AbstractsComputer Science

The Floor IS Lava, an animation short created by myself and talented 3D production artists from the Applied Computer Graphics program at Chico State, was successfully made in an efficient ten weeks instead of the normally projected year. To successfully create the animation short I applied my accrued knowledge of 3D production software, project management tools/techniques, and personal investigation of management in production settings. The Production tools and techniques that were used to create this animation, such as motion capture and 3D modeling soft and hardware???s, are those that you would find in any major production house such as Autodesk Maya and Optitrack Motive motion capture software. The industry-standard project management tools used in this project are also seen in production houses such as Shotgun and in non-production settings such as MS Project. The way in which project management and production techniques complement each other is why this project was completed successfully in this strict 10 week deadline. To legitimize my research, I have conducted thorough investigation in the film and game industry by personal employment at a freelance motion capture studio where I worked with companies such as Disney and Comedy Central; in-depth discussions with people such as Demian Gordon Lead motion capture supervisor of many major films; and personal research in project management and productions that utilize motion capture systems. Additionally, I have observed the flawed and successful management techniques that are an industry standard.