PIXAR in a Box

[Rodney]

Pixar has teamed up with Khan Academy to offer a free course on how animated movies are produced.

Introduction:
https://www.khanacademy.org/partner-content/pixar/start/introduction

Course page:
https://www.khanacademy.org/partner-content/pixar


The folks at Pixar can now point aspiring creators to the Khan Academy when they ask those inevitable questions about CG animation.

The basic breakdown of course material:
Environment modeling
Explore how blades of grass in Brave were created using parabolic arcs.
Modeling grass with parabolas

Calculating parabolas

 

Character modeling
Explore how clay models are transformed into digital characters using weighted averages.
Modeling with subdivision surfacesMathematics of subdivision

Animation
Explore how animators bring characters to life using different kinds of animation curves.
Introduction to animation curves

Mathematics of animation curves

 

Crowds
Explore how swarms of robots in Wall-E were made using combinatorics.
Building crowdsCounting crowds

Sets & Staging
Explore how virtual sets are constructed using geometric transformations.
Geometric transformations

Mathematics of rotation

 

Rendering
Explore how pixels are painted digitally using algebra.
Rendering 101

Mathematics of Rendering

 

Each topic begins with a design focused lesson which is appropriate for grades 5+, followed by a math focused lesson which is grade specific. Our lessons touch on concepts ranging from grade 4 through high school and beyond.

We've designed each lesson to fit within an hour or less.

[robcat2075]

That's a big box.

[Rodney]

Those lessons go pretty deep... at least for non-mathy-types like me.

 

Here's proof that I made it to the animation course**:

 

https://www.khanacademy.org/computer-programming/longbounce/5236735532466176 *

 

*Definitely needs more spin.

 

 

If'n you want to learn about subdivision surfaces and the like... it's a nice intro.

 

 

**Although... not proof that I was paying attention!