CAWD

Class hours: 9:40am – 2:05pm
Mr. Cronin
Mr. Herr

Notes

• Is this supposed to happen?
• Review Quiz tomorrow covering weeks 6, 8 and 9.
• Keith B. you have a meeting in SS after school right at 2:05 with Mr. Lance.

9:40 Attendance and Article

9:45 Some selected projects from last nights grading:

9:45 Week 10 & Week 11 Cinematic Cut Scene Assignment:  Akira.

Starting today you are going to work on a Cinematic Cut Scene for a new video game in production based around the classic Japaneese Animation:  Akira.  This project will take the majority of our time from now until next Friday.  The goal is a beautiful piece of digital art which will not only practice CAWD content, but impress colleges, employers, and other designers. 

Akira

Akira (アキラ^?) is a 1988 Japanese animated cyberpunk science fiction film directed by Katsuhiro Otomo, written by Otomo and Izo Hashimoto, and starring the voices of Mitsuo Iwata, Nozomu Sasaki, Mami Koyama and Taro Ishida. The screenplay is based on Otomo’s manga Akira.

The film depicts a dystopian Neo-Tokyo in 2019. The plot focuses on biker Tetsuo Shima (Nozomu Sasaki) and his psychic powers and the biker gang member Shotaro Kaneda (Mitsuo Iwata), who tries to prevent Tetsuo from releasing the dangerous psychic Akira. While most of the character designs and basic settings were adapted from the original 2182-page manga epic, the restructured plot of the movie differs considerably from the print version, pruning much of the last half of the manga. The film became a hugely popular cult film and is widely considered to be a landmark in Japanese animation and filmmaking in general. (Wikepedia)

Cinematic Cut Scene

A cutscene is a sequence in a video game over which the player has no or only limited control, breaking up the gameplay and used to advance the plot, strengthen the main character’s development, introduces enemy characters, and provide background information, atmosphere, dialogue, and clues.  Cutscenes are sometimes also referred to by other terms such as cinematics or in-game movies.

You will be creating a cut scene which will introduce the viewer to a back ally bar in Neo Tokyo at night for a certain section of the game.  You will use the Mental Ray render and textures, along with Net Render, to create as realistic an image as possible.  The animation you are going to create is going to set the stage of what comes next in the gameplay / story.

To gauge our direction in terms of art, we are going to look at a clip of the movie as well as a still image from Akira:

What are some descriptive ways describe the visual style?

Here are some real life images that help to get you thinking of the scene for your animation:

Here is some concept art that I created to help give you an idea of the direction I would go if given this task:

Here is a rough example I created that shows off the basic  angle / speed you should be going for.

How grading for this project will work:

All Akira Cut Scene Project components go into Week 11 folder as this is the week it will be due.

Part 1:  Digital Design Wall

Part 1 of this project grade is going to be a digital design wall.  Design walls are often found in industry when working on a creative project.  Often designers will plaster entire walls / bulletin boards of a workspace with images that get the designers immersed in the theme / the concept of the project:  Some real world examples:

You are going to create a folder called “akiraDesignWall”.  Inside of this folder place 20 images you find that make you think of a Tokyo based back-ally.  File names and sizes I don’t care about.  I do care that you get at least 20, and that they speak to the ideas of:

• Japan
• Ally
• Dark / Dingy / Not family friendly

20 images -> quality determines grade (assuming you get all 20).

Due today at lunch.  

Part 2:  Concept Art

Using art supplies, sketch out what your ally scene will look like.  This will be similar to what I drew for concept art.  For this assignment use only imagery, no words. This will be your Week 10 drawing content -> don’t rush!

Due tomorrow at break. 

Part 3:  Sound Design

What types of sounds could go into a Neo-Tokyo animation?  Create a folder called “akiraSounds” and find 10 sounds to use in your project.  File names I don’t care about.  Your project will be the layering of different sounds together to make your movie.

Due tomorrow at lunch. 

Part 4:  Texture Design

You will need to find / create a minimum of 10 texture to use in your scene.  These can range from bricks, dumpsters, Japanese signs, windows, etc.  This is above and beyond the default textures on your computer. 

Create a folder called “akiraTextures” and upload a minimum of 10 good .jpgs to this folder.

Due Tuesday 11/15 by EOD.

Part 5:  Dailies Presentation

Work in progress are refereed to as “dailies”.  Everyone will present what they have created so far at 9:40, monitors off.  This will let you get some feedback from your fellow designers.

As this will be the day  before the project is due, you should be able to show at a minimum a roughed out structure with static mesh’s placed in the scene.  You give me the minimum, a single image, you will be eligible for a C.  You show off more objects / renders your grade increases.  You can’t present, your grade is appropriate.  ಠ_ಠ

Thursday 10/17 @ 9:40.

Part 6:  CG Production & Animation

This will be the lion-share of the time / grade for this project.  You are going to get mornings and afternoons to create as realistic scene as possible.  Over the next week you will get short lessons in light emitting textures, mental ray materials, and other techniques which may help your project.

Technical Requirements:

• 10 seconds minimum slow pan, an establishing shot
• Sound included
• Objects modeled / textured / lit to set scene
• call “akira.mp4″

 Will be with other Week 11 work, the Tuesday after Thanksgiving vacation.

10:45 Break (15 Minutes)

11:00 Week Long Cinematic Assignment Akira

Part 1 due today, I will be grading this after lunch.

12:00 Lunch (25 Minutes)

12:25 Attendance and Article

12:25 Quiet Production Time

12:50 Afternoon Max Exercise:  Siege Weapon Completion

This afternoon you are going to use to complete your Siege Weapon Project.  Factors for grading will be:

• Modeling
• Texturing
• Presentational Rendering using circle as motion controller for camera.  In addition to the camera revolution, animate the circle doing a vertical drop around your Siege Weapon.

Minimum of 300 frames and you must use the Net Render.  If you have questions please ask, once you learn how to use it it will be your new bff.

Check back to the Tuesday dayplan for specifics.

2:05 Dismissal