Visual Design for Games (ANI 344-701)

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Summary of the course

DePaul CDM - ANI 344/444

Visual Design for Games

Sept. 2009, Autumn quarter

Tuesdays

Loop campus

Instructor: James Taylor

Email: mtaylor@cs.depaul.edu (best way to reach me)

Office hours: Before and after class, Mon - Weds

Course Description

This course covers the development process for art direction and creation for video games. Students will participate in the art production pipeline, from initial concepting to asset creation to final polish, in a team environment.

Course Objectives

After completing this course, students will have:

1.       Participated in the concept and vision development process for the art side of a video game project.

2.       Gained basic understanding of how to break down a high level artistic vision into a series of realistic deliverables.

3.       Created assets for a prototype game.

4.       Understand fundamentals of how a video game art pipeline works.

Attendance

Student absences are not expected to exceed more than 2 absences. A third absence will result in the lowering of your final grade one full letter. Any student missing 4 classes will be given a grade of "F" for the semester.

Tardiness is defined as not in the classroom when attendance is called or departing before the class has been formally dismissed by the instructor. Tardiness that exceeds thirty minutes will be counted as an absence. TWO late arrivals or early departures, or a combination of both, are counted as one absence. If you arrive late for class, it is your responsibility to make sure that you have been marked tardy rather than absent.

The allotted absences are to accommodate routine illness, weddings, car trouble, etc. Doctor appointments, advisor conferences, trips to supply stores and employment, etc. should not be scheduled to conflict with class. Faculty cannot be placed in the position of determining which absences are excusable and which are not. All students are expected to attend class on a regular basis. Prolonged illness should be verified by a physician and may require the student to withdraw from class if he/she cannot complete work in a comprehensive and timely manner.

The student is responsible for any lectures or assignments missed. If an assignment is due a week that you are absent, it is your responsibility to make sure it still arrives on time. This is for your benefit. A good portion of our class time will be spent doing hands on tutorials, screening films, and critiquing work. Lecture notes will not make up for these missed learning experiences.

You may not miss the screening days, midterms, or the final class date. Doing so will equal an automatic two letter grade reduction of your final grade. If for some reason you cannot make one of these dates you must contact your instructor BEFORE the class that you must miss. Excuses given after the fact will not be accepted.

No incompletes will be given without documented proof of circumstances beyond your control.

Participation

One of the best ways to learn in a classroom environment is through active participation in discussions and critiques. In general, we will be following a pattern of creating artwork and then discussing it in critique sessions. Due to class size we may not have the chance to critique each student's work. Critique time may also be influenced by the general progress of the class.

When I open up the floor for you to speak, please make the effort to voice your honest and constructive opinion. This more than anything will help you learn from your mistakes and progress in your professional skills.

Class Work Assignments

• Must be handed in on time via COLweb.

• Assignment due dates and times will be indicated on COLWeb.
• Work will not be accepted for credit after the deadline.

• Students who use lecture time to finish assignments the day they are due will forfeit the right to hand in that assignment. Class time is for working with the material at hand, not finishing late assignments.

Late Submissions:
• Late work will not be accepted unless approved of PRIOR to the class in which it is due or accompanied by a valid medical excuse.
• Handing in something unfinished is always better than nothing at all!

How to Submit Files:
• Image Files: submit as JPG format for flattened images. Submit as PSDs for layered images when requested.

• Movie Files: submit as Quicktime movies no larger than 20 megabytes.

• Written Assignments: submit as Word DOC format.

File Naming Conventions:
• All assignments handed in digitally must be in the following format (please note upper and lower case usage)
o lastnameFirstname_projectname.extension
o example: taylorjames_projectOne.MOV

Special Accommodations:

If you have any special considerations please see the instructor so you can be accommodated.

Final Project:

A final project is mandatory for this class. If you do not turn a final project your grade is an automatic "F," regardless of the other assignments, tests, quizzes you have completed for this class.

BACK UP YOUR WORK:

Failure of computer software and or Hardware will not be accepted as an extenuating circumstance for late projects or incomplete grades so back up your work daily.

Critiques

If we engage in a public critique, only work that is handed in on-time will be reviewed. In most cases (I'll let you know the exceptions) I request that you use JPG format for images and Quicktime format for movies. Unless specifically stated otherwise, other formats are unacceptable.

Due to the large size of our class, and the limited class time, it is likely not everyone's work will get a full review during class. We may view and discuss everyone's final project during the last class.

Grading

Subject to change:
Weekly assignments: 30% of grade
Midterm: 20% of grade
Final: 30% of grade

Team Grade: 20% of grade
Total 100%

A = 100-93 A- = 92-90
B+ = 89-88 B = 87-83 B- = 82-80
C+ = 79-78 C = 77-73 C- = 72-70
D+ = 69-68 D = 67-63 D- = 62-60 F = 59-0

Standards for Achievement:

Students will be measured on the following criteria-

• Participation in the team development process.
• Development of concept ideas and material.
• Adherence to deadlines.
• Aesthetic appeal of your artwork.
• Quality of the final project.

Grade A:
Student performs in an outstanding way. Student exhibits achievement and craftsmanship in all work. Design criteria are exceeded and student challenges him/herself in project design. Student exhibits commitment to expanding ideas, vocabulary and performance.

