Course Syllabus

Home Court Advantage

In this classroom, you will experience what we call here at Del Norte, the Home Court Advantage. Home Court Advantage refers to how we treat each other by assuming the highest standards in Safety, Support, and Belonging. As a member of this class and this school, we will expect that this is a SAFE place to be who you are, that we will SUPPORT each other no matter who we are, and that we BELONG because we are members of something bigger than ourselves.

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3D Animation, What is it?

3D Computer Animation 4 is a studio class that provides students an opportunity to build upon their experience in level 3 and to communicate original ideas through the study and application of 3D Computer Animation skills. Students will develop a script/story and create product(s) like an animated short, or a video game, or scientific visualization, or architectural rendering, or historical reconstruction. Storyboards will emphasize character development, design, backgrounds, props, digital painting, special effects, and scene development, using digital production techniques and principles of animation. This course has been submitted to UC to meet the UC “f” requirement upon approval by the Board.

 

Can I get a job doing this?

Take a look at some of the career opportunities available in 3D Animation. I think you'll be surprised.

 

What to expect and what is expected

What you should expect of yourself:
  • Expect to perform with the utmost of academic integrity
  • Expect that you are here to be a learner and a creator
  • Expect to be on-time
  • Expect to help others with what you learn
  • Expect to have fun
What I expect of you:
  • Come to class prepared
  • Stay focused on the task at hand
  • Your work will be YOUR work, plagiarism is lazy and not tolerated
  • Take care of the equipment, your space, and the room
  • Do not chat with others when I'm lecturing or when we are discussing
  • Not use cell phones in class unless I OK it
  • Visit the restroom between classes
  • Have fun

What do I need to know?

What do I need to know to do well in this class?
  • you should know how to use a 3 button computer mouse ("right click", "left click", "middle click", "click and drag", etc.)
  • you should know how to stay on task
  • you should know how to be kind and helpful to others
  • you should know how to let go of your artistic insecurities
  • you should know how to think with meaning
  • you should know how to have fun and be productive at the same time

What you need to work at home

Computer:

A newer computer is obviously going to work better, but be sure to take a look at the system requirements for Blender to see if your current computer is going to cause joy or pain. A three button mouse is required.

Typical Question: May I bring my own laptop to school?
Answer: Yes, but I (Mr. Askegreen), other students, and DNHS/PUSD are not responsible for any resulting damage or theft. Please keep your computer with you at all times and be responsible.

Download:

Blender 2.8x
Be sure to get the correct version for your computer. If you are working on a PC, you may need to also download the correct version of Python. Don't freak-out, the installation file will walk you through the process.

Internet Access (to download Blender and possibly file transfer):

A cable or DSL connection is preferable, but a dial-up connection should work fine. I, unfortunately, don't have the capacity to check a dial-up connection. If you have one, please let me know.

Transferring Files:

It is helpful to have a 2-4 GB, or more, thumb drive for transferring files between school and home. Obviously the 4 or even 8 GB thumb drive is better for transferring more files.
  • NOTE: Thumb Drives don't last forever. They have a limited amount of read/writes and should last a typical student about a year on average.
Another way to transfer files is to use your Google Drive account via MyPlan. Another option is to open a DropBox account and upload/download you files there.
 

Grading

  • Projects = 20 points each (typically)
  • Challenge options = up to 10% extra credit per project
  • Final project (Night @ The Museum) = 55 total points from 3 assignments
    • Questions - 15 points
    • Exhibition - 15 points
    • Evaluation - 25 points
  • Late work turned in within a reasonable time receives a deduction of 10%+1 (one letter grade)
  • Late work turned in extremely late receives a minimum deduction of 50%

Grades will be updated as assignments are graded. I do my best to grade as quickly as possible, but life does happen.

Current assignment grades can be found by selecting the Grades button on the left.

Official grades will be posted for 6 week and 12 week grading periods, and are found in Synergy located at http://sis.powayusd.com.

Course Summary:

Date Details Due