Topic A: Maya for Animators

• Interface: Timeline, Graph Editor, and Viewport 2.0.
• Keyframing: Set Key (S), Auto-Key, and deleting keys.
• Tangents: Auto, Spline, Linear, and Stepped (Blocking) tangents.

Topic B: Timing & Spacing

• The Concept: Timing is when it happens; Spacing is how it moves.
• Slow In & Slow Out: Using the Graph Editor curves to create acceleration and deceleration.

Topic C: Squash & Stretch

• Volume Preservation: Ensuring the object doesn’t grow or shrink magically.
• Materiality: How a rubber ball deforms vs. a bowling ball (No deformation).

Topic A: Arcs

• Natural Motion: Why organic movement follows curved paths (Arcs).
• Tracking: Using Motion Trails in Maya to visualize and polish arcs.

Topic B: Follow Through & Overlapping Action

• The Drag Principle: The tip of the tail follows the base.
• The Wave Principle: Creating fluid motion in whips, tails, and hair.

Topic C: Secondary Action

• Definition: Gestures that support the main action (e.g., a character whistling while walking).

Topic A: The Walk Cycle

• The 4 Key Poses: Contact, Down (Recoil), Passing, and Up (High Point).
• Foot Roll: Animating the heel-strike to toe-off.

Topic B: Weight & Balance

• Center of Gravity (COG): Keeping the character balanced over their feet.
• Hips: The engine of the walk. Hip rotation and up/down movement.

Topic C: Solid Drawing (in 3D)

• Posing: Avoiding “twinning” (symmetry). creating strong silhouettes.

Topic A: Anticipation

• Telegraphing: Preparing the audience for an action (e.g., bending down before jumping).
• Exaggeration: Pushing the pose to make it readable, not just realistic.

Topic B: The Run Cycle

• Air Time: The difference between a walk (always one foot on the ground) and a run (both feet leave the ground).
• Lean & Force: Leaning into the direction of travel.

Topic C: Staging

• Camera Angles: presenting the action clearly.
• Silhouette: Ensuring the pose reads clearly even in black and white.

Topic A: Acting for Animators

• Thought Process: Seeing the character “think” before they move.
• Eye Darts: How eyes move when processing information.

Topic B: Blocking vs. Splining

• Stepped Mode: Focusing on the “Golden Poses” first without letting the computer interpolate.
• Retiming: Adjusting the timing of the block out to create “Snap.”

Topic C: Appeal

• Charisma: Making the character interesting to look at (not necessarily “good looking”).
• Rhythm: Varying the timing (fast/slow) to avoid robotic motion.

Topic A: Jaw Mechanics

• Open & Shut: The jaw drives the mouth. Animating the jaw bone first.
• Vowels vs. Consonants: O, A, E (Open) vs. M, B, P (Closed).

Topic B: Mouth Shapes (Visemes)

• Wide/Narrow: Simplifying shapes. You don’t need a shape for every letter.
• The “M” Pop: Compressing the lips before an M/B/P sound.

Topic C: Acting with Audio

• Listening: Animating the character listening, not just talking.
• Accents & Beats: Hitting the key gestures on the stressed words.

Topic A: The Brows

• Emotion Center: Squeeze (Anger), Raise (Surprise), Inner Raise (Sadness).
• Asymmetry: One brow raised vs. both.

Topic B: The Eyes & Lids

• Blinks: Using blinks to reset the gaze or show a shift in thought.
• Lid Follow: The eyelids must follow the pupil as it looks up and down.

Topic C: Subtext

• Saying vs. Meaning: Animating what the character feels, not just what they say.

Topic A: Innovative AI Workflow (Using Gemini)

• Subtext Analysis: pasting the dialogue script into Gemini to get a psychological breakdown of the character’s hidden motives.
  • Prompt Example: “Analyse this line of dialogue: ‘I’m fine, really.’ The character is actually lying. Suggest 3 physical gestures that would reveal they are lying.”
• Backstory Generation: Creating a deep history for the character to inform why they move a certain way.
• Reference Ideation: Asking Gemini for video reference ideas.
  • Prompt Example: “List 5 classic movie scenes where a character is trying to hide their laughter.”

Topic B: Final Polish

• Moving Hold: Adding life (breath, slight sway) to static poses so the character doesn’t die.
• Knee Pops & Jitters: Fixing technical errors in the Graph Editor.

After eight weeks of core instruction, students enter a free 2-month mentorship delivered online via Discord. This phase shifts the focus from learning new tools to applying them to industry standards.

• Project Polish & Portfolio Building: Finish or redo your 2 required projects. High-quality submissions ensure better scores and a stronger portfolio.
• Weekly 1-on-1 Sessions: Each student is assigned a dedicated mentor for a personalised 30 to 60-minute weekly guidance session.
• Open File Reviews: Present open project files via live screen sharing for direct mentor critiques and feedback.
• Live Debugging: Join dedicated livestreams where instructors actively troubleshoot settings and fix your project errors in real-time.
• Final Premiere: Submit your fully rendered images or video for the Virtual Viewing Party to watch and critique final reels with the class.
• Certification & Next Steps: Complete the course evaluation and submit all final polished projects to finalise grading and unlock your Certificate of Completion.