The field of animation, including feature-length films and video game design, is a multi-billion dollar industry. Besides the entertainment industry, modern animation is used extensively in advertising, training, education, scientific visualization, and many other fields. San Jose State's Animation/Illustration Program in the School of Art and Design is one of the premier programs in the nation, attracting students nationally and internationally with over 400 undergraduates currently majoring in the program. SJSU animation consistently wins prestigious national and international recognition at exhibitions festivals, and screenings (e.g., "Fumi and the Bad Luck Foot" was selected for the 2006 Sundance Film Festival) and many graduates currently work at Dreamworks, Disney, ILM, Electronic Arts, and other major animation and gaming companies.

Though animators may bend, stretch, even break the laws of physics for comic or dramatic effect, they are keen observers of the physical world. Animation artists carefully study the motion of objects, the appearance of light and shadow, and the properties of materials. They fill their sketchbooks with these observations, in the same fashion as their predecessors, going back to Leonardo da Vinci. Unfortunately, artists sometimes develop the same false notions as pre-Renaissance scientists, such as believing that heavy objects fall faster than lighter ones. This occurs because their training within the standard art curriculum does not include physics.

At present there is little overlap between art and science in the typical university curriculum and physics courses for visual artists are extremely rare. To address this need, Professors Alejandro Garcia (Physics), Alice Carter (Animation/Illustration), and Courtney Granner (Animation/Illustration), in collaboration with Martin McNamara of De Anza college, have been awarded a grant from the National Science Foundation to create content for "Physics of Animation" lectures for art students.

The topics in "Physics of Animation" are those most relevant to character and effects animation and differ significantly from the topics in the traditional undergraduate physics sequence. For example, common character animation sequences, such as jumping, pushing, fighting, (including punches and kicks) are analyzed in terms of the action-reaction and the work-energy concepts. In the same way that learning anatomy helps artists draw realistic people, learning physics will help them animate realistic worlds.

This website is one of the distribution channels for the materials developed in this project. Here animation students will find tutorials and examples; instructors will find curriculum materials. Periodically we will also be offering Master Classes (special workshops) in the San Jose area.

But this should be a two-way street so please send us your comments, advice, suggestions, etc. to the project's director, Alejandro Garcia. Better yet, sign up for the Google Group.

Articles

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92189335 http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_9331288
http://www.popsci.com/entertainment-gaming/article/2008-05/physics-animation
http://www.siliconvalley.com/ci_9331288
http://www.redorbit.com/news/technology/1396162/physics_professor_lays_down_the_law_for_animators/index.html

Blogs

http://www.synchrolux.com/?p=230
http://blogs.siliconvalley.com/gmsv/2008/05/no-doing-your-equations-in-calligraphy-wont-help-your-grade.html
http://www.otherthings.com/blog2/?p=108
http://jeanricardbroek-architect.blogspot.com/2008/05/laws-of-physics.html
http://animationguildblog.blogspot.com/2008/05/newtons-third-part-deux.html
http://ariewijaya.blogspot.com/2008/05/is-this-fight-physically-realistic.html
http://aingkumaha.blogspot.com/2008/05/physics-of-animation.html

Photos


SJSU's Physics of Animation team at SIGGRAPH 2008. Alej Garcia (SJSU), Alice Carter (SJSU), Andreas Deja (Disney), Courtney Granner (SJSU)


Courtney Granner (SJSU), Dave Master (ACME Animation), Alej Garcia (SJSU) at Disney Educators' Reception


Alice Carter (SJSU), Jason Ryan (Dreamworks Animation), Alej Garcia (SJSU) at SIGGRAPH 2008

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