SCHEDULE

JANUARY   Themes and Objectives Agenda
Week 1

Tuesday

  

01/05

  

Digital Vessel

Syllabus Overview

  

Hello there. Introductions, a survey, a tour of our syllabus, a discussion about hardware and software, and an overview of class projects.

What is a digital body? How have we embraced new technologies and digital platforms to communicate or express ourselves?

Lecture 1: Digital Vessel

HOMEWORK:

  • (Due Jan 7) Project 1: Golem
  • (Due Jan 7) Be sure you are set up with software and educational licenses! Check out the “Software Setup” section of our class website
  • (Due Jan 12) Week 1 Reading

 
 

Thursday

  

01/07

  

The Commodity Persona: Hyperconsumerism

Introduction to C4D Interface

  

Embodying manufactured promise, commercial utopia, and techno-optimism: embracing objectification, satire, and a very slippery slope. 

 DUE:

  • Project 1: Golem

Lecture 2: The Commodity Persona / Body Snatching

Tutorial 1: Introduction to Cinema4D, Mixamo, and techniques you’ll use for Project 2a: Internet Body

 HOMEWORK:

  • (Due Jan 12) Project 2a: Internet Body
  • (Due Jan 12) Week 1 Reading
Week 2

Tuesday

  

01/12

  

Fandom and Fantasy

Prototyping

Modeling in Cinema 4D

  

Animism, appropriation, fulfilling fantasies, and finding community online.

DUE:

  • Project 2a: Internet Body
  • Week 1 Reading responses

Lecture 3a: Fandom

Tutorial 2: Materials, cameras, and composing a scene in Cinema4D

HOMEWORK:

  • (Due Jan 14) Project 2b: Internet Body
  • (Due Jan 19) Week 2 Reading

 

 
 

Thursday

  

01/14

  

Fandom and Fantasy

Prototyping

Character design

  

DUE:

  • Project 2b: Internet Body

Lecture 3b: Fantasy

Tutorial 3: Character Design and an introduction to Project 3: Digital Vessel

HOMEWORK:

  • (Due Jan 19) Project 3a: Digital Vessel (Character Design)
  • (Due Jan 19) Week 2 Reading

 

 
Week 3

Tuesday

  

01/19

  

Bodily Agency

Modeling in Cinema 4D

  

What is “body art”? In what ways are our bodies (not) political? How are we drawn to integrate technology in order to become more human? Less human?

DUE:

  • Project 3a: Digital Vessel (Character Design)
  • Week 2 Reading responses

Lecture 4: Bodily Agency

Tutorial 4a: Cube Modeling in C4D

HOMEWORK:

  • (Due Jan 26) Project 3b: Digital Vessel (Un-rigged Model)
  • (Due Jan 26) Week 3 Reading

 
 

Thursday

  

01/21

  

Modeling in Cinema 4D

Materials Overview

 

  

Tutorial 4b: Cube Modeling and Materials in C4D

HOMEWORK:

  • (Due Jan 26) Project 3b: Digital Vessel (Un-rigged Model)
  • (Due Jan 26) Week 3 Reading

 
Week 4

Tuesday

  

01/26

  

Animated Body 

Rigging / Binding Models

IK Controllers

Keyframing

 

  

Motion, embodiment, and expression.

DUE:

  • Project 3b: Digital Vessel (Un-rigged Model)
  • Week 3 Reading responses

Lecture 5: Animated Body

Tutorial 5a: Rigging and binding models in C4D

HOMEWORK:

  • (Due Feb 02) Project 3c: Digital Vessel (Animated)
  • (Due Feb 02) Week 4 Reading

 
 

Thursday

  

01/28

  

Simulation / Automation

IK Controllers

Keyframing

Softbody Physics

  

Lecture 6: Simulation / Automation

Tutorial 5b: IK Controllers / Keyframe Animation / Soft body Physics

HOMEWORK:

  • (Due Feb 02) Project 3c: Digital Vessel (Animated)
  • (Due Feb 02) Week 4 Reading

 
 

FEBRUARY

 

    

 
Week 5

Tuesday

  

02/02

  

Gamified Body

Exporting FBX animations

Animator Controllers in Unity

 

  

A body that reacts to your input asks that you be responsible for your choices.

