Final Project

Summary

For this last Creative Challenge —the final project for the course —you will use what you’ve learned to create your own real-time animation.

You can use any of the models and animations provided in the course, or you can use your own. Begin by thinking of a character you want to take on a journey, a setting where this journey will take place, and the event or events that will occur during the journey. Write these out into a script. For simplicity’s sake, try to keep the script under a page, limit the number of characters to three or fewer, and stick to a single setting.

Once you have your script, put together a storyboard that will guide your shots and imagery. Each shot in your film should correspond to a still image you’ve drawn in your storyboard.

Once you have your script and your storyboard, it’s time to begin making your Unity animation. Start by creating your set using assets you create in ProBuilder or your own models built using the 3D modeling software of your choice. You can also use models from the Unity Asset Store — there are free models and models you can purchase. There are also many sites where you can find free 3D assets, like Sketchfab, TurboSquid, and CGTrader. Just make sure you have permission!

Next, you’ll want to bring in your characters, which you can create yourself, find in the Unity Asset Store, or find online. Configure the rig as you did in Lesson 4.3 and apply pre-made animations that you can find in the CMU Graphics Lab Motion Capture Database or at Adobe Mixamo. You’re also welcome to use your own animations.

Add multiple shots using Cinemachine, add lighting and post-processing effects, add visual effects and sound, and add a title to enhance the quality of your story. Then render it out using the Unity Recorder and share your creation with the world!

For inspiration, check out some of the awesome animated films created with Unity:

The Heretic

Sherman

ADAM: Episode 1

Keep in mind that these were created by professionals and your animation will likely be much simpler.

For this challenge you can work individually or in a team. One of the first things you need to consider is project management. What can you create in the amount of time you are given? If you are working in a team, who is doing what?

To create your animation, you’ll need to:

• Develop the story you want to tell into a short script.
• As part of the pre-visualization process, find reference images, create reference sketches, and create a simple storyboard.
• Determine your setting and create it in 3D.
• Determine your characters. You can use characters from our Synty assets, from Unity’s Asset Store, or your own characters created in your preferred 3D-modeling program.

Your project should include:

• A set
• An animated character or characters
• Multiple shots created with Cinemachine strung together with Timeline
• Lighting
• Post-processing
• Visual effects
• Sound

Once you’ve completed your project, render it to .mp4 and upload it to our public gallery. We’re excited to see what you create!

Keep going! If you’ve mastered the content in this course, try creating a game and digging into a little programming in Unity. There are a wide variety of courses and projects on Learn and all of them are available for free.