3D Animation & VFX Projects

Build Your 3D Animation & VFX Reel at NYFA

Throughout their time at NYFA’s 3D Animation & VFX School, students complete projects that highlight their abilities as visual storytellers, preparing them to pursue creative or educational pathways in 3D Animation & VFX. 

 

Using industry standard software programs such as Adobe Photoshop and Adobe After Effects, as well as Nuke, Maya, Motion Builder, ZBrush, and the Unreal Game Engine, students complete challenging projects and coursework under the guidance of industry professionals.

As our programs are available at multiple campuses, projects vary by location. The projects listed below are examples of the type of work that our students complete and not an all-encompassing list. Projects are subject to change. For more information, please see the course catalog.

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3D Animation & VFX
Degree Programs

In NYFA’s 3D Animation & VFX degree programs, students gain extensive knowledge of the animation process and visual effects, completing challenging hands-on projects to build a comprehensive reel.

Students learn several packages that teach them every aspect used in the creation of animation and visual effects, including but not limited to modeling, texturing, lighting, rigging, animating, and compositing, as well as motion capture and pipeline practices. In addition to creating a demo reel, degree students also write, direct and animate their own narrative short film.

Concept of a Shot

The Concept of a Shot Project helps students learn the pipeline process from concept to final shot. This project consists of multiple storyboards and follow through with image creation and manipulation to show understanding of concept creation.

CG Stereoscopic Shots

In the CG Stereoscopic Shots Project, student practice the 3D animation process and learn how to create a smooth 3D shot. The CG Stereoscopic Shots are multiple still frame and CG Animation clips that demonstrate the understanding and execution of various techniques.

Custom Tools Creation

In the Custom Tools Creation project, students learn how to cut down on redundant tasks using custom made Python scripts. By deploying the custom made scripts, students learn how to help automate the process of animation and VFX.

15-Second Stop Motion Short

The 15-Second Short Project illustrates understanding of stop motion, i.e. claymation. At NYFA, students learn stop motion from professionals who have worked on films and television shows, such as Pinocchio (2021) and ParaNorman (2012).





Website

During the MFA and BFA programs, degree students build a website to showcase their resume and portfolio work.

Demo Reel(s): Modeling, Rigging, Animation, VFX

Demo Reel – Modeling
For the Demo Reel modeling project, students complete multiple, simple turntable models, such as characters and props. This is a technical project that helps students practice and demonstrate their modeling skills.

Demo Reel – Rigging
The Rigging project for the Demo Reel gives students the opportunity to demonstrate their rigging skills. Students complete character rig and facial controls, such as blinking, facial shapes, and movements.

Demo Reel – Animation
In the Animation Project for the Demo Reel, students show an understanding of the character animation process through multiple shots. These shots demonstrate their knowledge of Disney’s 12 Principles of Animation.

Demo Reel – VFX
As a part of the Demo Reel, students complete multiple shots of VFX elements and compositing in a photo-real setting.

Website

During the MFA and BFA programs, degree students build a website to showcase their resume and portfolio work.

Final Thesis

As a Final Thesis project, students create a narrative short that they write, direct, and produce. To kick off the project, students pitch three ideas to their thesis committee. After receiving feedback, students choose and move forward with their project concept. This project is currently completed during the BFA program only.

Reel and/or Portfolio in Chosen Specialization

In preparation for their Reel/Portfolio, students determine 1-2 of the specialities that they plan to pursue, for example, effects, characterization or storyboarding. They design their reel to showcase the specific skills and knowledge they possess in these disciplines.


3D Animation & VFX
Certificate Program

During the one-year program at NYFA, students build a strong body of work while learning essential skills in storyboarding, modeling, texturing, animation, and VFX and lighting.

Storyboarding

Throughout the 3D Animation programs, students create storyboards. For thesis animations and VFX, the storyboards use images, text and design to present a clear, cinematic blueprint for the purposes of project planning, pitching and approval.

Modeling 1

For the Modeling 1 project, students model a bipedal character (character that walks with two legs) and props for a 10-20 second animation.

Modeling 2

In the Modeling 2 project, students learn more advanced modeling concepts using ZBrush, learning how to retopologize characters (rebuild characters and prep them for animation with Maya’s toolset) to be more memory efficient and used in character rigging (prepping a static model for character animation).

Rigging

For the Rigging Project, students rig (prepping a static model for character animation) a bipedal character (character that walks with two legs) for a 10 to 20-second animation.

Animation

Animate bipedal character (character that walks with two legs) for a 10-20 second animation.

Lighting

Students learn to light computer generated imagery so models look like they are in the real world. In this project, students learn three-point studio lighting. Similar to a movie set, students use the three types of lighting (key, fill, rim) to light a subject from three different positions. Students also learn image based lighting (HDRI techniques) to light computer generated scenes.

Graphics Essentials

Using After Effects and Nuke, students learn the fundamentals of creating LUT files for animation, learning how to add expressions, shape layers, repeater, text, and more.

