A visual artist working with 3D animation, sculpture, game design and performance, Birch's work is in art collections around the world, including the Whitney Museum of American Art. Recent exhibitions include Sculpture Center, NY; Lyles and King, NY; and the National University of Ireland Galway. Birch has work with the online video platform DAATA Editions, and recent art fairs include NADA Miami, Art Brussels, and Code Copenhagen. He has taught classes in 3D modeling, virtual reality, compositing, and the theory of digital media. Birch is represented in New York by Lyles and King and is an artist-in-residence at Pioneer Works Winter, 2018/2019. SLC, 2018-
Previous Courses
Filmmaking and Moving Image Arts
3D Character and Environments
Open, Small seminar—Year
This course will focus on the creation and animation of computer graphic-generated characters and environments. We will utilize Maya, an industry-standard 3D modeling and animation application, to create unique characters. Topics covered will be the basics of character creation, topology, edge flows, rigging, weighting, and UV mapping. Over the course of the semester, students will create a variety of different characters, both bipedal and non-bipedal. Students will learn how to make walk cycles and to automate facial expressions for their own unique characters. We will cover how to integrate these characters into traditional animation environments, as well as film projects. Sample exercises include the creation of a dance music video, and a dining experience. By the conclusion of the term, students will have a basis for the fundamentals of character creation and animation.
Faculty
Phillip Birch
Designing Film for Virtual Environments
Sophomore and Above, Small seminar—Year
This course will focus on the development and deployment of adaptive cinema and live rendered compositing in video production. The class will explore the production techniques in shows such as Westworld and The Mandalorian, as well as the burgeoning field of adaptive cinema used on online platforms such as Netflix and experimental film festivals. Topics covered in the course will be live compositing computer graphics, user interface design, scene optimization, and multi-sequential narratives. The course will use Unreal Engine, an industry-standard software used on the above television shows to composite digital sets with live-action footage. Utilizing these techniques, the course will discuss different venues for deployment of this media.
Faculty
Phillip Birch
Virtual Cinema
Open, Seminar—Year
This course will focus on the development and deployment of adaptive cinema and live-rendered compositing in video production. The class will explore the production techniques in shows such as Westworld and The Mandalorian, as well as the burgeoning field of adaptive cinema used on online platforms such as Netflix and experimental film festivals. Topics covered in the course will be live-compositing computer graphics, user interface design, scene optimization, and multisequential narratives. The course will use Unreal Engine, an industry-standard software used on the above television shows. Utilizing these techniques, we will discuss different venues for deployment of this media, including virtual reality and online platforms.
Faculty
Phillip Birch