In the morning, I had my first class…one that I was in charge of/teaching. It’s an undergrad visual studies studio, senior level. Tim is the prof for it, but he’s currently in Germany, kicking off the study abroad semester out there. He’s also coordinating things that have to do with his research. So, I’m his research assistant, but this semester I’m basically also a teaching assistant. The class seems great and the best part is: I haven’t had any of these students before. I’ve had a lot of other students in the College of Architecture, but the oldest of them are now juniors (and I had them when they were freshmen). I dunno. I think that’s pretty cool.
Aside from that class, which I spent getting the students up to speed on what the semester is going to be like, I am actually enrolled in a viz course, Facial Animation with Dr. Fred Parke.
Today was the first day of class and aside from some initial technical difficulties, it looks like it’s going to be a great semester. The class is mixed with 1st years to Nth years. It’ll be interesting to see the outcome of each person by the end of the course.
Our first assignment is to read some papers, but also to spend some time looking at our face in the mirror. We’re supposed to make different expressions and really pay attention to what’s happening to our face (skin, creases, muscles, etc). Now, I’ve spent time doing this in the past (because I’m weird like that), but this time I paid closer attention and it’s pretty amazing the amount of muscles we have and how they work together to make you smile, frown, pucker, etc.
More to come as the semester progresses.