Hours of debate, storyboarding, and last-minute rendering paid off as 1816s animation subteam completed and successfully uploaded their Maya 3D animation for the 2011 FIRST Autodesk 3D Animation challenge. This year, animators were asked to envision how to save a people, by the name of the Iiko, from environmental disaster. Our team first decided on what disaster would befall the Iiko and how that destruction could be averted. We hit the drawing board with numerous ideas, from a simple airborne virus all the way to an invasion of beings who deliberately pollute planets. We settled on the idea of overhunting, which destroyed the fabric of the Iiko’s ecosystem. Despite the spectacular pun of ‘Iikosystem’, we settled on the unraveling of the biological environment due to its plausibility and the multitude of possible solutions. We ultimately agreed that the Iiko would benefit from hovering “FIRST biospheres” in which to retreat while their planet healed.
At the same time, we wanted to step out on a limb to challenge our modeling skills and imagination with something as foreign as the biosphere concept. The most difficult challenge for us was to learn to model using new-to-us software, Autodesk Maya. This software gave us the opportunity to diversify our animation skills, building on what we learned from previous years using Autodesk 3DsMax. The learning process was challenging but our mentors from Larsen Design — Bud Snead, Mike Voermans and Justin Mueller – tirelessly coached. After much trial, error, and patience on behalf of our mentors, we were able to handle independent modeling and rendering.
The animation challenge this year proved to be an ambitious and educational experience. We are fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with engaging professionals who not only taught us how to use Maya, but showed us how fun and exciting it can be to work in a competitive, creative and professional environment. The animation subteam gives special thanks to our mentors and we can’t wait to face next year’s challenge together.