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Showing posts from August, 2010

IMPORTANT! DO YOU HAVE COURSE EQUIPMENT ON LOAN?

Dear All, Its stock checking time! Before the new academic year begins the staff takes stock of all course equipment - Graphic tablets, light boxes, books, and DVD's etc (Not the library resources however). This helps us understand the current location, state of repair, and quantity of existing stock before making any new purchases or repairs. Therefore, can I ask for all students to confirm any loans they may still have and any items that have been damaged - Please be honest (remember we do have documentation - signed forms). More importantly, the course's loan system is based on good faith. If it’s abused we may not be able to continue to loan or buy new equipment. To confirm your loan, either post on this blog or email me at apostings@ucreative.ac.uk. Please state the following: 1) Item(s) 2) Any missing components 3) Any breakages or if the Item is no longer functioning. Thanks and see you all very soon. Alan & Phil Additional: If you know a student who isn't Blog w

Lost Footage of Metropolis Found!

While browsing the BBC website for some news, I was faced with this article that surprised. For all the metropolis fan, they have found a copy of the film that they claim to be " closest to what the director wanted". The article is : http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/newsnight/8949756.stm and i let it inform you the rest, also most of you may have seen as it was broadcast last Thursday. I just hope that they will release it sometime

rendering wireframes tutorial

I've been asked to make a tutorial to show how to render Wireframes. Decided I'd just whack it up here for anyone to see. Alan initially showed me this technique, so credits go to him.

http://daveratcliffe.blogspot.com/

Hey its Dave from the second year. Hope everyones had a good summer. This is the blog I've been using most of the year and for the summer project, if your not following then please add me when you get the chance, I can see all of your progress but you cant see mine. Feels quite stalkerish. Look forward to seeing everyone at the beginning of the year.

4Mations

4Mations - a website to which all CGAA students should be glued - there's loads of animated shorts, news and a big list of associated blogs dealing specifically with animation and animators - oh, and there's a ' submit stuff' option too...

Further advice re. Online Enrolment for 2nd/3rd Yrs

The reset password link should send a password to the student's home and UCA email address as standard (to ensure they get it both in and out of term-time). However, we often have problems with the mail even reaching some Hotmail users, and more often than not providers will divert the emails into a Junk mail folder. As it's a publicly available link that generates regular emails, I'm not surprised that mail providers treat them with suspicion. There are also problems with students not informing us when their home email address changes. So the first step is to make sure they're checking Junk Mail folders. If that doesn't work, they can email regonline@ucreative.ac.uk . However, there is a large volume of emails being sent here as a result of the enrolment task, so it's probably best to telephone the enrolment helpline on 01622 620003 and we can provide reset passwords over the phone. It's perhaps also worth reminding them that once they're enrolled, we

The Gnomon School of Visual Effects: Graduate Demo Reels 2010

Hi Everyone. Below is a link to this years graduate demo reels from The Gnomon School of Visual Effects, West Hollywood. Enjoy! http://www.gnomonschool.com/student_work/reels/

Enrollment troubles?

Hey guys, anyone else having enrollment issues? When I try to log in with the details provided in the email sent out, I get an error message: If its not enlarging it says: The username and Password you supplied is not authoriesed to use this system. Status -110 SITS_LOGIN_ERROR_004 I'm guessing this is because today is the first day its open and all the young uns' are trying to do it, overloading it. Or does it hate me?

Yoann Lemoine: The Balloon

... From Yoann Lemoine & Wanda Productions , a story of what happens to all those discarded helium balloons let go by small children... a wonderful animated short - enjoy!

Incoming CGAA students 2010 - The Blogs Part 10

... CGAA welcomes another new recruit - follow Michael Holman @ http://mickeyholman.blogspot.com

Incoming CGAA students 2010 - The Blogs Part 9

... go make new CGAA first Max Rogers welcome @ http://dragsterwave90.blogspot.com

Star Wars (Pop Culture) + Ballet (High Culture) = ?

Don't ask what I was searching for when I found these nuggets of 'postmodern' kitsch, but I thought I'd share them with you ... incredibly, the first clip is not a parody...

Incoming CGAA students 2010 - The Blogs Part 8

... and another one! CGAA welcomes Alex @ http://alex-zepherin.blogspot.com

Just to share

I'm sure everyones seen this. But I felt it had to be shared within our little CG community. http://fc01.deviantart.com/fs13/f/2007/077/2/e/Animator_vs__Animation_by_alanbecker.swf

Incoming CGAA students 2010 - The Blogs Part 7

. .. another fresh-faced CGAA first year @ http://pixipui.blogspot.com

Skyline - Haven't we seen this already?

Where's Jeff Goldblum when you need him?

Incoming CGAA students 2010 - The Blogs Part 6

... introducing Jonathon Pearmain @ http://www.jonathanpearmain.blogspot.com and Oliver Fowls @ http://ofowls.blogspot.com

The Mysterious Explorations of Jasper Morello

I've just finished watching The Mysterious Explorations of Jasper Morello by Anthony Lucas ; Edward Gorey + Lovecraft + Jules Verne + Steampunk = something exquisite! Visit the Gothia Gazette for more, and a shining example of one filmmaker's attention to detail.

