animation similar to the ball animation but this time we will use the tail and practice overlapping and follow through principle.
We'll be doing a jump animation.
14. Basic Squirrel Animation - Contd
After the jump animation we will characterize the squirrel and create a small story and animate accordingly.
This will be more complex then the ball characterization as we have to animate the tail as well.
15. Flour Sack Animation - Posing And Walk Cycle
Using a more complex character, we will create poses using different emotion and create the first walk cycle.
Students will learn how to use a body's anatomy in animation.
16. Flour Sack Animation - Jumping
Students will learn to do a jump animation that will be more complex but built on the same techniques as the ball and squirrel animations in the previous lessons.
17. Flour Sack Animation - Small Story - Complex
Students will again have to build a small story and animate the flour sack as the main character.
18. Human Character Animation - Poses With Expressions According To Emotions
A full biped character will be introduced. Students will learn how to test a rig.
How to build a pose according to a situation and how to create facial expressions.
How to exaggerate the poses and expressions.
Building a good silhouette.
19. Human Character Animation - Male Walk Cycle
Building a basic male walk cycle.
Students will also learn how to exaggerate the walk cycle.
20. Human Character Animation - Female Walk Cycle
Building a basic female walk cycle.
Students will also learn how to exaggerate the walk cycle.
22. Human Character Animation - How To Build Different Kinds Of Walk Cycle
In this lesson we will learn the techniques of building different styles of walks and how to exaggerate them enough
23. Human Character Animation - Jump Animation
Students will learn to do the jump animation, this time more complex as it is a full character.
24. Human Character Animation - Run Cycles
In this lessons students will learn how to create a basic run cycle and also how to exaggerate and turn it into a cartoon style walk cycle.
25. Human Character Animation - Weights
Students will use all the animation principles in order to make an appealing weight lifting or weight pushing shot, this exercise is really helpful in understanding how our bodies react to external forces.
26. Human Character Animation - Run, Jump & Stop
In this lesson we will go few steps ahead and make a character run, jump and stop. This is another good exercise for body mechanics practice. We will also learn how to use video reference for this shot.
27. Human Character Animation - Dance
We will learn how to animate dancing characters.
28. Human Character Animation - Lip Syncing
Students will learn lip syncing, normal and exaggerated.
In exaggerated lip syncing students will also learn how to create 2D style mouth shapes for more attractive lip animation.
29. Human Character Animation - Facial Animation
Students will continue with the previous lip syncing animation and learn facial animation using all principles in a subtle way.
Students will be taught all about the movements of facial muscles in order to help with animation.
30. Human Character Animation - Full Body Animation
In this lesson, students will learn how to use video references for doing a full body animation with dialogue. They will be taught everything about how to do the layout blocking, blocking plus and polishing. All while learning to exaggerate and push poses to make it look even better!
31. Human Character Animation - Learning How To Approach Realistic And Cartoony Animation
Students will be explained how these two types of animations differ fundamentally and how to plan and proceed with it.
32. Quadruped Character Animation - Posing And Anatomy
Students will be introduced to quadruped characters in this lesson. We will talk about the quadruped anatomy in order to make animation easier.
We will approach creating poses and adding liveliness to the characters.
33. Quadruped Character Animation - Walk Cycle
We will use a dog rig to learn how to make a clean walk cycle while making the character look appealing.
34. Quadruped Character Animation - Run Cycle
Students will again use a dog rig to learn how to make a clean run cycle while making the character look appealing.
35. Quadruped Character Animation - Realistic Animation
In this lesson, students will learn how to create a realistic quadruped animation for VFX.