Character Animation for Maya Bundle
Included in this Bundle:
Character Animation: Fundamentals
Character Animation: Mechanics & Emotion
Character Animation: Acting & Lip Sync
Enjoy a substantial savings when purchasing this bundle!
Formats: (Mac or PC only)
DVD-ROM
Instructor BIO:
Character Animator
Dreamworks
Chris Kirshbaum is an alumnus of CalArts Character Animation, and has a BA in fine arts (drawing) from Arizona State University. He is currently a Character Animator at Dreamworks. Chris's film credits as a character animator include Shark Tale, Flushed Away, Over the Hedge, Kung Fu Panda and Monsters vs. Aliens. In addition to teaching in the Dreamworks internal artistic development and training programs, he currently teaches character animation at the Gnomon School of Visual Effects. When not ensconced in the world of animation, Chris can usually be found either on a football field or behind a drum kit.
“Chris is very fluent in the art of animation. Whether it is animating very subtle emotions or commandeering an extremely complex scene with multiple characters performing Kung Fu moves, Chris has the talent, patience and perseverance, assuring every scene he animates is of the utmost quality. In addition to his skill set, Chris has the remarkable ability of presenting his knowledge and experience to many others in a clear, concise and constructive forum. He "Can do" and "Can teach". Any student would greatly benefit from the tutelage of Mr. Kirshbaum. ”
- Dan Wagner
Head of Character Animation,
Kung Fu Panda
Character Animation: Fundamentals
This is Chris's first lecture in a series on character animation using Maya. In this lecture Chris introduces the basics of feature film style character animation. Starting with the bouncing ball and then moving on to using a character rig, Chris gives you a guided tour of the inner workings of Maya, covering the interface and how to develop good workflow habits. He discusses the basics of acting and emotion and demonstrates how to setup the always challenging walk cycle, from blocking in and smoothing out the animation to refining it by adding attitude and feeling.
Product Code:CKI01
Duration: 170 minutes
Topics Covered:
- Maya Animation Interface
- Timing and Spacing
- Bouncing Ball
- Preferences
- Blocking in the Walk Cycle
- Smoothing the Walk Cycle
- Problem Solving
- Adding Drag
- Opposing Action
- Adding Attitude
- Refining the Animation
Chapters:
1. Maya Interface / Tangents and Curve Types
2. Bouncing the Ball / Squash and Stretch
3. Refining the Bouncing Ball
4. Blocking the Walk Cycle
5. Breakdowns / Smoothing the Curves
6. Finaling the Walk Cycle
7. Adding Feel / Adding Drag / Opposing Action
8. Adding Attitude / Unpinning
9. Final Touches
Character Animation: Mechanics & Emotion
This is Chris's second lecture in a series on character animation using Maya. Using the same character rig as in Character Animation: Fundamentals, Chris leads you down the twin paths of successful character animation: mechanics and emotion. Conjoining believable motion with believable acting is the holy grail of animation, and this duality is demonstrated by animating the bouncing man. Chris covers appealing poses, believable weight distribution, activation of limbs, use of gesture to demonstrate attitude, the aura of the character and effective utilization of the stage.
Product Code: CKI02
Duration: 164 minutes
Topics Covered:
- Posing for a More Involved Shot
- Shot Cam
- Line of Action
- Fk/ik Switching
- The Mechanics of Human Motion
- Using Reference
- Variation of Timing
- Breaking Down the Scene
- Finessing the Details
Chapters:
1. Posing for a More Involved Shot
2. Contrast in Posing / fk/ik Switching
3. The Mechanics of Jumping
4. Breaking Down the Scene
5. Finaling the Shot
Character Animation: Acting & Lip Sync
This is Chris's third lecture in a series on character animation using Maya. In this lecture, Chris delves ever deeper into the world of acting and its most important aspect: the character's internal thought process. Chris covers the fundamental principles of lip sync and dialogue, from keying the audio track and breaking it down to phrasing and inflection. Building on earlier themes, including dynamic posing, contrast of shape and emotion, line of action and use of negative space, Chris shows you the step-by-step process of bringing a scene to the level of full 3D theatrical animation.
Over 2 1/2 hours of lecture.
Product Code: CST02
Topics Covered:
- Importing Sound
- Character Thought Process
- Body Language vs. Lip Sync
- Breaking Down the Track
- Eye Direction
- Phrasing
- Rising Inflection
- Plussing
Chapters:
1. Importing Sound / Character Thought Process
2. Body Language vs. Lip Sync
3. Breaking it Down
4. Lip Sync Proper / Eye Direction / Phrasing
5. Applying Finaling Concepts to the Lip Sync
6. Rising Inflection / Plussing
7. The Final Details
DVD-ROM Requirements:
- 1GHz or faster processor
- 512 MB RAM
- 64 MB Video RAM
- DVD-ROM Drive
- 5 GB of hard disk space
- 1280 x 1024 display
DVD-ROM and Digital Download Requirements:
Minimum Operating System:
- Microsoft® Windows® Vista®
- Microsoft® Windows® XP Professional
- Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional
- Apple® Mac® OS X 10.2
Software:
- QuickTime Movie Player (Version 7.0 or higher)
- Acrobat Reader (Version 5.0 or higher)