DUE:

  • Project 3c: Digital Vessel (Animated)
  • Week 4 Reading responses

Lecture 7: Gamified Body

Tutorial 6a: Exporting .fbx files for use in Unity

HOMEWORK:

  • (Due Feb 09) Project 4: Interactive Avatar
  • (Due Feb 09) Week 5 Reading
 

Thursday

  

02/04

  

Gamified Body

Animator Controllers in Unity

 

  

Tutorial 6b: Animator Controllers in Unity

HOMEWORK:

  • (Due Feb 09) Project 4: Interactive Avatar
  • (Due Feb 09) Week 5 Reading

 
Week 6

Tuesday

  

02/09

  

Acting Human

Blendshapes in C4D

Settiing up an Avatar for Lens Studio MoCap

 

  

What makes us laugh, what makes us uncomfortable about the ridiculous imposed on the real? Are we in the uncanny valley yet?

DUE:

  • Project 4: Interactive Avatar
  • Week 5 Reading responses

Lecture 8: Acting Human

Tutorial 7a: Creating blendshapes in C4D with the Pose Morph tag. Introduce Project 5: Performing Body

HOMEWORK:

  • (Due Feb 16) Week 6 Reading
  • (Due Feb 23) Project 5: Performing Body

 
 

Thursday

  

02/11

  

The Uncanny Valley

Blendshapes in C4D

Creating An Avatar for Snap Camera MoCap

 

  

A survey of human-like computers and computer-like humans. What kinds of relationships can we form with robots and AI? Why do we humanize computers and de-humanize people?

Lecture 9: The Uncanny Valley

Tutorial 7b: Connecting your blendshapes to a script in Lens Studio

HOMEWORK:

  • (Due Feb 16) Week 6 Reading
  • (Due Feb 23) Project 5: Performing Body

 
Week 7

Tuesday

  

02/16

  

Performing Body

Modeling in C4D

Exporting Animated FBX files

Importing Animations into Spark AR

 

  

Becoming a cyborg: embodying the human and inhuman. Embracing grey areas.

DUE:

  • Week 6 Reading responses

Lecture 10: Performing Body

Tutorial 8: C4D to Spark AR: animated AR avatars

HOMEWORK:

  • (Due Feb 23) Project 5: Performing Body
  • (Due Feb 23) Final Project Proposal + Research
  • (Due Feb 23) Week 7 Reading

 
 

Thursday

  

02/18

  

Performing Body

Modeling in C4D

Face Filters in Spark AR

  

VISITING ARTIST WORKSHOP: HUNTREZZ JANOS!

Tutorial 9: C4D to Spark AR: face filters

HOMEWORK:

  • (Due Feb 23) Project 5: Performing Body
  • (Due Feb 23) Final Project Proposal + Research)
  • (Due Feb 23) Week 7 Reading

 
Week 8

Tuesday

  

02/23

  

Digital Vessel:

Final Poject

  

Isaac and I will lead small group meetings to discuss Final Project proposals. We will ask students to sign up for Crit Group A or Crit Group B.

DUE:

  • Project 5: Performing Body
  • Final Project Proposal + Research
  • Week 7 Reading responses

Studio—Begin work on Final Projects.

HOMEWORK:

  • (Due March 02) Week 8 Reading
  • (Due March 09) Final Project
  • (Due March 09) Catch up on projects 1-5

 
 

Thursday

  

02/25

  

Digital Vessel:

Final Project

  

You must check in to our Zoom meeting at 2pm for attendance. Isaac and I will be available for the full class period, but you are free to come and go.

Studio—Work on Final Projects.

HOMEWORK:

  • (Due March 02) Week 8 Reading
  • (Due March 09) Final Project
  • (Due March 09) Catch up on projects 1-5

 
 

MARCH

 

    

 
Week 9

Tuesday

  

03/02

  

Digital Vessel:

Final Project

  

You must check in to our Zoom meeting at 2 pm for attendance and to discuss readings. Isaac and I will be available for the full class period, but you are free to come and go.

DUE:

  • Week 8 Reading responses

Studio—Work on Final Projects.

HOMEWORK:

  • (Due March 09) Final Project
  • (Due March 09) Catch up on projects 1-5

 
 

Thursday

  

03/04

  

Digital Vessel:

Final Project

  

You must check in to our Zoom meeting at 2 pm for attendance and to discuss readings. Isaac and I will be available for the full class period, but you are free to come and go.

Studio—Work on Final Projects.

HOMEWORK:

  • (Due March 09) Final Project
  • (Due March 09) Catch up on projects 1-5
Week 10

Tuesday

  

03/09

  

Crit Group A

 
 

Thursday

  

03/11

  

Crit Group B

 
Week 11

Tuesday

  

03/16

  

 

 

 \\\AVATAR ZOOM PARTY///

 
 

Thursday

  

03/18