Grade B:
Student performs beyond the requirement of the project. Student exhibits above average progress and craftsmanship. A design criterion is exceeded. Student exhibits above average interest in expanding idea, vocabulary, and performance.

Grade C:
Criteria of assignment is met, and all requirements are fulfilled. Student shows average quality work and minimum time and effort on projects. Student shows moderate interest.

Grade D:
Student performance is uneven and below average. Requirements for projects are only partially fulfilled. Minimal interest is shown and attendance, participation and involvement are inadequate.

Grade F
Student fails to meet minimum course requirements and shows no interest. Levels of participation and craftsmanship are extremely poor. Student's attendance is inadequate.

Requesting an incomplete grade:
An incomplete grade may only be assigned to a student if the student has experienced an extenuating circumstance near the end of the term, the student is in good standing in the class, and the request is made before

Cell Phones

Use of cell phones in the class and the lab is prohibited. Please silence your phone off before entering class. Mistakes will happen (to me too), but repeated failure to turn your phone off will result in a lowered grade for the class. All phone conversations should be conducted outside the class - don't disturb those working in the lab and put others in an uncomfortable situation.

Headphones Whether working with sound in your project, or simply listening to music while working, you need to be considerate of others and wear headphones. Be aware that if the volume is high enough, others can still hear what you're listening to despite the headphones. Inconsiderate behavior will result in a lowered grade.

Academic Integrity

Work done for this course must adhere to the DePaul University Academic Integrity Policy, which you can review in the Student Handbook or by visiting http://studentaffairs.depaul.edu/homehandbook.html.

Plagiarism

The university and school policy on plagiarism can be summarized as follows: Students in this course, as well as all other courses in which independent research or writing play a vital part in the course requirements, should be aware of the strong sanctions that can be imposed against someone guilty of plagiarism. If proven, a charge of plagiarism could result in an automatic F in the course and possible expulsion. The strongest of sanctions will be imposed on anyone who submits as his/her own work a report, examination paper, computer file, lab report, or other assignment which has been prepared by someone else. If you have any questions or doubts about what plagiarism entails or how to properly acknowledge source materials be sure to consult the instructor.

Materials and Supplies Unless otherwise noted, assignments in this class will be transmitted digitally online via COLWeb.

Digital storage, such as a USB thumbdrive or external hard disk, will be required to save your work.

Pencil and paper, suitable for flipbook animation creation, will be needed for week 2's assignment.

Students may elect to create storyboards via pencil and paper, but the final submission must be in digital format.

Schedule

This schedule is subject to change throughout the semester, and will be adapted to fit the needs of the students.

Unless otherwise noted, all assignments will be submitted in digital format online 1 hour prior to class. Assignments may be submitted earlier. Late submissions, if allowed, will be assessed a penalty to your grade.

Lectures and Assignments

Grading

School policies:

Online Instructor Evaluation

Evaluations are a way for students to provide valuable feedback regarding their instructor and the course. Detailed feedback will enable the instructor to continuously tailor teaching methods and course content to meet the learning goals of the course and the academic needs of the students. They are a requirement of the course and are key to continue to provide you with the highest quality of teaching. The evaluations are anonymous; the instructor and administration do not track who entered what responses. A program is used to check if the student completed the evaluations, but the evaluation is completely separate from the student’s identity. Since 100% participation is our goal, students are sent periodic reminders over two weeks. Students do not receive reminders once they complete the evaluation. Students complete the evaluation online at https://mycti.cti.depaul.edu/mycti

Email

Email is the primary means of communication between faculty and students enrolled in this course outside of class time. Students should be sure their email listed under "demographic information" at http://campusconnect.depaul.edu is correct.

Academic Integrity Policy

This course will be subject to the academic integrity policy passed by faculty. More information can be found at http://academicintegrity.depaul.edu/

Plagiarism

The university and school policy on plagiarism can be summarized as follows: Students in this course should be aware of the strong sanctions that can be imposed against someone guilty of plagiarism. If proven, a charge of plagiarism could result in an automatic F in the course and possible expulsion. The strongest of sanctions will be imposed on anyone who submits as his/her own work any assignment which has been prepared by someone else. If you have any questions or doubts about what plagiarism entails or how to properly acknowledge source materials be sure to consult the instructor.

Incomplete

An incomplete grade is given only for an exceptional reason such as a death in the family, a serious illness, etc. Any such reason must be documented. Any incomplete request must be made at least two weeks before the final, and approved by the Dean of the College of Computing and Digital Media. Any consequences resulting from a poor grade for the course will not be considered as valid reasons for such a request.

Resources for Students with Disabilities

Students who feel they may need an accommodation based on the impact of a disability should contact the instructor privately to discuss their specific needs. All discussions will remain confidential.

To ensure that you receive the most appropriate accommodation based on your needs, contact the instructor as early as possible in the quarter (preferably within the first week of class), and make sure that you have contacted either:

• PLuS Program (for LD, AD/HD) at 773-325-4239 in SAC 220
• The Office for Students with Disabilities (for all other disabilities) at 773-325-7290 Student Center 307