Story Essentials

For the Story Essentials project, students learn the craft of narrative storytelling in animation. Students learn the classic story structure and how to tell a cohesive story using VFX effect shots.

Dynamics

In the Dynamics project, students work on creating a number of different animations, including:

nParticle systems and instancing
Using nCloth, nHair, and wrap deformers to make a dynamic prop clothing and hair for character simulations, as well as XGen
“Rocket Thruster” effect with nParticles and Maya Fluids from sourcing to VRAY
Legacy Bifrost Fluids and Aero
Explosion – Using the Bifrost Graph Aero combustion model
Extend Maya using Bifrost Graph Compounds

Scripting

In the Scripting project, students work on creating a number of different scipts, including:

– A procedural staircase in MEL with UI and again in Python using maya.cmds and Pymel
– A character rig script in python using maya.cmds
– A motion graphics “”tile flipping”” system combining MEL expressions and python scripting.



Motion Capture

In the Motion Capture project, students rig a character in the Human IK system in Maya in order to make it compatible with MotionBuilder.

– Cleaning and polishing motion capture data.
– Combining motion capture data with 3D objects
– Combining and manipulating motion capture data files
– Combining motion capture files with keyframe animation
– Capturing, editing, and cleaning the student’s own motion capture data files done with the school’s Motion Capture System
– Creating facial animation based on audio tracks using the facewear system and putting it inside Maya and the Unreal Game Engine

Sculpture

In the Sculpture Project, students use the four small structures as a warm-up exercise.

1. 4-miniature skulls
2. 1-medium sized skull
3. Superhero sculpture
4. One to one sculpture of themselves

For their final presentation, students create two sculptures for the final presentation.


3D Animation & VFX
Workshops

NYFA’s 3D animation & VFX workshops offer aspiring visual artists an introduction to 3D animation, training them how to perform basic modeling and create their own original 3D computer animated film using the industry standard software Maya.

Storyboarding

Throughout the 3D Animation programs, students create storyboards. For thesis animations and VFX, the storyboards use images, text and design to present a clear, cinematic blueprint for the purposes of project planning, pitching and approval.

Modeling 1

For the Modeling 1 project, students model a bipedal character (character that walks with two legs) and props for a 10-20 second animation.

Modeling 2

In the Modeling 2 project, students learn more advanced modeling concepts using ZBrush, learning how to retopologize characters (rebuild characters and prep them for animation with Maya’s toolset) to be more memory efficient and used in character rigging (prepping a static model for character animation).

Rigging

For the Rigging Project, students rig (prepping a static model for character animation) a bipedal character (character that walks with two legs) for a 10 to 20-second animation.

Animation

Animate bipedal character (character that walks with two legs) for a 10-20 second animation.

Lighting

Students learn to light computer generated imagery so models look like they are in the real world. In this project, students learn three-point studio lighting. Similar to a movie set, students use the three types of lighting (key, fill, rim) to light a subject from three different positions. Students also learn image based lighting (HDRI techniques) to light computer generated scenes.

Graphics Essentials

Using After Effects and Nuke, students learn the fundamentals of creating LUT files for animation, learning how to add expressions, shape layers, repeater, text, and more.

Story Essentials

For the Story Essentials project, students learn the craft of narrative storytelling in animation. Students learn the classic story structure and how to tell a cohesive story using VFX effect shots.

Dynamics

In the Dynamics project, students work on creating a number of different animations, including:

nParticle systems and instancing
Using nCloth, nHair, and wrap deformers to make a dynamic prop clothing and hair for character simulations, as well as XGen
“Rocket Thruster” effect with nParticles and Maya Fluids from sourcing to VRAY
Legacy Bifrost Fluids and Aero
Explosion – Using the Bifrost Graph Aero combustion model
Extend Maya using Bifrost Graph Compounds

Scripting

In the Scripting project, students work on creating a number of different scipts, including:

– A procedural staircase in MEL with UI and again in Python using maya.cmds and Pymel
– A character rig script in python using maya.cmds
– A motion graphics “”tile flipping”” system combining MEL expressions and python scripting.



Motion Capture

In the Motion Capture project, students rig a character in the Human IK system in Maya in order to make it compatible with MotionBuilder.

– Cleaning and polishing motion capture data.
– Combining motion capture data with 3D objects
– Combining and manipulating motion capture data files
– Combining motion capture files with keyframe animation
– Capturing, editing, and cleaning the student’s own motion capture data files done with the school’s Motion Capture System
– Creating facial animation based on audio tracks using the facewear system and putting it inside Maya and the Unreal Game Engine

Sculpture

In the Sculpture Project, students use the four small structures as a warm-up exercise.

1. 4-miniature skulls
2. 1-medium sized skull
3. Superhero sculpture
4. One to one sculpture of themselves

For their final presentation, students create two sculptures for the final presentation.

Please note: Equipment, curriculum, and projects are subject to change and may vary depending on location. Students should consult the most recently published campus catalog for the most up-to-date curriculum.