16-374 IDeATe: Art of Robotic Special Effects

12 units, Carnegie Mellon University

Inspired by the early trick films of George Melies, this projectoriented course brings together robotics and film production technique to infuse cinema with the wonder of live magic. Students will learn the basics of film production using animatronics, camera motion control, and compositing. The projects apply these techniques to create innovative physical effects for short films, all the way from concept to postproduction. The course emphasizes realtime practical effects to explore the immediacy and interactivity of improvisation and rehearsal. The robotics topics include animatronic rapid prototyping and programming humanrobot collaborative performance. The course includes a brief overview of the history of special effects and robotics to set the work in context.

Prerequisites: none listed

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