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Chapter 1 ✦ An Introduction to Maya
rather than replicating the real world. With that kind of studio philosophy found in
many of today’s shops, your artistry counts as much as your wizardry. Throughout
this book, we stress learning artistic concepts, philosophies, and so on, as well as
learning the software. The computer is just another tool for you, as an artist, to
express your ideas, creativity, design concepts, and animation skills.
The Role Maya Plays in an Animation
Production Pipeline
A “pipeline,” as it is often referred to in the production world, is similar to an
assembly line — ideas are fed into one end and images come out the other, such as
the graph, shown in Figure 1-5. Numerous job functions are performed in the pipe in
order to produce a product. This chapter is intended to more clearly define Maya’s
place in that pipeline.
In a real production pipeline, Maya is but one tool of many used to get from idea
to imagery. Production starts with an idea. It may be in your head or on a napkin
that your producer is carrying in his or her pocket. But it starts with an idea, which
initiates the planning phase. Planning saves you time in 3D. So get your pencil and
refine that idea yourself. Even if you are fortunate enough to have good storyboards,
it is to your advantage to work out your own ideas on paper first. Audio is another
important element in planning, which may lead to the creation of additional ideas.
If you are lucky enough to get audio from the beginning, that’s great! If not, your
timing inspiration has to come from within. We often cut an audio track just to
provide inspiration and a sense of time.
Next in the pipeline is an animatic. The best animatics are just scanned storyboards
synced to time in a video editing application. Most major film studios have teams of
people who contribute to these planning phases. Then they take these plans all the
way through to color, lights, and camera moves. You can decide how far to go,
depending on what you are working on.
You should also begin the modeling process by drawing your intended model with a
pencil. Even if you have good drawings from the previous department or art depart-
ment, draw a version from front and side perspectives anyway. This enables you to
define spatial relationships in your own mind.
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