Computer Animation W/ Blender
In this 8 week course students will learn the fundamentals of Computer Animation using the free open-source software Blender
Conor MacFinn
Average rating:
4.8
Number of reviews:(25)
What's included
8 live meetings
7 hrs 20 mins in-class hoursHomework
1-2 hours per week. Students will be given an assignment every week to complete. At the beginning of class, students will receive feedback from the instructor.Assessment
Conor does not believe in grades for art assignments. He will give feedback to each student about how they can improve their animation abilities.Class Experience
Interested in making computer animation? You’ve come to the right place! This class, for teenagers who’d like to study computer animation in depth, will jump-start your animation journey with the same scope and sequence of a college Animation I course! Using his experience as a successful College Animation Instructor, Conor MacFinn covers the principles of animation, computer modeling, rigging and articulation and rendering. Students complete the course with a small animated film they designed, strong foundational skills and the ability to move ahead more quickly in this artistic field. In the first class, students learn how to open the animation software and use it, and receive an assignment to work on for the following week. Each assignment educates them about a different topic in computer animation, such as keys, squash and stretch, subsurface modeling, and lighting and rendering. At the beginning of every following class, students will show their assignments and receive feedback to strengthen their skills. Then Conor demonstrates and explains the techniques for the next new topic, which students will work on in class and that week’s work at home. There is always time for students' questions. Students are supported in understanding what they have done well and what they need to work on, but grades are not given: animation is an art, and appreciating a work of art is subjective.
Syllabus
8 Lessons
over 8 WeeksLesson 1:
Your First Animation!
Learn the basics of Blender 55 mins online live lesson
Lesson 2:
Bouncing Ball
Make a ball bounce 55 mins online live lesson
Lesson 3:
Graph Editor
Improve your animation from the previous week with the graph edior 55 mins online live lesson
Lesson 4:
Ball Bouncing W/ A Tail
Learn about secondary animation and rigs 55 mins online live lesson
Other Details
Parental Guidance
Content may include some mild fantasy/comic violence.
Supply List
Students will need a relatively up-to-date computer (within the past five years) that is capable of running Blender. *** Blender runs only on PCs and Macs and cannot run on mobile devices or Chrome Books. *** A detailed list of requirements can be found here: https://www.blender.org/download/requirements/ Please be logged in from the same device as the student will be working on so I can assist them via screen-share. The animation software can be downloaded for free at Blender.org and should be installed before the first class. Blender 4.1 is recommended. A google drive account is recommended to hand in homework.
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Joined September, 2022
4.8
25reviews
Teacher expertise and credentials
Conor MacFinn is an American/ Canadian filmmaker / animator / UX designer whose animated shorts have been distributed by Tribal TV on Hulu, AOL On, Roku and Amazon and have won awards, been nominated, and screened at over 40 festivals internationally. His animated storytelling mobile media was twice selected for SIGGRAPH’s Appy Hour showcase of creativity and innovation and distributed through iTunes. Other 3D character animation credits include The Museum of the Dog in New York City, Pearson, and Behrman House. Conor was honored that his trilogy of shorts inspired by his Native heritage was invited to show at Mní Wičhóni Nakíčižiŋ Owáyawa (Defenders of the Sacred Water School) at The Water Protector's Camp in Standing Rock, North Dakota. He is a 2019 New York State Council on the Arts Arts Alive grantee and received a 2020 Artist’s Support Fund grant.
Conor’s credits as a teaching artist include seven years as a college instructor, and over 10 years teaching Storyboarding and Storytelling, Scratch and basic programming and animation in person and online to kids in grades 3 – 12. Additionally, he has worked remotely with teenagers teaching animation and storytelling for film and animation. As an Art School Portfolio coach, he’s successfully mentored students in crafting their submissions, resulting in his students’ admissions to Pratt (scholarship), Parsons, FIT and other competitive schools. He enjoys meeting students where they are and guiding their unique expression through art and programming.
When Conor isn't working on his animation or teaching you can see him playing guitar or playing with his dog!Reviews
Live Group Class
$25
weekly or $200 for 8 classes1x per week, 8 weeks
55 min
Completed by 5 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 13-18
3-12 learners per class
