Syllabus

The Art Institute of California – San Francisco
Course Syllabus

Course Number: CA590
Course Title: Master Thesis I

Class Meetings: Wednesday 1- 5 pm
Session/Year: Summer 2010
Instructor Name: Edward Gutierrez
Email Address: egutierrez@aii.edu
Phone:
Instructor Availability Outside of Class: By appointment only

Master Thesis I

Course Description:
Initiation of the production of the thesis project involving a full faculty review and successful graduate committee review of defined landmarks for satisfactory completion. A formal written proposal is required, involving research, writing of the script, production planning, and technical problem- solving.

Course Length: 11 Weeks
Contact Hours: 165 Hours
Lecture: 33 Hours
Lab: 132 Hours
Credit Values: 9 Credits

Course Goals : Master Thesis I and Master Thesis II combined are the summation of graduate studies in computer animation. This course focuses on the first phase of thesis project building-modeling and basic animation. Students will incorporate their learning in relative aspects of Maya (or like software) toward accomplishment of a major animation work based on the planning paper developed from Research course.
The class will provide technical guidance and solutions to direct and help students to solve technical problems they encounter during their thesis project development.

Course Competencies:
Upon successful completion of this course, the student should be able to:
Develop a concept for an original animation thesis project.
Produce an original animation thesis project.
Describe the project in a written form.

Course Prerequisite(s): CA575 Master’s Class Research Seminar

Text(s):
Required Text: None
Suggested text : Inside Maya 5 by Max Sims, Mark Adams & Eric Miller. ISBN 0735712530

Materials and Supplies: Storage medium, Notebook, sketch book drawing supplies

Estimated Homework Hours: 4 Hours

Technology Needed:
Hardware: PC Linux / Windows , (Mac as applicable) , microphone, DV video camera
Software: Final Cut Pro, Maya or Other 3D Software as needed , After Effects, Shake , Renderer (Mental Ray / Renderman Mtor & Slim), Photoshop / Gimp. Vegas (X) ,. Additional tools as needed.

Grading Scale:
All assignments must have clear criteria and objectives to meet. All students shall be treated equitably. It will be that student’s right to know his/her grade at any reasonable point that information is requested by that student. The criteria for determining a student’s grade shall be as follows (on a percentage of total points):

A 100-93
A- 92-90
B+ 89-87
B 86-83
B- 82-80
C+ 79-77
C 76-73
C- 72-70
D+ 69-67
D 66-65
F 64 or below

Process for Evaluation:
Attendance and Participation 10%
Assignments and Exercises 50%
Mid-Term Project/Examination 15%
Final Project/Examination 25%

Student Evaluation/Grading Policies:
Class time will be spent in a productive manner.
Grading will be done on a point system.
Points for individual activities will be announced.
All work must be received by the set deadlines.
ABSOLUTELY NO WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THE FINAL CLASS MEETS WEEK 11.

Classroom Policy:
No food allowed in class or lab at any time. Drinks in sealable bottles allowed in classroom.
Edible items brought to class or lab must be thrown out.
If student elects to eat/drink outside class or lab door, missed time is recorded as absent.
Attendance is taken hourly. Tardiness or absence is recorded in 15-minute increments.
Break times are scheduled by the instructor at appropriate intervals.
No private software is to be brought to lab or loaded onto school computers.
No software games are allowed in lab (unless in course curriculum).
Headphones are required if listening to music during lab. No headphones are allowed in lecture.
Any student who has special needs that may affect his or her performance in this class is asked to identify his/her needs to the instructor in private by the end of the first day of class. Any resulting class performance problems that may arise for those who do not identify their needs will not receive any special grading considerations.

Disability Policy Statement:
It is our policy not to discriminate against qualified students with documented disabilities in its educational programs, activities, or services. If you have a disability-related need for adjustments or other accommodations in this class, contact the Disabilities Services Coordinator at 415-276-1060.

Academic Honesty Policy:
Students are expected to maintain the highest standards of academic honesty while pursuing their studies at AiCA-SF.  Academic dishonesty includes but is not limited to: plagiarism and cheating; misuse of academic resources or facilities; and misuse of computer software, data, equipment or networks. 

Student work that appears to violate AiCA-SF’s standards of academic honesty will be reviewed by the Committee on Academic Honesty.  If the work is judged to have violated standards of academic honesty, appropriate sanctions will be given.  Sanctions include but are not limited to course failure and academic termination.


Suggested Course Outline

Week 1: Lecture: Review of scripts , Developing a production plan. Review and evaluation of industry animation product tapes.
Lab: Revise and develop script, Work on Storyboard thumbnails due next week
Homework: Script and storyboard and the creation of a production plan.

Week 2: Lecture: Technical Workshop 1: Developing a strong Animatic- different approaches. Direct students to tackle technical problems during the first phase of their thesis project. (Students list technical issues gathered at research class)
Lab: Project development plan.
Homework: Project evaluation and problem solving. Work on script and storyboards.

Week 3: Lecture: Technical workshop #2 : Direct and help students to solve the problems during thesis project.
Lab: On-going project evaluation and problem solving
Homework: Work on production plan

Week 4: Lecture: Student individual meeting with the directing professors for discussion of open issues and clearing problems with thesis project.
Lab: continue to work on thesis project.
Homework: Update production schedule breakdown. This will be reviewed next week.

Week 5: Lecture: Class presentation of project theme, Animatic and production schedule breakdown will be presented.
Thesis paper outline of production processes that will be used and any anticipated technical difficulties and solutions. This is a formal written proposal. Graduate committee preview
Lab: Guided group discussion on technical issues from project development
Homework: Work on Thesis Project.

Week 6: Lecture: Class Assignment 2: Thesis project Step 2- Camera direction. Technical Workshop 3: Direct and help students to solve the problem during thesis project, Telling a story through the eye of the camera. Creating depth.
Lab: On-going project evaluation and problem solving
Homework: Work on Thesis Project.

Week 7: Lecture: Defining lighting guides and color keys for production. Direct and help students to solve the problem during thesis project
Lab: On-going project evaluation and problem solving
Homework: Work on Thesis Project.

Week 8: Lecture: Individual meeting with directing professors on animation project
Lab: Guidance project evaluation and problem solving.
Homework: Work on Thesis

Week 9: Lecture: Individual meeting with the professors on animation project
guidance
Lab: Project evaluation and problem solving.
Homework: Work on Thesis

Week 10: Lecture: Individual meeting with the professors on animation project
Guidance. Guest Speaker.
Lab: Project evaluation and problem solving
Homework: Work on Thesis

Week 11: Master Thesis I: Final Presentation of revised thesis project and thesis paper.
Graduate committee review











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