A framework for enhancing the quality and effectiveness of computer animation projects
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/02635579710161313 |
| Pages | 25-30 |
| Published date | 01 February 1997 |
| Date | 01 February 1997 |
| Author | Andrew J. Czuchry,Mahmoud M. Yasin |
| Subject Matter | Economics,Information & knowledge management,Management science & operations |
[ 25 ]
Industrial Management &
Data Systems
97/1 [1997] 25–30
© MCB University Press
[ISSN 0263-5577]
A framework for enhancing the quality and
effectiveness of computer animation projects
Andrew J. Czuchry
AFG Chair of Excellence in Business and Technology, East Tennessee State
University, Johnson City, Tennessee, USA
Mahmoud M. Yasin
Associate Professor of Management, East Tennessee State University, Johnson
City, Tennessee, USA
Aims to show how the merger
of computer technologies,
total quality management and
the tools of project manage-
ment can increase the quality,
efficiency and the customer
orientation of computer
animation projects. Provides
a conceptual framework
which is designed to facilitate
this merger. Uses an actual
computer animation project
to illustrate the utility of the
proposed approach.
Introduction
Computer animation and multimedia
As a response to the new realities of the mar-
ketplace, organizations in both the manufac-
turing and service sectors are redefining
their competitive strategies. Nowadays,
strategic parameters, such as efficiency, qual-
ity and innovation are no longer being
viewed as mutually exclusive. Rather, they
are being integrated into an overall business
strategy with the effective responsiveness to
customize as its main objective. New manage-
rial philosophies and new operating technolo-
gies are making a customer-oriented business
strategy more feasible than ever before. Com-
bining computer technologies with total
quality management (TQM) and the tools of
project management is allowing organiza-
tions to design and produce customized qual-
ity products and services more efficiently.
The design and production of computer ani-
mation projects is a case in point of a process
where this combination is very powerful.
The objective of this article is to illustrate
the utility of combining computer technolo-
gies with the TQM philosophy and the tools of
project management in designing and pro-
ducing a quality customer-oriented computer
animation project efficiently. A framework
designed to facilitate this approach is offered.
Finally, an actual computer animation project
is examined in the context of the approach
advocated in this article.
The demands for 3-D models in visualiza-
tions include a broad range of applications
from architectural design, broadcast anima-
tion, medical and courtroom litigation, to
feature films, games development and virtual
reality. In feature films one of the best exam-
ples of this application is the movie, Jurassic
Park. People generally agree that the special
effects are spectacular.
The dinosaurs were brought to life by ani-
mators and artists working with computer
animation tools rather than robotic or
mechanical models. Dennis Muren, Indus-
trial Light and Magic senior visual effects
supervisor and seven-time Academy Award
winner for special effects, states: “Before, I’ve
been limited by the technology. But that’s not
true in computer graphics. I can figure out
how to do just about anything in computer
graphics. I haven’t hit a wall in the
technology”.
The work involved is an order of magnitude
greater than the average person realizes. In
Jurassic Parkover 52 computer graphic shots
were incorporated. To produce the film seg-
ments the equivalent of 75 silicon graphic
workstations were used. Five major commer-
cial software packages and over 150 pieces of
proprietary software were also tailored to
achieve the required functionality. Teams of
animators and artists devoted over 10,000
man hours to produce these segments. An
even greater amount of time was required for
rendering (producing) the images on the
computer workstations. As an example of
“rendering” a computer must generate 30
images to produce one second of a computer
animation. Extremely fast computers require
from 30 seconds to five minutes to produce
each image. One second in Jurassic Park took
at least 15 minutes of computer animation to
produce. This does not include the man hours
to sketch, diagram and actually draw the
image into the computer or to assign colours,
lighting and motion paths and camera angles
as required.
Another example illustrating complexity is
the 6.5 minutes of computer animation for a
proposed resort in the Caribbean. This ani-
mation previewed the driveway, courtyard,
swimming pool, waterfalls and a golf course.
Interior views included the main lobby
entrance, ballroom and underground service
tunnel with automated vehicles delivering
supplies. This animation required 3,000
machine hours of rendering time and 1,700
man hours to complete. The project was fur-
ther complicated by a three and one-half week
completion deadline.
An apparently simple, character animation
with original music and lipsyncing of a
singing mouse involved 300 hours of com-
puter time and 1,400 man hours of work. Each
of these examples demonstrate that multi-
media presentations require technical
resource allocation, time management and
financial risk management with a significant
scope of work.
Multimedia delivers computer-generated
presentations that may include a mix of text,
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