Last spring, UC Denver’s graduating class of 2010, finished their senior film.  The film took over 18 months for production and they did an awesome job with the animation.   As you can see the film  was recognized and won over 27 awards both nationally and internationally.   Four Smoky Hill graduates (class of 2006)  worked on this animation and check out all the roles they had. 

Kyle Mckenzie  was a layout animator, environment & set designer, environment/set modeler, visual effects artist

Zachary Mckenzie  was a layout animator, environment & set designer, environment/set modeler, compositor,  materials/texture artist, graphics

Bryan Weathers was an environment & set designers, motion Capture Actor, environment/set modeler, technical director, lighting supervisor, lighter, compositor,  materials/texture artist, render and data manager

Ben Cornish was an environment/set modelers,  materials/texture artist

Check out their film:  http://www.acomplexvillainelle.com/index.htm

Great Job guys!!!  - Cornell

 

About: Synopsis

Before he became the overweight obsessive sadsack of his later years, the Penguin was a poet and a dandy, who threw lavish parties and was an expert with umbrella flight. Looking for love, he is introduced to a lovely nanny who also prefers travel by umbrella. The results are not as he had dreamed, his hopes dashed by a mysterious stranger in a black cape.

About the Film production process

This short film was in production for a year and a half, and is the creation of 20 students at the University of Colorado at Denver’s Digital Animation Program. The story written and narrated by Jonathan Goldstein, of National Public Radio and WBEZ Chicago's This American Life and host of the CBC's Wiretap and has been brought to life in 3D by the students of the Digital Animation Center’s class of 2010.

The Digital Animation Center engages their senior students in a three semester capstone series of courses in which the students must form a working animation studio with the intention of the immersing themselves in a creative collaborative work environment, obtaining real life experience in producing a film. Students are provided a story from which they develop the story, create preproduction/previzualization assets, develop a production pipeline and complete a high-production value animated short film. The 18 month production mimics as closely as possible the production environment of the major animation studios throughout the world. Students manage the production, holding leadership positions under the mentorship of DAC faculty. The end result for the class of 2010 is A Complex Villainelle.

 

A Complex Villainelle from UC Denver, Digital Animation Cen on Vimeo.

 

Benjamin Cornish

Ben was involved in the environments and sets for most of the short. From designing the main aspects of the dining rooms to modeling and texturing the first dining room and the second dining room. His favorite CG film is Final Fantasy: Advent Children.

 

 

Kyle McKenzie

View Kyle's online portfolio

Kyle played a key role in the development of several assets throughout the short. Primarily focusing on modeling, UV layout, and texturing, he took part in the creation and development of the overall city where the short story takes place. He also worked on modeling and texturing both the final rooftop scene where the Penguin takes his leap of faith, as well as the final scene of the short, the under city. Kyle also took a minor role in the development of visual effects throughout the short.

 

Zachary McKenzie

View Zachary's online portfolio

Zachary was responsible for several different creative elements during this production. He played a leading role in the creation of both the city and the under city. Some of his pipeline duties included: concept design,  environment/set layout, camera placement, asset creation, compositing, and screen graphics. Zachary was involed in all stages of production and was a major contributor to the overall look and style of this short.

 

Bryan Weathers

As the lighting and rendering technical director for the short, Bryan ensured an artistic and emotive lighting style for the short, reflecting and enhancing the emotions of the characters and creating a visually stunning environment for them to inhabit. He was involved with everything that made the world come to life—from set and environment design, to modeling, texturing, and the final lighting that furnished it with beauty and realism. Peers say that “Bryan's rendering and lighting talents are essential to this short.”

Hobbies: writing, piano, cooking
Favorite CG film: Ratatouille

 

http://www.acomplexvillainelle.com/index.htm