By
Rob O'Neill, Rob O'Neill is an artist, programmer and researcher working at the intersection of art and science. Rob holds an MFA from Parsons School
of Design in Design and Technology with a focus on visualization. Rob is currently a Research Associate in the Digital Arts Research
Lab and faculty in the Department of Digital Arts at Pratt Institute, New York, NY, USA.
Description
Digital character development consumes a large percentage of the development time of every animated film or video, and is widely viewed
as the next major area of advance in computer games. This field now spans the areas of cognition, anatomy, animation, computer graphics,
theater, and psychology. While advanced techniques are reported in scholarly journals and academic dissertations, only those that find
an implementation in off-the-shelf software (such as Maya) are covered in books.
Digital Character Development: Theory and Practice
covers the foundational algorithms and research that go into the development of virtual characters. The author, a faculty member of the
Pratt Institute and Parsons School of Design, as well as studio technical director of Eyebeam Art and Technology Center in New York,
was technical director at PDI/Dreamworks on
Shrek 2 and
Madagascar and is an independent filmmaker and artist. His
new textbook guides both students and professionals who need a thorough understanding of character development in order to make decisions
about the creation of their own characters. This text bridges the gap between algorithm and software-agnostic applications. The book
will include exercises. The manuscript will be class tested at Pratt Institute, Parsons School of Design, and others.
Audience:
Advanced undergraduate or graduate students in film and video game development programs, professionals working in computer graphics, film, games, digital media, and interactive design.