Creature Features

Question: How do you know CGI is coming down in price? Answer: Sharktopus Roger Corman - producer of this postmodern* slice of processed cheese - is no stranger to b-movies. As a writer, director and producer, he's been responsible for some spectacular dross and a few cult classics, including: Meanwhile, 'Mega Piranha' has just enjoyed a limited release in cinemas (not to be confused with Piranha 3D starring Kelly Brooke!), which follows in the wake of Mega-Shark vs. Giant Octopus - another 'mockbuster' production from The Asylum - and yes, if you visit their website right now that IS a trailer for Titanic II. These knowingly tacky creature features hark back to the big bug movies of the 1950's and the increasingly outlandish Godzilla monster-mash-ups from the Toho Company - like 1962's 'man-in-a-rubber-suit-fest', Godzilla vs. King Kong. In these post-Avatar times, it's baffling - and even rather wonderful - that the likes of Mega Piranha a

Incoming CGAA students 2010 - The Blogs Part 5

...another new CGAA recruit joins the ranks! Welcome to James Fisher @ http://jfisher-animation.blogspot.com

Incoming CGAA students 2010 - The Blogs Part 4

... and a warm CGAA welcome to Nat Urwin @ http://skygecko-nat.blogspot.com/

Making a book on Blurb

Hey guys, Phil's asked me to give you all a rundown on book making. And no its not scary, and no you don't have to do much work. This mainly applies to the (Now) second years that are going to need to make a book for the summer project, but you can also apply it to anything, be that a sketch book or a book of pictures you found on the internet (delete your internet history). Anyway, the website I used was Blurb.com/uk But there are other sites out there if you wish. On the Blurb site is a simple (but surprisingly good) program that you download and install. Once done, simply give it your blogger details, choose what posts you want and hey presto. Blurb does the rest. You can into it for more detail. I had move some pics around, like moving the important ones into bigger slots. You order it off and it takes a few days to print and then a few days to get to you. The final product is excellent. I opted for the best paper and its was really worth it. The paper is very clear, crisp

Important! Continuing Students Re-Enrolment

Continuing Students Re-Enrolment Information Online Re-enrolment Online re-enrolment will begin on August 23rd and you are encouraged to complete it as early as possible. The online enrolment system gives you the opportunity to complete the re-enrolment process at a time and location that suits you. You are urged to complete the process during August, by logging into Registry Online . Please note that you will not receive any student loan payments or be able to use the library and other University resources until you have completed the Online Enrolment process. Referrals and Retakes If you are currently undertaking a referral or retake over the summer period you will not be able to enrol online until you have redeemed your referral and your ability to progress to the next stage has been confirmed. We look forward to seeing you on your return.
quick question, i have maya 2011, i had a few problems with the manipulator scaling tool thing, n i was playing around with all the setting and then found out the answer to the problem on the internet. the problem now is, it wont let select faces, edges or anything on an object... i can make an object, i just cant do anything with it... can anyone help me ? thanks chris rogers

Incoming CGAA students 2010 - The Blogs Part 3

Ba Hons CGAA welcomes Dmitrij Polukarov @ http://insanityshock.blogspot.com/

FAO CGAA Year Two - '1 Becomes 2' Refresher

You are to respond imaginatively to the soundscape allocated you at time of briefing. It may inspire an environment, character(s), story or gaming concept. The musical extract might be included in the final submission as a soundtrack or might serve only as a starting point for further development. Your response might be entirely abstract and synesthetic in line with Fantasia’s Toccata and fugue in d minor or the work of Norman Mclaren. Whatever your approach, you must demonstrate how the ‘soundscape’ has driven your creative response. Your workflow should follow the pipeline of tasks established by your year one curriculum -– pre-production, production, post-production - with each stage clearly ‘unpacked’, archived and reflected upon via your creative development blog. Your creative development is to be edited and readied for publication in the form of a professionally printed ‘The Art of…’ book. There are numerous online companies that provide this service, a selection of

FAO CGAA Year One - Object 'Inspiration' Sheets & Brief

CGAA First Years Summer Project - Please Read Carefully You are challenged to produce 101 concept drawings on a single A1 sheet of paper . Using the objects (see sheet) as a starting point, you are to generate concept drawings in three categories; ‘structures’, ‘life-forms’, and ‘machines’. You should work in pen or pencil, and think of your drawings as thumbnails sketches or works-in-progress; work quickly, instinctively – you’re not trying to create perfect images, you’re trying to develop, innovate and refine your ideas; think laterally and don’t rub anything out, start over or throw anything away; you need to get used to visualizing your ideas promptly and without inhibition, as effective 2d visualization skills will be fundamental to your success on this course. You might consider extended drawings - using a selected object as ‘a seed’ from which new designs grow; you might try tracing, re-sizing, repeating, rotating, inverting and fusing objects as a method to work-up new a

Incoming CGAA students 2010 - The Blogs Part 2

... and welcome to new year one student Paul Lavey @ http://paul-lavey.blogspot.com

Incoming CGAA students 2010 - The Blogs Part 1

It's that time again: the CGAA summer packs have been posted out to our incoming students and their blogs are going live. See below - the first of many (more posts to follow as new blogs arrive). Let's give our 'all-new' Year One a warm welcome - go follow their blogs and say "hi". Chris Rogers @ http://chrisanimation-bringingideastolife.blogspot.com Adam Webb @ http://www.thevistor.blogspot.com Sam Tremain @ http://s-tremain.blogspot.com Domantas Lukošius @ http://www.domantasinn.blogspot.com

polyShrinkWrap

Hi all, I'd just like to take a moment to flag up the benefits of the polyShrinkWrap plugin which has been infinitely useful for me over the past few hours. The problem: You have a mesh that you like the look of (for instance a face that suits the character you're building, but it has bad topology so it's not ideal for use in ZBrush or for animation.) The Solution: Save the mesh with the good characteristics but the bad topology, copy that mesh, fix the topology then use polyShrinkWrap to 'vacuum form' the mesh with good topology to the mesh with good characteristics. Very accurate, very fast and you're good to go in ZBrush with clean topology. You can find the plugin here: http://www.kiaran.net/api.html Happy modelling! Tom