Meeting Recap, 9/21/12

Hello hello hello! Bekah here with your meeting recap! :)

A few announcements first:

1. The print lab is looking for some student work to hang up! We'd like to showcase all aspects of animation, like 2D, 3D, character designs, storyboards, models, etc. So if you'd like to submit some work, please let one of the leaders know! It would be a really cool opportunity.

2. We want to go to the Zoo sometime in October! We need to work out a date and time that works best for the most people, so think about your upcoming availability, and we'll provide a list at next week's meeting.

3. If you'd like your blog, website, or demo reel linked on our sidebar, let one of the leaders know! We'll add it immediately; It's VERY good exposure to get your blog up here and good motivation to start getting your work online! Do it!

4. Chris Oatley, a CCAD alum who worked at DisneyToon Studios and runs the PaperWings Podcast, is going to be doing a Skype call with us at the October 5 meeting! This is a HUGE deal and an awesome opportunity. Please prepare QUESTIONS and do RESEARCH ahead of time; we want to get the most out of this amazing guest lecture as we can! :)

Finally, we moved onto our main event! WELCOME TO THE LABS AT CCAD!

Bethany made a poster for the event depicting us lovely leaders showcasing our beautiful labs! :D

Here are some of the main programs we discussed:

Harmony is "the most complete animation software for professionals, offering award winning state-of-the-art content creation, animation and compositing toolsets".

Storyboard Pro is used to create storyboards that can be printed.

Maya is used to create interactive 3D applications, including video games, animated film, TV series, or visual effects.

3ds Max is a modeling, animation and rendering package.

Photoshop is a raster based illustration and graphics editing program.

Illustrator is a vector based illustration and graphics editing program

InDesign is used to create works such as posters, flyers, brochures, magazines, newspapers and books.

After Effects is a digital motion graphics and compositing software.

Flash is a multimedia platform used to create animation, video, and interactivity products.

RenderMan is both a software and an application programming interface (API) for network distributed rendering of complex and potentially ray-traced three dimensional views.

Houdini is a 3D animation package.

Cinema 4D is a 3D modeling, animation and rendering application.

ZBrush is a digital sculpting tool that combines 3D modeling, texturing and painting.

Sculptris is another digital sculpting tool and is, best of all, free!

RealFlow is a fluid and dynamics simulator.

Shave and a Haircut is a plug-in used to create realistic hair and fur.

Soundtrack Pro is a music composing and audio editing application, which includes a collection of just over 5000 royalty free professional instrument loops and sound effects.

GarageBand is a software application that allows users to create music or podcasts.

Audacity is a free audio editing application.

Final Cut Pro is is a professional non-linear editing software application.

GameSalad is an authoring tool aimed primarily at non-programmers for composing games in a drag-and-drop fashion utilizing visual editors and a behavior-based logic system.

Mocha is a stand alone tracking and roto software designed to complement any compositing and finishing environment.

Scratch is a programming language that makes it easy to create your own interactive stories, animations, games, music, and art.

Google SketchUp is a simple 3D modeling program designed for architects, civil engineers, filmmakers, game developers, and related professions.

Corel Painter is is a raster-based digital art application created to simulate as accurately as possible the appearance and behavior of traditional media associated with drawing, painting, and printmaking.



THINGS TO REMEMBER:

- As a student, you can get ANY Autodesk product FREE for three years! Sign up here where it says "Students" then "Download Software" and if you need help, ask a leader, or another Collective member! :)

- DigitalTutors and Lynda.com are INCREDIBLE resources full of TONS of tutorials. If you need help with any of the above programs, or aren't sure where to start, THESE WEBSITES ARE THE PLACE TO GO! As a student at CCAD, you can sign up for a free account! Look at this post for step by step instructions!

- We made (2) handouts on Friday; one is a map of the labs, that indicates which rooms have which programs. The other is an incredibly valuable set of notes by Charlotte Belland, our wonderful Chair of the Animation department. These notes were taken during SIGGRAPH this year, and are GREAT pointers on how to prep your portfolio!

If you would like either of these handouts, please let a leader know! We'll get you a physical or digital copy, depending on your preference. :)




See you next week for our WELCOME TO THE INDUSTRY meeting, where we'll be talking about all of the available jobs and careers in the animation industry. It's not to be missed!